7Q7RU Malawi DXpedition - November 2020

For 2 weeks in November 2020, 7Q7RU DXpedition will be operating from Malawi, Africa. DXpedition team consists of Vasily, RA1ZZ, Vasily, R7AL; Liliya, EW7L; Alexey, RZ3K and Vladimir, R9LR. They will be flying out of Moscow on November 5. More operators may possibly join the crew. 7Q7RU will be active on all bands, with special attention given to 160, 80, WARC and 6 meters.. Satellite activity is also planned.

QSLing is via R7AL

Special QSL to be issued, listing DXpedition supporters.

The team has enough equipment, antennas and operating experience to attain every goal they set for themselves.

Top Ten of the world wide operators who make most 7Q7RU contacts, on different bands and modes, will be awarded memorial plaques (mailed to the winners at no charge).

DXpedition pilots are Ed, NT2X and Victor, UA3AKO

There is still time to join the team or offer your support. Contact DXpedition co- leaders Vasily, R7AL & Vasily, RA1ZZ for more information.

Detailed information can be found at http://dxpedition.wix.com/7q7ru

C U on the air!

 

Win your free plaque for 7Q7RU contacts



Those who attain the Top Ten status would receive their plaques free of charge (based on the Clublog score).

There will also be another type of plaque issued, for making 3 contacts with 7Q7RU. Fee applies.



More information is available here http://www.dxwanted.net/index.php/plaques/other/603-malawi-2020-7q7ru

73, Ed/NT2X

 

The team is currently on their way. I have a number of pictures to post here and will be doing when new images come out. This trip may not be as complex as a trip to some rarest, hard to reach spots, but consider this: it's an international expedition at the time of COVID.


The entire team

Its members are traveling to an African country at the time when most people are staying home. Of course every reasonable precaution had been taken, but there are still risks involved.


Departure from Vnukovo airport (near Moscow), Russia

Too many things can go wrong before they reach their final destination. These days air travel can become a very complicated affair not only because there are fewer flights, but because the airlines are instituting their own travel restrictions, instill weight limitations, demand COVID test results which they may or may not accept.


Vlad's, R9LR, share of the luggage

In a way these people are heroes and we should support them and work them everywhere we can. They could have easily stayed home and worry about nothing. But the opposite is true. With a bit of luck, they will soon be on the air.


A flight Vnukovo, Russia - Istanbul, Turkey



"Busy" Istanbul airport, Nov 5, 2020. It was bustling with activity when I was there a year ago


On the way to Nairobi. At this time, they made OK it to Nairobi, Kenya

73, Ed/NT2X

 

DXpedition update as of November 15, 2020:

Below please find the current log totals as of November 14. They seems to be doing OK



Hams in Europe and South America report openings on 28 and 24 MHz into the same geographical areas of Africa (Z81, 3B8) as 7Q, so this information is being passed to the team. Are we going to get lucky, too?

North American stations find it easy to work them on 14/21 MHz. NA on 40 meters is louder closer to 00Z. If you still need them there, give it a try


One of the two 7Q7RU operating positions

Great opening on 40m, 7185.00 last night (poor choice of TX frequency though, with a net underneath)

Too many policemen around on most DXpedition frequencies. Please don't react to their disruptive behavior at all. Just ignore them.

There are a total of 4 stations going on different band/modes, from 2 separate shacks. They try to keep all stations on the air at all times


Satellite operation

At the moment they are working all they can, given propagation openings on given bands. NA - your observations re openings here - please pass them here and I will relay for them to listen for North American stations. Please don't make demands for specific bands and modes that YOU NEED - too much of that already. But feeding them optimum times into the parts of USA and Canada, and band openings alerts would probably do the trick.


17 m vertical being raised

The stations are on particular bands given what is open at the moment, to make most contacts - when electrical power is available. Ops are also busy with antenna installations as well. Not everything is going as planned


Another sat antenna

The team struggles with high noise on 80/160, periodic electrical power shut-downs of unknown duration. Better antennas are being installed to give these bands improved RX. Please be patient, they are trying to improve their operating capabilities

Good luck to all!

