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NEWINGTON, CT, May 3, 2007 -- If you haven't already snagged BS7H on Scarborough Reef, there's not much time left to put the world's most-wanted DXCC entity into the log. Word from the BS7H DXpedition is that operation will cease at 0000 UTC on May 6. The Daily DX reports the BS7H team plans to keep two stations on 20 meters around the clock. Earlier today Wolf Harranth, OE1WHC, of Documentary Archives Radio Communications in Vienna interviewed BS7H team member James Brooks, 9V1YC, via satellite telephone. Brooks explained that the team operates from wooden platforms on each of the reef's four rocks that are exposed during high tide.
"Basically, we're like little birds perched on a small rock in the middle of the ocean," Brooks told Harranth. "It's a very dangerous reef," he went on to say. "There's lots of hazards. There's rain, there's wind, there's lightning, there's piracy."
The coral is also very sharp, and most of the team members have suffered cuts and scrapes. Changing shifts three times a day has been difficult and time consuming, and Brooks says the individual stations can barely see each other during daylight.
Brooks said the DXpedition team has been visited by several fishermen from the Philippines who have asked for fuel and water. Visit the Dokufunk Web site and click on the "BS7H Scarborough Reef 2007 - Interview" link. The entire .mp3 clip runs 8:45. The interview also is available from the BS7H DXpedition Web site.
The most difficult path from BS7H is to the US Northeast, although many stations have been successful in the past few days in working the DXpedition on 30, 20 and 17 meters, and signals have been reasonably strong. Pileups have been extremely large, on 20 meter SSB extending 50 kHz or more up the band from the BS7H transmitting frequency.
Stations attempting to work BS7H are advised to exercise courtesy and make sure they have a clear frequency before transmitting, to avoid interfering with ongoing communications unrelated to the DXpedition.
Judging from anecdotal information, stations in the Eastern US should start listening around 1100 UTC. One station in Florida reported hearing BS7H on 20 meter CW from 1130 until 1630 UTC, The Daily DX reported. Brooks explained to Harranth that Europe, Japan and Oceania are easy to work most any time of the day, however.
The first QSO was made on April 29. As of 1400 on May 2, BS7H was operating four stations from four separate rocks, with two stations dedicated to 20 meters. All stations now are running 800 W, and activity has been on 10 through 40 meters. Substantial QRN on 40 and 30 has prevented the operators from hearing most stateside signals, however.
In part because of high winds, the team has yet to launch the helium-filled weather balloon that will support an antenna for 80 and 160 meters. On the other bands, BS7H is using vertical antennas and taking advantage of the salt water for a ground plane.
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