[Elecraft] lightweight DXpedition to Bangladesh

[Eric Manning]

Just got back from Bangladesh where I operated as S21/VA7DZ on 2-4 January.

The small, light  K2 , Sony Picturebook  laptop and Force12 vertical 
meant the whole station could travel as 2 carry-on bags for the gear 
and one checked gym bag for the antenna. So we can now combine a neww 
kind of DXpedition, the "lightweight DXpedition" with vacation or 
business travel, thanx to the K2.

THe K2 performed like a champ and I worked 21 countries, 48 QSOs in a 
few hours on-air.

No troubles with airport security or customs - I didnt even have to 
show my Bangladesh operating permit.

Best report was 599 from SM0KV, who said I was the only Asian he 
could hear on the band! [15 m]

Juicy DX included BY, BV, Zaire, Ghana, Central African Republic  and Thailand.


The QTH was the Silence Motel on St Martin's Island, Bay of Bengal. 
The vertical was strapped with cable ties to some rerods sticking out 
of the motel roof, about 100 m from the salt water. I had a clear 
shot North and West across the Bay of Bengal - it worked like magic.


10 and 15 metres opened around 9 am and stayed open until 10 pm both 
days to Europe, Russia and Asia.
Unfortunately I heard exactly one station from North or South America - K6RTI.

Only problem:
The fully discharged KBT2 gel cell takes about 15 HOURS to recharge 
using the small, portable charger recommended by PowerSonic. The 
motel generator only operated 4 hours per day. So, I ran out of 
electrons on the 3rd day and had to QRT. Next time I'll take a second 
gelcell as an external battery [cheap], or change my battery to 
Lithium Ion, which recharges faster but costs $$$. . .
Portable ops take note.

Lesson learned: Don't use thyristor converters for 220 to 110 VAC - 
the motel generator fried mine. Use the 2:1 transformer kind- they 
stand overvoltages much better.








-- 
Eric Manning   VA7DZ VE3DPV
K2 #2561 "Pauline"

If God intended you to use SSB, He wouldn't have given you a fist. Or 
two lungs.