FP/W6HGF, February 10-20, 2012 Winter DXpedition to Miquelon Island

I will be operating from FP, St Pierre – Miquelon from about 10 February to 20 February 2012, depending on transportation, weather etc.  Operation is planned to be focused on digital, mostly RTTY, including entry into the CQ WW WPX RTTY contest over 11-12 weekend, as well as a presence in the ARRL International DX Contest  CW, over the 18-19 February weekend .  QSL will be through Logbook of the World each evening as I can, and paper QSL cards once I get back home.  This location is up near Nova Scotia, Canada and is pretty cold, and windy in the winter.  See my antenna picture above from March last year in the snow storm.

** I support the DX Code of Conduct **

Please learn and respect the DX code so that all of us can enjoy the experience.  When a pile-up is in progress please follow my lead and if I am only sending signal reports, that is all I need from you.  If it is very slow and I send name and qth, then it is ok to send the same back to me.  This will allow a pleasurable experience for all of us following the conditions.  Please be curtious to other operators, and please stop calling when I am trying to exchange a report.  

This operation will be a 1 person effort, so expect lots of breaks, I do not have the contest staying power I once had, but I expect with high winds, and cold temperatures outside, to have few distractions outside of plain exhaustion to keep me off the bands.  This is my second trip to Miquelon,  and my goal is to make as many QSO’s as I can while there.

  On RTTY, I use FLDIGI which has “skimmer” type browser so I can decode everyone in my audio passband which is 2.5Khz wide.  It is important or useful to know that I use this extensively to increase the QSO rate, but it is also important to recognize that I am not decoding you in real time, so when you send your call, please stay in one place and wait for me to find you.  If you call me and then move, and I find your call in the buffer a little later, when I call you, I will not be able to find you if you have moved.  So please just stay in one place and call, at least until I have completed some QSO’s and did not call you.  To increase QSO rate, I will also try to add other calls heard on after exchanging a report with the first station, I will say, -NOW- and then the next call sign, without going back to the pileup.  After sending a QRZ and listening to the pileup, I will collect 2 or more callsigns (if I can) to respond to without going back to the pileup, but it is important that you stay put on the frequency I heard you, so I can find you when I call you.  

  When I say QRZ UP, I mean, I am listening up at least 1 Khz, and I can hear you on any clear space from 1Khz up to about 3.5 Khz up from my signal.  You do not need to call exactly where the last qso was, as I am decoding everyone in the passband at the same time.  Just find a clear spot and stay there to call me.

Many Thanks to Eric, KV1J, Jean-Pierre  FP5CJ, and Paul K9OT, who have been very helpful with information on this location, and their past operations there.  It makes it so much easier to have a little advance knowledge when going to a new place.  

10 – 20 Feb 2012 Planned operations dates

Local Time Zone is GMT minus 2 hours

Feb 9 –  Arrival and antenna setup 

Feb 10-20 – On the air

Feb 21 – Departure

Icom IC-7000 (50 W)

Tokyo Hy-Power 1.1K Amp (~300W)

LDG AT-600Pro Antenna Tuner

Ubuntu laptop with Fldigi (Thanks Dave W1HKJ)

Granite State Antennas  Ultralite Senior 160-10 Dipole

SteppIR Vertical  (Thanks Roger G3SXW and Nigel G3TXF  ) – 40M through 10M

QSL updates will be uploaded nightly to  Logbook of the World

If you have not signed up for LOTW yet go here, it is easy LOTW Signup 

Other alternatives are;  

Direct to home call.  Please include self addressed envelope with $2 for return postage

OQRS through Club Log

Buro to W6HGF.

eQSL.cc – Please make sure your time is very accurate, so I can verify QSL.  eQSL is last priority.

My Log will also be uploaded to Clublog each time I upload to LOTW

Check if you are in the log before you send a qsl card, I hate to send them back with ” not found in log” .

QSL Direct Address:

W6GHF

Al Danis

P.O. Box 220164

Chantilly, VA 20153-0164

USA

Welcome to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon, where France meets North America! Five hundred years of history, pristine wilderness, clean air, hospitality and of course joie de vivre!

Saint-Pierre & Miquelon is South of the Canadian province of Newfoundland, about 800 miles North East from Boston (see maps). An integral part of the French Republic, they are the last remnant of France’s once large possessions on this continent.

Today, both Saint-Pierre & Miquelon are modern, quaint French towns and the most original destination in all of North America.

Although Fishing Cod on the Grand Banks was the main industry for centuries, this is an island that has known War, Deportation, Revolution and the spoils of Prohibition.

Beyond its history, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is a wonderful destination because of its mild refreshing climate, its beautiful landscapes, the quality of the air and the warmth of its inhabitants.

Saint-Pierre is the commercial and administrative hub of the islands. With a population of 6500, the infrastructure is modern and urban.

The people of Saint-Pierre are descendants of Basque, Breton, Normand and other French regions.

A small island situated across the harbour from Saint-Pierre, Ile aux Marins used to be a fishing village of 600 souls. Modern fishing techniques contributed to the gradual desertion of the community. Today, Ile aux Marins is a living museum and a unique window on our past.

On the northern side of this larger island, the village of Miquelon is inhabited by 600 people, mostly of Basque and Acadian ancestry.

Wildlife is most abundant on this island and its couterpart to the south, the island of Langlade. The 8 mile sand dune between the two islands is peppered with over 500 shipwrecks.

Langlade is a very rugged yet beautiful island surrounded by steep cliffs. Several farms specialize in organic produce and livestock. Langlade is also a favorite summer residence for many islanders.

There are many other islands around Saint-Pierre & Miquelon, they not easily accessible but many bird watchers and nature lovers sometimes manage to visit these untouched ecosystems like the Grand Colombier.

Other islands have been inhabited at one time or other, and they include l’Ile aux Vainqueurs, l’Ile aux Pigeons and l’Ile Verte