[HIham] Museum Ships Weekend 2008

[Edward K. (Ned) Conklin]

In June, KH6BB, the club station aboard the Battleship Missouri, will be 
participating in Museum Ships Weekend, as we have for the past seven 
years.  This is an extended QSO party where a number of ships like 
Missouri that are retired from active service and have amateur stations 
on board all get together on the same weekend and work the world. Museum 
Ships Weekend this year is June 7-8 UTC, so for us it begins at 2 PM 
local time Friday June 6 and ends 2 PM Sunday June 8.  The sponsor, as 
in the past few years, is our sister ship New Jersey (NJ2BB) - see 
<http://users.tellurian.com/freddie/nj2bb/ship-event.html> for details 
(or go to the main NJ2BB website <www.nj2bb.org> and follow the links).
There are over fifty ships already on the participation list and there 
likely will be seventy or more.

We expect to get permission from the Missouri Association to stay on the 
ship past our usual 6 PM deadline, so we will be able to operate just 
about anytime we want (depending on propagation, of course). Our main 
antenna is the discone, so that will be operating with a TS-450 
(including 500 HZ CW filter) and the AEA 1 KW linear. Depending on 
operator interest and available manpower, we can put together a second 
operating position (as we did last year) which will likely be either a 
second Kenwood TS-450, driving an Ameritron AL-80 linear.  Antenna for 
this position will most likely be the twin 35-foot whips up on the 
flying bridge. Detailed scheduling for all of this is TBD until we find 
out how many people are interested.

Although we're still stuck at the bottom of the sunspot cycle and the HF 
bands may sound dead, there's still some life left in them. I think it's 
sometimes just a lack of activity.  Unless we get really lucky on the 
propagation, I expect 20 and 17 meters will be the only bands we'll use, 
possibly 15.  Best propagation will be in the early to mid morning and 
then again early to late afternoon, possibly on into the evening. Middle 
of the day will probably be pretty dead unless 15 opens up.  If anyone 
wants to try 40 meters in the evening, the twin 35-foot whips do load up 
pretty well, and we can run high power to them any time after 5 PM when 
the ship is closed to visitors.

If you would like to participate, let me know, along with any 
preferences you have for actual times and length of shift. If you are 
not a current registered Missouri volunteer and/or a certified KH6BB 
operator, that's OK - we'll have someone around for any necessary 
supervision.

Important: If you want to operate and do not have a Missouri volunteer 
badge, we must know well in advance so we can make special arrangements 
and get you on the ship access list.  The ship is on Ford Island, an 
active military base, and access is limited. If you don't have military 
ID or other authorization to cross the Ford Island Bridge, best to 
carpool with someone who does.  You can park at the Arizona Memorial and 
take the trolley, but free parking is somewhat limited and the lots are 
closed off at 6 PM.

So please let me know if you would like to participate, and express any 
preferences you have for actual times and/or length of shift.

73

Ned  KH7JJ
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Edward K. (Ned) Conklin  KH7JJ, ex-K1HMU
2969 Kalakaua Ave. #1004           808-923-6133
Honolulu, HI  96815           Fax: 808-923-6133
                       email to:   ekc at forth.com
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