Date

Entry

22-Mar-2008

Arrive San Diego.  Several members of the San Diego DX Club helped with the Shogun unloading/truck loading.  Great group.  I watched, as I watched Phil David, K6DLV, Bob, N6OX and John, N7CQQ unload the U-Haul truck at Bob's qth.  Better to sit and watch than have them carry me too.

Moved N6TQS's SVDAs, my 40m & 160m antennas and my stuff to the Saturn.  Left for home about 11:00am.

18-Mar-2008

Out of bed at 6:30pm - ate a very small bit.  I'm in good company seasick wise.  Maybe if I quit eating I won't have anything to throw up?

17-Mar-2008

Finally seasick - upchucked 3pm & 7pm then hit the rack.

16-Mar-2009

Yesterday I worked up a good sweat helping the Shogun crew retrieve our stuff from the skiff and placing it on board.

It's curious how many of us are content to sit and watch work being done.

This mornings shower was great.  I waited in line at the bath for over 30 minutes and was getting ready to break the door down when Arnie suggested that perhaps someone was sick in there.  Not very thoughtful of me because it could have been me.   Anyway, I used the upstairs shower to great satisfaction.

My shoes seemed dry enough so on went the shoes and socks.  It's amazing how the very smallest things become absolute luxuries.

I circulated the azimuth maps today and everyone, including the scientific crew, have signed.  I will check with captain Norm and see if the Shogun crew would like to participate.

I have been collecting photos and will start preparing a thumbnail presentation for CADXA's April meeting, providing KF7E will agree.

So far the temperature readout in my travel alarm quit, my pocket knife has broken, camera has lost about 50% of it's functions and the speakers in my laptop has quit.  This is not a friendly environment.

I have obtained a copy of the TX5C log and it contains 71,794 QSOs.  I am attempting to determine the number of unique calls using Microsoft Access and it is still as slow as I remember it being 15 years ago.

15-Mar-2008 Saturday

On the Shogun

I see the rest of the antennas are being dismantled and remaining equipment being moved to the staging area for extraction by the Clipperton crew.  I know that over half of the equipment is on board already but it appears the remaining 'stuff' will require 7 or 8 Zodiak trips, then 6 more for the people.  And time grows short.  It's 2:25p local and the first trip has yet to be made, due to not enough water over the shelf to allow the Zodiak to make the trip.  The Shogun crew does a fantastic job of moving equipment but each trip still takes 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the surf.  I suspect that someone on land has been instructed on selecting equipment that will be left behind.  Glad I do not have to do this.

It appears that all of the antennas have been well packed, even without their boxes, and are on board.  My Alpha and it's power transformer made an early trip.

My tan gym bag that I carry the power transformer in went missing on the island so the transformer was wrapped in plastic for the extraction.  The bag surfaced on the Shogun.  It seems it was used as a rain jacket for the 220vac distribution to the cw tent.  Now I remember I am the one that installed it.  Maybe there is hope for my memory after all?

I know of 4 carts and 1 folding table that has been left behind.  More stuff that I could not identify.

I rinsed the sand out of my shoes and it will be nice when they dry enough to put back on.  Barefoot is ok but shoes and socks are what I am used to.  It is nice being in the air conditioned Shogun where things really will dry out.

Depart Clipperton 6:25 MST.

14-Mar-2008 Friday

After my 80m double shift I was headed to the rack when I was drafted to help dismantle the 75m DX Engineering antenna.  I knew it would only take a few minutes so I left my hat and rain jacket on the bed.  Not smart.  Hopefully my sunburn will not be too painful and the molting will be over by the time I get home so Jackie will not faint when she sees me.

Then after the antenna I was drafted into removing unnecessary equipment in the cw tent.  I located the harmonic stubs in the K9AY box, which we never opened.  The only reason I opened it now was the original box was falling appart due to the rain and I found a bottom and a useable top in the pile and transferred the antenna to it.

