KH8/AA7JV - American Samoa

[4L5A]

George Wallner, AA7JV is currently active as KH8/AA7JV from American Samoa.
He is working on HF Bands and will try 160m also.
QSL via HA7RY, LOTW.
Ads for direct QSL:
Tamas Pekarik, Alagi ut 15, Fot, H-2151, Hungary.



American Samoa. Author - Bryan Chernick.

[4L5A]

KH8/AA7JV is active from Olosega Island, Manu-a Islands, IOTA OC-077, American Samoa.
He will be active until 9 November 2023.
He will focus on 160 and 80m with some activity on high bands.

[4L5A]

Information from KH8/AA7JV:
We did manage to get ashore with a full RIB station and raised a 60' top loaded vertical, which stands in the water most of the time (except at low tide). Right behind the antenna there is virtually vertical 1200' mountain wall to the south, but take off is clear to directions from NW (280 degrees) to NE (50 degrees). That is from JA to W4 (and N. EU to N. Africa). SA may be blocked but you never know with TB.
We will start operating on 160 tonight at UTC 0530 (Nov 3) from the Manu-a Islands, Olosega Island (AH55eu, OC-077, -14.16476, -169.62122), American Samoa. This is another precarious location where we are anchored off the shore in open waters. (But not as crazy as Ducie was.) Will start on 160 meters CW at 0530 UTC, listening for Europe, but will switch to 80 if TB is not productive. We will be back on TB for NA sunrise around 1030 UTC. FT8 in a few days' time.
There is some generator noise on both 160 and 80, which I will try to eliminate tomorrow, but for tonight we are stuck with it. (It is hard to get to the shore at low tide. We can only do it on paddle boards.) We hope to be QRV at this location until Nov 9 (WX and other factors permitting).
GL and 73,
George (AA7JV) and Mike (KN4EEI)
Note: We will be on 15, 12 and 10 at times during the day.

[4L5A]

KH8/AA7JV Olosega Island News:
Had an interesting night.
We used this generator on many operations and we've never heard its noise.
Because the mountains block noise form an arc of almost 210 degrees, the TX antenna is very quiet on RX! Quiet enough to make the generator noise heard.
Will try to eliminate the generator noise today, hopefully for an even better RX setup.

Started calling on 160 at 0530 Z. No EU heard at all. A steady but slow stream of NA stations with very clear and strong signals started around 0600 Z. K0RF had an amazingly clear and strong signal. Starting at 0720 JA-s started to come in with even stronger and clearer signals. It was like 20 on a good day. Atmospheric noise started to rise as the terminator reached SE Asia but signals remained well above the noise. Tried 80 for a few minutes but the generator noise was annoying and I went back to 160. NA sunrise brought in a few NA callers but JA-s dominated with much stronger signals until about 1040 Z. Came back at 1445. Lots of strong JA-s. East EU started at 1455 with good signals. Made over 30 E EU contacts until about 1600, but never heard anything further west than the Ukraine. Will repeat the same routine tonight/tomorrow morning and hopefully get some W EU (or at least C EU).
TKS for all the calls,
73,
George,
AA7JV

[4L5A]

KH8/AA7JV from Olosega Island, American Samoa on 3521 now.

[4L5A]

KH8/AA7JV Olosega Island, American Samoa News 5 November 2023.
Tonight (Nov 5) will start on 80 m at 0500 Z. Will QSY to 160 around 0600 and will stay there for EU at least until 0745. Then probably back to 80 after 0745 for an hour. On 160 again for NA SR around 1100 and then for EU at 1500.


Last night, just at SS, we had a line of thunderstorms go through with lots of lightning noise. The noise persisted all night until SR. (But, we got rid of the generator noise.)

CU and GL,
73,
George,
AA7JV

[4L5A]

KH8/AA7JV Olosega Island News 5 November 2023.
We had very heavy TS noise all night. 160 m was almost impossible and 80 was just plane difficult. FT8 worked on both bands.
KH8/AA7JV.

[4L5A]

A mostly wasted night on 160. Starting at 0600, the TS noise was very strong. KN4EEI was running FT8 later but even that was marginal. There was almost no propagation from about 1100 Z until my SR. Even the JA-s, who are normally S7 - 9, were marginal CPY. Switched to 80 at 0630 for a good run of EU stations. Just before my SR, on 80 we had very strong OTH radar that wiped everything out for about 10 minutes. 160 was dead.
Will be on again at my SS on 80 from 0500 to 0545 then 160. If 160 is too noisy, QSY to 80 at 0630 for EU.

Back on 160 again for NA SR at 1100 and then again at 0500 for EU. FT8 with KH8/KN4EEI in between.
GL and 73,
George,
AA7JV