Yuris, YL2GM will be active as VU7W from Minicoy Island, IOTA AS - 106, Laccadive Islands, 6 - 18 June 2023.
He will operate on HF Bands with focus on 6m Band.
QSL via YL2GN.
Previous activity:
VU7W Team will be active from Lakshadweep Islands, IOTA AS - 011, 15 - 29 April 2023.
Team - YL2GM/VU3FZC, VU2CDP.
They will operate on HF Bands and 6m.
QSL via YL2GN, ClubLog OQRS, LOTW.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 14 June 2023
Yesterday low band vertical was installed too. Will be spending time on the lower bands during the coming nights. Quite strong wind blows during the night. Hopefully antennas will withstand it.
This is the ideal place for the DX-pedition. Antennas are on the coast, close to the saltwater, plenty of space. Appartment is very good, the cook is a pro.
The departure is postponed to June 20, will be on the air until June 19.
Only 44 QSOs on the 6m band - no conditions there.
VU7W.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 11 June 2023
Spiderbeam is up.
VU7W.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 9 June 2023
Yuris, YL2GM start his activity as VU7W from Laccadive Islands.
Yesterday around 8 PM local time arrived to the hotel on the Minicoy island. Getting from the ship to the shore was a bit of adventure. Many passengers on the ship, and smaller boats were used to bring them from the ship to the shore together with luggage. It was raining time to time and some waving of the sea as well.
Did manage to put up vertical antenna in the evening and made the first QSOs. This morning installed 6m yagi, but the band is empty so far. Today will install Spiderbeam.
Internet connection is very weak. Can not open email or Clublog. So uploading logs to Clublog is under question.
VU7W.
Evening update: didn't manage to install Spiderbeam yet. Will proceed tomorrow. This QTH is more distant from the local village than the previous QTH in April on the other island, so hopefully less man made noise on the bands.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 7 June 2023
The ship to Minicoy island has been rescheduled for 2 days later, so Yuris, VU7W will arrive to Minicoy island only on June 8 before noon.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 29 April 2023
VU7W DX Pedition to Laccadive Islands over. VU7W QRT now.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 28 April 2023
Today is the last day of this VU7W DX-pedition. Spiderbeam and the low band vertical were already taken down this morning. One vertical antenna is left up and will be used until sunset.
Also today Yuris will have a sightseeing trip around the island, followed by packing and closing dinner in the evening.
VU7W.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 25 April 2023 Part 3
Yuris is on 160m FT8 with good signal levels in Europe (~22:00 UTC). About 70 callers are visible in a single FT8 period in Europe. Unfortunately, on his end received signals are not that many and with not so good S/N levels, due to the higher local noise floor.
Earlier in the evening he was on 3565 kHz with even better signal level despite working in 3 parallel streams, and had lots of callers as well.
He says that he will be on 60m band some time during April 26.
VU7W.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 25 April 2023 Part 2
Yuris, YL2GM is start his activity as VU7W from Laccadive Islands on 160m Band.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 25 April 2023
Today the low band vertical was erected. Yuris will spend more time on low bands the next 3 nights.
The antenna dismantling will start on local Friday (April 28) morning, because the ship leaves the island on early Saturday (April 29) morning.
Yuris also had a meeting with local HAM Mr. Aboobacker (VU3EBX).
VU7W Laccadive Islaands News 22 April 2023
The last two days made 60 QSOs on 6m band. Few EU, 4X, BY, JA6.
Answering the questions why so few CW and no SSB QSOs I will answer with the 2 photos below. The first photo shows 15m band during the day time. The 2nd photo - 80m band noise floor this morning before sunrise when I was on 80m CW.
The island is densely populated (more than 10k inhabitants on 6 square km). I am located in the 3-floor hotel. As almost everywhere in the modern world, it is full of colorful LEDs, air-conditioner devices and other electronics, which emit radio interference in wide spectrum.
I will probably disappoint many of those who are waiting for SSB QSOs, but this is the reality.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 18 April 2023
Internet is weak and only available in the reception area, so I will upload the logs to Clublog every couple days.
I haven't given up on building the low band vertical. The owner of the place is very forthcoming, and I hope to agree with him on usage of a spot in adjacent area to place it. Villagers are walking through the territory in the dark, so radial and guy wires are problematic on the ground level.
The noise floor is high here. Lots of LED lamps around.
I will pay special attention to W1 and W6 as propagation windows are short to these areas. I am using VOACAP for propagation predictions.
YL2GM/VU7W.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 15 April 2023
Yuris, YL2GM is start his VU7W activity from Laccadive Islands today.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 13 April 2023
The journey has started. 4 flight legs plus ship in one direction with 100 kg of luggage.
73s VU7W, YL2GM.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 10 April 2023
Yuris, YL2GM will use 3el yagi on 6m during his activity from Lakshadweep.
He is planning to operate on 6m FT8 only.
VU7W Laccadive Islands News 9 April 2023
VU7W will be Single Operator activity. Op - YL2GM.