September/October 2000 NCJ

DXpedition DestinationsSean Kutzko, KX9Xkx9x@uiuc.eduThis time aroundwe’ve got a neatstory submitted bySteve Herman,K7USJ/7J1AIL.Steve is a veteranbroadcaster who’sbased in Asia andworking for the DiscoveryChannel andKX9Xthe AP Radio Network.A DXpedition to Paradise—withRoom ServiceSteve Herman, K7USJ/7J1AILk7usj@arrl.netImagine you are taking a vacation to anexotic island paradise. You check into afive-star resort and have room servicedeliver a top-of-the-line transceiver with alinear to boot. You then simply connectthe rig to coax lines that feed an existingantenna farm that includes a tri-band Yagilocated high on a hill overlooking theocean. You make a few more connections,flip some switches and you’re instantlyQRV with a vanity call from a top 100most-wanted DXCC country.This scene is no fantasy—I got to live itrecently—and so can any ham whois willing to do a bit of traveling, but is shortof the funding or stamina necessary toorganize a full-fledged all-out DXpedition.Operating from PalauI’ve traveled to 40 countries inconnection with my broadcasting work,but despite being licensed since the ageof 13, I’ve only operated from a halfdozenor so nations. Most of the timelicensing procedures, lack of baggagespace for gear and antennas and littlefree time have made hamming difficult.A while back I was contemplating abusiness trip combined with a familyvacation to the Republic of Palau. I wascombing through the pages of Japan’sCQ Ham Radio magazine and found asmall ad offering a “rental shack” in ahotel in Palau.In a mutual effort to promote tourismand showcase new equipment, a Tokyotour operator, with support from severalequipment makers—including Yaesu andForce 12—has put together a tour packagetargeted for visiting hams from Japan.For the 800,000 hams in Japan, wherean urban living environment and lowpower operation on HF are the norm, thePalau DXpedition package has greatappeal. The package even includeshandling of the licensing arrangements(something I did on my own).Anyone contemplating Amateur Radio28operation from Palau, whether from thisrental shack or elsewhere in the country,is advised to apply for a license manymonths in advance. Palau’s bureaucracyis typical of that of tropical nations andthere are no automatic reciprocalprivileges for foreign hams in Palau, whichonly has a population of 15,000 (that’stotal population, not ham population!).Licensing is handled by the country’sMinistry of Commerce, using an application form left over from the KC6-prefixdays of the US Trust TerritoryAdministration. (My application was acopy of a previously completed form onwhich the data entered had been coveredwith whiteout.)In most cases, foreign hams with proofof current licensing will usually be granteda one-year license and a vanity call withtheir initials, if available. (I got T88SH.) Inreality, Palau, independent only since1994, which foreigners primarily visit forits world-renown scuba diving, has virtuallyno Amateur Radio regulations.Hams who operate there are on thehonor system. The government’s sole radiocommunication technician is a JapanesePeace Corps-type volunteer with no radioto monitor the HF spectrum. He is,however, a ham (JR7XDO) who is eagerto help Palau codify its regulations. I toldSteve and his son Ian Benjamin operatingmulti-multi from the well-equipped shackin Room 214 of the Palau Pacific Resort.The gear, delivered by room service,included a Yaesu FT-1000MP, an FT-920and a VL-1000 amplifier.The resort’s permanent antenna farmincludes an 8-element 6-meter Yagi, aForce 12 C3 and several wire antennas.Shiroto Yasutaka, whom I met in theMinistry’s communications department asI picked up my license, that I would sendhim a copy of the FCC’s US AmateurRadio regulations. I also plan to donate anHF receiver to the Ministry so that Shirotosancan become the Riley Hollingsworthof the South Pacific.One of the attractions of Palau forJapanese hams is that most hold a fourthclasslicense limiting them to 20 W on HF,but Palau has yet to codify restricting suchvisiting hams to that near-QRP status.“We’re a bit worried about a wave ofJapanese coming here who will beoperating a linear amplifier for the firsttime. Some have limited HF experienceof any kind and some do not speakEnglish,” said one official.Making Landfall and Station AssemblyWhen I arrived at the Palau PacificResort on Arakebesang Island—aleisurely 30-minute drive (everyonedrives slowly in Palau) from the airport—I couldn’t wait to get my hands on therental shack’s Yaesu VL-1000 amplifier.Much to my surprise, when I checkedinto Room 214 (the designated shack), Ididn’t see a trace of anything ham-like. Ittook a call to the front desk to get theequipment delivered (there had been amix-up on my arrival date). Theyinstructed me to look carefully in thecloset—where I found the feed lineshidden beneath a panel in the floor.About an hour later, I had the twosparkling new HF rigs (an FT-1000MPand an FT-920) hooked up, the VL-1000plugged into the 200 V ac feed, theantenna rotator control box wired andtwo of the four incoming coax feedlinesconnected—the HF Yagi and the multibanddipole. (I left the WARC-band dipoleand the 6-meter beam disconnected.)The rental shack also comes equippedwith two stuffed toolboxes, extra coaxand connectors, a soldering iron, mapsand instruction books. The only thingyou’ll need to bring from home is yourstraight key or bug and logbooks (bringlots of logbooks, I ran out much quickerthan I expected).The Family that Plays Together…I knew I would be shuffling my DXingamid business appointments, playingwith my son at the pool and on the beachand sightseeing with my non-ham XYL.In retrospect, it probably would have beenbetter to lodge them in an adjacent room.The perturbed XYL and fascinated son didnot find the key clicks, the panel lights andthe humming of the VL-1000’s fanparticularly conducive to dozing off. Withroom rates north of $200 a night, however,that was not an economical option.