From: Warren Hill <k7wx@getnet.com>
The Central Arizona DX Association is delighted to announce an upcoming
DXpedition to the Republic of the Maldives (8Q7, Zone 22, Indian Ocean).
The team leaves Los Angeles for Taipei on January 16th and will arrive in
the capital city of Male by January 18th, after a brief stopover in in
Singapore. Plans are to be QRV beginning January 19th, with 24 hour
operating on most bands through January 28th.
Members of the 8Q7AA DXpedition team will be:
SSB CW
Nilda Resto NP3BY Bruce Sawyer N6NT
Oscar Resto KP4RF Darryl Hazelgren AF7O
Sally Martinez KM5EP Warren Hill K7WX
Rich Chatelin K7ZV Steve Thompson N7TX
Dan Brown NA7DB Stephen Towne, NN7X
Bruce Sawyer, N6NT, will also run HF RTTY as operating time permits.
Ibrahim Ahmed, 8Q7QC, will help with SSB and provide local assistance.
Robert Brown, NM7M, has worked out detailed propagation information (see
below).
Andy Stafford, G4VPM, has been our valued liaison with the Maldive
government.
There will be four stations running Yaesu FT-1000MP transceivers, Alpha
amplifiers and Force 12 antennas from 160 through 10-meters, including
all WARC bands. Many of this team were members of the 1996 XZ1N Myanmar
operation. As with XZ1N, a concentrated effort will be made on the low
bands with adequate power and antennas. N6NT, K7WX, K7ZV and NN7X will
focus on 40, 80 and 160-meters, with special attention being given to
openings for North America.
More complete details are available at our WWW home page:
http://www.cadxa.org/8q7aa
Our sincere thanks to Steve Thompson, N7TX, for doing such an outstanding
job with our Web site.
It is a happy coincidence that the first full weekend of the 8Q7AA
operation will be during the CQ 160-meter CW DX Contest. This contest
begins at 2200 GMT on January 23 and ends on January 25th. 8Q7AA will be
a high power multi-operator entry in this contest. More detailed
information regarding the CQ 160 meter CW DX Contest can be found at:
http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/cqww160.htm
QSLs: Requests for confirmation of contacts with 8Q7AA can be made by
either direct, bureau or e-mail routes.
Direct QSLs: Steve Thompson, N7TX
119 E. Jasmine St.
Mesa, AZ 85201-1811 USA
Please enclose an airmail SASE with adequate postage.
Bureau QSLs: Cards should be clearly marked: 8Q7AA via N7TX
Internet: Bureau QSLs can be requested by sending e-mail to:
n7tx@cadxa.org
The SUBJECT line should read: 8Q7AA QSL REQUEST
The BODY of the message should list the following for each QSO:
Your call sign
Date
Time in GMT
Band
Log Checks: You are welcome to send e-mail to: n7tx@cadxa.org
to see if you are in the log for a particular contact
before sending a direct request. The SUBJECT of the
message should read "8Q7AA LOG CHECK." The BODY of
the message should be the same as the above. These
requests will be turned around very quickly.
The timing of this operation has been arranged to take advantage of
favorable propagation on the low bands to Europe and North America. The
table shown below has been compiled by Robert Brown, NM7M, and indicates
the major openings that can be expected to this location in the Indian
Ocean during the nine days of this operation. Within each of the 3-hour
periods indicated, contacts may be made with other locations where
propagation is favorable. Check your favorite propagation program (like
MINIPROP PLUS) for MUFs from your location and be sure to monitor the WWV
broadcasts for any announcements of magnetic activity that might be in
progress.
On the lower bands, where the MUF is not an issue, the location of the
terminator is of great importance. Propagation on these frequencies is
possible mainly when the path is in darkness. We suggest that you take
the time to check the path from your QTH to 8Q7 with a mapping program
(like DX-AID) to be sure of being on the band at just the right time.
This is particularly true for 160 meters, with paths for 80 and 40 meters
expected to be open for longer periods.
Time (UTC)
MHz | 00-03 | 03-06 | 06-09 | 09-12 | 12-15 | 15-18 | 18-21 | 21-24 |
28 | - | - | JA | EU | - | - | - | - |
24 | - | JA | VK | VK | EU | - | - | - |
21 | JA | JA | JA/VK | EU | EU | EU/ENA| - | - |
18 | OC/VK | JA/VK | JA/VK | EU/ZS | EU/ZS |ENA/WNA| WNA | - |
14 | SA/EU | SA/EU | VK/EU | EU/ZS | EU/ZS |ENA/WNA| WNA | SA |
10 | SA/EU | SA/EU | ZS/EU | OC/EU | EU/OC | OC/VK | VK | EU |
7 | LP/SA | ? | ? | ? | LP/OC | JA/VK | EU/OC | ?/EU |
3.5 |ENA/EU | NIL | NIL | NIL | ?/WNA | WNA/OC| EU/JA | ?/ENA |
1.8 |ENA/EU | NIL | NIL | NIL | ?/WNA | WNA/OC| EU/JA | ?/ENA |
---><-----------day-time------------><---------night-time---------
8Q7 Sunrise 8Q7 Sunset
ENA = Eastern N America WNA = Western N America LP = Long-path via
gray-line
EU= Europe VK = Australia OC = Oceania
JA = Japan SA = South America ZS = South Africa
NIL/-/? - No meaningful propagation supported during the period indicated.
The Central Arizona DX Association appreciates your interest in our
latest effort from Zone 22. All the members of the 8Q7AA DXpedition team
look forward to working you from the Republic of the Maldives!
73 de Warren, K7WX
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