For decades, Joyce/K0JJW and I have working towards visiting all 63 of the US national parks. We are nearing the end of the list, with just a few parks left. One of the most challenging places to visit is the National Park of American Samoa, located in the only US territory south of the equator. That would be number 61 for us, with only Crater Lake NP and Lassen Volcanic NP left to visit.

Obviously, if we are going to travel to a distant island, we should consider doing a Slacker DXpedition. American Samoa is a US territory, so FCC radio licenses are valid there. It is also a separate entity for DXCC, with the prefix KH8. KH8 is listed at #87 (out of 340) on the Most Wanted list at Clublog, so it is a bit rare in terms of DXCC. Parks On The Air (POTA) has already been set up for KH8 and the national park there has been activated a number of times. I checked into the Summits On The Air (SOTA) situation and discovered there were summits that qualified for the program, but that a KH8 Association did not exist. The next thing you know, I am the KH8 Association Manager working with the SOTA Management Team to establish the KH8 association.

Travel

We usually try to pack light when traveling. On a typical airplane trip, we can generally get by with each of us having one carry-on bag. But once you add snorkel gear, camera gear, binoculars, hiking boots, radio gear, and a few other items, it becomes necessary to check a bag — or two. Still, we focused on keeping the amount of luggage to a minimum so we could navigate the airports without assistance.

To get to KH8, we connected through Hawaii, to catch the main flight to Pago Pago on Hawaiian Airlines. This flight only goes two or three times a week and is the only option coming from the 48 states. We decided to enjoy four days on the island of Kauai, which turned out to be an excellent idea.

Radio Gear

We normally only use frequencies above 50 MHz for SOTA, but given the lack of VHF activity in KH8, we compromised and took along HF gear. Our Icom IC-705 is a good choice for that as it also has the VHF/UHF bands included. We also packed a pair of handheld radios, which were useful for basic communications on and off the trail.

We had two main radio setups: a backpackable station for SOTA and a higher power station for POTA. Scoping out our likely SOTA summits, we definitely needed a compact station that could be carried up some summits that would involve a challenging hike. For this station, we used the IC-705 (10 watts output) driving an end-fed multiband wire antenna from PackTenna, supported by a carbon fiber fishing pole. The IC-705 does not have a built-in antenna tuner, so a small, manual external tuner did that job. A Bioenno 4.5 Ah battery supplied the power to the radio.

The antenna system travels in a small pouch and consists of the Z-match tuner, RG-174 coaxial cable, and the end-fed wire antenna. The antenna can cover 30m up through 10m, using a tuner, so it was an efficient way to cover the bands we planned to use.

With the remote location and QRP power levels, we concluded that SSB might be a limitation. Our solution was to utilize digital modes (FT8 and FT4) to enhance our weak-signal performance. I sometimes operate CW, but I don’t think I can handle the pileups we expected at KH8. Joyce doesn’t do CW at all. Our plan was to use my Windows laptop, running WSJT-X, for digital processing. I would have taken this computer along on the trip anyway, so it made sense to have it do double duty, even though it’s a bit large to carry up the summit—more on that below.

POTA Station

We could have used the SOTA station for POTA as well, and we did in a few situations. However, we opted to take along a Yaesu FT-991, with 100 watts output, thinking that would help us when running SSB and if band conditions are poor. This is our normal POTA radio, powered by a 20 Ah Bioenno battery that can supply 30 amps continuously, providing a decent margin for the FT-991 (max current spec is 23 amps). However, FAA regulations don’t allow large batteries to be taken on an aircraft. I am used to carrying smaller batteries while flying, so this was all new to me. The short story is that you can carry on two lithium batteries, each limited to 160 watt-hours. (Read the regulations carefully yourself to understand the fine points.) For a 12-volt battery, 160 watt-hours corresponds to 13 amp-hours. So maybe I could carry two 13-amp-hour batteries and get by with that. Well, the Bioenno battery, which is the closest in size (12 amp-hour) has a maximum continuous discharge of 20 amps, which is a little light for the FT-991 keyed down at full power. I was also worried about the battery capacity and how long we would be able to operate. (In retrospect, this approach might have worked and deserves further consideration in the future.)

