It's hard to believe that there is only one week to go before
the big trip. There has been a lot more planning this
time; we definitely have a better idea about what to expect from
the Bahamas. The big question is how much different will
Eleuthera be than New Providence (Nassau).
My
first two boxes of gear were shipped to the FBO in Fort
Lauderdale yesterday. Hopefully the USPS will treat them
right. With any luck they will arrive tomorrow or Tuesday.
My gear is similar to last: a K3 and ICOM 7000 for radios.
The antennas are a bit different with two G5RV variant antennas
(I'll post more information in the next day or two), and 4
element Arrow Beam for 6 meters, and 10 to 20M
N6BT vertical. I also
have about 600 feet of RG-8X coax as we plan to set the
verticals up on the beach. Mark has mono-band verticals
for 10 through 40, a vertical for 80, and an inverted V for
160M. This is a quantum leap in antenna capability as
compared to last year's trip. We have the real estate at
Seven Palms for a couple of big loops which probably will go up
mid-week after the bread and butter antennas are working.
Mark is supplying a second K3 and 7000 to round out the rigs.
We are expecting to have three main stations and leave the spare
7000 listening on 6M for sporadic E opennings.
If you are
looking to make a contact, check the DX clusters. It did
not take very long to be spotted. Feel free to email me if
you would like to set up a specific schedule.
