=  NOW 40 WPM  =

10 METER VERTICAL.  BOTH WERE FED VIA HOMEBREW AUTOMATIC TUNERS.
ALTHOUGH WE MOSTLY RAN 100 W, OUR SIGNALS WERE GREATLY ENHANCED BY
THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE SALT WATER.  ONLY OUR 160 METER ANTENNA HAD
POOR PERFORMANCE, AS WE COULD NOT GET IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE WATER.
THE IMPORTANCE OF UTILIZING REMOTE OPERATORS IS TWO FOLD IT PROVIDES
A WAY TO REDUCE THE COST OF DXPEDITIONS, AND IT PROVIDES A
PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITY FOR HAMS WHO CANT TRAVEL.  REMOTE OPERATOR
PETE CHAMALIAN, HOWS DX?  DUCIE ISLAND RIB DXPEDITION, VP6A, 2023 IN
THIS MONTHS COLUMN, GUEST AUTHOR GEORGE WALLNER, AA7JV, WRITES ABOUT
HOW THE VP6A TEAM BROKE NEW GROUND WITH A REMOTE OPERATION ON THE
56TH MOST WANTED DXCC ENTITY.  THE VP6A TEAM WENT TO DUCIE ISLAND,
VP6/D, ON JUNE 11 24, 2023, TO PROVE THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY CONDUCT
A DXPEDITION WITH REDUCED LOGISTICS AND MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT.  DUCIE ISLAND IS A SMALL, REMOTE ATOLL LOCATED IN THE SOUTH
PACIFIC, ABOUT 300 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF PITCAIRN ISLAND, VP6.  WE
TRAVELED TO DUCIE ON BOARD THE MOTOR CATAMARAN, MAGNET.  THERE WERE
TWO IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS THAT ENABLED US TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS ON
DUCIE THE RADIO IN A BOX RIB, WHICH LET US OPERATE WITHOUT CAMPING
ON THE ISLAND, AND THE STARLINK SATELLITE SERVICE, WHICH ALLOWED US
TO HAVE REMOTE OPERATORS.  A RIB IS A COMPLETE STATION IN A
WEATHERTIGHT BOX.  OURS WERE CONTROLLED VIA A UHF DATA LINK FROM THE
BOAT, WHERE THE LOCAL OPERATORS WERE.  THE RIBS WERE WATER COOLED,
AND THEY CONTAINED FLEX 6700 SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIOS SDRS, POWER
SUPPLIES, AND REMOTE MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS.  THIS
ARRANGEMENT NOT ONLY ELIMINATED THE NEED FOR CAMPING, BUT IT ALSO
SHORTENED THE ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY TIME.  FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT RIBS, READ THE JANUARY 2022 HOWS DX? COLUMN.  ONLY MIKE SNOW,
KN4EEI GREGG MARCO, W6IZT, AND I, AA7JV, WENT TO DUCIE.  OUR
ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO ANCHOR ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE ATOLL AND
SET UP THE STATIONS ACROSS THE LAGOON, ON THE BEACH OF NEARBY
PANDORA ISLET.  UPON OUR MID MORNING ARRIVAL ON JUNE 11, THE SOUTH
SIDE, INCLUDING THE ENTRANCE TO THE LAGOON, WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKED
BY 12 FOOT WAVES AND HEAVY SURF.  WE SLOWLY CRUISED AROUND THE ATOLL
AND FOUND THAT THE WATERS OFF THE NORTH SHORE WERE MUCH CALMER.
ALTHOUGH THIS WAS AN EXPOSED OPEN SHORE STUDDED WITH SHARP ROCKS, IT
WAS OUR ONLY OPTION.  WE KNEW FROM THE WEATHER FORECAST THAT WE
WOULD HAVE 3 DAYS TO PUT THE STATIONS ASHORE AND GET THEM ON THE
AIR.  AFTER THAT PERIOD, STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WOULD MAKE THE
LOCATION UNTENABLE FOR THE BOAT, AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO LAND.  WE
ANCHORED THE MAGNET ON THE EDGE OF THE DEEPWATER DROP OFF A
PRECARIOUS POSITION AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK.  TO QUICKLY SET UP
AND MOVE EQUIPMENT ONTO THE ISLAND, AND TO REDUCE OUR FOOTPRINT, WE
BUILT A PONTOON RIB BOAT, COMPLETE WITH WHEELS, TO ROLL UP THE
BEACH.  IT CARRIED THE RIBS AND ALL OF THE ANTENNA EQUIPMENT, AND IT
WAS PRE WIRED WITH GENERATORS, BATTERIES, AND THE UHF DATA LINK.
THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON WAS SPENT
=  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  =  QST DE W1AW  <