EA6/HB9COG - DX news and calendar

Added/updated

June 1, 2018

Callsign(s)

EA6/HB9COG

Start-end dates

May 13, 2018 - May 24, 2018

Utilities

Tracking & stats

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DX Atlas

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DXCC

EA6-EH6 - Balearic Is.

IOTA

EU-004 credited by 87,1% or participants

EU-004 - Balearic Islands

CQ zone

Grid square

JM08OV

Planned modes

CW, Digital

Planned bands

23 cm, 13 cm, 6 cm, 3 cm

Source

HB9Q

Information

Update Jun,1: Summary of our EA6/HB9COG MW activity in May 2018.

Results:
This was our second DXpedition with our “portable” station.
We worked a total of 179 QSOs with 152 initials on 4 bands! On all bands we were CQing for hours with no takers, so there is obviously a lot of opportunity to work more stations!

23cm:
85 QSOs (10 CW, 75 JT65c)
73 initials
26 DXCC
6 continents = WAC!
Smallest station worked: DF2VJ 2.6m mesh dish 140W at feed (-26/R-24)

13cm:
32 QSOs (7 CW, 25 JT65c)
25 initials
17 DXCC
4 continents
Smallest station worked: G4BAO 1.9m mesh dish 210W at feed (-18/R-28)

6cm:
30 QSOs (10 CW, 3 JT4F, 2 JT65C, 15 QRA64D)
26 initials
17 DXCC
3 continents
Smallest station worked: PA7JB 2.4m offset dish 30W (-18/R-12)

3cm:
32 QSOs (4 CW, 28 QRA64D)
28 initials
17 DXCC
4 continents
Smallest station worked: OK2AQ 1.2m solid offset dish 40W at feed (R-18/-17)

We used WSJT-X for all bands and the Doppler-control modes CFOM (Constant Frequency On Moon), Own Echo and Full Doppler to DX grid. It would make everything easier and more efficient if all stations would use CFOM. Hopefully more people start to take advantage of automated Doppler control modes. Especially on 6 and 3cm it is a must for successful QRP operation. It was nice to work a total of 31 CW QSOs on the 4 bands. However CW QSOs are only possible with the big-guns.
Looking at the smaller stations worked per band it is obvious that we could have worked many more if they were QRV. This is very promising for the future and we hope this generates more interest and activity during DXpeditions. We are looking forward to work even more stations during our next DXpeditions! Stay tuned!

Equipment: exactly same as at 3DA0MB without 9cm (not allocated to amateurradio in EA)
1.5m dish 1x2mm mesh
homemade automatic azimuth and elevation control
23cm: 100W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
13cm: 90W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
6cm: 80W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
3cm: 50W at feed, v-pol, preamp at horn

QSL please direct with SAE
HB9Q
P.O.Box 133
CH-5737 Menziken
Switzerland

Thanks a lot to all who have called and worked us and sorry to those we could not work!

Vy 73, Dan and Sam, the Q-Team

Update May,25: 24. May was our last activity from EA6. We were QRV 1296 and did work 5 more initials, for a total of 73 initials and 85 QSOs. During the moon-window the wind picked-up and we were surrounded by T-storms. We had to stop activity at 22.40z because it was not possible anymore to keep the antenna on the moon (wind well over 50 km/h and strong gusts on top of it). Fortunately we suffered NO damage at all.
Today we dismantle the station and pack it up in our car. Tomorrow morning we depart with the ferry to EA and then drive back the 1500km (in 2 days) to HB9.

It was great fun and an other very positive test for our DXpeditions-station. Many thanks to all who worked us and sorry to those we could not work.
Next week I will send a detailed summary to K2UYH for the newsletter and poste an overview of the results on the moon-net.

Vy 73, Q-Team Dan & Sam EA6/HB9COG

Update May,24: We have worked 3 more initials on 13cm and 4 more on 6cm. This was the last activity on 13 and 6cm from EA6.

