The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 893.1
BID: $OPDX.893.1
January 23, 2009
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AB5K & the AR TelNet Clusters Network and WW5L for the following DX information.

The following press release was provided by Tom Anderson, WW5L.

PJ7/FS DXpedition to the Caribbean

The "Buddies in the Caribbean" DX group which specializes in 100 watt or low power radios and the Buddipole portable antenna system is off again to a new DXpedition site Feb. 4-11. This time the group will be operating at different times from BOTH the French and Dutch side of St. Martin Island FS/PJ7. Various modes including phone, RTTY, and CW will be on the air, along with "golf cart mobile", or "bicycle mobile" operations and other unique operational situations. Each of the operators has extensive experience operating from "unique" locations or various DXCC entities.

In 2007, four of the eight operators on the 2009 DXpedition were part of the Montseratt VP2M Buddipole DXpedition.

The DXpedition headquarters will be at Villa Ait Na Greine on the French side of the island. The heaquarters (http://villaaitnagreine.com) is perched on top of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean with excellent take off angles toward North America and Europe. There will be other sites on the island, both on the French and Dutch sides, where operations will occur giving DXers a chance to work two separate DXCC countries.

The group's goal will be to work stations from all over the world using Buddipole(TM) antennas and other newly-developed Buddipole(TM) antenna accessory products. The operation will be the week before the Orlando Hamfest and two weeks before the KP5 DXpedition. Operators will be using FS/homecall and PJ7/homecall and plans call for contacts to be uploaded to LoTW, eQSL, and an on-line log. Those wanting hard copy QSLs should send a S.A.E. and appropriate return postage or an SASE to the homecalls of the operator(s) you've worked.

The "Buddies in the Caribbean" blog page will be:

The group consists of the following operators:

K8EAB Weymouth Walker who's operated from Jamaica as well as motels, high rise apartment buildings, a pontoon boat, mountain tops, and even "picnic table" portable during his 52 year ham career. KC4VG Mike Greenwood was a member of the BUM's Montersatt group in 2007 as VP2MVG and has been licensed more than 25 years. He also has operated from the Bahamas C6 and other Caribbean locales. Unique QTHs have included operations from Alcatraz Island in the USA, a cruise ship, and the Marconi station on Cape Cod. He specializes in low power SSB operations. Many DXers have run into Mike at the Buddipole booth at the Dayton Hamvention where he helps Chris and Budd out with sales.

N7UN Guy Hamblen has operated from such unusual locales as the Appalachian Trail and from the top of several of Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks. Previously he was K7YYK, AA7QZ, and his current call of N7UN. He has 334 DXCC countries confirmed.

KB9AVO Paul Van Dyke was a member of the 2007 Buddipole Montseratt DXpedition and held the VP2MVO call. He is a frequent contester as part of the KP4US contest team in Abonito PR. He will be specializing in PSK, RTTY, and Slow Scan tv on FS/PJ7. He is also founding president of the Indiana-Michigan-Ohio Skywarn Association. WW5L Tom Anderson is an avid DXer and has held the following DX calls since the 1980s: V31EF (Belize), G0/WW5L (UK), 7P8TA (Lesotho), and C91TL (Mozambique). He is on the DXCC Honor Roll and has also operated from the Battleship Missouri, KH6BB, at Pearl Harbor HI. He was a K2BSA staff member and radio merit badge counselor at the 1997 National Boy Scout Jamboree and has been invited back as a K2BSA staff member for the 2010 Centennial National BSA Jamboree. He is also planning on operating as HB9/WW5L from the Kandersteg World Boy Scout Camp in Switzerland in July.

N0TU Steve Galcchutt is a long time CW operator on Straight Key Night and enjoys "mountain top operation" as he's operated from several of Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks. QRP CW operations are his main interest. He will also be the group's resident videographer - you may have seen his videos on YouTube under the pen name "the Goat Guy." W3FF Budd Drummond is one of the principals in Buddipole. His main interest lies in making portable, "bicycle mobile", "golf cart mobile", and "walking" HF contacts from whatever location he finds himself in. Budd was one of the members of the 2007 Buddipole Montseratt DXpedition. His web page is http://www.qsl.net/W3FF. In September 2004 Budd worked every continent using 50 watts on his "bicycle mobile" and has logged more than 5,000 QSOs as "walking mobile" station.

W6HFP Chris Drummond is the president of Buddipole and his main interest, naturally, is HF portable operating and "lightweight" DXpeditions to remote locations. An avid backpacker and outdoorsman, Chris works to design products that will live up to his demanding expectations for rugged and versatile equipment for HF operating in the field. He was also a member of the VP2V Montseratt DXpedition with callsign VP2MHFP.

About the antennas: the Buddipole antenna system is designed to be a lightweight and versatile way to put an efficient station on the air in minutes in almost any terrain. By utilizing an interchangeable series of custom-made components the user is able to configure dozens of antenna designs optimized for their particular operating needs. The group to St. Martin expects to operate dipoles in various configurations, verticals, vertical beams, mini-yagis, and other antennas using only Buddipole parts. Several new products will make their debut including a lightweight rotor, super cap power supply, LifePo4 battery packs, folding capacity hats, and shockcorded masts.

PLEASE NOTICE (as of February 12, 2007), NEW ADDRESS CHANGES FOR THE OPDX INTERNET HELP/SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST:

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