FP/VE2XB, St Pierre et Miquelon Islands, NA-032

FP/VE2XB will be qrv from 10-20 August, 2012 using 160-10m including the WARC bands 12, 17, and 30m and 6m when there are openings.

Pse QSL direct to qrz.com address which is aok with self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with CDN stamps or self addressed envelope (SAE) and 2 IRCs or 2 greenbacks. Postal rates are not the same in the USA and Canada despite our proximity to one another and also being part of NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement). So, pse use 2 IRCs or 2 greenbacks. Or you may qsl via the bureau too. No probems there but it takes longer, so pse be patient.

Pse be careful when filling out your qsl card to use GMT/Zulu time. Some ppl send me cards using Pacific Standard Time (PST) or Eastern Standard Time (EST) and this is no good. All Hams around the world use GMT. If you’re a newcomer to the hobby, pse Google GMT and you will see real time clocks with accurate time in Zulu/GMT.

Pse remember that 0010 GMT changes the date, so pse fill out your qsl card correctly with the right time and date. And pse be patient to receive a qsl card as I travel often. I will return all qsl requests that are received direct or via the bureau.

I will make a special effort to give first time cw dx QSOs to Novices and newcomers, so listen on or near 7.115 on 40m in the evenings. I wish DX stations would have done this when I was a newcomer. I also understand that many hams are getting back into the hobby after a long hibernation and use cw slowly as they get used to it again. There are also hams with health issues forcing them to cw qrs and also a lot of hams in the SKCC (Straight key century club) who enjoy firing up old rigs with straight keys–I love to do this too. I like to use my old j-38, so expect to hear me on 40m cw qrs for all hams irregardless of situation.

Last year, it was a pileup nightmare with stations calling on top of each other and it was just a big mess to pull out stations at times. This year, I will operate split on ssb and listen 5 KHZ up until the pileups thin out. I will do the same on cw and operate split listening up 2-3 KHZ. Hopefully, this will solve the problem. When the pileups thin out, I will go back to simplex operation.

Thanks in advance for your kind cooperation.

I always appreciate short wave listener (SWL) reports but pse be patient when requesting a QSL card. When I finish all ham qsl requests and if there are enough QSL cards, I will gladly reply to your request if your qso contact info is correct.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French: Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French pronunciation:  is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France, situated in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near Canada.  It is the only remnant of the former North American colonial empire of New France that remains under French control. 

The islands are situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay, which extends into the southern coast of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks. They are 3,819 kilometres from Brest, the nearest point in Metropolitan France, but just 20 kilometres off the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland. Editor’s note: This is NOT very far from where the Titanic sank on April 15, 1902.  

Saint-Pierre is French for Saint Peter, who is a patron saint of fishermen.

The present name of Miquelon was first noted in the form of “Micquelle” in the Basque sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal’s navigational pilot for Newfoundland. It has been claimed that the name “Miquelon” is a Basque form of Michael, but it appears that this is not a usual form in that language. Many Basques speak Spanish as well as Basque, and Miquelon may have been influenced by the Spanish name Miguelón, a form of Miguel meaning “big Michael”.

The adjoining island’s name of “Langlade” is a corruption of “l’île à l’Anglais” (Englishman’s Island).

During the early 1910s the colony suffered severely as a result of unprofitable fisheries, and large numbers of its people emigrated to Nova Scotia and Quebec.

The draft imposed on all male inhabitants of conscript age after the beginning of World War I crippled the fisheries, which could not be processed by the older people and the women and children. About 400 men from the colony served in the French military during World War I, 25% of whom died. The increase in the adoption of steam trawlers in the fisheries also contributed to reduce employment opportunities.

Smuggling had always been an important economic activity in the islands, but it became especially prominent in the 1920s with the institution of prohibition in the United States. In 1931, the archipelago was reported to have imported 1,815,271 US gallons (6,871,550 litres) of whisky from Canada in 12 months, most of it to be smuggled into the United States. The end of prohibition in 1933 plunged the islands into economic depression.