Another option was to take an AC power supply along, which might have been useful, but AC power was not likely to be available at a typical POTA spot. Ultimately, our solution consisted of a power cable with battery clips that connect to the battery in our rental car. We already had our radio gear set up with powerpole connectors, so crafting a cable with battery clips and powerpoles on it did the job. From experience, I know that it is possible to get excited about making radio contacts and overlook the fact that your car battery is now depleted. To avoid this, I inserted a 12-volt power analyzer inline with the DC cable, allowing us to monitor the battery voltage. I was vigilant in monitoring the voltage and running the car engine regularly.

Rounding out the POTA station were two 25-foot lengths of RG-8X coax and an end-fed long wire antenna from MyAntennas. This antenna was needed to handle the higher power level of the FT-991. For antenna support, we used a SOTABeams 32-foot Travel Mast.

The National Park of American Samoa is POTA AS-0001. This park had already been activated 33 times, primarily by KB2FMH and KH8RRC. There are two other POTA parks in KH8 (both unactivated), but we did not operate from them.

Alerts and Spots

Our operating schedule was fluid, so we used the SOTA and POTA websites to post our activations once we decided to go out,  and to spot ourselves once we were on the air. Some of this could be done from our hotel room using an internet connection but at the operating location, we typically did not have a network connection.

We did have a Garmin Inreach satellite communicator that works anywhere on the planet, so we sent messages via the SOTAmat system. This requires some preplanning to set up access and learn the system but it performed well. The only disadvantage to this method is that Inreach messages can take 5 or 10 minutes to send, depending on when the satellite passes over.

Summits On The Air

Complete KH8 SOTA information can be found here in the Association Reference Manual:
https://www.sotadata.org.uk/en/association/KH8

There are 11 SOTA summits in KH8. Many of these are not accessible due to rugged terrain and dense tropical vegetation. The most accessible summits are listed below. See the SOTA database for more information and specific activation tips. In all cases, assume the trail condition can change and inquire locally for the latest information.

Tutuila Island

Olotele Mountain (KH8/TI-004) – Drive Up Summit.
Olotele Mountain is a developed radio site with multiple towers on it. There is a single-lane paved road to the top, making this a drive-up summit. This is the easiest summit in American Samoa. It is NOT in the national park.

Mount Alava (KH8/TI-003) – 3.9 miles one-way, 1300 vertical feet, in the national park.
This is a well-known summit and hiking trail, promoted by the national park. The trailhead is relatively well-marked, starting at Fagosa Pass. This trail used to be a road, generally wide but overgrown in spots.

Matafao Peak (KH8/TI-001) Steep trail, 1500 vertical, 1.5 miles one way
The highest summit in American Samoa. There are widely varying reports on whether the trail to the summit is hikeable or not. Trailhead is at Fagosa Pass. We did not attempt this summit.

Ofu Island

Tumu Mountain (KH8/MI-003) 3.0 miles one-way to the summit with 1500 feet of elevation gain. This trail used to be a road, generally wide but overgrown in spots, rope assist in one spot.

Let’s Go!

So that was the basic plan. Fly to Hawaii, hang out there for a few days, then continue on to American Samoa. Activate a few summits on Tutuila and then travel to Ofu Island to activate one more. Interspersed would be POTA activations, lots of snorkeling, and sightseeing.

More to follow in Part 2.

73 Bob KH8/K0NR

Side Note: Kauai SOTA

We were not focused on SOTA in Kauai, but I looked up what summits were available and discovered the answer to be quite straightforward. Out of the 11 SOTA summits on the island, only one has been activated: Nounou Mountain (KH6/KU-011). The rest are very difficult to access.

So Joyce and I decided to do the summit. As advertised, the trail turned out to be muddy and had some difficult sections requiring some minor rock scrambling. The weather was hot and humid, making this a good warm-up for KH8. In particular, I discovered that my SOTA station had serious EMI problems. I thought I had worked this out back home, but my notebook PC was producing a high level of noise that was interfering with the receiver, and the RF from the transmitter was disrupting the USB data connection. This messed up the activation of Nounou, but it caused me to work on the problem before arriving in KH8.

The workaround I came up with was to use my iPhone with the SDR-Control Mobile  app, connecting to the IC-705 via Wi-Fi. This eliminated the need for the USB cable, which was acting as an EMI radiator. The iPhone display is relatively small for running FT8, and the app has a few anomalies, but it did the job. On the plus side, the iPhone is a lot less to carry up a summit.