So far we have worked on
23cm 78 QSOs with 68 initials and 9 CW QSOs and WAC!
13cm 32 QSOs with 25 initials and 7 CW QSOs
6cm 30 QSOs with 26 initials and 10 CW QSOs
3cm 32 QSOs with 28 initials and 4 CW QSOs
Total 172 QSOs

Today is our last day of operation! Don’t miss us if you still need EA6 or JM08 on 1296 MHz!

24. May we’ll be QRV 23cm from about 14.40z until 22z (if there is activity).
If you like to work us later than 22z please send an e-mail to dan@hb9q.ch telling us the time you’ll be looking for us.
We are stand-by on HB9Q 1296 logger during our QRV time.

Good luck to all still wanting to work us!
Vy 73, Q-Team Dan & Sam

Update May,22: Yesterday we worked 2 more initials on 10 GHz for a total of 28. This was our last activity on 10 GHz from EA6.

Here the schedule for our final activity:
Today, 22. May, we’ll be QRV 13cm from about 14z until 22z (if there is activity). If you like to work us please send an e-mail to dan@hb9q.ch telling us the time you’ll be looking for us. This will be our final activity on 13cm from EA6.
23. May we’ll be QRV 6cm from about 14.30z until 22z (if there is activity). If you like to work us please send an e-mail to dan@hb9q.ch telling us the time you’ll be looking for us. This will be our final activity on 6cm from EA6.
24. May we’ll be QRV 23cm from about 15.30z until 22z (if there is activity). If you like to work us please send an e-mail to dan@hb9q.ch telling us the time you’ll be looking for us. This will be our final activity on 23cm from EA6.

So far we have worked on
23cm 78 QSOs with 68 initials and 9 CW QSOs and WAC!
13cm 26 QSOs with 22 initials and 6 CW QSOs
6cm 26 QSOs with 22 initials and 7 CW QSOs
3cm 32 QSOs with 28 initials and 4 CW QSOs
We hope to add some more initials or CW QSOs to our total of 162 QSOs.

Good luck to all still wanting to work us!
Vy 73, Q-Team Dan & Sam

QSL address:
HB9Q
P.O.Box 133
CH-5737 Menziken

Update May,20: On 19. May we worked 22 initials on 6cm including 7 CW QSOs.
Today, 20. May we had great fun on 3cm and worked 25 initials with several stations smaller than our station! Also several CW QSOs were made.
Tomorrow, 21. May we will be QRV at MR, about 10.30z on 10368 for VK7MO and then for JA4BLC (CW) on 10450 x-band. Any other station welcome to call us. Please let us know you will be QRV so we can look for you. With no request we will QRT at about 13z 3cm for this DXpedition. We will check our e-mail and we are stand-by on the 10000 and up logger.
For 21. May after about 13z, 22.and 23. May full moon window we are available for skeds on 13 and 6cm. Please send your proposals to dan@hb9q.ch and we will confirm them by e-mail.
On 24. May we will be QRV on 1296.100 from MR to MS. Please let us know if you will be looking for us later than 21z (if we don’t have anyone we will QRT) by e-mail.

We hope to make many more QSOs! Good luck all!

See you on 3cm today! GL sll!
Vy 73, Q-Team

Update May,18: Today we worked 22 initials on 13cm. The band was very quiet, no QRM at all, but also low activty.

Tomorrow, 19. May we will be QRV 5760.130 1st QRA64D CFOM. Our MR will be at about 09.00z. We will be QRV until our MS or as long as there is activity. You may let us know when you plan to be QRV by e-mail to dan@hb9q.ch or on HB9Q 23xx and up logger.
On 20. May we will be QRV 10 GHz. Our polarisation is vertical.

We hope to work many stations! Good luck all!

Vy 73, Q-Team

Update May,17: After two full moonpathes on 1296 we have worked 68 initials (9 stations in CW) and all continents!
On 18. Mai we are QRV as announced on 23xx from our MR just after 8z until MS at 22z. On request we can be QRV on the VK, JA and W subbands using crossband. Please look for us on HB9Q 23xx logger for arranging QSY.
See you on 13cm!

