[Dx-qsl] K1B: Hrane's DXpedition Wrapup

Thu May 23 13:32:00 2002

Folks,

Here is the final K1B report from Hrane.

regards

Nenad ....

=======================================================================

Finally,

"Home sweet home", after so much travel, climate changes,
jet lag, and inevitable visit to Dayton Hamvention.

We are still very tired, we still struggle with jet lag,
but all of this disappears after seeing what was written
world wide about the K1B DXpedition, and what we
exerienced at Dayton Hamvention.

Here is the K1B DXpedition recap:

CREW: yt1ad,yu1au,yu1dx, z31fu(zs6mg)z32zm,rz3aa,ra3auu,
rw3ah,ly3um, kw4da, n6tqs, kd7rcd,s56a, mr. Doug Forsell,
US FW  officer.

COSTS: $102.000 US

IMPORTANT DATES:

April.20: Meeting at LAX Airport, and taking exams at the
          airport.

April 22: Arrival to Fiji with team split into two groups:

          yt1ad, rz3aa,rw3ah,ra3auu,kw4da,kd7rcd went to
          Tuvalu by plane. They made the following score:

          yt1ad-t25a      3600 qso's
          rz3aa-t23a      1400 qso's
          ra3auu-t26u     1500 qso's
          kw4da-t2da      1100 qso's
                         ============
          T2 total        7600  qso's

          All others travelled by ship Princess II.

April 25: Departure to Baker Island.

April 27: Arrival to Baker island at 05:00
          USA camp assembled first. First QSO with
          JH1HDT.

          Other two camps assembled in next
          48 hours.

EQUIPMENT:

The following was the equipment used:

USA camp;     generator 4,5kW, antennae: MA5B (14,18,21,24,28)
              mosley  3 el short LP version  14,21, 28 MHz
              2 el 6 m bim, all @ 6-9 m.,dipole 40/30 m
              rig's: IC 756 pro Ii x 2, IC  706 LPA  400 W

Serbian camp: generator  4,5 kW,antennae  A3S  (14,21  28 MHz)
              vertical  Rv4c  7,14,21 28 MHz, dipole  10 MHz
              vertical  3,5/3,8 MHz,  5 el  50 Mhz, @ 6 m.
              ground mount verticals with radials in the ocean.
              LPA  ACOM 1000, AL 811 with ic 756 pro II, TS 570 s,
              and FT 100 (backup for 50 mhz)

Russian camp: generator 5,5 kW, antennae, MA5B  14,18,21,24,28 MHz,
              A3S  14,21,28 MHz, Battlecreek special (1,8, 3,5, 7)
              beams @ 6 i 9 metara.
              LPA  ACOM 1000, Al 811 rigs: IC 756 pro II  2 x, FT920

IC-756 rigs were constantly turned on and did not experience
any problem even at temperature well above 40c (100F).

ACOM 1000 was fenomenal, easy to tune on all bands (1.8-50 MHz).

Supressors were burnt on one of AL811, but were easily fixed.
Twice the 5.5 kW generator was broken, but fixed on spot.

The only incident we had was when one of 7 mtrs boats capsized
over the huge wave, and injured Miki and Hrane. However
both of us continued our operation, and the equipment carried
by boat was recovered.

Besides this incident, we did not have any problem,
other than unbearable heath, and millions of crabs and birds.
Mr. Forsell's advices in those situations were more than
helpful. He was the USWF representative and without him
we would not be even allowed to reach the island. Once
again thanks to the USFW service in Honolulu, specially Mrs.
Beth Flint!

The Baker Island operation came to an end on May 07-th with
the following QSO breakdown cw/ssb 89898 QSOs, 4708 rtty QSOs,
446 PSK QSOs and 75 sstv QSOs.

On our way back we stopped by on Fiji and made several thousand
QSOs with the following breakdown:

 yt1ad-3d2ad:      640 qso
 kw4da-3d2cw:      720 qso
 rw3ah-3d2af:     1750 qso
 ly3num-3d2um:    2230 qso
 n6tqs-3d2qs       150 qso
 zs6mg-3d2mg      1230 qso
                ==========
         total   6720  qso

k1b    95.127

T2      7.200

3d2     6.720

 --------------------------
K1B+T2+3D2=  109.047

Total number of QSOs in the K1B log is:  95.127 which is the
all times record for operation from uninhabited island with
no facilities, and powered by generators.

QSL cards for SSB operation go to RZ3AA, all others to YT1AD.
There was a special box opened in Moscow for this purpose. YT1AD
address is Dr. Hrane Milosevic,  36206 Vitanovac,
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO (Yugoslavia)!!

(Added by Nenad: QSL cards with donations go to VE3EXY
between now and June 20., but will be mailed from YU/RU).

QSL cards are expected from print shop mid June, and the
first mailings around the first week of July.

Please do not send too many inquires about QSL. Please visit

http://www.kragujevac.co.yu/kh1

for more details including link to on-line logs.

Special thanks to pilot stations YU1AA, and VE3EXY, web
masters 4N1FG@4N1NM, and log master VA3NA.

Great thanks to our biggest donors NCDXF 6000 USD, ARRL 1500
USD,  ACOM  Inc.  America  4500  USD  including logistics
in Boston and  LAX relevant to transport of equipment.

Also thanks to  RZ3AA-12,500 USd,  YT1AD-17,500 USD. special
thanks to ICOM  America for borrowing us 6 x IC 756 pro II
and HEIL  sound  for 6 borrowed  head sets.

Thanks to Princess II and its crew for helping us to put up  
three camps.

Most imporatntlty thanks to all of you who made 95K + QSOs
with us, even those who made zoo on the bands. Thanks for the
pleasure we had beeing part of this expedition.

73 Hrane and the Baker  Isl.  dream team!!!!

"The team that linked  people and the world, into the World
 of Hamradio. They all worked as one and touched the hamradio
 heaven."