St. Barthelemy (FJ) added to DXCC
Saint Barts became an official ARRL DXCC entity today (being decoupled from FS). Actually, it’s been an entity since Dec 14th but the ARRL made their announcement today. OH2AM is operating /FJ causing some massive pileups. Famous DXer Martti Laine, OH2BH is at the key managing a chaotic pileup. As I type this, I’m an hour into trying to work FJ/OH2AM on 40 meters CW. At times the LIDS are making it unbearable.
Snagging a new one (DXCC)
I’m sure that an amp would help me get it in the log - but the tower and HF antennas blew the ham radio budget (for now). So here I sit… blogging with one hand and punching the keyer button with the other.
So many variables in snagging a new one… power, mode, timing, experience of the DXer, pileup dynamics, contests…
Here’s the kicker - as I was driving to work this morning I heard the DXpedition on 20 meters and didn’t think too much about… FJ? why the pileup? Then some emails within the local club got me looking into it a bit more and finally the ARRL announcement came out.
Actually, the pileup is probably larger than what St Barthelemy could justify in my mind. After all, it’s an inhabited island (with ~7000 people) with several native hams. Surely this one will find its way into my logbook in the future. I think most folks just want it sooner rather than later. I’d probably rather log the E4/OM2DX Palestine operation that’s underway (or Bouvet!) and worry about St Bart’s later.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, the DXpedition Map has been enhanced (bug fix) to display DXpeditions that start in one year and end in another.
Update: I finally snagged him after about 3 hours. It’s 11:35 pm local - time for bed. Ahhh - sweet dreams with a new one in the log.
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.