[50mhz] 6m update from KH8/W7GJ

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

Hello!   I have included updates from my KH8 6m DXpedition web page below:


July 13, 2014 - First moon pass, and the first ever EME from KH8.  Lots of fun having 
so many ground gain lobes from being so high above the sea!   Also was nice to have 
visual aiming until around 1000Z, when a front came in and totally socked us in :-(  
Degradation was -3.4 dB today, so it is nice to get so many in the log (including a 
number of single yagi stations) before cndx peak!  Worked the following stations 
before heading home to take a shower and get some sleep:  KG7H, K2ZD, N3XX, W6BBS, 
N6BBS, N7NW, K7CW, NN7J, VE1JF, N3CXV.  Also copied but did not work: W7MEM, N6RMJ, 
K6EME, W4IMD , WA4NJP and W4CSW.  Please spread the word for people to follow the QSO 
protocol listed on my website.  I will first call people who are copying me.  If you 
are copying me and only sending calls, don't be surprised if I answer someone else 
before I test the waters with you!    Because the air conditioning failed here, the 
power supply overheated and ailed to work at all.
July 14, 2014 - After a return trip to the site to further diagnose the problem, it 
turned out that the power supply simply shutting down due to excessive internal 
heating.   We brought back a portable house fan to mount directly in front of the 
power supply, and opened up the room's windows and door to increase air movement.   
Both operators and the power supply performed much better ;-) During the second moon 
pass, it started out totally overcast and raining, but later the moon was visible, 
providing the reassurance of visual aiming.   I exchanged call signs with G8BCG, but 
since the common moon window was only minutes, we failed to complete.   Others heard 
but not worked were K6EME, ZL2NW, KD7YZ, W8PAT, N8JX, VE3KH, W4CSW, OA4TT and W7IUV.  
Stations worked were W7MEM, K4ZOT, WA4NJP,  and W7JW, bringing the total after two 
moon passes to 14.  At dawn we had a tremendous local noise come up (just an hour 
before our moonset), that made it impossible to work anyone.   We were unable to 
locate this noise, but suspect it may be something built into the extensive solar 
array at the operating site.   We will continue to make efforts to resolve this noise 
problem, but if you have any choice, please try to work us earlier in the month, when 
we have common moon before our local sunrise ( around 17300Z) , since we may not be 
able to be successful during our moonset.  Again, I ask that anyone interested in 
completing with me here, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ MY QSO PROCEDURES on my KH8 
DXpedition page: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/AmericanSamoa2014.htm !  Please 
understand that I will first answer people who are actually copying me, and the only 
way to do this is if everyone understands the proper procedure I am using here....do 
NOT just call me with calls if you are seeing my trace at that time.

REMINDER - I can only elevate my single yagi to 60 degrees!   If you have elevation, 
or are in EU, please try to call me when my moon is much lower.   When the moon is 
above 60 degrees, I try to give priority to horizon-only stations in Region 2, who 
only have that chance available to them.

It is quite exhausting trying to operate all night and still drive the narrow winding 
road (1.5 to 2 hours each way) to and from the site every day, but we are trying to 
keep it up as long as we can.  Thanks for your cooperation, and we hope to be able to 
provide a new DXCC to many of you!




GL and VY 73, Lance

-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ
(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ, E6M, TX5K)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT   59834-0073
USA
TEL: (406) 626-5728
QTH: DN27ub
URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
Skype: lanceW7GJ
2m DXCC #11/6m DXCC #815

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