Monday, June 9, 2008

PJ6/K2KW & PJ6/KD8GKM

Hello DXers!

My wife and I are heading to PJ6 - Saba Island from July 1-8, and we will then be on St Maarten from July 8-10. This is our (delayed) honeymoon, but somehow my loving wife (Stephanie KD8GKM) suggested I bring the radio! Who am I to argue, especially since she want's to operate too!
While many of you are aghast that I would contemplate bringing my radio on our honeymoon, you have to know my wife. While on Saba, I will be supporting her passion: scuba diving (I don't dive). Stephanie hasn't been diving in a long time, but she can't wait to get in the water again. While she's diving, I'll likely be on the radio.

QTH: On Saba, we are staying at a small cottage called Duchie Cottage in the town of Upper Hells Gate. The cottage has some of the best views on the island and is about 1250' (370m) up the mountainside, and about 3000' from the ocean. There is a water view from the mid-west USA, through north to EU, AF, and to the SE (I think). Take a look at the terrain profile to EU!


ARRIVAL/OPERATING DATES: We will arrive on Saba around 5:30 pm local time on Monday, July 1. That is assuming the flight takes off from St Maarten! Saba is the smallest commercial airport runway in the world and is only 1300' (400m) long! If the weather is bad, they don't fly there.
http://www.b-v-i.com/SabaAirport/default.htm

Assuming we get to Saba as planned, I'll set up as much as I can on Monday night, but I won't get on 6m until the next morning. Operations will stop Monday night (local) July 7th (around 0200 GMT July 8th).

INTERNET: There won't be internet at the cottage, so we won't be able to alert the 6m community when we're on, or our QRG. We will try and check Email once a day while in town.


6m FREQUENCY: During the first part of our trip, there will be a number of DXpeditions who have announced their frequency. Since our operations will be more casual, we will have to work around them.


Here is the published list of 6m DXpedition frequencies (as of June 26, 2008):
50.095 - ZF2BI/ZF2ZD
50.103 - TO5E
50.106.2 - V36M/5J0M
50.108 - CY0X
50.110 - International Calling Freq

On CW, I would likely try 50.091, and on SSB, 50.121. It all depends on where other ops are, and if people are running split inside the DX window.

Equipment: IC706MKII, 2 ele 6m Yagi, and a wire for HF.

Grid Square: FK-87 While there are hams active on other islands in FK-87, currently there are no resident hams on Saba. Don, PJ6DM sold his QTH a few years ago. The new owner of Don's house now rents it and calls it Hummingbird House - it's a beautiful house - and he's friendly to hams.


Google Earth: here is the *approximate* QTH location.
17°38'23.27"N 63°13'46.81"W - we don't have confirmation of which building it is, but it's within the cluster of buildings around the coordinates.

Please QSL only via "Kappy " WA4WTG . SASE or SAE+$orIRC appreciated. WA4WTG is an avid stamp collector. If you have some foreign stamps you were going to throw away, we'd sure appreciate if you would cut the stamps off and send them to Kappy!

We hope to work you on the bands, especially on 6m.

73 and best regards. Kenny K2KW & Stephanie KD8GKM

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