2004 VO2/K2FRD Zone 2 Labrador DXpedition
MAY - SEPTEMBER 2004
UPDATE AS OF 14 JULY 2004 AMENDED 2 APRIL 2005
UPDATE AS OF 30 OCTOBER 2004, AMENDED 2 APRIL 2005
The Second VO2 Zone Two DXpedition ended on 1 September 2004 after about 1200 contacts in 75 DXCC
entities, 46 States, and ten Provinces. The shortfall of numbers compared to my 2001 DXpedition
is due to the poorer propagation at this point in Solar Cycle 23.
Propagation has been as expected up here in the northlands: very poor to non-existent on
160, 80, 12, and 10 meters; 40 meters has been very noisy, but usable from time to time.
Most operations have been on 20 meters with contacts made on 30m, 17m and 15m when open. Six meters
opened for me briefly at 2250Z/3July with ducting or Sporadic E to MI, ON, and NY; I spot check 6m
several times per day, but that was the only occasion when I actually was able to make contact.
Labrador
is the mainland part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
and is solidly in
Operations
commenced on 30 May 2004. Weather and climate: snow
packs and frozen lakes lingered into late June
and access into my previous operating area was closed, so a new site was selected after several
days delay spent exploring. While this is intended
to be a fulltime operation, the operating
hours per day is limited by power considerations; a battery bank is
the main power source with
recharging done by generator. I
found in 2001 that a maximum operating
time of eight hours is what I can expect from three deep-cycle marine batteries and that has
proved to be the instance in 2004. The remainder of my day is spent on logisitics, a major task
in this isolated wilderness area.
I expect to operate through
Labor Day 2004, returning stateside about 7 September.
My
operating location is now about 25 km (17 mi) west of Churchill Falls on the
Churchill River (diked for hydro power) at a commanding elevation of 1470 feet (abt
475 meters). Depending
upon propagation and band availability, I am generally working the Maximum Usable
Frequency as much as
possible. Existing and projecting band conditions find me mostly on
20 meters more than on other bands,
but I try to work 40, 30, 17, and 15 meters in addition to 20m. Forty meters
in Labrador is difficult due to
QRM from the Asian/European broadcast stations, but there is often a window between
2300Z and 0100Z of which I
try to take advantage. While I set up an
antenna for 80m and 160m, I have not had any
success on those bands. The BEST means to find me is to watch
the DX clusters for spots. Similarly,
I encourage operators to post spots on me if they hear or work me. I tend
to stay on one frequency if it
proves productive.
I
will continue to monitor and work 6 meters when it is open and have activated Grid Square
FO73om from my camp location.(53d 37.85'N, 64d 17.25'W). The dual W3FF Buddipole ("Buddyagi")
mounted on a 20' (6.5m) mast serves me well and is rotatable by hand with preset stops set into
the ground for Europe, eastern US and Canada, and western US and Canada.
Labrador
is noted for its trophy fishing, particularly its brook trout ("speckled
trout") which can reach ten pounds. I
A
note about my callsign VO2/K2FRD. I received a little flak in 2001 about
the use of the Labrador prefix
Modes
and equipment: largely PSK-31 (also PSK-20 and PSK-63), but occasional CW and SSB
depending upon band conditions. Main rig is a Kenwood TS-2000 into an MFJ
Deluxe VersaTuner II (MFJ-969) thru an MFJ-1701 5-position antenna switch. Two TS-50s serve
as backup, but the TS-2000 has proved incredibly reliable and with its embarrassment of
filters had demonstrated its utility as THE DX transceiver.
I have erected a variety of antennas, including the W3FF Buddyagi for six meters, a Windom
oriented North - South for 10m thru 160m, and a 20m groundplane vertical ("all band tentpole
vertical") masted to 55' (17m).
PSK-31 is via Rigblaster M8 and computer for digital communications is a Dell Latitude
300 running Windows 98. My faithful Mac iBook 900 continues to be my main
computer for other purposes.
QSL
INFORMATION: Please QSL direct to my home callsign K2FRD (PO Box 183, Guilford, NY 13780)
for fastest response. I accept Bureau QSLs, but don't expect any speed records for
returns. Please include a single green
stamp, a sufficient US postage stamp, or an IRC to cover postage together with
a self-addressed envelope (SAE); QSL requests missing an SAE and/or IRC/GS/US stamp
may be placed at the bottom of the pile and may be sent via the Bureau. However, I will
respond 100% to all QSL requests. If questions or comments, please
send to k2frd AT mac.com. Hope
to see everyone on the air in summer 2004!