I removed the transformer from the 76 and find the canvas athletic bag has gone missing.  We wrapped the transformer in plastic and the 76 went into the Anvil case.  Amazing the Anvil case suffered no damage from the rain.  After we dismantled two of the four stations, had everything packed and back to main camp, there was a change of plan.  Three stations (instead of two) will remain on the air tonight.  So move the third station back and set it up again.

We reluctantly shut down operations for the team photo shoot.  Due to the tide timing (for the Shogun crew) this had to happen when all of the  bands were wide open and everyone was having great runs.  Some things just never change.

The weather has been just fanastic today, starting with yesterday afternoon's sunset (the first one we have observed on Clipperton).  If the weather had been this nice all along I am sure none of us would want to leave Clipperton until after the weekend.  Captain Norm has the final word and he says leave now.  I was selected to be with the third 'people' boat and it took remarkable will power on my part to avoid throwing the women and children overboard so I could go first.

Our equipment that was not necessary for curtailed operation was packed and removed to the Shogun, then after 4:00pm (nearing high tide but still daylight) the people went.  Two persons per trip with another Zodiak in the water and circling in case of an 'event'.  9 people went to the Shogun, leaving 11 operators for the last shifts.  The scientific group remains on Clipperton until tomorrow.

We had our salt water shower as we left Clipperton (rough trip) and it sure is great to be back on the Shogun.  The Shogun is a sand free, crab free, stone free, boobie free area.

First shower in over a week that I did not feel I needed another one within 15 minutes after finishing.

I crashed at 8pm local time and woke up at 8am.  Other than two trips during the night to the facility I had a great nights sleep.  First night since we arrived at Clipperton that I got more that 3 hours sleep in any 24 hour period.  It's something about squawking birds, constant wind, occassional thunderstorms, bright sunlight, etc. that makes sleeping difficult.  One operator seems immune from such distractions.

13-Mar-2008 Thursday

20m ssb.  much noise.  It looked like phase noise on the spectrum scope but it was not cooridinated with either of the other operating positions.  And then there was something like very strong ignition noise that would increase in frequency until it too looked like phase noise.  Didn't look at the S meter but only the very strongest signals could be heard.  And then the daily afternoon thunderstorm came early (it was still local morning) and we had to qrt for the duration.  W7YW, N8QBG, and KF7E checked in.  Removed 3 of 4 elements on 30m and 40m arrays in preparation for our departure.

One of the operators paniced because we were dismantling antennas.  I told him we were just removing the parasitic elements and he still had antennas on all bands.  N6OX and N7CQQ are now belivers in SVDA antennas.

Beautiful Sunset tonight and I am 20 minutes away from my camera.  I called a general QST on the island radio and was pleased to find 6 photographers in the field as I returned to main camp.  Tonight is the first sunset we have seen and the first time we have had moonlight to see by.

12-Mar-2008 Wednesday

20m ssb - listening 14.202-206, Listen EU only on 14.200 and generals on 14.255.  Never heard any EUs on 14.200 but many broke the 202-206 pilup.  A qso came on 255 (change of propagation), moved generals to 252.  There is a great demand for Clipperton from generals.  Maybe one or two of them will get ambitious and upgrade to extra class and join the DX fun.

Maybe Ann will run 80m tonight and get a good rate.  Mine is usually about 40 q's/hour and I know that slow rate is very frustrating to the audience.

11-Mar-2008 Tuesday 2100-2400z

I pulled the 12m ssb shift.  Started very slow, then the afternoon thunderstorm hit and rain static drowned out all but the very loudest signals.  When it started raining harder inside the tent than outside I covered the PROIII with plastic and just called cq.  Every once in awhile a station would pop out out of the noise (or just be at the noise level) and another Q went in the log.  The rain static came and went after the storm left.  Not sure what the cause was but it almost had to be propagated in from elsewhere.  Between the rain static and my intermittent microphone this was starting to be not fun.

