DXCC #76 Most Wanted NOW QRT
IOTA: OC-047
CQ ZONE 28
LOCATOR: QI90vp
A team of Western Washington DX Club amateur radio operators will activate Solomon Islands in November 2023. Updates will follow.
Getting equipment to Solomon Islands for a first-class result is both challenging and expensive. We will have 3 stations, 1.5k amps, VDAs, BuddiHex, DX Commander, 2 CrankIRs, and 80/160 antennas. Our power source will be generators. We have a passion to give the DX world needed slots. We GREATLY appreciate your participation in our pre-DXpedition convenience plan for automatic uploads and QSL card for those who want them. Thank you so much!
See QSL page for QSL. If you are happy with our DXpedition please consider an
extra donation.
Follow us on Clublog Livestream
November 27, 2023
Tomorrow will be our last full day operating. We depart November 30. It's been fun!
L to R: NU7J, N9ADG, WA7CPA, N7QT, N7JP, KC7EFP
November 25, 2023
Thank You For Your Help DXE!!
Our third station lost its amplifier, so is a dedicated 100w ft8 station when running. We are operating two kilowatt stations now. Last night we ran about 15 hours of 40m CW with continuous massive pileups.
During this weekend's CW contest our CW operators will be choosing the WARC bands as conditions warrant. We have 4 full operating days left before we start packing up on our November 29. If you are in the United States that is your November 28.
Follow us on Clublog Livestream
November 23, 2023
Last night's conditions on 160m were down from the previous night. Tonight's plan is to get on 160m FT8 at our sundown, then move to CW as conditions allow. Look for us on 80m and 30m as well. Before you work us again please check log at Club Log and also watch the Livestream to see your call go by when you work us. Check for up-to-the-minute spots on DX Summit. If we got your call right, please don't repeat it before sending 599 or 59.
November 21, 2023
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Overnight 160m antenna yielded 28 CW contacts into EU and Russia and a steady flow of FT8. We plan to keep trying every day. We must rotate between 160, 80, 60. We are in operating Day 6
approaching 32,000 contacts. Op view faces north.
November 19, 2023
It was a successful first day on 160m but we will probably have to stick mostly with FT8 due to noise. CW is possible on 80m and we will continue 80m CW. Today we also started 60m f/h.
Going forward we will look for frequencies in the General/Advanced portion of the bands. At times we will be listening up in those bands. SSB op will announce.
160m antenna
November 15, 2023
We got our 15 bags by what seemed like divine intervention, a good story for another time. We are busy building out our antenna field and will be on the air soon.
Hexbeam is up, 2 CrankIRs are up, VDAs on the beach are being built. Tomorrow the DX Commander, 80 and 160m antennas will be built. Coax team is putting on connectors. Anxious to be on air soon!
November 13, 2023 (Local)
The entire team arrived safely to Honiara as expected. Unfortunately fifteen pieces of luggage prepaid and checked all the way through to Honiara were never put on our connecting flight at SFO. Our trackers show they have arrived in Nadi, Fiji. Today part of the team returned to the Honiara airport to make sure the claim we filed was actually submitted so the luggage will be put on a flight for Honiara. We learned our claims were processed and Solomon Air is communicating with Fiji Airways to get our bags to us possible day after tomorrow, November 15, local. Tomorrow will be full throttle getting radials and coax ready to get on the air as soon as possible after our eleven antennas and 2 additional amplifiers arrive with everything else we are missing. Fingers crossed to make it on air before end of day November 15 local.
Operating QTH in long house bungalow
View from operating QTH
November 10, 2023
Today the team leaves from Seattle for Guadalcanal through Fiji. Many thanks are due to W7BRS, K5EM, and N1UBZ for devoting the last week to modeling and machining replacement 15m and 10m VDAs lost TWICE by UPS on their trip from California to Washington. DX Engineering came through again by emergency shipping some parts. On Wednesday, N7QT, W7BRS, and K5EM tested the finished replacements at the beach.
Our Pre-DXpedition program has ended but to donate: teamh44wa@gmail.com for PayPal
donations.
October 23, 2023
Our 8 containers were delivered today to our QTH. Now for us all to board our airplanes with our 3 radios, 3 amps, and 11 antennas, tools, etc. and get everything through customs on the other end, before our slow overland transport. We leave in 17 days. Last minute packing and list checking...
October 20, 2023
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See our OPERATING INFO page for a new anti-pirate beta test security feature for FT8 we will be the first DXpedition in the world to use, developed by our team member, N9ADG Brian Moran.
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We just spent another $3,000 USD on customs duties and customs broker fees
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Hy Power Antenna Company generously donated a balun for our project
October 15, 2023
We received a generous $200 unsolicited donation from the Madison DX Club. We thank them very much for their confidence in our ability to execute a quality project with the best possible chances for excellent results!
October 2, 2023
We received a generous $150 unsolicited donation from the Lynx DX Group. We thank them very much for their confidence in our ability to execute a quality project with the best possible chances for excellent results!
September 28, 2023
All six members of the team met at Brian N9ADG's home to set up our N1MM logs and network our computers. We tested our Club Log Livestream.
September 18, 2023
We received a generous $300 unsolicited donation from the LA DX Group. We thank them very much for their confidence in our ability to execute a quality project with the best possible chances for excellent results!
We are awaiting news of our containers being released from customs in Honiara as we plan packing for our checked baggage.
August 29, 2023
We mailed 8 containers via UPS to our air cargo provider in Souther California. Two of the bin lids were severely damaged but Fiji Freight replaced and repacked them for us. Today we made payment for the air freight one-way to Honiara. We expect our cargo to fly to Fiji today and on to Honiara Sunday, where it will be received by our customs agent and our duties paid. The rest of our gear--antennas, radios, amps, tools, masts, etc. will be checked baggage by each team member. Each team member is responsible for 3 checked bags and 2 carry-ons.
Project Costs to Date
Big thank you to DX Engineering for donating coax, crimpers, and connectors to our project! Our project costs to date in USD are as follows:
Fiji Airways checked baggage (One-way): $4,020 (We will pay again coming home).
Fiji Freight (One-way): $2,354
Generator rental: $1,046
Misc. items, license, extension cords, etc: $1,149
Website costs: $447
Personal costs include:
Deposit on remote accommodations: $4,848 (balance to be paid before project starts)
Airline tickets: approximately $2,500 per team member
This does not include our capital costs of a new Buddihex, new laptops, 80/160 antenna, masts. Excluding new capital costs, collectively we have already spent close to $29,000. We still have to finish paying our accommodations and food, ground transportation, and return checked baggage. Plus, we will be paying a 10% import duty on the value of our air cargo shipment, about $500 on our $5,000 value. We will be responsible for paying our QSL manager his fees. And we have to pay our customs agent for its services.
By the time we are finished this will likely be a $40,000+ project. Those who know us understand we go all out in planning and preparation to bring you the best possible results. We are bringing tens of thousands of dollars of equipment on the airplane with us.
To help with our project costs and benefit your QSL convenience, you can participate in our pre-DXpedition QSL convenience plan as explained below. $10 now for unlimited automatic uploads and cards where you don't have to type in all your QSO data. After DXpedition starts, it is $5 for unlimited uploads, but you must do all the typing of your QSO data. All additional contributions to this project are greatly appreciated.
Thank you to all who have supported this project before we leave!