The post KH8 SOTA/POTA (1) – The Plan appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Operating from countries outside the US can be a lot of fun. I just completed another Slacker DXpedition, this time to the British Virgin Islands. The formula for this type of operation is simple: identify an interesting vacation spot that is also considered DX, travel there with friends and family, take along some compact radio gear, and get on the air. A key point is not to overdo the radio operating, or the friends and family will veto any radio activity on future trips. This was not a super-gonzo turbo-charged DXpedition. I just worked in some radio action in between snorkeling and exploring the island. This is referred to as a “holiday style” DXpedition, or maybe it’s just the slacker approach.

VP2V British Virgin Islands

The idea for this trip originated with a group of friends who often travel together to fun places, often an island in the Caribbean. BVI had been on our list for a while, and we had a trip planned back in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused us to cancel it at the last minute. It has taken us some time to get a plan back together, but here we are doing the trip five years later.

When a travel opportunity like this surfaces, I check out the implications of amateur radio licensing for that country. For a US radio amateur (and probably most other countries), getting a radio license for VP2V is easy. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) website has clear instructions on how to apply. Joyce/K0JJW and I filled out a form, provided copies of our passports and FCC licenses, and paid a $20 license fee. This did require a trip to a notary public to have these documents notarized. My friend, Paul/KF9EY was on the trip so he also obtained his VP2V license.

Location

We rented a fantastic house (Ana Capri Estate) on the north side of the island of Tortola. This house has a great view out over the water. Tortola is the main island of the BVI, and international flights are available at the airport on the east end.

The Ham Station

We took along our usual portable ham station, with a few updates. Our Yaesu FT-991 has served us well for POTA, SOTA, and island activations in the past, so it is our go-to radio for this sort of operation. The key features include a 100-watt RF output, a built-in sound card for digital modes, an internal antenna tuner, and a small enough size. This radio has HF plus 6m, 2m, and 70cm, which can be handy. Add a compact Samlex switching power supply, and we are ready. Recently, we have moved away from using End-fed Halfwave (EFHW) antennas and started using an End-Fed-Random Wire (EFRW), also called an End-Fed Long Wire (EFLW). The difference is subtle but important. The EFRW uses a wire length that is intentionally not resonant on any band, fed by 9:1 UNUN matching device. This setup radiates well over a range of frequencies but does require an antenna tuner because it is not a consistent 50-ohm impedance on all bands. I’ve found this to be a reasonable tradeoff between quick-changing band coverage and performance.

For this trip, we used the Palomar Engineers Bullet-9 UNUN, rated for 500 watts PEP. A variety of wire lengths can be used with this approach, with longer wires supporting lower frequencies. The 34-foot wire element supports operating on all bands from 40m to 6m, supported by the SOTABeams Travel Mast. The Travel Mast compacts to just 26.5 inches and extends to 32 feet. Actually, I modified the top of the mast to make it stronger, so the net height is closer to 29 feet. The end-fed wire antenna is almost vertical when deployed in this manner.

In past portable efforts, I’ve encountered issues with inconsistent antenna match and RF getting back into the FT-991. I checked this out carefully before the trip and adopted some mitigation practices that seem to help. First, I made sure the wire antenna could be supported almost vertically. This is not a strict requirement but it seems to help with getting a good match across all bands. I don’t use a counterpoise, but I do have 50 feet of RG-8X coax lying on the ground, which provides a bit of counterpoise. This length of coax also lets me keep the antenna separated from the transceiver by a reasonable distance, reducing the opportunity for RF to get back into the transceiver. Finally, I use a short USB cable, with ferrite cores on both ends, to connect my notebook PC to the FT-911. In the past, the USB connection between my PC and radio sometimes quit. These precautions appear to have paid off, as the station worked without any issues.

Operating

We set up the station outdoors under a covered patio to enjoy the fantastic view and (mostly) great weather while operating. This was not optimal, as we did get chased inside a few times when rain squalls moved in. They never lasted long, so I think the tradeoff was worth it.

The propagation on the HF bands has been quite good lately, and we continued to enjoy that while in BVI. We did not have much of an operating plan (“slacker style”) but intended to operate on the higher HF bands, mostly 20m and higher, using SSB, FT8, and FT4. Bob/W0BV pointed out that VP2V is somewhat rare, showing up at number 114 on the ClubLog Most Wanted List. Sure enough, whenever we called CQ, we were greeted with a nice pileup.

My VP2V/K0NR log has 1030 contacts, including 61 DXCC entities and 23 CQ Zones. I focused mostly on keeping the run rate up and just making contacts. About half of the Qs were with the US. The logs of VP2V/K0JJW and VP2V/KF9EY are not included in these numbers. I tended to stay on the higher bands as they were working quite well.