12m is interesting as the spotlight seems small and on the move.  I was able to work simplex for awhile, then listened 3 up and really started having fun.  The rate must have hit 200 per hour or thereabouts.  Argentina, Brazil, Grand Cayman, North America, Alaska, Hawii, New Zealand, and Japan - all at the same time.

I finally went to 3-10 up and as usual the JAs did not understand so they remained at 3 up while I was able to work the rest of the world.  After about 30 minutes they figured out what happened and joined the fray.

As depressed as we all get when the thunderstorms hit, there is nothing quite like a 200 q/h rate to readjust the attitude and make this fun again.  I'm sure my ear to ear grin will dissappear when the next storm hits.

11-Mar-2008 Tuesday

Add another hurdle:  rain static on 80m.  Incredible JA pileup between 12-15z but only the very strongest stations were heard.

I wanted to record the pileup audio but my audio Y adapter has gone missing again.  Plus the cable for my keyer has been drafted to bypass the digital keyer.

According to VA7DX it is not my imagination that the 80m laptop is pooched.  It messes up on sending cw, adds characters at will, dumps Wintest, locks up the keyboard at random.  He suggests switching with a ssb computer but that only moves the problem.

I was moaning about the state of battery charge on my laptop (for audio recording) and WA1S suggested plugging the power supply in to the 110 vac available at the operating station.  I left my brain in San Diego.

One of the SVDAs will not load.  The only fault I can see is a discolered UHF barrel.  Will change that today during daylight.  Arced coax connector.

Helped refuel the cw generators last night.  No funnel for one of the cans and I have diesel fuel all over my hands.  Gotta try to clean them up today.  It seems every task, no matter how small, is incredibly difficult.  Not sure whether it is the humidity or the Clipperton curse.

10 Mar 2008 Monday 1700z

Usual panic this morning.  My 75/17 shift started at 1200z so I set the alarm for 1130z.  First time I have been able to sleep until the alarm woke me up.  First panic - I could not find my flashlight.  I cannot go to ssb without it.  I found someone else awake with a flashlight and he/she helped me find mine.  It was right where I always put it and I'll be damned if I can figure out why I could not find it.  Then my water bottle was missing.  Found.  Grab headset and head for ssb.  Arrive ssb tent my pigtail is missing.  Borrowed pigtail from vacant station - don't work.  Found my pig tail in someone elses kit bag.  Commenced operating.

75m was actually fun this morning.  Worked several EUs long after their sunrise, and I was not calling EU, they just broke the pileup. 

Ran 75 (listening down) until local sunrise when a voice suggested I listen for JAs on 3795.  Did so and ran JAs until long after our local sunrise, then dropped back to working NA until 75 went dead.

Switched to 17m, worked many EUs, again not calling them, they just managed to break the NA pileup.

I have not been standing by for EU because our days here are numbered.  Captain Norm insists we leave Sunday, which means Thursday will probably be our last day of operating.  I really feel bad about not working EU on 80m as this is what I really wanted to do.  But time is of the essence and we must get as many calls in the log as possible.

The weather has been great for two days now.  Too bad it was so miserable earlier.  Because of the weather we had to do about 4 weeks work in 3 days.  Everyone is exhausted and short of temper.  I took my turn at being the camp asshole yesterday and now I am working at helping everyone else be more tolerant of all team members.

Yesterday I was moving a 4 wheel cart loaded with diesel fuel in deep sand up a hill when I looked up into a video camera.  I throttled my temptation to insert that camera someplace where the sun does not shine.  Hopefully that video tape will not wind up on the cutting room floor or I will be really upset.  Tolerance, tolerance.

Showered at 1800z - left towel at 'my' sleeping site to drip dry.

1820z - I sure could use a shower.

Super CMOS keyer dead at start on 80m shift.  Solution: PROIII that was supposed to be set up for straight key was set up for paddle input.  My 1/4" Y connector has gone missing so I get to operate with the intermittent keyboard on an intermittent computer attached to an intermittent MicroKeyer.  That's fitting for an intermittent operator.

