Operating Schedule

Operation should last from july, 27th until august, 2nd.

I should be QRV each of these evenings from 15h00 UTC to about 18h00 UTC starting on 20 m and then switching to 30 m according to propagation.

The approximate locations and callsigns should be:

27/7 JT1EPY/6 Uvurkhangai
28/7 JT1EPY/8 Bayankhongor
29/7 JT1EPY/8 Gobi Altai
30/7 to 2/8 JT1EPY/0 Eclipse camp in Altai Soum

(Thanks to Khos JT1CD, secretary of the MARS, for the early communication of the callsign and for the map)



I am intending to operate in WSPR QSO mode on the WSJT HF DX window for Europe, thus a VFO USB dialing frequency of:

20 m 14076.0
30 m 10139.0 eventually going down to 10138.7 if PSK31 QRM was too strong.

VOACAP issues the following prediction to Paris (France): the SNR (in 1 Hz bw) for my working conditions (2.5W in isotrope antenna) for a reliability of 50% . Above 15 dB (in 1 Hz bw) should be enough for a WSPR SNR of -20 (in 2500 Hz bw).


There is a tiny opportunity of US NE coast opening around 15h00 UTC on 20 m and overall propagation should be the best to LA/SM/OH with an emphasis on 30m.

I may eventually operate CW, watch DX Cluster.

73's de Dominique, F6EPY

Mongolia Expedition 2008

I will be joining a group of amateur astronomers from my astronomy club in Orsay (France), the Association Astronomique de la Vallée (AAV), to watch the total solar eclipse of August 1st, 2008 from the mountains of Altaï in western Mongolia.


We will be driving from Ulaan Baatar to the eclipse site near Altaï Soum (Hovd Province) between July 26th and July 31st , using former USSR 4WD's of type UAZ 452.

During this trip and on the eclipse camp site, I am intending to maintain radio contacts with ham radio friends in France and world-wide using a low power simplistic station consisting of a Yeasu FT-817ND running 1 watt on batteries and a buddistick antenna.

A JT callsign has been applied for at the Mongolia Amateur Radio Society (MARS) and will be known on 26/7 once in Ulaan Baatar.

The communication mode of choice will be the new WSPR QSO mode from the very recent beta WSJT7 package by Joe Taylor K1JT . The link budget margin in this mode can solely provide reliable path conditions in such QRP conditions.

The trip should be as below.



More on ham radio operation (frequencies, shedules) in next post.

73's de Dominique, F6EPY