73, Ed/NT2X

 

7Q7RU at this very moment is on satellite 10489670.0 MHz, QO-100
Catch them if you can

73, Ed/NT2X

 

7Q7RU DXpedition had modified its original departure date. They are now expected to QRT Nov 25 or 26, perhaps even later, to stay through CQ WW CW. How much longer will the operation continue depends on multiple factors, yet to be determined.

Work them while you can.

I believe the new 'low bands' position had been set us away from the RF noise pollution in the village where they stay. Good chance for 80 and 160 m QSOs becomes reality.

5 MHz/60 meter operation is also being looked into, their license permit that. So hopefully that happens also.

Good luck to all

73, Ed/NT2X

 

Nov 17 is the first time they were active on 5 MHz. 7Q-crew tonight were provided with USA 5 MHz channel information for CW, Digital and USB - think they were unaware of our allocations. Lets hope now they start paying attention to propagation to NA on this band and operate on correct channels.

Good luck to all

73, Ed/NT2X

 

Here' a list of USA call signs recorded here making successful QSO's with 7Q7RU on 60m last night.

@W4DXX
@W4DR
@KE3JP
@K5RK
@K2TQC
@W0HRO
@N4MEC
@W8GEX
@WK9U
@W7YA
@N0FW
@KF2O
@K8MFO
@N5ZM

Unfortunately, these were all on 5354 Khz USB, not a 60m band frequency authorized by the FCC for use in the USA. Many others were also seen calling out-of-band without a response.

That frequency is in the IARU band plan and perhaps adopted for use by other countries. Many DX were calling.

Were these USA hams naive of the FCC rules, confused by the pileup, or just tryin' to be sneaky?

Hopefully there isn't any blowback from NTIA or other gov't shared band users.

Perhaps the DX'ped could move FT8 to a USA frequency, or do SSB/CW split.

 

7Q7 ops now know the US 5 MHz slots - both CW, USB, FT8/digi, the information was provided to them. Whenever possible, they were asked to accommodate the US hams. I think the above guys just jumped to work the DXpedition without verifying if they can be there. I wouldn't have posted their calls here, but wrote to them privately, advising them of their error. Will advise the DXpedition ops once more on the 5 MHz issues, but there is nothing they can do if people mess up

73, Ed/NT2X

 

Hi Ed,

In general I have great respect for the RRC group, and this 7Q operation is doing well. Congrats on your very well done OP introduction for this thread too

Also, many thanks for appraising them on the 60m issue. Although IMO they may share the tinyiest bit of responsiblity, not being better prepped for 60m to recognize varying international regulatory issues.

Chasing DX can stir up an aggressive drive. We just have to decide what to do with it. Leaderboards, "bingo boxes, awards, etc etc etc. Nothing wrong with that, its what can make it fun. But for that to be meaningful rules need to be respected, at least as seen in public.

We agree - aggressiveness without discipline can lead to sloppiness errors. But also a darker attitude of "better to beg forgiveness later then ask for permission before". Many in the list are prominent experienced DX'ers and/or often seen on 60 meters. There ought to be little doubt they knew what they were doing. Some others may have been mislead by them and just "followed the herd" which is a different problem. Even my finger hovered over the mouse button, but I chose not to click it.

There were many attempts to alert and warn in real-time of the misoperating. Comments on DX Cluster spots indicated they were on a non-USA 60m frequency. Also there were UNID FT8 free text messages frequently xmitted on various slots within the channel for all to see (if paying attention), examples,

201118_012145 5.354 Rx FT8 2 -0.1 1101 PSE 5357 USA
201118_011945 5.354 Rx FT8 8 -0.2 1825 PSE 5357 4 US
201118_022415 5.354 Rx FT8 25 0.0 1131 PSE 5357 4 NA
201118_022715 5.354 Rx FT8 -6 0.1 602 7Q7RU PSE5357

So another suggestion - restore the integrity of the 7Q7RU log by purging invalid 60m out-of-band USA (or other) QSO's from it ASAP, including those already uploaded to the database on ClubLog.

73, John, WØPV

PS - Don't take me wrong, I'm not trying be a DX ogre or preach, I have "been there done that" having been cited by an OO for allegedly xmiting out-of-band during SSB contesting, at the top edge of 20m.