After the fall of France, most of the war veterans and sailors in the colony supported the Free French of General Charles de Gaulle. The administrator of the colony, Gilbert de Bournat, sided with the Vichy regime. De Gaulle decided to seize the archipelago, over the opposition of the United States. The general covertly gave Admiral Émile Muselier the order to proceed, resulting in the successful Free French coup de main on Christmas Day 1941. The United States Department of State and Cordell Hull in particular were infuriated by the result. The incident ultimately served to focus the American public opinion on the ambivalence of the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in its dealings with Vichy, and also led to a lasting distrust between De Gaulle and Roosevelt.

In a quick plebiscite the next day, the population endorsed the takeover, and the resounding vote in favour of Free France led Muselier to appoint Lieutenant Alain Savary as governor. After the approval of the 1958 French constitutional referendum, the islands were given the options of becoming fully integrated with France, becoming self-governing states within the French Community or preserving the status of overseas territory; they decided to remain a territory.

(Source: Wikipedia)

  IOTA: Na-032; ITU: 9 and CQ: Zone 5

And of course thanks to Eric, KV1J,  Paul K9OT, Peg KB9LIE, Brian Rose at B&B Fortune, NFLD (He has a lovely B&B and is kind, hospitable and very helpful in many ways) and our Miquelon hostess, Patricia.

Of course, Jenny and Tyler rock my world and I would be nothing without them in my heart and soul.

Location of St. Pierre et Miquelon (Source of image: Wikipedia)

N.B. The Titanic sank about 350 miles/531 km SE of Newfoundland on April 15, 1912–100 years this year. The wreck sits about 2 miles below the Atlantic ocean and over 1500 people died. I may ride in a submersible and see the wreckage…would be an awesome trip and icing on the cake..The water pressure is over 6,500 pounds per square inch, so you can’t go scuba diving at that depth…

Location of Titanic wreckage:

For Titanic buffs:

You`ll love this investigation of greed and fraud about the Titanic…Click the link and just scroll down and download the mp file. This is an amazing conspiracy theory…

This is VERY NEAT! Some live webcams of St Pierre et Miquelon:

WX in St Pierre et Miquelon

Plans are underway to be qrv from St. Pierre et Miquelon Islands in August 2012 on several HF bands including 160, 80/75 and especially 6 meters.

Flights are booked and accomodations secured.

Keep checking status…on this page as wx in this part of the world lends itself to FOG!!!

Rigs: K3/100 and Yaesu FT-450D and Yaesu ft-857 powerwerx.com pwr supply.

Amplifier: THP: 550fx

Antennas: 20/17/15/12/10/6m: 1 Hexbeam (K4KIO) 6 bands on 10m/approx. 30 ft aluminum mast.

30m/40 Windom and possibly Moxon 2 el switchable array

160/80m: Buckmaster Windom, 85 ft vertical, K9AY Loop.

BAND                 CW              SSB                  

6m                    50.104     50.115     –

10m                  28.024     28.480

12m                  24.894     24.950

15m                  21.024     21.250

17m                  18.074     18.135

20m                  14.024     14.175

30m                 10.104     10.115       n/a

40m                  7.020       7.075  7.155

80m                  3.524       3.800   

160m                1.824       TBA

73, dx, god bless

Mike, FP/ve2xb

The main antenna will be the 6 band 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20m–Hexbeam (Leo, K4KIO, who has been excellent as a support person answering technical and mechanical issues and questions even during a long weekend and is always a genuine pleasure to deal with. Period. Thanks LEO!!!) with a Spiderbeam 41 aluminum mast supported by a set or two of guy wires.

The main radio will be the Elecraft K3 (Thanks Dale at Elecraft!) and THP amp (500 w) using the LDG 600 PRO auto-tuner.

The Windom antenna will be used for 75, 40 and 30m. There have been requests for 160/80m QSOs, so we will bring an 85 ft vertical and K9ay loop, and a solid Buckmaster 160m 3kw rated windom. I will be making a special effort to work 6m this year!!!

73, dx

Mike, ve2xb

P.S. Next year possibly some 160 and 80m fullwave loops and bobtail curtain antennas.

So, how high do ya want it? Can we get rid of some of these trees? These leaves are a pain…

My neighbour and buddy, Scott, and I assembling the Hex in Belize.

QSL VIA VE2XB DIRECT OR BUREAU