H4ØAA Bulletin 06

H4ØAA Hits 35,000 QSOs!
06 April 1998

The H4ØAA DXpedition reached the 35.000 QSO mark at 00.00 UTC, April 6
after 5 days of operating.  This activity will run through April 13 when
the first Temotu operation will be history.

While the first 5 days were spent on selected bands only - primarily 15
meters - the operation will be extended to cover a variety of bands and
modes at this point on Monday, April 6.  Bands such as 160 meters were
tested last night, and eleven East Coast DXers were logged immediately -
including K1ZZ, W4DR and others.  The limited initial bands were chosen to
provide a maximum number of DXers with an early opportunity to capture
this new country.

The first wave of operators - OH2BE, OH2BH, OH2TA and JA5DQH - have now
left the island to be replaced by 9V1YC, N4GN and W6OSP.  The core group
of OH1RY, OHØXX and N7NG remain on the island for the full duration of
H4ØAA.  Transportation for these changeovers was provided by Solomon
Airlines charter operations.

The group is most grateful to the Temotu administration for supplying
needed facilities and power for H4ØAA.  Two stations stand almost a mile
apart, thus giving an opportunity to put two H4ØAA signals on 15 meters
simultaneously.  The CW station is located at the private home of New
Zealand personnel who offer voluntary services in an effort to develop
meaningful projects for the 1500 people who live on this remote island.
Both stations are situated in the main village of Lata which is partly
supplied by the island's 60 kW generator. 

The Temotu province of the Solomons is the least developed and the most
outlying province within the Solomons group and the lifestyle of its
people is still very basic.  With a supply of a variety of fruits as well
as fishing in the ocean, this group is self-sufficient in their daily
needs.  From the sad end of the story, it was discovered that the Temotu
area suffers from extremely high malaria rates, highest in the world
currently.  Some 40 percent of the people are affected.  Special measures
had to be taken to ensure the successful operation of H4ØAA in such
hazardous conditions.

The H4ØAA team is the largest foreign group of visitors that Temotu has
experienced in its recent history.  The DXpedition was welcomed by members
of the entire local community who were most hospitable.

Part of the expedition antennas will be stored in Temotu for future
operations, and a complete Yaesu station and an associated tribander were
donated to The Solomon Islands Radio Association (SIRS) by Yaesu Musen
Ltd. and the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF).  This DXpedition
assists the SIRS in preparing a DXCC Country application for submission to
the ARRL.  All needed maps were obtained from the Ministry of Lands in
Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands.  It is now officially confirmed
that the distance between the main Solomon Islands and the most remote
Temotu Province is more than 350 kilometers, thus qualifying the H4Ø-land
for another DXCC entity.

More about the QSL cards and a special first-day edition will be covered
shortly in a DX publication.  In the meantime, all H44DX and H4ØAA QSLs
should be sent to OH2BN.

The H4ØAA web site is available at http://www.n4gn.com/h40aa/