Starting on June 25 we will be testing new antennas from Wallis Island (FW), operating as FW7JV. This will be a realistic test using RIB-s and antennas mounted on a sand-bar in a situation very similar to what we will have on Jarvis Island during the upcoming N5J Jarvis operation. (I will be going ashore this afternoon to see the village chief with a bottle of scotch, trying to get permission to set up on small cay nearby. Fingers crossed.)
The most important test will be of the new 160 - 10 meter vertical. This is a 45' tall -- I should say, 45' short -- vertical without top loading wires. The low height is mandated by the US FWS, written into our Special Use Permit. Further, our permit specifically states that any time our antennas cause harm to birds, the FWS representative on site will shut us down. Therefore we are making sure that the antennas are as bird-friendly as possible. From experience on Ducie and Cook Islands (VP6A and E51D) we know that vertical masts of some diameter are easily seen by birds and avoided, even at night. Horizontal or sloping wires, however, especially when high, even with streamers can be hit by birds. Another danger posed by high wires is that birds want land on them and wire can easily twist around their legs, trapping them. Therefore the new antenna does not have any top loading wires. Instead, we have a large 34 micro Henry inductor at the base of the antenna that brings this short antenna closer to resonance, with a feed point impedance that is within the tuning range of the base mounted antenna coupler. This is a serious compromise because losses in the inductor can be substantial. Hence the detailed testing we have been doing since T32JV in May and now on Wallis.
For details see the ANTENNAS tab.
160 m Operation from Wallis:
FW7JV will be on 160 meters CW starting at local SS around 0600 UTC and again at 0900 for NA SR, as well as at local SR at 1700. We need actual signal reports to get an idea of how the new antenna is working. Wallis is about 1400 miles further SW from NA than Jarvis. If you can work us from here you can be pretty sure that you can get into the N5J log in August. (Note that while Jarvis is only #75 on TB, FW is #28 according to Clublog.)