I have asked him and will ask him to slow down on 160---but he drives
with the pedal to the metal (he's a contester). Glad you got him. He is
definitely becoming a one-man DSpedition from Palmyra.
For all who are interested, Mike, KH6ND's stay on Palmyra as KH6ND/KH5
has been re-negotiated. He was supposed to fly out on the 17th, but he
may well stay until we pick him up in October on the way to Kingman Reef.
Bear in mind that Mike is not a dyed-in-the-wool topbander, and gets antsy
when there are no responses. Mike is trying to put a lot of Euros into
the HF log and is also on six meters---when all he hears is QRN, he starts
thinking about high rates on 15. He has logged thousands of QSO's--I
think he set a new Oceania record in the All-Asia CW--has had several good
6m openings to JA, and I believe he is pushing about 100 QSO's on topband.
Some have asked him to QSY to 160 when he is running on 80 or 40. It
takes him about ten minutes to go out in the dark (and it is <i>dark</i>)
and change antennas, so he is not a big fan of QSYing by request. But if
condx look promising and you can catch him somewhere else, he most likely
can be induced to be on 160 at a given time. Just guessing here, based
upon conversations with him on 20m.
Since the geomagnetic field seems pretty quiet right now, I will ask
him at our 0430Z sked to spend some time on topband. If he gives me a time
slot, I will post a message here on Topband Reflector.
For your information, he is running a three-band vertical that is an
inverted L on 160. The antenna is band-changed by lowering a halyard and
moving jumpers. He has two elevated radials on 80, two on 40 and one on
160. The limitation on Palmyra is the incredible density of the jungle.
Clearing room for more radials is a mammoth job, and running wires across
areas that people might traverse has been discouraged.. But, since he has
worked into the East Coast despite farily high K indices and in mid-August,
the antenna arguably works OK.
Good luck if you need him. I'll post info as I receive it.
73,
Garry, NI6T
Co-leader, Kingman Reef 2000
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