(23 July to 05 August, 2014)

Hello Rick

My Dominican Republic (HI) expedition was a holiday operation, me having been there together with my partner Maria and our 2 grandkids in one big room in one of those hotel complexes on the Puerto Plata coast. We did a lot of typical holiday stuff, including organized and other trips across HI, so radio had to fit into this family activities.

Location was on 2nd floor level in OE counting, meaning on the 3rd level counted from ground floor. The hotel carpenter had given me a 3m stick which I fixed to the balcony, so the feed-point of the antenna was some 8 meters above ground and some 2.5 m from the building, with both ends some 2m above ground. General direction E-W, no building in the eastern direction. The XCVR was an Icom IC-706, a small MFJ ATU, and a Palm Radio keyer.  

ON THE AIR:

I worked some 1800 (all CW) QSOs, mostly Europe and W, a few ZL/VK/JA and some nice ones in the Middle East region. Band conditions on 10m were poor, but 12-30m was fine, on 40m it was hard, 80 I did not try. Conditions  were improving every day while I was there (compared to our operation from FP).

I think your antenna will become part of my future travel outfit (the other antenna being an outbacker, as sometimes there is no possibility to fix a wire antenna), and weight:performance is going to be an important issue as getting older means it is getting increasingly important to keep the amount of luggage one carries around reasonable hi (I am 62). 

73

Gerhard, OE3GEA