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Dominic Smith

This content is archived. It is kept for historical reference only. It was last modified in July 2015. It will not be updated.

Svalbard, 2015

Activation Information

  • Dates: 10-17 July 2015
  • Operators: G3ZAY, M0BLF, M0HSW, M0TJH, M0VFC, M1BXF, M1ACB
  • Callsign: JW/homecalls
  • Bands: 40-10m
  • Modes: SSB and CW
  • Equipment: IC-706MkIIG, Elecraft K3; Vertical antennas
  • QTH: JW5E

This activation was organised by the Cambridge University Wireless Society.

QSL Information

Direct or via bureau to the operator. (Only QSL JW/M0BLF via me; please ensure you logged the right callsign).

We might be able to upload logs to ClubLog and LotW during the DXpedition but this will only be over a very slow (2.4 kpbs) satellite modem link. We probably won't have reliable internet access.

You can request direct and buro QSL cards via Clublog OQRS. (Payment via Paypal for direct cards.) To start your QSL request, use the log search below.

Shack

Video tour of JW5E, recorded in May 2014 by W2NAF

Propagation

These are some very basic notes; use prediction software for more information. Times are UTC.

  • London (G): Best times are early morning and through the afternoon on 20m
  • Moscow (UA): Best on 20m all day
  • Cape Town (ZS): Very hard. Best chance is late afternoon on 17m
  • Mumbai (VU): Hard. Best in evenings on 20m
  • Tokyo (JA): 20m throughout the day and 30m in late afternoon
  • Sydney (VK): Hard. Chance of 17m late morning; 20m during afternoon
  • Rio (PY): 17m during evening; 20m around midnight
  • Los Angeles (W6): 20m afternoon to early morning
  • Calgary (VE6): Best on 30m early morning
  • New York (W2): 20m during afternoon and evening

As you'll see, 30, 20 and 17m are likely to be our main bands. Please be patient if we operate on another band - conditions are likely to be very poor, particularly if we are hit by aurora.

We will watch 10m and 6m for Sporadic E propagation, but without reliable internet we may not know when these bands are open. If you hear JW7SIX/B, please tell us on our HF frequency.

APRS

When we are not QRV on 30m, we plan to operate an HF APRS beacon, using MFSK16 on 30m, as M0BLF-63. This will tell you we are in Svalbard safely. If you are in Europe and you can run an APRS IGate on 30m, please do!

We should also be on APRS as M0VFC-12 via an Iridium Go! satellite modem, which I've hooked into APRS.

APRS.fi maps: M0VFC-12 | M0BLF-63.

Log search

 

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