TO7BC
 Mayotte
Hartwig Kauschat
Thuerachstr. 26a 79189 Bad Krozingen Germany [+] Mailing label | ||
Lookups: 28389 Ham Member
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| Email: Use mouse to view.. QSL: DL7BC VIA BUREAU OR DIRECT | ||
20130402 2111UTC 14188kHz TO7BC
Date : 02/Apr/2013 2111UTC
Freq : 14188kHz USB
Rig : SDR(PI4THT)
ANT : Mini-Whip(PAØRDT)
PC recording
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Online Logsearch see further down, I try to upload from time to time during my activity
One advise after the experience in 2012: when I am calling "outside Europe only", then I am looking for non-European stations! Even IT9 in my eyes belongs to Europe, so it is highly appreciated if you stand by when I am looking for outside Europe stations. If stations do not respect this advise, they may get a report, but as there is no obligation to keep a log, those stations may not find their way into my log.
QSLing: I will answer 100% via bureau if you choose this way, no need to waste money for direct QSLs. For my QSL policy please see www.qslnet.de/dl7bc
After my return in 2012 I found in the cluster some spots as FH/TO7BC - this is NOT correct and has never been used by me. The correct call is simply TO7BC
2013 activity
Reached Mayotte on March 26th and could run my first QSOs the same evening. Since then have been running mainly SSB QSOs, but there are also some 160 digital QSOs in the log (RTTY, PSK31 and PSK63) - to be continued ;-) The WPX phone was not as successful as in 2012, but again 1.100 QSOs on 10m only were obviously a nice result. 20m and 15m did not work out fine :-(
From Sunday April 7th to Tuesday 9th I will be QRV under FH/DL7BC from a beach hotel and try to work with a vertical antenna on 40m and 80m in the evening/night hours (UTC). No idea, how it will work, it will be a new experience for me to work with an antenna on the beach. Watch out for me
cu down the log,
Hartwig, DL7BC / TO7BC.
2012 activity
Reached Mayotte on March 20th, 2012 around noon time, with all of my luggage missing Kenya Airways just had misplaced all my belongings in the wrong compartment with destination Moroni (D68), the next stop of the aircraft on its way back to Nairobi. By luck they unloaded my stuff in Moroni and another airline took it back to Mayotte. In the evening I finally got all my luggage.
In the night I set up my equipment (IC 7000 with LDG 7000 tuner and Microham USB interface III) and connected it to the Spiderbeam (HD) 5-band (10-20m) antenna - trying to catch some PSK signals. I was never before using digital modes, so try it in the night where there are less people - learning by doing. Successfully completetd 10 QSOs, then my IC 7000 went Silent Key. It automatically switched off and on again once I started to transmit or push the PTT, even at (very) low power. Gave up in the end. :-(
By luck I was visiting my friend Bruno FH4VOS, who is fully equipped (YAESU FT 920), but just for SSB. No problem as this is my favourite mode. On March 21st and 22nd I was running QSOs using FH/DL7BC under the CEPT-agreement.
Activity under TO7BC started on March 23rd, usually with pile-ups which I never experienced before, even not when operating under CN2BC. But I think I managed it quite well, often using split to keep my calling frequency clear of QRM.
Nice openings especially on 10m and 12m made a lot of fun. 20m to my disappointment was not working well, very difficult to get answers even after calling CQ for 5 minutes. So back to the higher bands.
The participation in the WPX (phone) contest brought another 1505 QSOs in the log, less than expected. Less than 100 QSOs on 20m, it was really frustrating not being heard by stations which I could hear with 9+10dB. 10m saved my score, 1213 QSOs were in the log at the end.
On March 28th, Bruno FH4VOS, Phill FH8NX and me where operating from Bruno's school in a well prepared project around "communication". The FT 920 was set up with a W3DZZ, and in the morning hours we could run some QSOs with FR and 3B8 stations who stood by for this project. Some pupils took the mike and run their first QSOs in their life. The local TV station "Mayotte Première" was present and interviewed some of the pupils about their experience. In the evening TV news we were on the screen for about 3 minutes ;-)
The last of all in all around 5.900 QSOs was run on April 6th with RX6CC at 09:00 UTC on 15m. Still a lot of guys were calling, but I had to go QRT to get ready for my flight back. Countries worked: 135 - confirmed: 91
Thanks to those who contacted me, sorry to those who did not get through in the pile-ups. Please try again in 2013.
Hartwig, DL7BC
Some pictures
Me and my equipment
TO7BC on IOTA AF-027
maki in the garden
Bruno FH4VOS and friend
traces of turtles on the beach
hanging and flying around - flying foxes
geckos and lizards can be found everywhere
The communication project at school - Mathilde on the mike and Phill FH8NX supporting
Bruno FH4VOS interviewed by Tiziana of Mayotte Première TV
The school gang - FH8NX, FH4VOS, TO7BC
Mt. Choungui, one of the highest montain on Mayotte - Baobab on the beach - Sunset at Tsingoni
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