NEWINGTON, CT, May 9, 2000--With just a couple of days to go, the A52A Bhutan 2000 DXpedition has put some 45,000 contacts into their logbooks. The vast majority of contacts--more than 27,000 as of May 7--were with European stations.
The Bhutan 2000 DXpedition team in front of their hotel--standing: Jin, A52IST; Jari, A52BU; Mark J., A52MJ; Andy, A52AB; Vince, A52VT; Mac, A52US; Bob, A52EE; Yuu, A52IG; Mark D., A52WW; Wes, A52GB; Al, A52VN and James, A52YC. (kneeling) Glenn, A52GJ and Harry, A52UU. |
Bhutan is the fourth most-wanted entity on The ARRL DXCC List. The DXpedition is scheduled to end May 12.
"The numbers speak for themselves. We are rocking into the world, and everyone is having a great time," reported team member Jim Brooks, 9V1YC.
North American and Asian stations each have somewhat more than 8000 contacts each. Contacts with other regions of the world, however, number in the hundreds. Fewer than 100 contacts had been made with Oceania as of May 7. Brooks says the site is blocked by a hill, but the team has been able to work into that area of the world via long-path.
The team has been making special efforts to accommodate North American stations wanting to check Bhutan off their DXCC List.
"Our North American run from about 1200Z yesterday [May 6] through 0300Z today was astounding," Brooks said. "We were working everything. Guys were even calling in QRP from West to East." The team is working only North American stations from 2300 to 0300 UTC daily, he said.
The team reports it will be on 40 CW from 1200 until 1300 UTC. It's also been on 160 meters and working Europe.
"Europe and most of the US have great clear shots," Brooks said. The high bands are no problem." The Bhutan 2000 team deployed two of its seven radios to alternative locations that have a clear shot to Japan.
The view from the Bhutan 2000 team hotel. |
9V1YC also says the team will concentrate on short-path contacts with North America. "We worked lots and lots of W5, W6 and W7 this evening SP with no problems," he said. "It is a major sacrifice to shut down one antenna only to try long path for a small area of the US which we have proven can be worked short path just as easy and with better signals."
The A52A team has been running 100 W from the Himalayan nation, which only this spring welcomed the return of Amateur Radio. Brooks says Bhutan authorities are keeping a close eye on the operation and a Ministry of Communications inspector is on site daily.
Online log lookup is available on the Bhutan 2000 Web site, http://www.qsl.net/bhutan2000/
Noted DXer Jim Smith, VK9NS, licensed as A52JS, and Bhutan local Tuji Yonten, A51TY, also have been on the air recently. Charly Harpole, K4VUD, has been seeking participants for another trip to the Himalayan nation sometime in July. Contact him at k4vud@hotmail.com.
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Individuals or groups wanting to operate from Bhutan must visit the country as tourists and work through a locally licensed tourism operation. In addition to the tourist tariffs paid to the tourism operation, the Bhutan Telecommunications Authority provides a visitor's permit and call sign for a fee of US$300 for an individual or US$500 for a group.
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