Providing the first ever 6m contacts to the United States from VK9C and VK9X in 2017 and from C2 last fall is a tough act to follow!  This year, I am activating a rare DXCC in this hemisphere that has never been on 6m EME before. I am confident it is also quite rare in Europe, Africa, Asia and other countries.  Since it is the bottom of a very poor solar cycle, there is little chance of making any long distance contacts on 50 MHz via the ionosphere. However, I believe I have located a good site to operate EME (moonbounce), and will be active there during optimum days of the month and at a time of the year to take advantage of the superb EME conditions afforded at this point in the low solar cycle!  Since this country is VERY rare, I am looking forward to providing a new DXCC with practically every half million mile contact. In order to provide sufficient advance planning for stations wishing to contact me while I am in Bolivia, I am providing plenty of advance notice of this DXpedition. I urge you to gain experience with JT65A and follow my Step-By-Step JT65A Setup Checklist to make sure you are using it properly for EME!  And especially review the QSO PROCEDURE that I use most effectively on these DXpeditions.  Remember also to use the SHORTHAND messages (the two tone RO, RRR and 73) in JT65A!  I look forward to contacting you on 6m!

As you know, a good location can mean everything to the success of one of these DXpeditions.  The above photos show you some of the key reasons that make this a highly desirable location.  Most of the time I am elevated, I will be aiming out over the lake and at right angles to the nearest town.  I won't know how much - if any - ground gain I have during my moonrise, although that will undoubtedly change as my moonrise azimuths change from out over the lake to more over the land.  I expect to have some ground gain during moonset, which is always out over the lake.  This site does afford reliable AC power, a source of food, a secure and safe location for the equipment, and an open spot to be able to set up and operate the antenna.  And, in the event there IS some ionospheric propagation, I have a clear shot over the water for the first 70 miles toward North America!

My VISA to enter Bolivia is here.  My tentative operating schedule as an Excel spreadsheet is here, in pdf is here. The local time is 4 hours behind UTC. The maps show where in the world this remote place is located   I hope you will make the effort to look for me!

LOGISTICS

OPERATING SCHEDULE

QSL INFORMATION

FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE

CONTRIBUTIONS

It is extremely expensive to haul a 6m EME station halfway around the world.  Too many times, we hear DXpedition stations say they can't take a 6m beam and/or amp because "they are already overweight and cannot afford the excess baggage fees".  If you want to do a good job and are committed to going halfway around the world to succeed, this unfortunately is a large part of the necessary expense.  Although I always keep my costs as low as possible, my travel, excess baggage and lodging costs alone to activate this rare one will be over $4000.  Therefore, any contributions toward the DXpedition are greatly appreciated!  If you would like to contribute, please send your contribution by check or cash to my QRZ.com mailing address, or directly via PayPal to my email address, which is my current PayPal account.  I am only able to do these long distance 6m EME DXpeditions every year because of the continued support from the 6m community and I am extremely indebted to you for your continued support.   I have the time and equipment to go more often than once a year to new rare DXCC, but I just don't have the finances available.  You may have noticed that I also am planning to activate another rare one in September - so this is going to be a very expensive year of 6m EME DXpeditioning! 

Many thanks to the following hams who very generously contributed to this DXpedition:

K2ZD, K7CW, G8VR, SP4MPB, F6BKI, I4EAT, OH7KM, I4YRW, ZL3NW, NJ6P, W6UC, KJ9I, JE3GRQ, JG1TSG, LZ2DF, LZ2CC, N3XX, S51DI, KB7Q, K5QE, SM7FJE, JO1PSX, SP3RNZ, KL7HBK, SP7VC, ON4IQ, ON4GG, S57RR , GM3POI, N8RR, VE1JF, JA7QVI, W7KNT, K6EME, OH2BC, JR3DVL, G8BCG,. N8GTI, W8PAT, N6JV, JH3VJV, K7RWT, W6XU, W9GA, W5ADD, N7NW, N7IP, EA8DBM. DK8NE, YU7EF, YL2AO, OZ4VV, ZS4TX, IW5DHN, G4BWP, G3WOS, GD0TEP, FK8CP, OH3SR, VK4MA, G5WQ, KA9CFD, WT8V, Hudson Valley Towers, JG1TSG, HA0DU,  N8DX, VK5PJ,  W7JW, DL8YHR, VK3DUT, W8OI, W6TOD, W8TN, JG2BRI, K1SIX, PA9RX, KG7H, N1DG, W9JN, N8JX, JR2SQZ, KA1R, S59A, N7NR, G4FUF, JA9SJI         
                   

     MNI MNI TNX for your continued support!!

