K5D Desecheo DXpedition 2009 Update 2-19-09

February 19, 2009

1800Z: At 5am local the seas were high and continued high all morning; we made the decision to use a helicopter to bring Group #3 over and to take Group #2 back to Rincon. Once the decision was made, the seas became even higher as if to endorse that decision. Group #3 took off from Rincon just now and in 4-5 trips we should have accomplished the swap. In case you don't remember the plan:


Group #1 is the eight men who will be on Deescheo for the full two weeks

Group #2 is the seven men who started with Group#1 and are departing today

Group #3 is the seven men replacing Group #2 today

Thanks to the operators of Group #2 who contributed mightily to the QSO count to-date!
The first helicopter trip today sees the return of our internet tech with new equipment and software that will get us faster and more reliable internet communications. We hope to update the online log search data more often starting this evening.

QSOs are just over 65,000 at this writing. To save fuel, we're running the entire camp on a single generator and reducing power on the amplifiers for the same reason.

0300Z: The wind blew hard all night. Fortunately no rain accompanied the system coming through. The seas are spectacular with waves and spray going 30-40 feet into the air. Great fun to watch, but doesn't bode well for the crew changeover scheduled for later today.

We are on the helicopter pad hundreds of feet from the sea, but the sound can be heard through the pileups.

Group #3 is safely settled in their hotel, a stones-throw from the boat departure point. They completed UXO training tonight and are ready to come to the Island. Forecasts for the next two days are for continued high seas making a boat landing extremely hazardous and thus not an option. We can only hope the seas will die down as fast as they came up...the first sign will be the diminishing wind, but it has picked up again tonight and blowing hard.

Radio operations continue to be productive with 6-7 stations QRV 24/7. The QSO count is 60,000 as this is written, and everyone is having fun while working hard.

All the antennas have survived so far and we;'ve experienced no failures with any equipment. Let's see what tomorrow brings!

 

February 20, 2009

February 20, 2009

0315Z: Group #3 all arrived safely this afternoon and Group #2 is now on their way home, tired but gratified by the experience.
The seas are even higher and we've lost several antennas on the beach due to guy-points being washed away. We'll work on restoring those antennas tomorrow.

We now have a more robust internet connection and the gap between uploaded logs should begin to shrink.

Note: While the online lookup function is very helpful, it cannot correct any problems we discover in the logs. Those will be dealt with when we're off island. In short, if you cannot find a Q in the online log, work us again just to be certain!

 

One of the FB group of operators I have heard in a long time! Snagged 15m & 20m SSB today with-in 3 minutes of each. Now, QRS to about 20~25wpm. It's kind of difficult when trying to copy 35~40 wpm cw.

 

K5D 6m phone problems

I just spent so time with Gordon on 50106kHz.

He has some RF feedback problems but after a few minutes of fiddling he could find the problem, he has to disconnect some things to work SSB.

Because of the lack of activity he is transmitting with two different beacons on 50.106, one that says "CQ DE K5D" and the other "FK68 DESECHEO ISLAND"

He's asking me to advise any station that would call him on SSB to just give him some time to change the setup. I guess they will work this problem out but for now this is the status.

At least I'm in the log

 

02/20/2009 - 2030Z

2030Z: Based on questions and comments we've received, we've restructured our operating plan for this weekend (from 0000Z Saturday until 2359Z Sunday).
We will not be participating in the ARRL CW DX Contest. This means we will be operating SSB and RTTY only on 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M and 10M.

And, to give General Class operators a better chance to work us, we will be listening only in the General Class portion of all bands, all weekend long.

Group #3 is here and up to speed and we know fresh operators will be a big help.

 

Thank You...

A quick thank you for the decicision to transmit on the General portion of the bands, you are a gentelman, and I'll be tring...N1TOB Jimbo

 

Thanks so much guys for all the hard work that went into puting this much needed island on the air! I listened patiently for many days in order to allow Asia a chance. Yesterday it got the best of me. I was able to get in with only one try using the beam and 100 watts! Good luck to everyone trying to wade through the pileups.

 

The pictures on the web site are amazing. The K5D crew went above and beyond the call of duty to make these QSO’s (currently 75,000). These people deserve the very best the world-wide ham radio community can award them.

http://www.kp5.us/

 

working K5D

A little disappointing trying to compete with the big gun stations running all the power. I will continue to try with my 100 W station. Makes it a real accomplishment on lower power. 73 gud luk to the dedicated ops. Roy

 

Keep trying..worked k5d tonight on 3781khz ssb just running FT-817 QRP 5 watts and homebrew slinky zepp up 15 feet..Took 2 hours but finally got through..

Steve, WA2NHZ

 

February 21, 2009

February 21, 2009

2300Z: Today was another very busy day for us. In addition to trying to keep stations on the air and provide Deseceho as a new one to so many who still need it, we had our first visit from the resupply boat in five days. Finally the seas moderated and the boat arrived with fuel, water and a fresh USFWS Law Enforcement contingent. The first group was to rotate off the island on the 19th, but seas delayed that until today! They were glad to go home to their families after pulling rotating security shifts since the 12th. They are all great people and we enjoyed their constant company.
We now have enough fuel to last through our departure and we will be able to run the amplifiers on all stations except 30 meters. The boat Captain built a portable hoist and it was used to remove and swing the loads to the rocks. From there everthing was carried the 1/4¼ mile or so to the helicopter pad. The folks from USFWS Law Enforcement and Island Conservation worked right along side...a true team effort. The entire process took about five hours. Some of the heavier items were not moved until after dark when temperatures had dropped. If you noticed we were off the air for some time, you now know why. The entire team was involved and the work took its toll, but they continue to perform without complaint.

QSO count stands at 83,500 with approximately four days to go.

DXepdition Picture Blog Here

 

call sign feed back

In the pile up, I'm not sure my call sign was read back correctly. need web link to the team.

minor details, but LA1BRA was read back as LA1BJA at 12:18 zulu

either way, good luck to the team there on the Island, thanks for being there.

73 de LA1BRA
Tom

 

Thanks!!!

Thanks, Carlos, for the update. Also, thanks for the contact on 40M LSB.

K5D signals yesterday, 21-Feb at circa 22:00Z were truly 59 plus (no BS) here in central Alabama. No problema!

Also, thanks for being patient with the couple of old guys who forgot that 7.084 isn't part of the US phone band. Ha.

If they'd just listened before jumping in, they would have heard where you were listening, 7.176.

Just for anyone's benefit that might be reading this and want to try to make contact with you, I run a TS-940s barefoot into an inverted Vee. No amp. No Yagi or Rhombic necessary. I should have hooked up my IC-706plus.


73.

 

Same here.

Heard the activation only last monday 16th 5/9 here on the vertical on 20 mtrs SSB, but incredible pile-up, so it was wasted time to call without an amplifier.
Their signal decreased down to barely readable the rest of the week on my vertical, today sometimes 2, but just for a couple of seconds.

Heard them also several times in RTTY on 20, but cannot understand their operating schedule, so still not succeeded in RTTY either.

Don't understand it, I hear other stations in the Carib, with nice signals (8P/PJ2/9Z).

Wondering, what the next few days will bring.

PD7RB - Robert

 

Robert: I don't know their sched, but, there were Europeans working them yesterday at about 22:00Z on 40M. They were operating split, and listening on 7.176, but they might also listen on their calling frequency.

Perhaps they will again be on tonight.

73.