Safe back home in Moscow

After 11.5 hours of flying we arrived safely back to Moscow.

See you agan from another location in the future ;)

Thank you all!

Many thanks for all contacts during my Holiday DX Expedition!

Final QSO was with JK1KSB on 40 meters.

Some statistics:

JH7PHD            9  40 CW - 30 CW - 20 CW - 17 CW - 17 SSB - 15 CW - 15 SSB - 12 CW - 12 SSB
JH0INP            7  40 CW - 30 CW - 17 CW - 17 SSB - 15 CW - 15 SSB - 12 CW
JA0RUG            6  40 CW - 30 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW - 12 SSB
JJ1KZZ            6  40 CW - 30 CW - 20 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW
KH2/N2NL          6  40 CW - 30 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW - 10 CW
SP9FKQ            6  40 CW - 30 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW - 10 CW
VK7CW             6  40 CW - 30 CW - 20 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW
JA0EME            5  30 CW - 15 CW - 12 CW - 12 SSB - 10 CW
JA0JWQ            5  40 CW - 30 CW (2) - 15 CW - 12 CW - 12 SSB
JA0UUA            5  40 CW - 30 CW - 17 CW - 15 CW - 12 SSB

Total QSOs:       2125

Final day of operation

Almost two weeks of activity soon comes to and end. It has been great fun and I thank everyone for good ears and for following me to new bands.

My conclusions are the following:

100 Watts is good enough for reaching most regions of the world. An amplifier would have been useful for Europe and US East Coast.

Vertical wire antenna on Spiderbeam 12 meter glass fibre pole with two elevated and tuned radials is an effective antenna, easy to erect. The location 30 meter from the sea water was also sufficient.

My other vertical for 12, 15 and 17 meters (wire along fishing rod with 4.5 meter length) was an acceptable solution for those bands, but due to longer distance from salt water (about 60 meters) it did not work as well as the 30/40 meter vertical.

Take off in directions 0-180 degrees was excellent. Between 180 and 360 degrees less good due to lack of sea take off as well as some mountains in that direction.

For Europe I would have needed a yagi or spiderbeam type of rotatable antenna at minimum 10 meter  height. An amplifier only would not have made a difference as reception of European signals were not good enough with existing antenna setup.

Inverted Vee dipoles for 10 and 20 meters at limited height (7 meters) on spider beam pole was not good enough.

I should have brought my 18 meter spider beam pole and used very light weight wires and ropes for dipoles and should have guyed the top of the 18 meter antenna so I could at least reach 14-15 meter as fixing point for dipoles. However, 18 meter spider beam pole is a heavier pole and with longer transport length (2 meters) compared to the light and shorter 12 meter version. The gusty winds at times and bad soil for guy anchors would have been a challenge.

80 and 160 meters would have been possible using a 18 meter spider beam pole as support. Reception  on 80 meters using 40 meter antenna proved that the surrounding area was less noisy than predicted. In general,reception was excellent on all bands provided that my pirate IPad charger was disconnected. It gave a S5 noise level on 12, 15 and 17 meters. On other bands no problems.

Working from Vietnam was fun. It is not an extremely rare locations but pileups are good enough even with 100 Watts.

Recordings XV2LRR

Audio recordings of XV2LRR always appreciated.

Please email to address on QRZ.COM

Some pictures from station setup

A bit slow

17 meters improved EU contacts a bit, but also decreased amount of US stations.

Nice long path signals discovered by SM5DJZ yielded some good runs to Europe.

This morning, Joe WL7E, came in with nice signals - followed by some contacts with W4, W0, W6 and W7. However, conditions faded away rapidly with daylight developing.

A few more days to go

In the afternoon on Thurday (Dec 12th) I will start dismantling the station. One day earlier than planned due to the fact that our flight leaves early on Saturday morning and we do not want to spend 6 hours in taxi from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh during the night. We therefore leave already Friday morning from here.

40 meter gave some good runs to North America yesterday evening. Also 12 meters gave some good openings to US west coast, KL7, W5 and W0.

12 meter antenna has now been changed to 17 meters which I have not activated much so far. Please look for me on lower part of CW section from 0930 UTC today. My evening will be devoted to 40 meters again.

Thanks again for good ears and for all contacts!

Almost blackout

With A-index 26 band almost have closed here.

Worked T32RC on 15 CW with amazing echo. After this, even JA stations almost faded away completely.

