[Elecraft] K5P and VP8STI

[Wes (N7WS)]

As a fellow Tucsonan here are my observations.

I believe that the K5P guys are using tunable dummy load....sorry...SteppIR 
verticals on all bands except 160.  (If I'm wrong about this, I'm sure I will be 
corrected.) I too believe that their signals have generally been underwhelming 
for the path.  Nevertheless, I have worked them on 18 slots, including all bands 
(except for 60 meters) on CW.  My antennas are modest (see QRZ) and often 
non-resonant.  For 160 thru 30, an inverted vee, apex at 45', ends at 6' on 160, 
which as everyone "knows" can't possibly work DX.  I use a K3S, KPA500 and KAT500.

VP8 is another story. I've worked them on 20 CW, 20 SSB, 15 SSB, and several 
times on 15 RTTY because they answered me once as N6WS, 20 minutes later as 
N2WS, and another half hour as NW7S.  I just keep working them 'till I'm on 
Clublog.  Likewise with two QSOs on 17 SSB.  They should have been easily 
workable on 40, but as you say the miserable operators and jammers that come out 
of the woodwork take the fun out of this activity.  For the life of me I can't 
understand why when the op says, "Who is the W6" , W8s answer.  (Not picking on 
W8s but one of your number was one of the most egregious I heard.)

As to their antennas, I don't have any special insight other than to know that 
they do have some directional antennas on some bands and the penguins keep 
messing up their ground radials.  Their operating conditions have been 
miserable.  I actually heard this exchange.  One of the Phoenix guys closes his 
QSO with, "Keep warm down there" to which the VP8 op replies, "You have to get 
warm before you can keep warm."

Wes  N7WS


On 1/23/2016 6:52 AM, w7aqk wrote:
> It will be interesting to find out more about the antennas being used by these 
> two DXpeditions.  Both, as I understand it, are using Elecraft gear, K3's and 
> KPA500's.
>
> K5P has been rather weak but copyable on most bands, at least here in AZ.  I 
> had expected to hear them a bit more easily, since I usually get good signals 
> from VK/ZL on most all bands.  I'm still missing K5P on 10 meters (as far as 
> my antenna capabilities go), but that could just be timing and the usual 
> uncertainty about 10 meters generally.
>
> VP8STI has been relatively weak on most bands as well, but they are twice as 
> far away.  Band conditions and timing could be a big part of that as well. The 
> exception has been 30 meters!  They have almost been LOUD here on 30 meters, 
> and much stronger than on 40 or 20 meters.  I've worked them on 30 (actually I 
> thought I had worked them earlier, but that's a long story!), but am having 
> difficulty on other bands.  The biggest problem has been all the confusion 
> caused by others, plus the fact that they are being inundated because they are 
> such a rare location.  I think they may be using directional antennas on some 
> bands, and AZ may not be where they are pointing much of the time.
>
> This 30 meter thing may not be as much of an anomaly as one might think at 
> first blush.  30 meters is a very good band, but not utilized all that much. 
> It shares many of the advantages of both 40 and 20--it's open much of the 
> time, and high enough to enhance longer distance communications.  I have a 
> friend in the U.K. who has very nice antennas on both 30 and 20 meters. More 
> often than not, and again it may be timing, I hear him better on 30 meters!!!!
>
> The "confusion" surrounding the VP8 is as bad as I've ever heard it.  DX cops 
> and name callers, tuner-uppers, people who don't know what "up" means, etc.  
> This is what tends to kill the fun I would have otherwise trying to work DX 
> now and then.  Sometimes I wish I could take a hammer to some folk's radios!  
> It only takes a hand full of idiots to make life miserable, but in this case I 
> think we have more than a hand full!  The first time I thought I had worked 
> the VP8 on 30 meters I know he came back to me because he had 90% of my call 
> correct.  I repeated it, and my report, but after that all I heard was a bunch 
> of QRM from people calling on his freq. rather than split as requested.
>
> Anyway, there seem to be some very good ops on both operations, so I suspect 
> they will do very well overall.  Somehow I think I would rather be one of the 
> ops on Palmyra than on Sandwich, give the difference in weather conditions!  
> Hi.  However, the VP8 guys will probably have a much more interesting story to 
> tell.
>
> Dave W7AQK
>