73
de Fred Stevens VO2/K2FRD
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I
am proud and honored to announce the following Sponsor for the 2004 Labrador
Zone 2 DXpedition:
NEW! 2004 Labrador Pictures
UPDATES OF 30 OCTOBER 2004, AMENDED 17 OCTOBER 2005:
On the return trip, I stopped at the lovely home of VE9DAN Dan and Brenda Hubert near Miramichi,
New Brunswick. While there, I took and passed my Canadian Basic and Code tests and I am now
VO2FS which I will use for my next Labrador trip. This 2x2 callsign is a lot less cumbersome and
much more understandable than the VO2/K2FRD I used these past two DXpeditions.
As of this moment, all 600 QSL requests sent with an SASE or self-addressed envelope and adequate postage
(stamps/GS/IRC) have been answered. Many Bureau cards have been received and answered, but I expect meany
more, but please expect a delay. SOAPBOX: There were some 75 QSL requests received which had no SASE nor SA envelope nor GS/IRC. These
were finally QSLed via the Bureau in January, but still more unsupported QSL requests have already
arrived. Evidently, my on-air and website instructions to include an SASE
or SE with adequate postage or GS/IRC were not clear enough. (/End SOAPBOX) If you sent a QSL card, but have not yet
received a response, please try again.
EFFECTIVE 1 OCTOBER 2005, MY ADDRESS HAS CHANGED. ALL QSL REQUESTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:
W. FREDERICK STEVENS K2FRD
SALOME, AZ 85348
My permanent address remains: Fred Stevens K2FRD/VO2FS, PO BOX 183, GUILFORD, NEW YORK 13780 USA, but allow
for a delay for forwarding. After
1 November 2004, requests to my old street address (263 Keach Road) will no longer be forwarded
by the US Postal Service when the Forward Request expires.
Thanks to all who made this adventure possible!
73 de Fred K2FRD/VO2FS
**********************************
UPDATE OF 14 JULY 2004:
This mini-DXpedition has turned into 95% digital operations with most contacts being made on 20m
PSK-31 followed by 15m PSK and a little 17m, 30m, and 40m PSK. I am most commonly found on the
lower part of the 20m PSK spectrum around 14.0705 regularly and daily at between 2100Z to 0100Z
(up to 4 hours operation during this period) and often between 1100Z to 1530Z (up to 2.5 hours
operation during this period). The best way to
find me still remains the spots on the DX clusters. The reason for this switch away from phone and
CW is that 20m is so crowded that I was inevitably being QRMed and chased off the frequency;
the PSK spectrum around 14.070 is
far less crowded with QRM being substantially lower than up higher in the band.
I do not have onsite internet access; my satellite system cannot receive a strong enough
signal from my satellite to make a lock and I have given up attempts to secure a larger dish.
I have occasional dialup access at the Churchill Falls library, but I check my email there only
once per week for brief family messages and cannot respond to emails requesting schedules or
confirmation of QSOs. When I return to civilization in September, I will try to send replies,
but no guarantees due to the volume of received emails.
As stated on the air, the VO2/K2FRD Zone Two QSL cards will not be printed until October;
since they are being printed in Russia, I do not know how long the printing and shipment process
will take, but I will start the QSLs as soon as they arrive.
****************************************
2nd UPDATE 14 JULY 2004 AT BROADBAND ACCESS IN LABRADOR CITY, AMENDED 2 APRIL 2005:
CQ
Zone Two, often the last zone needed for Worked All Zones (WAZ). This will
be my second DXpedition
to
Labrador, the first being in 2001 when over 1500 contacts were made with
125 DXCC countries, all ten (plus two of the three territories)
Canadian
Provinces and all 50 States in the USA. I hope to surpass this record during
this trip.
I entered the
Field Day weekend contest and made 177 good contacts as a 1B from RAC Section
NLLB (Newfoundland - Labrador) and, with bonus points, totaled 858 points which should put
me right up there in the NLLB Section. I
also worked the IARU contest on 10 - 11 July as a single low-power op from ITU Zone 9,
but that is the only other contest I entered. As it happened, I won First Place in RAC Section
Newfoundland=Labrador in Phone-Only, Low Power and received a beautiful IARU certificate for
my efforts.
plan
a few days off from DXing to chase the wily brookie with my fly rod. Later
July and August is the best time
for
fishing.
BEFORE
my home callsign rather than AFTER, i.e. K2FRD/VO2. While the Canada-US
reciprocal agreement suggests
the
use of the portable locator prefix after the home call, this does not appear
to be mandatory. Further, this format
is
in apparent contravention of one or two ITU treaties. It does not appear
Industry Canada objects to either format as
long
as the information is there. I chose the prefix/home call format for the
simple reason that many/most electronic logging programs
cue in on the locator prefix before the home call.
Revised 17 October 2005 by K2FRD/VO2FS