 

I heard a CW pileup on a 60m channel for another DXpedition within the last year, I forget which one, but even if the pileup is on an authorized channel, it is as I understand the rules, a violation. My understanding is that there is to be but ONE signal on a channel at one time. A pileup kinda violates that rule does it not?

 

Agreed, some of the rules for 60m are written strangely; at best ambiguous, at worst absurd.

But rules where USA stations are permitted to operate within the 5 MHz spectrum segment are crystal clear. No USA xmsns permitted on 5354 KHz. Proponents of the "DX Code of Conduct" on the list above ought to know that.

Obviously its impossible to eliminate all collisions between signals simulataneously xmitted thousands of miles apart. Using a common-sense approach the "one signal" rule could be interpreted to mean only one signal xmitted per station allowed and/or not multiplexed.

Each of the five USA 60m "channels" has a designated bandwidth of 2.8 KHz with "centering" signals within the channel. That's an obvious rule for wider bandwidth modes like SSB or wider band digital.

For low bandwidth digital modes, or CW Morse, many signals can fit within that 2800 Hz. That's the norm now when FT8 is used on Ch 3 / 5357 Khz. I have referred to channels used that way, containing multiple narrow band signals, as "mini-bands" a term that some find objectionable.

To clarify this notion being acceptable, past ARRL CEO K1ZZ wrote to an official at the NTIA, the primary shared spectrum user in the USA. His reponse was essentially they have no objection as long as all the amateur signals stay within the BW boundaries of 2.8 KHz.

So this has become the de facto practice. AFAIK there have been no official complaints about shared use with amateurs. Hopefully avoidable incidents like out-of-band excursions during this DXped do not generate any.

A few years ago the DXped to Navassa, K1N, made good use of 60m primarily with SSB making > 400 QSO's. As is common for DX to do, they operated split VFO, xmitting on one USA frequency channel and listening on another.

I'm a big fan of 60 meters. I would like to see regulations relaxed, more space and power, but even with current limitiations it's interesting specturm, not just for EMCOM, but also for experimental exploration and general operation. Would like to see more, and more diversified, but careful, use of it by more amateurs.

73, John, WØPV

 

Last night was great for 160 meter 7Q7RU QSO chasers. They must have works few hundred NA stations. I, too, managed a QSO, hurray!

Frequent electricity shut-offs are a fact of daily life in the country of Malawi, unfortunately. The team was expected to buy a generator, if not yet. This should cure the interruptions that are awfully frustrating to all of us.

All of your requests for SSB activity and 5 MHz USA slots (with few other matters) were diligently passed over to the crew. I hope they comply. Only a couple of guys on the other end are serious SSB operators, the rest prefers CW and FT8. They are doing the best they can with what they got.

There are plans for additional 80 m antenna towards North America, and CW, and possibly SSB activity there for the remaining days of the operation. Keep your fingers crossed

Important info:

The following is a planned activity, that hasn't happen yet and last minute changes are possible

On Sunday, November 22, the entire team must undertake a day-long trip to the capital city of Malawi, Lilongwe. The trip is around 100 km each way. They must undergo COVID tests and obtain paperwork that would permit them to board the airplane few days later, on the way home. These days most airlines don't let you board flights without proof one is COVID-free.

How long the entire undertaking takes is anyone's guess, but they should be back the same day.

This means that for most part of Nov 22 they will be off the air. When they return to the village they are in, they will continue with the operation until the departure date, which is still open. I will post that information when it becomes available

Please work them while you can where you need them. Don't delay

Good luck to all

73, Ed/NT2X

 

The ops have reported losing 2 laptops to AC voltage spikes, one after another. This impacts their operating ability on 2 stations. They are looking to get them replaced locally, ASAP.

 

I was advised that tonight and perhaps few nights thereafter a special emphasis would be made to work NA on 5 MHz, FT8 and CW, whenever possible. On our channels! Gentlemen, go for it, things are not totally predictable on the other end of the pileup. Get them while you can. 7Q7RU QRT date has not been announced yet.

Good luck

73, Ed/NT2X