7O6T

[W3WN]

In a few days the pileups will thin down.

However, I like to work DXpeditions on the first day/night for the challenge. But understandably if you have compromise antennas and low power, you may have to QRX a bit.

Propagation favors the west coast better than europe on some bands at some times. Try after 2100z on 15m. As much as when I hate when they do this, they sometimes also work by the numbers.

I wish I could have a decent tower and a small beam, but that's just not in the cards right now. You are fortunate to be in a position to have them Ryan, and more power to you for that. Not complaining, mind you, just recognizing reality. (And I do pretty well with what I have, regardless)

[W3WN]

N6PSE wouldn't be on the DXpedition if he wasn't 100% sure the contacts will count. They must have ROCK HARD docs in hand. Don't know how they did it, but someone got paid off in Yemen. (He noted in Visalia that is Standard procedure in 3rd and 4th world countries just like Yemen) But notice how SECRET everything was until the day they started operations. Most secret DXpedition probably in Ham Radio history. Most likely for national security reasons, as Yemen is the Hotbed of AlQueada!

So, if Yemen can be put on the air, there IS hope for P5 North Korea. Just gotta pay off the right official!

Now I'm not going to say that someone in the government got... monetary incentives. That's pure speculation, of course.

But I can tell you this Pat:

I've had many a long conversation with my Dayton ride over the years on this subject, and he's retired Air Force who spent some time in that part of the world while on active duty. For example, he's told me about how the military contingent would arrive in some of these countries in civilian attire to avoid inciting problems, and he's told me quite a bit about how that part of the world worked when he served there. Incentives aren't unheard of... but revealing them can be, ah, risky. So I'd rather not speculate on that for obvious reasons.

One of the issues is that it's easier to say "No!" than "Yes!", since often times, granting approval risks sticking one's neck out... literally.

I'm barely touching on a lot of what he's said, but it would be best to get it from him first-hand, rather than rely on my faulty memory.

But, the reason I bring this up: There is a real concern, IMHO, that 7O6T could run into some of the same, ah, issues that 7O1YGF did.

- First, I'm convinced that the 'YGF guys had proper authorization to operate, from the civilian side of the government.
- Second, I'm reasonably convinced that someone on the military side wasn't initially informed (or claimed as such), and thus never authorized the operation. So when they found out, that started a chain of events that caused the proverbial plug to be pulled.
- Third, the 'YGF guys were most likely promised a physical license from the civilians, but after the military raised a fuss, that promise evaporated as no one was willing to risk the wrath of the military over the alleged transgression. And once they equipment was impounded, and the team was, shall we say, invited to make a retreat to other parts of the world... getting that license became near impossible.

Now, I'm very hopeful that the current 7O guys do have their proverbial ducks in order, and that they do have an actual license or written authorization. That said, until said documentation surfaces, yes, definitely, WFWL, but don't sweat the small stuff either.

[W3WN]

Fingers crossed! The last thing from NK that was accepted at the DXCC counter was about 400 or so qso's by Martti. I think i would hear them just fine from here. Getting through that pileup would be another matter!

Actually, I think Martti's "demo" QSO's were the first ones accepted for DPRK. P5/4L4FN had a few thousand Q's.

I heard P5/4L4FN more than a few times on the upper bands, but never could get through the pile-ups. So it goes.

Now if you could get an international team together that could convince the sitting government (civilian & military) to let a 3 or 4 week P5 op take place, as a "gesture of good will" and all that other politically correct rubbish... nah, forget it, that's not going to happen anytime soon.

[wa6mhz]

There was all this sabre rattling over the P5 Missile dud, and then the US canceled the food supplies we had promised.
Had they just let them shoot it (knowing they had their head up their ass and couldn't get it right), then we would be on MUCH better condx with P5. So that bridge is burnt. The US is MOONING P5 right now, so no hope of getting a US based operation there. WHO LEFT are friends with P5? Maybe China? Lotsa good BY ops now. Maybe they can pull it off as long as P5 sees no US ties into the venture. But P5 pretty well has isolated itself from the whole world with their childish ways and seems to stubborn to try and get along.

[KJ3N]

Well, I must be in a hole. They're barely above the noise floor here on 12m and 17m SSB.

As usual, the idiots calling can't seem to figure out what split operation is. :roll:

[W3WN]

There was all this sabre rattling over the P5 Missile dud, and then the US canceled the food supplies we had promised.
Had they just let them shoot it (knowing they had their head up their ass and couldn't get it right), then we would be on MUCH better condx with P5. So that bridge is burnt. The US is MOONING P5 right now, so no hope of getting a US based operation there. WHO LEFT are friends with P5? Maybe China? Lotsa good BY ops now. Maybe they can pull it off as long as P5 sees no US ties into the venture. But P5 pretty well has isolated itself from the whole world with their childish ways and seems to stubborn to try and get along.

...which is why I said an "international" team. To be more specific, consisting of operators not from North America, and probably not from most of Europe as well.

Simply because I don't think the DPRK would let operators from countries representing the West in right now... or if they did, too great a risk of them becoming political hostages.

[W5GA]

Well, I must be in a hole. They're barely above the noise floor here on 12m and 17m SSB.

As usual, the idiots calling can't seem to figure out what split operation is. :roll:

And the "up" cops are worse than the disease.

[N7YA]

There was all this sabre rattling over the P5 Missile dud, and then the US canceled the food supplies we had promised.
Had they just let them shoot it (knowing they had their head up their ass and couldn't get it right), then we would be on MUCH better condx with P5. So that bridge is burnt. The US is MOONING P5 right now, so no hope of getting a US based operation there. WHO LEFT are friends with P5? Maybe China? Lotsa good BY ops now. Maybe they can pull it off as long as P5 sees no US ties into the venture. But P5 pretty well has isolated itself from the whole world with their childish ways and seems to stubborn to try and get along.

Maybe they will forbid the ops to make W contacts as a stipulation. Mandatory log checks and such....their way of mooning us back. Because you just know how much political clout we hams have in the states.


Anyway, im listening to the 7O right now, solid signal, but the pile, the people who dont know what spilt means and the cops yelling at them for it, are all horrendous. I am going to wait, like i usually have to.

[N7YA]

And the "up" cops are worse than the disease.

I dont mind one "up"...not 25 "UP LID" in a row.

[KA9MOT]

7O6T is on 17M right now.... 18.145.00 listening up ^^^^^ (The usual 5KHz) Bunch of morons calling him on 145 and a bunch of others telling them how stupid they are...
If they get stronger I may try........