When it comes time to cross the pond, it seems only natural to head to the beach. That’s what Marconi did (above we see his team struggling with a kite at Newfoundland). And that is what AA1TJ, W1REX, AA1MY and W1PID are doing today and tomorrow. Here is Michael’s message to QRP-L describing the expedition. Good luck guys!
Some of the lads are heading over to the Maine seacoast on Monday
morning for what we’re calling a “Rexpedition.” W1REX was kind enough
to secure the use of his family’s beachfront camp for us for a couple
of days. He explained the urgency to them, saying, “…a bunch of
radio-heads want to talk to Europe with the equivalent of a cellphone
with a dead battery.”
Rex, Seab, AA1MY and Jim, W1PID, are going to arrive early on Monday
to begin putting up the antennas. I plan to show up in time for lunch;
hopefully after all the hard work is done. Seab wants to erect a pair
of half-wave phased verticals on 20m. I think the plan is to lift a
160m antenna using one of Seab’s big kites.
Our hope is to cross the pond on both 160m QRP and with my
voice-powered 20m transmitter. The weather forecast looks great at
least through Tuesday. My “Code Talker” will be rockbound on
14.055MHz; same as last Thursday. We’ll begin the voice-powered 20m CW
attempt the first thing on Tuesday morning (11/10/09). Again, the goal
is to span the Atlantic, but as always, I’ll be very pleased to work
anyone that hears me.
By the way, last Thursday’s voice-powered operation on 20m was a great
success. Altogether, I worked four stations and received one SWL
report. The best DX was W4FOA in Chickamauga, GA; a distance of
923miles. Tony reported that my 15mW signal was “an honest 579”. W4OP
– located one hundred miles to the north of Tony – handed me the same
report and followed up with an amazing recording (you can hear it on
my website). Later in the day I received an email from AD5VC. Dana
reported that he clearly copied my callsign while listening on the LSU
club station (K5LSU) in Baton Rouge; a distance of 1375miles (nearly
half the distance between the Maine coast and London, England).
I thought these were remarkable results for 15mW into an endfed wire
at 35 feet. It makes next week’s attempt from a saltwater QTH, coupled
with the low-angle of radiation with a spot of directional gain all
the more exciting.
So please keep us in mind come next Tuesday morning. I’m guessing Seab
will be operating 160m QRP on both Monday and Tuesday evenings.
Thank you,
Mike, AA1TJ