                               

PHOTOS AND UPDATES

KG7H, ON4GG, W7JW, ON4IQ, G8BCG, ES6RQ, N3XX, S59A, S57RR, NN7J, GM3POI, N8RR, FK8CP, N7NW, JG2BRI, JA7QVI

I copied but did not work the following stations: S51DI, HA8FK, K2ZD, EI3KD, G4BWP, W6UC, and VK4MA

When I got a chance after moonset, I was able to find a clearer frequency of 50.183, and all future EME operations will be there. My noise level comes up at nightfall when all the lights come one, and my noise level continues to climb after I lower antenna below 25 degrees, aimed out over the hotel reception area for moonset.  I suspect that when my moonset is later than 0400Z (when the reception area closes down), my moonset will become quieter.

WEDNESDAY MAY 8 (2nd moon pass).  Below is a photo of the antenna still tied down from the first night's moonset.  As you can see, I have to beam over the hotel's Reception/Lobby/Breakfast area to reach the lake.  My antenna is about 70' above the lake.

The second day of operation started out with lots of difficulty from the ionosphere. I was afraid my receiver or preamp was broken and tried a different receive setup without any improvement. I went back to the ARR preamp into the RTS Dongle, which gives me a wider and flatter bandpass. However, once the moon started getting high, things improved even though the Degradation was still above 5 dB all day.

Moving to 50.183 greatly reduced the strongest birdies, and by watering my short 23" ground rod twice today, most of the 50 Hz hum birdies disappeared ;-) I still have increased noise from lights after sunset, and especially when I aim lower at the hotel reception area on my moonset. Lots of thunderstorm activity here!

Stations worked today in order were UR0MC, K2ZD, OH2BC, EA8DBM, GD0TEP, N7IP, G3WOS, OH6MIK, K4PI, OZ4VV, G4BWP, G8VR, and NJ6P for a total of 29 so far.

Decoded but not worked today were YL2AO, OH3SR, OH7KM, EI3KD, W5ADD, ZL3NW, VK4MA, JG1TSG and JO1PSX. I will try to be on tmrw starting at moonrise, and hope the ionosphere behaves better to the east ;-)  I also have some ground clutter and obstructions to the east, but we will see how things work at this azimuth. If I have internet, I will be on the ON4KST EME CHAT page.

Between the wall shown at the edge of the hotel property, and the 3 story brick building shown above, there is a vacant open lot about 40m wide. I was pleasantly surprised to have some ground gain on my moonrise as the moon moved above and to the north of the large building shown in the photo, despite all the other buildings and ground clutter further to the east! Stations worked in order were S51ZO, ZS4TX, KJ9I, ZS6NK, ON4AOI, VE1JF, ******, K6EME, SP4MPB, SP4MPB, UT7QF, S51DI, US0LW, OH7KM, F6BKI, UB7K, WG8Q, PA9RX, N6JV, YL2AO, OH3SR, OH5VY, W6UC, G4FUF, EI3KD, and VK4WTN. This brings the total contacts so far to 54. The smallest station award goes to EI3KD with his single 6 element yagi!

Decoded but not worked were NT0V, W8PAT, W7KNT, SP3RNZ, PA9RX, *****, S59Z, HA8FK, ZL3NW, N8JX, K7RWT and JG1TSG. Both PA9RX and ZL3NW SAW final RRR but did not decode them, so I am inclined to count them too, but will need to hear what they consider a good contact.

During my moonset, my antenna looks out over the lake and my inclinometer measures the horizon as -1.5 degrees.  However, my antenna is only 70' above the lake, and there is the hotel reception building on the ground between the antenna and the lake. My increased noise at night and beaming over top of the reception building seems to make me heard much better than I hear during my moonset. 

GL to all and MNI TNX for the contacts from Bolivia!  VY 73, Lance

In addition to the building obstruction to the east, I had unusual software problems and I think I also had bad blockage by the high TEC to my east. I also had many birdies on 50.183. I finally corrected my software problem and moved to 50.175, which was much clearer for me here today. I may try to go back to 50.183 tmrw - pse check on the ON4KST EME CHAT page for my frequency. Toward the end of the moon pass, I began to have success again. Today I completed with (in order): IW5DHN, W7GJ, AJ7LL, KB7Q/7, W5ADD, LY2IJ, W8IW, *****, W6XU, JS2CQA, W7KNT, N8JX, KA8SYV, and JR2SQZ. That brings the total EME contacts so far to 68.  Special thanks to KB7Q and AJ7LL for activating my home station while I am down here ;-)

JA7QVI decoded me on my moonset until my moon was down to 1 degree.  However, I unfortunately was not able to copy many stations after dropping the antenna down to the horizon. I think the high TEC to the west as well as my moonset noise hurt me on moonset. We will see in the coming days, because I think much of the noise will go away in that direction at 0400Z.

