Comments on: St. Barthelemy (FJ) added to DXCC http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2007/12/20/st-barthelemy-fj-added-to-dxcc/ Ham radio towers, software, coax, DXing, contesting, and life in general Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:11:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: David Kozinn, K2DBK http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2007/12/20/st-barthelemy-fj-added-to-dxcc/#comment-8629 David Kozinn, K2DBK Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:56:46 +0000 http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2007/12/20/st-barthelemy-fj-added-to-dxcc/#comment-8629 I think the "gotta have it now" is a common phenomenon. I know that the guys who are #1 Honor Roll want to get it ASAP to retain their status (though one list I follow says that once you achieve that status, they don't come and take your plaque from you!). That accounts for some of the folks calling, but certainly not all. For any DXpedition, for some folks, there's a strong desire to get them "in the log" ASAP in case they have to go QRT. As has been posted elsewhere, St. Bart's isn't exactly Good Grief Reef, where a wave will wipe them all out, it's a civilized island with resident hams, hotels, power, water, restaurants, and, of course, bars to relax in after that pileup. I think the situation with FJ is similar to what I saw with Montenegro (4O) when they split off. For several days, it was an absolutely madhouse. Like FJ, 4O is a "regular place" where people live and where there are resident hams. Neither place is particularly difficult to work from most parts of the world. I did manage to work FJ on 17m CW earlier today (and I'm happy to say that it didn't take me as long as you, once I realized I was transmitting on my 6m antenna instead of my G5RV and switched!) I'll try to work them on 20 SSB when Martti comes back from lunch (or whatever he's QRXing for), but if I didn't manage to work them now, I know they'll be on the air again soon. I think the “gotta have it now” is a common phenomenon. I know that the guys who are #1 Honor Roll want to get it ASAP to retain their status (though one list I follow says that once you achieve that status, they don’t come and take your plaque from you!). That accounts for some of the folks calling, but certainly not all.

For any DXpedition, for some folks, there’s a strong desire to get them “in the log” ASAP in case they have to go QRT. As has been posted elsewhere, St. Bart’s isn’t exactly Good Grief Reef, where a wave will wipe them all out, it’s a civilized island with resident hams, hotels, power, water, restaurants, and, of course, bars to relax in after that pileup.

I think the situation with FJ is similar to what I saw with Montenegro (4O) when they split off. For several days, it was an absolutely madhouse. Like FJ, 4O is a “regular place” where people live and where there are resident hams. Neither place is particularly difficult to work from most parts of the world.

I did manage to work FJ on 17m CW earlier today (and I’m happy to say that it didn’t take me as long as you, once I realized I was transmitting on my 6m antenna instead of my G5RV and switched!) I’ll try to work them on 20 SSB when Martti comes back from lunch (or whatever he’s QRXing for), but if I didn’t manage to work them now, I know they’ll be on the air again soon.

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