10 Mar 2008 Monday

Weather is decent today and I think we are all feeling better because of that.  I was in a great run on 12m ssb when the band went out - suddenly.  Probably went out about the same time a PL-259 arced on the feed line <grin>.

Worked a bunch of CADXAers on 17m ssb.  It's really embarrasing to talk to friends, recognise their calls and not be able to put a name on them.  I plead exhaustion.

17m rate exceeded 200 q's/hour.  Propagation on this band is incredible:  the spotlight kept moving around and usually I would only hear one caller at a time, work him quick before the spotlight moved and then get the next caller.  Didn't even have to change listening frequeny.

Today has verged on being fun.  Other than the coax connector the equipment has been holding up and propagation has been good.  I managed to get 17m ssb caught up with 75m on the q count.

We will continue with the assigned operating schedule today and self assign 3 shifts each 24 hour period for the rest of the operation.  I don't see many takers on 80m so guess where I will be - even with my half fast (say that real quick) rate.

9 Mar 2008 Sunday

A pleasant shower early in the morning made for many of us taking fresh water showers.  Not hard enough to really bathe so finished my shower in the main camp shower.

All cw camp antennas are installed with the exception of the K9AY receiving antenna.  Tomorrow.

Not so nice rain today.  A real gully washer - several times.  I estimate winds in excess of 50 mph.

The weather station blew down so it may not be possible to get an accurate wind speed.

The 20m and 15m SVDAs in the cw camp came down in the wind and rain.  I suspect it was because the paraline stretched a bit too much in the rain.

It is wierd how many items are missing that was sent to Clipperton.  I am missing my keyer and button box for keying the PROIII memories.  I started with maybe 30 T fence posts for guy anchors and managed to find 12.

We went on the air about 2330z 08-03-2008 and ssb camp is down to 1 amplifier.  20db over S9 noise level on all bands at the ssb camp.  CW camp is quiet.  Generator problems?

Dinner call, more later.

Bad weather and equipment problems continue.  Vicious wind early this morning made my 75m shift miserable.  The Dell laptops are very creative in freezing, dropping WinTest, and generally slowing the rate.  My 80m rate last night was incredibly slow because the one flourscent lamp yields very poor illumination.  So we hold a flash light in one hand, one finger enter the call, and hope the computer completes the contact.

75m lost propagation maybe 30 minutes after local sunrise.  When I switched to 17m ssb the band was dead.  1 hour of calling CQ yielded nothing, then I noticed phase noise from the 20m ssb position with the amplifier in standby.  Wiggled (hows that for a technical term) defective relay cable and found a tremendous pileup when I went live.

Worked W1XT on 80m.  He does wonders with his antenna.  He will call Jackie.

Worked K7BHM on cw.  He has an incredible skill with a straight key.  NQ7S, and K8BN on 75m after the wind died down and sunrise neared.

8 Mar 2008 Saturday

Yesterday the 10, 12, 15, 17 & 20m SVDAs, the 80m array and 160m antennas were completed.  They would have been completed sooner but for 3 of 4 defective coax cables.  The Comtec 80m box does not seem to work so we will start with the delay line.

I assembled the elements for the 30m and 40m antennas and their erection should be completed today - after the rain stops.

This mornings rain was almost enough for a fresh water shower.  Started the shower in the rain and finished in the porta-shower.

06 Mar 2008 Thursday

A nice rain during the heat of the day helped to cool off a bit.

5 Mar 2008 Thursday

First day in Clipperton.

Celebrated N7CQQ's 61st birthday.

I did not retrieve my spare Heil headset from N8GZ because I knew my 15 year old primary headset would function flawlessly.  Oh silly me, the microphone boom broke and of course I pulled ssb shifts along with cw.  And the adapter cable went intermittent.  Or maybe it is internal wiring in the headset?  Duct tape kept slipping so microphone boom maintenance was an hourly necessitty.

4 Mar 2008

Norm, captain of The Shogun, gave us a briefing on what to expect tomorrow and on conducting ourselves in a safe manner.

