2005 'Expedition' DJ8MS

        70cm/23cm    SM/DJ8MS

                     4th-31th March 2005

Activity : 5th/6th 24h Contest @ SK7MW JO65MJ Moglarp Alps

             mainly evenings out in the darkness in

             JO66 (2x), JO75 (1x) , JO76 (4x) , JO86 (1x), JO87 (1x)

used RIG :  70cm:   IC706IIg + 100W PA + 2x13el DL6WU Yagi 

                 23cm : FT290RII/IC706IIg + DB6NT XVTR + 2x44el SHF Design (Wimo) Yagi

                                                      + 50W (40W at the feed)

In the last years I always heard the question 'why the hell you're going to Sweden in march ???'

(Hej Torbjörn, tack för detta fraga !... ;-)=) )

Well, there are camels on Öland, the sun is shining and the main fact: there are only few tourists ! Annnnnnd by the way the cottages are not that expensive... as a student a quite interessting fact.

In which month you can expire winter, spring and summer like ???... At SK7MW we had down to -15°C and 3 weeks later it's been over 15°C on Öland.

Encouraged by last years quite successful pure 23cm tour I decided to use a trip guided by University Rostock to take some equipment with me. This time I took 70cm and 23cm with me, which was consisting mainly on my steady portable contest setup.

Furthermore the tour fit into the contest timetable... So I've been together with DG6SYL, DK7OM and DL5AG at SK7MW , infiltrating them ;-)=)... Thanks Torleif for arangement !

Due to the steady change of weather over the month the conditions were never stable, but there have been sometimes light on the horizon... being qrv in JO75 brought new ODX for that SM-trip on 70cm and 23cm. To DL6NCI 603km on 70cm and 523km on 23cm to DL3YEE.

Sri Klaus, the QSO has been beaten only 1 week after that QSO... 592km on 23cm in QSO with SM3BEI from JO66jk. But also this can be done better... 3 days later I've been in JO76dc and ODX on 23cm was pushed to 597km, unfortunately not really cracking the 600km.

The 23cm NAC on 15th of march has been the most disappointing evening I got to know... I had lots of rain and snow on that evening killing nearly every attempt of conditions.

The spring has been with us on Öland, it's been a pleasure to be on the isle again !... Unfortunately also around easter weekend, the conditions were quite bad on 70 and 23cm.

facts: 54 QSOs on 70cm, 29QSOs on 23cm

worked locator grids:

                70cm                                                23cm

Hence I actually have not that joy anymore in Meteorscatter on 2m using the FSK modes, I really enjoyed something similar... Aircraftscatter with old CW mainly on 23cm...

By the way ... no elks have be seen ;-((. But pictures will be shown under 'pictures Expedition'.

The best point... whole equipment survived the trip, nothing has been destroyed.

Special thanks to Toby, SM7EOI, for hosting me again and having lot's of fun on Öland !

For all guys asking 'why you're only qrv on vhf and up on your trips ?'. It's much more fun and thrill for me listening to the noise and waiting for any conditions and strange sounding signals than talking everytime around the globe!

For sure, I'll be on tour again as soon as possible... so take care & keep going !... Maybe next time again on 2m MS.