Enjoying a cold Saigon beer at the pool while waiting for A-index to drop. Hardship in Vietnam ;)

Activity Dec 9th

High A-index above 20 will create some challenges.

Morning started with first US contact on 12 meters. Thanks Paul (KW7D) for good ears.

Now at 0200 UTC will try some more 12 meters, starting around 24895-24900.

(12 meters proved to be very quiet so will try 15 meters instead, starting on 21002)

73 and see you on new bands!

High K-index

Due to high K-index I have difficulty to reach anywhere except for South East Asia and Japan today.

Will not waste much time and effort to challenge the reality of physics... but you can expect to find me on 40 meters from 15 UTC approximately.

Let us hope conditions will return and stabilize soon.

More focus on 12 and 40 meters

With new verticals erected for 40 and 12 meters, more attention will be given to those bands.

Will also start with SSB on both bands (mainly on 12 meters).

At European sunset I will try to be around 24895

Last 24 hours activity

The new 40 meter antenna seems to work well. Many contacts were made during the evening and during my sunrise.

Europeans were in the log as well, but as so many times before, this direction is not ideal from here. Will try for more European contacts today and during night.

I plan to change 15 meter antenna to either 12 or 17 meter, just provided I will be able to find a suitable extension for my fishing rod...

See you again on the bands!

Pandanus Resort Mui Ne

Here is a link to the place I am operating from: www.pandanusresort.com

The hotel is nicely located right on the beachfront. Great place in general, fantastic beautiful green garden where 24 bungalows are located as well as the normal hotel buildings.

The staff is very friendly, service and food excellent.

Special thanks to the hotel director Steve Raymond (originally from San Francisco). Very supportive and Amateur Radio friendly.

If you plan to make a combined holiday DX expedition, just contact me and I will advise which bungalows are best to book with reference to ham radio antennas.

Ready for 40 meters

The 30 m vertical has now been replaced with a similar 40 meter version (with 2 elevated radials).

Hope to work you all on a new band. Will start working shortly before my sunset (around 10.30 UTC). Please look for me in the lower part of the CW band (working split 1 UP if necessary).

I plan to extend my 15 meter vertical and also work 17 meters tomorrow).

15 meters seem to work well with 40 meter vertical, but will add 2 resonant radials for 15 meters also.

Weather has been fantastic here so far.  30 degrees daytime, 25 degrees nighttime. Humidity is not too high. More pleasant than other Asian holiday resorts I have visited before.

Another nice QRP contact

I also had the pleasure to get W6QU and W8QZA in the log yesterday evening on 30 meters.

Impressive performace from another great QRP operator!

http://www.qrz.com/db/W6QU

Thanks a lot Bill for contacts both from W6QU and W8QZA calls.

See you on the bands again!

FR/F5PLC QRP!

Thanks Michel (FR/F5PLC) for a really interesting contact on 30 meters while you were using just 1.5 Watts and a fish rod vertical from the island of Reunion.

http://www.qrz.com/db/F5PLC

The first evening when you called me I was unable to get the call correctly, but second try was successful.

Keep up the excellent QRP work!  Have fun!

LOTW and Clublog updated

Log uploaded for LOTW and Clublog including all contacts made including Nov 4th.

QSL-cards can be ordered via Clublog OQRS: https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/XV2LRR

Sorry for temporary bad ears...

Today around 10.00 UTC I tried to copy signals from Europe on 15 meters CW through very disturbing local QRM.

Could not understand where it originated from, as 15 meters normally is quiet here.

After several challenges to copy weak signals I started looking around in the room and found a possible reason. Asked my wife to unplug the charger for Ipad and at once the noise disappeared!
I must admit that the charger was not Apple original :)

Sorry for those who called but I was unable to copy.  Especially sorry to the SM?Q station that tried in vain.  Could have been SM0Q or SM5QU... or someone else.  Let us try tomorrow with all pirate chargers far away from the sockets.

Now will make a 4 hour QRX and return on 30 meters around 1400-1430 UTC (between 10100-10110).

Thanks a lot for all who managed to copy weak signals on 15 from here!

15 meters

The 10 meter wire vertical has now been extended to a 15 meter wire vertical. Initial tests during the morning indicates better success than on 10 meters. Let us hope that signals into Europe are better than past days on 10.

Many ask why signals are weaker than my Scandinavian colleague XV2RZ. I don' t know frankly speaking. My license only allows for 200 W so decided to leave amplifier at home. Maybe he was more lucky to get higher power limit in his license, maybe better height of antenna, maybe better antenna or location.

