A35JT has made it to Tonga! We have the first station setup and just before sunset we managed to complete the first of our antennas (the multiband vertical). We rigged the antenna for 40m and put several hundred contacts in the log on 40m SSB. Later we fired up the digital station and started out with FT8 as well.
This morning the station is off air while the team completes the big antenna build. The aim is to have the bulk of the antennas completed today. It is likely we will have 80m running tonight on low band plus 40m with access to all of the others as well.
We look to be on track to start 6m EME operation as well, although our take off angle to the east is a little compromised. We may need 3-4deg extra elevation in that direction to clear a slight hill.
The A35JT Expedition team left Australia this morning with a further 180+kg of gear and has successfully arrived with everything and everyone accounted for in Auckland New Zealand. We will overnight here before setting off for Tonga in the morning.
The A35JT DXPedition team has revised our frequency plan. It is going to be very crowded on the bands with up to 5 concurrent expeditions. We have reviewed all available data and have made some changes accordingly. Please see the latest information here:
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On 6m EME look for us on: 50.203MHz
The team will monitor the DXClusters if possible and will further adapt the plan according to band usage. See you on air in about 4 days time!
A35JT is pleased to announce that we are going to trial using Clublog’s new Live Logging system. Congratulations to Michael G7VJR for this fantastic addition to Clublog!
Software integration of the logging agent has been achieved with our N1MM network (thanks to software from N2AMG) and testing under VK5GR has been completed. While it is all dependent on our internet access once we reach Tonga we have been advised that internet is available.
News Update: Antennas clear customs – final preparations underway!
We had some great news today. Our antenna shipment has cleared customs and quarantine processes and is ready for us to collect on Monday! A huge thank you to Mary and all of the staff at Pacific Forum Line in Nuku’alofa as well as to the good folk in the Revenue and Customs Ministry who helped facilitate this on our behalf. We look forward to thanking you all in person for your help and support next week! Thank you also to Mala at Tayper Freight Forwarders back in Australia for handling this end of the shipment.
Meanwhile, back in Australia, two of the stations are packed into their travel cases and the third is being finalised now. The low band antennas and Spiderbeam 12m fibreglass pole were also packed today (they are flying in with us as luggage). The team is now getting excited to get out there and get on the air!
The A35JT Expedition Team’s thoughts with Tonga’s People after passing of Tonga PM
The A35JT DXpedition team wishes to extend our sympathies to the people of Tonga after the passing of their Prime Minister Mr ‘Akilisi Pohiva last Thursday in New Zealand. Our plans still remain unchanged to arrive in Tonga on Monday the 23rd of September. Due to the unforseen circumstances we ask the amateur radio community to be patient should we run into any complications upon our arrival.
Late Change: Welcome Ricardo PY2PT to the pilot team
Our original South American pilot has had to withdraw from the team this week. We wish you well Cesar PY2YP and we will be sure to keep in touch!
So as to not leave South American amateurs without an easy way to contact the expedition, Ricardo PY2PT has agreed to take up the reigns. His details, as well as the contact details for all of our pilot stations have been updated on the pilot page of the website.
Thanks Ricardo!
The expedition begins – at least for the antennas!
We reached another milestone today! 124kg of antennas left Australia bound for Tonga via New Zealand. They should be waiting for us in Nuku’alofa on the 23rd of September.
Good News! We finally had a chance to test the new 1kW 6m amp for the EME station! It works a treat and marks the final confirmation that we can still take 6m EME with us to Tonga (after the mishap with the original amplifier back in July).
A huge thank you to Peter VK5PJ who has donated a 50v 40a power supply to us for the expedition! Thanks also to Bjorn SM7SJR who sold us the amplifier and helped with part of the shipping costs getting it from Sweden to Australia.
A35JT Tonga Expedition: 30 Days out – Final Preparations Underway
We are now 30 days away from departing Australia and heading for Tonga. Excitement is building within our team including Oly VK5XDX, Steve VK5SFA, Andy VK5AKH and Grant VK5GR. Our operators have interests from all of the CW, SSB and Digital worlds so we hope to cater for everyone – propagation willing. Our EME equipment is packed too so expect to find us on 6m via the moon! We are also planning to enter the CQ WW RTTY contest as a Multi-1 station as well as the Oceania DX SSB Contest. We hope both of these entries will provide opportunities particularly for the RTTY and SSB die-hards.