VP2V/K0NR Log
Band Phone Dig Total  %
30       0  79    79  8
20       0  46    46  4
17       0  90    90  9
15       0 161   161 16
12      44 349   393 38
10       0 260   260 25
 2       1   0     1  0
--    ---- ---   --- --
Total   45 985 1,030 100

As you can see from the numbers above, I made a lot of digital contacts (FT8/FT4). I found FT8 to be slow, and the normal FT8 frequency became crowded. There was much less congestion on FT4, and the run rate was better, so I found that to be effective. I enjoyed the SSB pileups for a while but found it to be a challenge to manage them. While I can work CW, I did not try to manage a pileup on that mode.

I found a 2m repeater on the island 146.73 MHz (—offset, no tone) and made a few calls on it, but I did not receive a reply.

QSLs will be via Logbook of The World only. I won’t be printing cards for this effort but the logs for VP2V/K0NR and VP2V/K0JJW are already loaded into LoTW. Thanks to everyone that worked us!

British Virgin Islands

BVI was a fantastic place to vacation. During our ten days there, we enjoyed the beaches, snorkeling, and sailing excursions. If you are interested in that, there are many online tourism sites to explore.

Thanks for stopping by.

73 Bob VP2V/K0NR

The post VP2V/K0NR: Another Slacker DXpedition appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

 Beginning the year with a little plate of DX. On Friday while I was practicing with a CW contesting program I also had running in the background DX Heat. I saw E29TGW from Thailand spotted on 20m from a U.S. station. A lot of the time when I see and check out these spots I am met with static. I turned on the radio and spun the VFO to his frequency. He was there but weak and now and then he popped up to an S3. The best thing was he was calling CQ and no one was there to answer him. I dropped my call a few times and he came back to me and I was in the log. 

Next I saw 7Q2T from Malawi Africa who was spotted on 10m and so I dialed him up and this signal was strong and operating simplex. He was in the log in no time and so within 15 minutes I had 2 ATNO's  in the log. It was now time to get back to CW contest practicing.

Lately, I’ve been getting questions about whether a ham needs to log radio contacts, whether they need to submit a log, and how to do it. Logging is a complex topic that can require a long and detailed explanation, but I am going to focus on the questions I’ve been hearing lately. I’ll also provide some links for further investigation. For starters, the ARRL has a good introduction to logging.

Why Keep A Log?

The FCC does not require you to log your amateur radio contacts. Many radio amateurs, especially if they just operate casually on 2m and 70 cm, don’t bother to keep a log. Probably the most common reason for having a log is to have a record of your radio contacts, in terms of stations worked, on what band and what conditions. This might be just for your own personal satisfaction or you might want to keep track of these contacts so you can get credit for an award, such as the ARRL Worked All States award.

Paper or Electronic?

The Old School way of keeping a log is on paper as shown in the figure above. This approach is simple and reliable technology but is quite limited in the information age. These days, most hams that record log information store it electronically. Imagine that you log thousands of contacts over time and then want to find a particular callsign or location. Much better to do this electronically. There are many good software programs available, too many to list here. I currently use Amateur Contact Log from N3FPJ. The good news is that there is a standard file format for storing and moving ham radio contact information: Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF). If you want to change logging software, you export an ADIF file and import into the new program.

I Worked a Contest Station, Do I Have to Submit a Log?

Sometimes radio ham works a few stations that are active in a particular contest and they wonder if they must submit a log to the contest authority for these these stations to get credit for the contacts. The almost universal answer to this is: No. Don’t worry about submitting a contest log if you aren’t really “in the contest.” The stations you work still get credit for your contact with them. (This is true for all major contests…I am still looking for a contest where this is an issue.) Contests are designed to encourage activity, so they want everyone to join in, even if they aren’t all that serious about contesting. (The contest sponsors will appreciate any and all logs submitted, so consider that.)

If I Am Actively Working a Contest, What Do I do?

If you are actively participating in a contest, you should use a logging program that is tuned for that particular contest. This is important because the contest logging software knows about the scoring for the contest and lets you know if you have already worked a station you hear. The most popular logging software for contesting is the N1MM Plus software. There are other programs you can consider. Typically, you would use N1MM during the contest and then export the info into an ADIF file, which is imported into your “main” logging program.