My takeoff to North East, East, South East is really good. Many US stations in log on 30 meters.

Thank you ALL for good ears trying to pick up my weak 100 Watt signals from here!

Update:  R7TW and UD3T already in log on 15 meters before Russian sunrise. Looks promissing.

Activity Dec 3rd

My new 10 meter wire vertical works reasonably well.  Worked some European stations during the afternoon yesterday. Conditions were obviously not great but managed to get through at least with weak signals. Jim, SM2EKM, was most distant contact,

I will try some more 10 meter CW today during daytime. Especially looking for sunrise in European Russia and Europe as such. If signals improve, I will also try SSB.

Before my sunset I will move to 30 meters CW, that has proved to be the most reliable band so far. Takeoff is indeed better into eastern and northeastern direction due to direct sea access in those directions. Much easier so far to work USA compared to Europe despite longer geographical distance.

LOTW

Log is now uploaded to LOTW (including all QSO made yesterday (Dec 2nd).

I will try to upload at least every second day if internet access permits.

10 meter vertical

Wire vertical for 10 meter installed today.

Seems to work ok even if signals to Europe were not impressive in strength. UA3 and UR in log along with J73NS and KH2/N2NL.

It works!

How easy life can be sometimes...

7.05 meter wire along a 12 meter spiderbeam pole, 2 elevated tuned radials and here we go.

First QSO was PR7PO with 579 signals via LP.  Then followed by PY2OE and PY2XB with big 599 plus signals.

Other nice DX were OH3JF, OH3KHS, SM3EVR, SM3VAC, CT2IWW, PA0LEG, RN3DA.

Many nice JA contacts along with VK, ZL, HS, P29.

Will be more active in the evening.  Now soon delicious Viatnamese seafood!

30 meters

Yoday I have fixed a vertical for 30 meters with 2 elevated resonant radials. It should be a better antenna than the low mounted double-dipole I used for 10 and 20 meters.

SWR is excellent so let us hope performance will be ok.

Please listen for me on 10.100-10.110 (30 meter band here in Viet Nam).

Will start to call around 10.00 UTC

First hours of activity produced some nice QSOs but due very gusty winds it was not possible to erect the invertedV dipoles for 10 and 20 at more than 6 meters above ground.

Most distant QSOs were YV2IF, SA5BJM and SM0SHG.

Will try to invent something tomorrow that will make it possible to raise antennas higher - or to try a 30 meter vertical with elevated radials.

Conditions were also a bit "average" after the previous weeks with high flux and low K index.

Finally arrived

After 10 hours flight and 7 hour transfer by car on crowded roads, finally arrived to Phan Tieth.

Licence received personally from XV2A in Ho Chi Minh.  Very nice to meet Mr. Nguyen Bac Ai in person.


I hope to be able to get some antennas up tomorrow, but no promise. More realistically will be QRV first time on November 30th.

Stay tuned

Day of departure

All radio equipment, other luggage, and crew passed security control at Sheremetyevo Airport without much of problems. Antenna bag (camouflage) was questioned a bit, but when all was explained, the initial theory of weapons export was cleared.

Now relaxing in Aeroflot business lounge before flight SU292 to Ho Chi Minh.

Excited to finally depart from a snowy Moscow.

Next report from Viet Nam.

Equipment to be used

My plans are to use Kenwood TS 590 S with 100 Watts and the following antennas:

40 meters:   1/4-wave vertical with elevated radials
30 meters:   1/4-wave vertical with elevated radials
20 meters:   Inverted V at 10 meters height
17 meters:   Inverted V at 10 meters height
15 meters:   1/4-wave vertical with elevated radials
12 meters:   Inverted V at 10 meters height
10 meters:   Inverted V at 10 meters height

Not all bands will be able to activate at the same time as I will use one single 12 meter Spiderbeam glassfiber pole as support.

Distance from antenna to the sea will be approximately 50 meters.

Between November 29th and Dec 14th I will be active as XV2LRR from Mui Ne (Near Phan Thiet) on the South East Coast of Vietnam.

The operation will be "holiday style", but this does not exclude that I will try to make serious efforts in trying to give XV as a new country to those in need.

40-10 meters will be the most likely bands, with a possibility for some attempts to be active on 80 meters CW in case of some good antenna fixing points can be found.

Please stay tuned for more updates.

73 de XV2LRR, Mats  (Also RM2D, SM6LRR  - Ex. 4S7LRG, 5B/SM6LRR)