The first days operating schedule has been worked out.  Revised, altered, changed, modified.  And subject to further revision.  After the first day or so scheduling will be by the operators - that is fill in the blanks and ensure each of us operate three shifts per day.

4 or 5 of the team members will go ashore for a site survey before equipment off loading is started.  Hopefully the island has not changed significantly from the information we have.

We had company today - a school of dolphins joined us for several minutes.  They seem to know where we are going as they stayed about 1/4 mile ahead and swam and cavorted in a line at right angles to our path.

The quantity of birds is growing as we near Clipperton.

As I write this we are about 50 miles away - ALMOST THERE!

Monday Mar 3, 2008

The members of the scientific group are enjoyable.  They seem very interested in what we are doing, as we are interested in their objectives.

Today we will work more on the operating schedule for the first day or so.  The first pass called for 3 hour shifts with each operator operating 3 shifts in each 24 hour period.  We are looking at going to 4 hour shifts.  Our objective is to keep 7 full power and 2 100 watt stations on 24 hours a day for a full week and 2 weekends.  Some of us will not be on the schedule so we can address problems as they arrise.  Generators, computers, radios, antennas, etc. seem to be immune to functioning correctly during the start of a DXpedition.

The weather has been great - cloudy with patches of blue sky.  The humidity is going up which makes it feel a bit warmer and makes us want to take another shower immediately after we finish the first one.  We have a tendency to complain of the heat, but it is really the humidity.  In Arizona (my home qth) 105 degrees F can feel quite cool because of the low humidity.

I am starting to worry about my operating contribution.  My desire is to operate 80m cw but my morse skills are sadly lacking and I will probably wind up on ssb to start.  Perhaps when the pileups reduce in intensity I can get on 80 and the callers will tolerate my lack of skill.

Two more nights on the Shogun.

Oh to get started with the operation and quit worrying.

Sunday Mar 2, 2008

Work crews captains are assigned and priorities are established (subject to modification).  Safety first.

If possible we will go ashore on the NE side of Clipperton and establish our operating sites there.  However there is a very real probablility that we will land on the SW side and operate there.

A crew is assembling the carts that will be used to move equipment on the island.  I am staying out of their way.

Simple pleasures are becomming more important.  I think all of us would just love to go for a long walk.

We are scheduled to arrive at Clipperton Tuesday evening.

Saturday Mar 1, 2008

My Mickey Mouse (watch) says it is Feb 30.  Oh well.

What is local time?  Pacific daylight savings time?  Mountain standard time (Arizona does not celebrate daylight savings time)?  UTC seems to work great and ignores DST.

We watch videos of DXpeditions that some of our members have been on.  "3Y0X" brrr,  "BS7H", etc.  "Clipperton, The Island Time Forgot".  Clipperton has a very colorful history.

Are we almost there?

Friday Feb 29, 2008

The sea is very calm.  Are we still under way?  We must be because the engines are running under load.

We have a mm station operating and many are excercising their skills at working the pileup.

The food on the Shogun is great - too great, so I have elected to either skip meals or accept half portions.  So far it seems to be working as I do not feel 'heavy'.

Are we there yet?

Thursday Feb 28, 2008

The sea is calm.  Captain Norm assures us that it will not remain calm after we clear the Baja peninsula.  Whoopee.  Some have applied patches to avoid (hopefully) sea sickness.  I'll try going without and see what happens.

Are we there yet?

Wednesday Feb 27, 2008

We move the equipment from the N60X staging area to the dock and the local dock workers load the Shogun.

Departure will be this evening and our concern is "what will we need that we do not have?"

Many members of the San Diego DX Club are at the dock to bid us farewell.  Very thoughtful of them.

I delay my boarding until the very last because I believe I will enjoy about as much of the Shogun as I can stand during the next 4 weeks.

As we depart we begin to meet the rest of the members of the DXpedition and the scientific group.  I am super impressed with the operators experience and capabilities.  I will do my best to carry my part.