2006 'Expedition' DJ8MS

        2m    DJ8MS   JO74aa

      island Usedom - EU-129

                6th-8th October 2006

A short report for the short trip to JO74aa.

Main task of that 'exploration'-trip was getting known where it might be possible to be qrv from next trips with main goal to be qrv on UHF/SHF.

2 of 3 planned QTHs were not useable, natural restricted area and small roads being vanished by farmes organizing space for agriculture. For the MS-activity I found a QTH quite low above sealevel, but with free takeoff from SW to E nearly. For 70cm a different QTH could be used, but I prefered not using it for 2m due to being very close to living houses and possible BCI/TVI.

Unfortunately the activity has been reduced due to illness, weather and obviously low resonance to my activity.

During the first day of activity on friday morning I only got 3 calls (S51AT, HA5CRX, HA5UK) to my CQ via MeteorScatter, which I yet thought to be too less. But I thought about being workday and quite bad conditions. But conditions couldn't be that bad considering QSOs has been completed in about 15min each.

On saturday the second day of activity I've been calling about 1h via MS on .370 until I heard any reply to my CQs. After that first MS-QSO with HA6NQ I made some QSOs via TROPO. Being back on .370 with CQs via MS it took more than 1h again until I got a reply by YU1IO. After the QSO I continued calling on .370... no reply for nearly 2h ! A reason might have been lots of ms-operators were busy with preparing for UHF/SHF-test running same day.

On both days it has been raining especially during seting up antennas and mast.

After that disappointing saturday morning I decided to qrt completely for that trip. I don't have any fun in calling CQ for hours without reply.

The planned activity on 70cm on sunday morning taking part in the UHF/SHF-test has unfortunately been canceled due to illness.

I hope at least one of the QSOs brought a new gridsquare for the other ones, so trip was also useful in that way.

The trip resulted in finding some useable QTHs for any further trips and making some QSOs too. I wished finding any better QTH and being able to get more QSOs into log.

Better luck next time !

one question is still left:  where to go next ?...