Vy 73, the Q-Team

Update May,16: Yesterday we did test for a few hours our new antenna position. It seems to be somewhat less noisy.
It was nice to work 3 more initials on 1296 (for a total of 43), although the sun was very close to the moon and there was 2dB more noise for that reason.

On 17. May we will be QRV from our MR at about 7 dgr. elevation at 07.20z until MS at about 21z on 1296.100 1st RX on our echo (please make sure your echo is not more than +-1KHz of it).
For the VK and JA friends: although there is higher noise during MR we are happy to try to QSO you! With luck noise is only a few dBs and we can work you! Please give it a try.
Depending on activity levels we may close down early. So if you will be looking for us on 17. May let us know by e-mail (dan@hb9q.ch) what time you expect to be on. As always we will be on the 1296 logger during our activity hours.

On 18. May we will be QRV on 13cm as announced. We can work crossband VK and JA sub-bands. As always we are stand-by on HB9Q logger and will QSY to sub-bands on request.

As announced before we will be QRV 6cm on 19. May and 3cm on 20. May. See also mmmonvhf.de for detailed information about our activity and QSL address.

We hope to make many more QSOs! Good luck all!

Vy 73, Q-Team Dan & Sam

Update May,14: Yesterday at moonrise we encountered an unexpected problem on 1296. We had very high noise and several moving birdies. This was the reason of the last minute move from 090 to 100. So we could avoid the bigger birdies, but the noise floor still was up to 10 dBs higher than in other directions. This made it very difficult to work during the first 3.5h of our window. Then noise was again on normal levels. The source of the noise is most probably a number of phone wire cables very close-by east of us. We think it could be that the TV and or internet access is provided through this simple coper cables which then generates this interferences. Anyway we tried to relocate the dish for less noise. We found a place where the noise floor goes up 2
to 7dBs between 60 and 140 dgr. Azimuth (considering the elevations starting to go up).

We are happy to have worked 40 initials on JT65c plus 2 of them on CW as well and we are sorry for VK4CDI and some others who could not work us due to the high noise.

On 14./15./16. May we will not be QRV due to newmoon.

We will be QRV again 17. May from our MR at about 7 dgr. elevation at 07.20z until MS at about 21z on 1296.100 1st RX on our echo (please make sure your echo is not more than +-1KHz of it).
For the VK and JA friends: although there is high noise during MR we are happy to try to QSO you! With luck noise is only a few dBs and we can work you! Please give it a try.
Depending on activity levels we may close down early. So if you will be looking for us on 17. May let us know by e-mail (dan@hb9q.ch) what time you expect to be on. As always we will be on the 1296 logger during our activity hours.

QSL address:
HB9Q
P.O.Box 133
CH-5737 Menziken

The 13cm (18. May), 6cm (19. May) and 3cm (20. May) activities take place as announced. See also mmmonvhf.de for detailed information about our activity.

We hope to make many more QSOs! Good luck all!

Update May,13: We have worked today 40 initials on 1296 JT65c plus 2 QSOs on CW. More information tomorrow.
As announced we will not be QRV 14./15./16. May. We will be QRV again on 17. May on 1296.

Vy 73 from Ibiza, the Q-Team

Update May,12: The Q-Team (Sam and Dan) arrived well today on Ibiza Island. The station is built-up and tested. All works well.
We will be QRV 1296.090 EA6 1st JT65c RXing on our echo tomorrow 13. May starting from our MR at about 04.20z (we need approx.. 5 dgr elevation for MR).
Internet seems to work well… so we will be stand-by on HB9Q logger.

See you tomorrow!
Vy 73, Dan and Sam

Update May,3: Hi ALL

10 days before becoming QRV we are happy to inform you, that all reservations are confirmed and all equipment is tested and works fine. We are ready to go!

There is only 1 change to our announcement of 16. March 2018:
On 5760 we will be using 5760.130 in an effort not to interfere with the Contest activity.

Hope to work many of you!
Vy73, Dan for the Q-Team

I’m very happy to announce our next DXpedition!

