[Dx-qsl] RE: VU4AN Stations

[Richard L. King]

I changed the subject line to reflect VU4.

Bernie, it wasn't that easy from the Southwest. We had almost no 
overlap of darkness or daylight from Texas to VU4. I think the East 
Coast had it a lot easier to work the VU4s. I sat and listened to 
that happening and no propagation to here.

All the VU4 stations did a terrific job and if someone needed them 
for an all time new one, it shouldn't have been too hard. The 
twilight and twinight bands, especially 20M should have yielded a QSO.

But many of us that are chasing the DXCCs on the different bands had 
trouble working them on other bands. I managed a single QSO on 17M 
and another on 30M and I am waiting to see if I am "ok in the log" 
and if the QSLs will arrive. Conditions were not good enough for me 
to make insurance QSOs. And I am retired and was sitting in front of 
the radio most of the time chasing them while the activity was going 
on. My station is an adequate one also.

The big problem was nobody's fault. It was a very bad time of the 
year for any low band QSOs. So we will have to wait for a winter 
DXpedition for a chance on 80M and 160M. I have no idea when we would 
have a better chance on 12M and 10M. Maybe when the SFI gets over 200 again.

73, Richard - K5NA

At 01:35 6/15/2006, Bernie McClenny, W3UR wrote:
>Not sure where to begin here!  Our team (VU3KIE, VU3OHA, VU3OHB) made a
>serious effort to concentrate on North America.  Basically that meant 30
>meters just before our sunrise through our sunrise then on to 20 meters.
>Conditions during the VU4AN activities were the best they have been in a
>long time and much better than anyone ever anticipated.  In four days our
>team worked a total of 8,900 QSOs of which 1,400 were from the US.  When the
>band was open to North America we only worked NA and it was for several
>hours around sunrise and then again for another several hours around sunset.
>We had multiple US stations who said "Thank you for the all time new
>country!"  There were no problems working stations from Virginia.  Our
>station was an FT1000MP and antenna was dipole on 30 and 2 element SteppIR
>on 10-20 meters and we had absolutely no problems with any interference from
>any of the other VU4AN stations!  If you did not hear any of the VU4
>stations and were listening every day around the two 20 meter openings then
>maybe it is time to seriously look at your antenna situation.
>
>Bernie McClenny, W3UR (VU4AN/VU3OHA)
>
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>with the DX news from around the globe!
>
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>-----Original Message-----
>From: dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>On Behalf Of Danny Douglas
>Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 17:54
>To: DX-qsl at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] 3Y0X
>
>My apologies if I seemed to have stepped on toes,  I am talking about a
>large expedition, multi op, multi transmitter team.  Not the 100 or so
>individuals that went at the drop of a hat (and good that they could do so),
>but a planned out group that puts several bands and modes on at the same
>time.  From the spots, you could see that the individuals there seemingly
>tried to get on to the best band/mode at any given time, and most wound up
>using the same band, just a few khz from each other.  That provided great
>numbers of hams in particular areas, an opportunity to work when V4 was
>open.  Having 15 or 20 transmitters on 20 SSB did absolutely no good to
>those areas of the world when the band wasnt open for them at that time of
>day.
>
>    I know that each individual wanted to work as many as possible, thus
>their selection of bands, and no one wanted to sit there and work 15 or 30
>an hour on half open bands, thus they did get their numbers, but those of us
>listening, and hearing nothing were very frusterated that (for instance)
>VE1/2/3 and K1 and K2 were reporting hundreds of contacts/spots, when we
>heard nothing, and the prop charts gave us no hope, but did show other
>openings - and no one spotting those bands, because no DX was there.  I also
>saw lots of K4 spots, and when went to QRZ.COM to see where the spotters
>were located, it appeared 90 percet of them were in Ga, down to Fla., but it
>appeared that North and Western Virginia was not to be.
>
>So, yes many did put in a real effort on their part - but form the
>aforementioned reasons - without working together, thousands of us didnt
>work a thing.
>
>I am looking forward to a well planned, well executed group being able to go
>there - and hope it is at some point that the props are also supposed to be
>good,  I.E. 5 or so years down the pike.
>
>
>
>Danny Douglas N7DC
>ex WN5QMX ET2US WA5UKR ET3USA
>SV0WPP VS6DD N7DC/YV5 G5CTB all
>DX 2-6 years each.
>
>
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>
>
>&quot;Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've 
>got...till it's gone.&quot; from Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell) but 
>also true about QSL.NET if more users don't open their wallets and 
>help financially. Please contribute TODAY !!