[50mhz] 2018 6m EME DXpedition to C21GJ - Please distribute widely!

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

Hello!

I apologize for the delay in getting back to after posting the poll last fall asking 
for the "most wanted" locations for a 6m EME DXpedition. I was dissuaded from Lord 
Howe Island and the Solomon Islands because I located other operators who are still 
hoping to activate those on 6m EME. I had hoped to activate T2, but after 5 months of 
waiting for a confirmation on an operating site there, I decided to move forward with 
an alternate location for this year. I know C2 wasn't even on the poll because at the 
time I felt it was too difficult and too expensive to pull off successfully. However, 
when T2 was not moving forward, I decided to put my energies toward making Nauru work 
anyway, since it is so rare on 6m in Regions 1 and 2.

It is understandable why it is so rare. There are no longer any active hams there, it 
is expensive and difficult to get to, and it is very expensive to stay there. On top 
of that, there are very few places to set up a serious EME operation. However, I 
think I have found what appears to be a very favorable operating site (although there 
are still unknowns regarding exact available antenna space, and local electrical 
noise) on the northeast corner of the island overlooking the ocean on moonrise. 
Because of its location, I will have moonrise at the same time as moonset in much of 
western Europe, and I should be able to work the rest of central and eastern Europe 
and Africa during their moonrise while I am elevated.  My only common moon with 
Region 2 will be during my moonrise or while I am elevated. As usual, I will be 
posting a detailed planned operating schedule on my web site as soon as I can, but I 
wanted to get this formal announcement out as soon as I could. I had just been 
waiting for the VISA, license processing and airline tickets to be in hand before 
making a formal announcement.

The details available so far are on my website here:

http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/Nauru%202018.htm

With the great increase in 6m digital activity using WSJT modes, I hope there will be 
many new 6m stations interested to try 6m EME on JT65A mode. Please read the 
instructions on the above web page to make sure you operate following the procedures 
I have outlined! I do expect to be able to access the internet on a regular basis, so 
will be updating my web page with status updates as well as stations worked. I will 
have trouble elevating above 50 degrees, so for best results, please try to catch me 
when my moon is lower than that. I also may try to operate some FT8 on 20m with the 
barefoot FT857 near the end of the trip after the optimum days for 6m EME operation 
have passed.
GL to all, and I look forward to being able to hand out an ATNO with virtually every 
half million mile contact! More info to come...

VY 73, Lance


-- Lance Collister, W7GJ(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ, E6M, TX5K, KH8/W7GJ, V6M, T8GJ, VK9CGJ, VK9XGJ)
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 Interested in 6m EME? Ask me about subscribing to the Magic Band EME
email group, or just fill in the request box at the bottom of my web
page (above)!