NEWS UPDATE – With just over 33000 QSOs in the log, VU4W is now QRT at 1330z. 

MAY 14 – Today will be the last chance to work VU4W on 80 and 160m:

  • FT8 – 20Z-22Z, 1836 and 3565 kHz
  • CW – 22Z-24Z, 1821 and 3522 kHz

One band at a time, bands will be changed periodically. So far signals were not loud, but readable.

Tomorrow will take down the antennas and pack. Day after tomorrow – flight home. The weather has improved – sunny again.

MAY 12  – 25881 QSOs in the log. Weather has changed again – no more sun. Locals say that monsoon period has started. Will pay more attention to lower bands next days. Propagation is not favorable for SSB.

MAY 9 – 17824 QSOs in the log. Yuris reports that propagation has changed during the last days. Upper bands are not open 24 hours a day anymore, and lower bands got more noisy. Tonight he will attempt to make some QSOs on 160m band.

Credit YL2GM

MAY 8 [II] – Pirate operation on 17m FT8 observed:

Both – real VU4W and pirate – operate on the same dial frequency, just different periods and different audio frequencies. The real VU4W is transmitting in First/Even period (00/30 seconds).  UPDATE – A day later based on who are in the log, we can see that the real VU4W was transmitting in odd periods (15/45)

Please check tomorrow after log update. If you are not in the log – work again the real one.

14767 QSOs in the log.

Tonight, Yuris will give targeted call for North America (NA) on 80m. Asia and Europe – please wait and don’t call during that time.
Yesterday power outages continued (like 20 of them).

MAY 8 [I] – While we wait for the next update from Juris, a quick note to say that Tropical Cyclone “Asani” has now formed and is very near the Andaman islands (Bay of Bengal). The forecast track, however, suggests the system will move northwest and eventually away from VU4-land.

Black arrow indicated VU4 (May 8)

 

MAY 7 – 12265 QSOs in the log. It kept raining all day and night. Antenna SWR changed and I am receiving lower signal reports (FT8 -10..-20), so switched to single stream transmission in FT8. I often start operation on the common FT8 frequencies, then I am transmitting the new DX FT8 frequency to be used and go there, but callers are not following me.

I hope the weather and propagation will improve.

Answer to numerous emails on 2 common topics:

  • log checks and corrections will not be provided
  • eQSL service will not be used

*Meanwhile, compare the weather system [below] from today and yesterday. Indian Meteorological Department suggest a cyclone may form soon within the Andaman Sea and move northwest.

May 7

MAY 6 – 9700 QSOs in the log. It rains all the time. Today received forecast for heavy winds and rain. Probably will have to lower the Spiderbeam. Yesterday, made first 80 and 40m QSOs. Had a sked on 160m, but no success – very high local noise level. Have lots of power outages, that explains my sudden disappearance from the bands. Will pay more attention to low-bands in a coming days. SSB operation will not happen yet.

May 6

MAY 5 – Approaching 7000 QSQs in the VU4W log. Picture in post header is of Spiderbeam in use (courtesy YL2GM). 

MAY 4 – First 2427 QSOs uploaded to Club Log. Today, Yuris will finish low-band antenna and try to work lower bands later. One K3 transceiver was dropped while in transit and its display is damaged, so now frequency has to be set only from computer using CAT connection. Power outages happen quite frequently, and it takes time to start generators.  Photos courtesy this webpage. 

APRIL 28 – This is actually a solo DXpedition by YL2GM. Other DX publications mention local VU ops joining Yuris – this is incorrect.  They are helping in the background.

Meanwhile, here’s Yuris departing yesterday with 80kg of equipment. 

APRIL 24 – Official VU4W website now available. 

APRIL 17, 2022 – Yuris YL2GM announces activity from the Andaman islands as VU4W during May 3-16, 2022. QRV on HF bands; verticals and amplifiers.

*Andaman and Nicobar Islands are #48 in Club Log DXCC most wanted list as of April 2022.