The Q-Team, HB9COG Sam and HB9CRQ Dan, will be active from EA6, Ibiza Island (JM08OV). We will be QRV from 13. May until 24. May 2018.
The bands are 23cm, 13cm (2320, 2304, 2400 and 2301.9), 6cm and 3cm (10368 and 10450). Sorry 9cm is not allowed from EA6.
The equipment will be the same as used in 3DA0MB.

Equipment:
1.5m dish 1x2mm mesh
homemade automatic az and el control
1296: 100W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
23xx: 90W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
5760: 80W at feed, circular, preamp at horn
10xxx: 50W at feed, v-pol, preamp at horn

We have rented a house on Ibiza Island (JM08OV). MR will have approx. 5-10° elevation. MS is on the sea.
We will have internet access but bandwidth may be limited. During activity we’ll be stand-by on the HB9Q logger of the active band. You may send e-mails anytime (dan@hb9q.ch), we will monitor our in-basket several times a day.

To help everyone to be QRV for EA6, we have planned our activity as follows:

12. Mai 2018
We arrive in Ibiza Island and set the station up.

13. May
04.14z until 16.30z QRV 1296.090

14. May
Not QRV, sightseeing

15. May
Not QRV due to new moon, sightseeing

16. May
Hi ALL

10 days before becoming QRV we are happy to inform you, that all reservations are confirmed and all equipment is tested and works fine. We are ready to go!

There is only 1 change to our announcement of 16. March 2018:
On 5760 we will be using 5760.130 in an effort not to interfere with the Contest activity.

Hope to work many of you!
Vy73, Dan for the Q-Team

Not QRV, sightseeing

17. May
06.45z until 21.15z QRV 1296.090

18. May
07.45z until 22.15z QRV 23xx
MR on 2301.990 (on request only), will QSY later to 2400.090 (on request only), later to 2320.090 and finally to 2304.090 (QSY will be announced on HB9Q 23xx logger)

19. May
08.50z until 23.00z QRV 5760.090

20. May
10.00z until 00.00z QRV 10xxx
MR 10450.090 later 10368.090 (QSY will be announced on HB9Q 10xxx logger)

21. – 24. May
This days we will be QRV ON REQUEST ONLY. 24. May is the last day of activity.
If you are not able to be QRV during our announced activity days, you may ask before the DXpedition (by e-mail: dan@hb9q.ch) for an additional activity on any of the bands.
If you do not work us during the band activity you may ask for an additional activity by e-mail (dan@hb9q.ch) or on the HB9Q logger.
We will do our best and try to accommodate your needs/proposals.

25. May
Dismantle the station, pack-up and load it in the car. Departure from Ibiza 26. May.

Now that WSJT-X 1.9 RC2 is available, we will use it on 23 and 13cm for JT65c with Doppler Control (“Own Echo”, in other words we listen on our own echo). On 6 and 3cm we will use QRA64D (if necessary JT4F) including Doppler Control (“Constant Frequency On Moon” and if necessary “Full Doppler to DX Grid”).
Hopefully more people take advantage of automated Doppler control. Especially on 6 and 3cm it is a MUST for successful QRP operations.
Although it is on the limit, we will work CW on all bands. However only with big-guns and after the pile-up on JT/QRA is worked.

How big needs your station to be to work us? During our 3DA0MB activity the smallest stations worked had the following equipment:
On 23cm 2.35m dish and 150W at the feed
On 13cm 2.4m dish and 150W at feed, with excellent signals both sides!
On 6cm 2.4m dish and 30W at the feed, with excellent signals both sides! That’s less ERP than we have!
On 3cm 1.2m solid dish with 40W at the feed, with excellent signals both sides! That’s less ERP than we have!

QSL policy: QSL only direct including SAE to: HB9Q, P.O.Box 133, CH-5737 Menziken
If you wish to sponsor our activity, you are welcome to do so by using PayPal dan@hb9q.ch (please mention your call).

Vy 73, Dan for the HB9Q DXpedition Team

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