Afghanistan 234/14AT203 THE STORY!
Hello all,
Here is a small account of radio activity on the 234, it takes a
lot of news that I had passed through the ATFR forum ...
The
departure of france took place on the evening of 24 march.
The bags were
ready, radio equipment should live together in bags with the rest of the package
for a total of 40kg.
I go with:
Yeasu FT100 and micro Hand
- Power
suply ICOM
- 50m coax
- Antenne QUAD single-element produced for the
occasion (the elements have also to enter in the bag)
After a little
more than 7am flight we arrive in Kabul.
it is 9 in the morning local time exactly + 4H30 GMT.
Have we arrived we embark in vehicles to reach the camp more al EST
Afghanistan is a very mountainous country, we are of a
1800m altitude and we are hardly out of the winter (early March temperature was
still a -25 °C). The summits are still some especially snowy peaks over 4000m.
The camp is multinational and we share a "monument"
(manufacturing OM) reminder to all where is the QRA.
I have the chance to install the radio equipment directly in my
KC20, it is equipped with electricity and the computer, and working alone I
could make sure the band without worries.
It remains more than to install the antenna.
Place is
found quickly, I am next to 4 metal container, the antenna will be raised above,
it will not be very high but have a plan of mass soil accordingly.
For the
antenna not too attracts the attention I decides to remove the crossbar of the
antenna.
By far the antenna resembled a cross. besides the fact that we are
in a Muslim country, all other antenna of the camp (and there are!) Are in
vertical type,
Without the transverse we can see that the vertical support,
that is perfect.
On 28/03/2008 I start emissions,
The antenna is
oriented north/south-west/east,
the first contacts show quickly that propag
is not open on Europe,
and for these first days only 173 and 43 were heard.
I heard very few people in frequency and it's a shame because for contacts,
the reports range from 57 on the 153, 59 +10 on 173 .
No I did not
monitor frequency, because there are a lot of "voluntary" QRM :
For example
carriers 5/7Khz and all this on 2Mega bandwidth.
QRM Fortunately, these are
not permanent but they have more time to 4H.
video carrier on
234
I am therefore most of the time (when
there is no such QRM) al listening to 555
Ten days later propag does not
always open to Europe.
Divisions are always heard the same, 173 43 153,
including David 173SD101 whose I thank's still holding company during these two
months.
I did try to reduce the maximum losses by welding directly coax
at antenna,
and shortening the coax which is now 10m instead of 50m from the
beginning.
I have always QRM intermittent problems that prohibit some hours
listening. With the end of the day QRM from a station broadcasting in Asia
video QRM broadcast on
234
And the last few days we have rain and hail.
Nevertheless, I remain optimistic, the weather will not last
I have
contacted my first European station this weekend with Greece.
I have also
heard Poland, and it seems to me an 14SD member.
The very large majority
of contacts were made between 8 and 12H GMT.
I watch the 555 and qsy 570.
The only good news is that I traffic for almost a month and the antenna
has been remained in place, it is now part of the landscape.
At the end of April I m absent 5 days for a qsy in the
south, this will unfortunately without radio ...
But my return income is
good weather, temperatures around 25 ° C and above all much less QRM .
Suddenly, as I said yesterday for the first time I've finally heard some
stations of Italy.
The signals have varied between 31 and 55, report of 41
stations for Italian contacted.
Opening as not long term, a small hour to
11H GMT.
The signals are very weak here and I suppose that the spread should
also be better on Europe, so it will be difficult to heard me.
I m reports,
because I heard 91 or 173 stations whose make QSO and QSO but impossible to QSK.
The next day I contact briefly 234AT101 before his battery would allow him more
in frequency.
There is much that David is still present.
But I will soon have to give me a reason, the signals
will save a drop, I've already no signals from the 43.
hours contacts have
also shifted with stations increasingly down.
Beginning May I hear no more
station, and I began to have difficulties to contact David, I decided to change
the antenna orientation and promote the David's direction and turn directs
north/south- east/west.
During May I contact david time to time, and
three or four other stations but this will be up to 23 April.
video QSO 173SD101 from
234
Friday, May 23
I 234AT101 contact again,
I am happy to find frequencies. Without knowing our QTH true, we know that we
are not so far away, but that it will be impossible to see us ...
We call on
all our turn 555 but unanswered.
234AT101 call
555
I also found David, I still theorically than
a week has done, I expressed my disappointment of not having contact with Europe
and which I consider to disassemble my antenna the next day.
Towards 12H GMT
with Sigfrido we contact John on Denmark, then they will be 153 stations that we
contact.
Sigfrido launches then call "234AT and compagny" but there were no
longer audible station, and then we come to hear a European station our signals
are too weak.
234AT101 has replied
35AT160
Around 16:30 voices are a little
stronger, I began to receive callsign, they are french!
shortly before 17h I
finally catching the first French station. I do not know which of the two is
most surprised, but the happiest it must be me!
signals are still very low
but with the help of cluster.dk I can finally contact European station during 1
hour.
That night I reposition the antenna in its original position.
Saturday, May 24
On the morning signals are still low but the spread
identical to Friday evening and contacts will be at the same pace. In the
beginning afternoon come a QRM which will prohibit any receipt.
video an other carrier on
234
Cette nuit là je décide d orienter l antenne
EST-OUEST, je ne l avais pas fait plus tôt car le haubanage était moins
sécurisé.
Sunday, May 25
Since 6H GMT I contact the first station,
the signals are stronger but I quickly understood that the propag is also
excellent on the rest of Europe, the signals remain here less than S5 for the
best but most do not move the S meter.
Without having real-pil up and even
if I am forced to change frequencies several times, with or without a split, the
day will be excellent in terms of two months.
I know that the conditions for
listen me was very hard in Europe, but it was identical to my side.
Here
is an audio recording, each "white" (clic) that you hear is a my voice that I've
deleted to reduce the file.
You will see that it just be a lot of "clic"
before a station that meets again ...
234/14AT203 Vs
Europe
Monday the propagation is always
present but late morning, a truck catch a wire of my antenna and the vertical
support will break in two part, the remaining piece is too short for a QUAD that
is left that "dipole" option .
But propagation was finished,
I work a dozen stations
between may 26 and june 01 before stopping transmissions.
No more I've
contacted David since may 23.
I thank you all for having contacted
m,
But also
173SD101 david for our contacts and support
234AT101
sigfrido and is 100% AT spirit
14SD277, 14KW605, 47DX101, 35AT160 for their
support on the airwaves.
14AT375 Albin my manager.
Afghanistan is not only a DXCC
It's above all a very
beautiful country coming through tragedies
Don't forget those who have left
life.
73 s to all
14AT203 Jérôme
Copyright © by ALFA TANGO NETHERLANDS All Right Reserved. Published on: 2008-07-15 (221 reads) [ Go Back ] |
Guest(s): 31
![[backend]](images/powered/feed_20_news.png "backend"){kind=small}
![[backendforums]](images/powered/feed_20_forums.png "backendforums"){kind=small}
![[backenddownloads]](images/powered/feed_20_down.png "backenddownloads"){kind=small}
![[backendlinks]](images/powered/feed_20_links.png "backendlinks"){kind=small}
![[Validate robots.txt]](images/powered/valid-robots.png "Validate robots.txt"){kind=small}