Stations decoded but not worked were: W6TOD, HA0DU, S59Z, JR1LZK, JO1PSX, and JN1JFC. There was aurora at the northern latitudes tonight, and hopefully that will push the high TEC areas of the ionosphere further south for tomorrow. That helps clear the way for me to work the moon when I aim to the east ;-)

MNI TNX to everyone for your patience and I hope to complete with many of you in the coming days. VY 73, Lance

SATURDAY MAY 11 (5th moon pass). Although it was the lowest Degradation of the month of -0.6, the Kp index was 4, so cndx were unsettled. After the moon rose above my building to the east, I completed with W9JN, LZ2CC, *****, SP3RNZ, W9GA, W6TOD, K9VTG, G5WQ, S59Z, HA0DU, W8PAT, *****, W8OI, K4JWA, ZL3NW and VK4MA.  That brings the total worked so far to 84.

Decoded but not worked were KA9CFD, KX4R, N1DG, S59P, SM6LPF, N8GTI, OZ1DJJ, JR1LZK, JO1PSX, JN1JFC, VK3DUT and JG1TSG.

I had hoped that my noise would go down after 0400Z when the the hotel reception office (over which I have to beam during my moonset) closes, but they do leave some power on (like the wi-fi and a few lights) after they shut down. This night, my noise went up greatly after 0400Z, making it impossible to copy anyone. The hotel manager thinks it was perhaps noise generated by a guest's car, which had its alarm go off because of the severe storm. This was the biggest storm we have had so far, with high winds and hard rain all night, lightning and thunder and even hail on the ground in the morning. Depending on how it is during the next moonset, I may have to stop moonset operation below 20 degrees. However, I will try moonset again tonight and see if that severe noise was just a single event.

Please continue to look for me on 50.175, since that frequency - at least so far - seems to be the clearest frequency for me here.  My next moonrise is at 1800Z Sunday, but I don't expect to begin being able to see the moon until after 1830Z. 

MNI TNX and GL!  VY 73, Lance

Stations decoded but not worked were W8HC, N9IW, KX4R, IW5BPE, LA8AJA, F5LNU, N2TIN, VK5PJ, VK8MS and JE3GRQ.

I expect to be on Monday and Tuesday from moonrise to moonset, but perhaps will go QRT on EME then.  Will post info on the ON4KST EME CHAT page. 
GL and VY 73, Lance

MONDAY MAY 13 (7th moon pass). Stations worked were W4TAA, SP7VC, LY2BAW, WA8WV, W8TN, K7KX, JN1JFC and KD7KPE. That brings the total 6m EME stations worked so far to 106.

Stations decoded but not worked were LZ2WO, LZ2DF, KX4R, W8HC, HA8CE, F5LNU, K7RWT, ZL7DX, JR1LZK and VK5PJ.

Tuesday May 14 will be my LAST FULL MOON PASS!  This is the last chance for East Coast USA horizon-only stations to contact me if you still need CP on 6m!  My moonrise is around 2000Z on Tuesday.

I will continue using 50.174 and will be transmitting in the first sequence JT65A. There is a chance I may be able to be on for one last moonrise on Wednesday, and I will announce that on the ON4KST EME CHAT page and on my CP1GJ web page.

GL and CU Tuesday!  VY 73, Lance

TUESDAY MAY 14 (8th and final moon pass).  The day started out with a Degradation of 1.8 dB and a high Kp index. I didn't have internet for the first 4 hours of the moon pass, so I couldn't keep tabs on the geomagnetic cndx too well. As the declination is going south, the moonrise is more blocked by the mountain to the east and southeast.  My moonrise elevation today was actually more around 10 degrees, and since I have not ground gain that direction, I just started with the beam elevated at 15 degrees. Not a really functional solution, but it was about all I could do. It also didn't help that there was quite an Es opening taking place in NA and JA today. However, on EME I did work N8GTI, K8RRT, K7CW, YU7EF, N2TIN, VK5PJ.  The final total 6m EME stations worked for sure was 111 in 30 DXCC. 
I decoded VP8EME, K8MFO, W4IMD, I4EAT, KX4R, F5LNU, ZL7DX, VK5PJ, JF3BDN

By moonset, the Degradation was up to 2.7 dB.  MNI TNX to everyone!  Now I need to rest before taking down the station and packing everything for home!  VY 73, Lance