Operating plan

Schedule

The Mellish Reef DX-pedition now scheduled for
March 28, 2014 to April 9, 2014.

- March 17 Advance team arrives Mackay
- March 20 Evohe arrives Mackay from New Zealand
- March 22-23 Team arrives Mackay
- March 25 Load boat and depart that day
- March 25 – 28 At sea
- March 28/29 Arrive Mellish Reef
- March 29 – April 9 At Mellish Reef
- April 9 Break down stations, load boat and depart
- April 9 – 12 At sea
- April 13 Arrive Mackay / unload
- April 14 – 15 Return rented equipment, repack gear and ship to Hungary / USA
- April 16 / 17 Advance team departs Mackay for home

Notes:
1.   We allowed 3.5 days at sea to and from the reef
2.   Schedule allows one full day to unload the boat and set-up / and one full day to tear down and load boat
3.   If we arrive at Mellish sooner we will operate longer

Why Mellish Reef?

ClubLog's recent DXCC Most Wanted List:

Number “ 22” most wanted globally

Number “23” most wanted Europe

Number “15” most wanted Data globally

Our plan is to operate from Mellish Reef in April 2014 for 10 days, setting up and running 6 stations 24/7 by 11 skilled and experienced DX-pedition operators, with RTTY as a priority.
Active on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY

Goals

- Offer ATNO to as many as possible

- Provide as many band fills as needed

- Extensive RTTY operation

- QSO target of 80-100k QSOs

- Secure and quick QSL confirmation

- Immediate LotW upload

- Having fun for all
Band/Mode

CW

SSB

RTTY

160 m

    1,826.5

80 m

    3,523

   3,790

40 m

7,023

   7,082

   7,035

30 m

10,103

10,142

20 m

14,023

14,185

14,080

17 m

18,079

18,140

18,099

15 m

21,023

21,295

21,080

12 m

24,894

24,955

24,912

10 m

28,023

28,495

28,080

Stations Setup:

-    6 Elecraft K3 transceiver
-    6 Elecraft KPA500 linear amps
-    2 SteppIR BigIR vertical 80-10 m
-    1 SteppIR BigIR vertical 40-10 m
-    3 SteppIR CrankIR vertical 40-10 m
-    4 squere vertical array for 40 m
-    2 folding hex beam for 20- 10 m
-    1 18 m Spiderpole inv L for 160 m with SGC-235 automatic antenna coupler
-    1 18 m Spiderpole wire vertical for 80 m with SGC-235 automatic antenna coupler
-    2 300 m beverages
-   N1MM Logging on laptop computers
-   2 operating tents
-   1 tent for breaks
-   2 teams of 5 operators per shift

Thanks to Stu K6TU for his outstanding job in developing customized propagation prediction tools. Please feel free to use his propagation forecast tools to predict conditions towards VK9MT based on your location and your equipment.

Click on the image to use the propagation prediction tool by Stu, K6TU.
Operating guidelines

We want you in our log, so please help us by following these guidelines.

Our goal is to give as many as possible an "All Time New One"

1.      If you cannot hear us - please don't call. Wait until propagation and conditions favor your QTH for one or more of the Bands / Modes.

2.      Unless you hear otherwise from the Operator, we will ALWAYS be operating in SPLIT MODE throughout the DXpedition.

3.      Listen to the Operator for RX frequencies (e.g., "up 5 to 10", or "listening on 7.155", etc.)

4.      You have two ears and one mouth, so please try to listen more, talk less. Be patient.

5.      During SSB pileups, please use common phonetics, do NOT call continually without listening or call over a station being worked.

6.      During ALL pileups, listen for YOUR call on the comeback. Trust that we have two good ears.

7.      We're not impressed by those who add to the QRM by constantly calling out of turn.

8.      Please do not Tune Up on any of our TX frequencies or any of our RX slots!

9.      If we ask for "EU" only or "QRP only" or any other specific request, please QRX.

10. Resist those "insurance" QSOs. We want to maximize unique QSOs, not Dupes.

11. Whenever possible, we will try to listen in the General portion of the band.

12. Do not repeat our call sign, we know it.

Remember: We want you in our log. Please help us get you there.