H4ØAA Bulletin 09

H4ØAA Post-Operation Update
14 June, 1998

The validation of the database as well as the merging of a variety of data
files has been successfully completed for the 67,129 H4ØAA QSOs, and the
full-color, folded QSL cards have been received from the printers. 
QSLing will commence on 29 June and the QSLing team, led by OH2BN, will
get the cards out as quickly as possible.  The DXCC status of the Temotu
Islands should be determined during July, and QSLs should be accepted by
the DXCC desk in October.

The Special Edition QSL card project which aimed at contributing to the
development of the Solomon Islands Temotu Province has received a
fantastic response from DXers worldwide with 430 benefactors contributing
USD 22,068.  The comments received have been of such a nature that we
believe that this project may set a precedent for future DXpeditions,
helping to establish DXpeditioning as a valuable asset contributing to the
community it involves in its performance.

H4ØAA team member Bruce Butler, W6OSP has closed the Special Fund and will
transfer the donations in full to the account of The Temotu Development
Authority (TDA) where Dr. Ashley Wilson, a VSA volunteer from New Zealand,
and several community members including the Provincial Premier, will
select the projects that the DX community will support.  Several
education, health and commerce-related projects are being studied.

A large parcel of Special Edition QSLs was airlifted last week to Temotu
through special arrangements with Solomon Airlines.  Dr. Wilson will start
releasing those cards to contributors by mid-June from Temotu's local post
office.  It is expected that the special cards will reach their worldwide
audience by the end of June--the same time that the regular, direct QSLing
is started.  The special QSLs mailed from Lata will confirm only one QSO,
and the remaining QSLs will be sent from Finland.  No further action on
the part of contributors will be necessary, however.

The highlight of the Special Edition QSL Project was the donation received
from Mr. Lee Shaklee, W6BH, who contributed USD 10,000 toward the
development of the Temotu province.  Lee remembers well the time he spent
in the Solomons during WWII and wished to present his gift in the name of
DXing for the people of Temotu whom he had visited during the war.  He
served on U.S. torpedo boats and spent nearly two and one-half years with
those friendly people that WWII was severely disturbing.  Lee's WWII
experiences were ended by a severe case of malaria.  The DX community can
be proud of this support from Lee and from the 430 others in the effort to
help this newest DXCC country to flourish and to be a healthy society for
it's 15,000 people.

The H4ØAA 67,129 QSOs represent 23,140 different call signs logged,
resulting in 2.9 QSOs for each DXer worked.  The tight operating strategy
along with high beam antennas and amplifier power were vital elements
which resulted in fair coverage of all areas of the world.

The following split was achieved between the geographical areas: 
USA/Canada 42.0%, Europe 28.9%, Japan 22.5% and 6.6% for the rest of the
world.  The production band was 15 m (37.5% of the total QSOs), where
simultaneous operating was done on CW and SSB.  Occasionally two SSB
signals on 15 m were present.  SSB QSOs made up 54.2% of the total, CW
44.1% and RTTY 1.5%.

The full story of H4ØAA will be soon published in the variety of languages
of those countries representing the highest number of QSOs in the log. 
Those who wish to have their early QSLs should send their QSL requests now
to the following address: 

Jarmo J. Jaakola, OH2BN
Kiilletie 5 C 30
FIN - 00710 Helsinki
FINLAND

The H4ØAA QSLs can be obtained through the QSL bureaus as well; those
requests will be processed later in the year.  You can check your QSOs and
obtain more information on Temotu at the H4ØAA web site: 

http://www.n4gn.com/h40aa/