What is a Cabrillo File?

While the ADIF file format is most universal in ham radio logging, there is another file format used for contesting. This is the Cabrillo file format. Your contest logging software can generate a Cabrillo file for submitting to the contest sponsor. You may also want to generate an ADIF file for your normal logging program.

I Worked a POTA Station, Do I Have to Submit a Log?

Parks On The Air (POTA) is set up such that only the activator station submits a log. If you are working an activator station, you are a hunter station. The POTA scores are all based on the activator logs and hunters cannot submit a log. What you can do is register on the POTA website to see the contacts that the activators have submitted for you.

I Worked a SOTA Station, Do I Have to Submit a Log?

Summits On The Air (SOTA) is set up so that both activators and chasers submit logs to the SOTA website. However, the SOTA system operates on the honor system, so an activator can claim a contact with you without you submitting a log. So if you hear a SOTA station, go ahead and work them. You don’t have to submit a log. On the other hand, if you want credit for chasing a summit, you need to submit a log. So that activator is fine not having you submit a log but you may want to do that to get credit for you.

How Do I Get Credit For Working A Country?

The gold standard for chasing countries, I mean entities, is DX Century Club (DXCC). If you are interested in DX, you should register with Logbook of The World (LoTW) with the ARRL. To get credit for working an entity (country), you need to submit your log and it must match the log submitted by the DX station. This is a higher level of confirmation because both parties must submit the log info and it must match within reasonable error limits.

There are other award systems for working countries, offered by QRZ, eQSL, etc.

How Do I Get Credit For Working a Grid on VHF/UHF?

The VHF UHF Century Club (VUCC) is the VHF/UHF equivalent to DXCC. Here the emphasis is on working maidenhead grid locators on the bands above 50 MHz. Again, Logbook of The World is the database that authenticates confirmed contacts on these bands. Both parties must submit the log info and it must match within reasonable error limits.

What If Someone Needs My Log Submitted?

Most of the time, us normal hams are not considered DX. That is, that other station in the Cayman Islands doesn’t really need our contact confirmed. But there are exceptions. You might be in a state the other station needs confirmed. Or maybe it’s your county they need. In such a case, you might want to make a special effort to provide your log information to the right database. It will depend on what the other station needs…if they are going for an ARRL award, then Logbook of The World is the right place to upload your log. But they might be after a QRZ award or eQSL award, it which case you would need to provide your log to those websites.

Wrap Up

These are some of the questions I’ve been hearing.
What did I miss?
Anything else to add?

73 Bob K0NR

The post Should I Submit A Log? appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Curious about what you can hear on shortwave ham radio? This video is a brief survey of the diverse world of communications on the shortwave spectrum. Expand your radio horizons and enhance your emergency communication preparedness by tuning in to the world of shortwave ham radio.

If you’ve started delving into radio communications beyond local stations and channels, like VHF and UHF, you’re in for a treat. Shortwave radio opens up a whole new realm of signals to explore, including emergency communications vital during natural disasters.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIVesUzNP2U[/embedyt]

Shortwave radio covers a range of radio frequencies from 3 kHz to 30 MHz. This spectrum is home to a diverse array of radio signals that cater to various communication needs, making it a hub of activity and connectivity.

Within these high frequencies, you can tune in to a multitude of transmissions, from transoceanic air traffic control communications to the chatter of ships navigating the vast seas. Imagine hearing the voices of fishermen, much like those on your favorite reality TV shows about high-seas fishing adventures, along with military communications and the vibrant world of amateur radio enthusiasts.

One of the remarkable features of high-frequency (HF) radio is its ability to propagate signals over long distances, transcending line-of-sight limitations. This means that HF radio enables communication between different regions and even continents, fostering connectivity across vast distances.

During times of crisis and natural disasters, shortwave frequencies become invaluable for emergency communications. When local infrastructure falters or is disrupted, shortwave radio serves as a vital lifeline, facilitating critical two-way communications in and out of disaster-stricken areas.

Explore the fascinating realm of shortwave radio, where distant voices blend with essential information, bridging gaps and connecting communities in times of need. Uncover the power of HF radio to transcend boundaries and provide lifelines when they are needed most.

In this video, I give you a glimpse of the voice and data transmissions I pick up on my high-frequency amateur radio transceiver (in this video, an Icom IC-7000). In later videos, I will dive deeper into specific types of HF communications, such as aeronautical trans-oceanic signals.