VK5AKH
VK5XDX
VK5SFA
VK5GR (as YJ0AG in 2018)
Milestones Reached
We passed several major milestones in recent weeks including the completion and packing of our 40m and 30m 4-square arrays, testing and packing of the 6m EME and 20-10m arrays, initial testing of the beverage on ground receive antenna and an on air test of the 160m inverted L built on our Spiderbeam 12m fibreglass pole (which returned impressive results during the Remembrance Day contest held in VK last weekend).
This week we also completed the first set of payments for our freight shipment to Tonga. This first load consists of the majority of the antenna arrays. All up we are shipping ~250kg of equipment to establish 2x 500W HF stations, 1x 6m EME station and a 3rd 100W HF station. (We had hoped to have more power but alas after the failure of one of our multi-band amplifiers during the 6m EME trials in July we learned a few weeks ago that it wont be returning from repairs in time to make it on the expedition).
On Air Planning & Propagation Predictions
We are finalizing operating plans and studying propagation charts. More information can be found on our operating pages
Please note our operating strategy:
If we are calling for NA, EU or AS we politely request other regions stand by.
However if you are in OC, SA or AF we will accept your call at any time!
When should you look for us? The team at Voacap.com have kindly added our expedition to their Voacap DX Charts page. Just enter your grid square and scroll down to the A35JT entry. The following is a quick summary Zone by Zone of expected conditions.
A35JT Pilot Team
40m 4-square Array by Oly VK5XDX
To assist the A35JT expedition team get quickly dialled in to what bands are open from when for Tonga, we have enlisted the help of various pilot stations around the globe. The role of the pilot stations are to gather SWL reports as to when stations in their area are hearing the DXpedition. SWL reports containing the date, time, band and mode are then compiled and forwarded to the team on the island, so they will know when they are being heard and adjust their operating schedule for various continents to target them at the right time.
NOTE: pilots do not take NIL complaints, requests for certain bands or modes (wish list), etc. These will be considered only after the expedition by our QSL manager via the OQRS Busted Call Request function.
30m 4-square Array by Steve VK5SFA
Our pilots are:
Chief Pilot – Bjorn ON9CFG
North America – Steve N2AJ
South America – Cesar PY2YP
Oceania – Chris VK5SA
Japan – Joe JJ3PRT
Youth & ATNO – Jim AC9EZ
E-mail addresses for out pilots will be published shortly!
We must thank Joe JJ3PRT in particular for his help with our Japanese Web page too!
Donations Welcome
If you would like to support our expedition, please click on the donate button on our website!
Please include your callsign and indicate whether it is a general or a specific EME donation in the Paypal Note!
Sponsors
We must thank both our society and corporate sponsors who have helped greatly with making this expedition possible! As we are quickly learning, expeditions are expensive things to stage. Even modest ones like ours. The support of the DX associations and corporate sponsors is invaluable!
Frequency Plans
Our website also contains full details of our frequency plans.
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Logs and QSL Information
We will be attempting (Internet access permitting) to upload logs to Clublog and to our QSL Manager daily. Thanks to Michael G7VJF our expedition also has access to the DXPedition tools on Clublog!
We are exploring a live logging feed option as well. If we can make it work we will announce it on our website!
OQRS QSL Requests
Our QSL Manager is Charles M0OXO.
LoTW will be uploaded once the team returns to Australia. If you wish to receive a direct paper QSL, please request these via our QSL Manager Charles using the M0OXO OQRS Service. The cost for a direct card is currently $3USD which covers printing and postage (only). You can also request cards to be delivered to you via the QSL Bureau network using the M0OXO OQRS. Bureau cards will be delivered free of charge.
If you wish to send us a Bureau QSL card, please send those to “A35JTvia VK5GR” so that incoming bureau cards are routed to the Australian QSL Bureau system.
DO NOT send your own bureau card via your local bureau addressed “via M0OXO” as they will not be delivered. I am not a member of the RSGB bureau and they will not handle delivery of them.
Note: due to WIA (2018) Outbound member QSL policy for DXpeditions, I will reply to all received incoming bureau cards via my QSL manager.
DX Trophy Awards
If you are participating in the DX Trophy Awards you will be pleased to learn that A35JT qualifies for that award.
The A35JT DXpedition team wishes to extend our sympathies to the people of Tonga after the passing of their Prime Minister Mr ‘Akilisi Pohiva last Thursday in New Zealand. Our plans still remain unchanged to arrive in Tonga on Monday the 23rd of September. Due to the unforseen circumstances we ask the amateur radio community to be patient should we run into any complications upon our arrival.
