K7WX, Warren Hill, k7wx, KF7AY, Maldives, 8Q7AA, Central Arizona DX Association, CADXA, DXpedition
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The Republic of Maldives is an Islamic Republic, located in the North Indian Ocean, approximately 300 miles off the West coast of southern India. 8Q7 is the smallest independent nation in Asia, consisting of 1,190 coral islands that extend in a nearly vertical chain from below the equator, north to eight degrees. |
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| Although amateur radio exists in the Maldives, contacts with this location are still not very common. It has been nice to see several recent "vacation style" operations by Japanese, Europeans and Americans. Presently only 8Q7QC and 8Q7DX are full time residents. |
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| The 8Q7AA team consisted of a very diverse group of radio amateurs, most of whom are members from the Central Arizona DX Association. The team traveled to the Maldives the second week in January of 1998 and offered contacts on CW and SSB, with some limited RTTY. Out of a total of 18,104 QSOs, 5,185 were with North America. An emphasis was placed on 160, 80 and 40-meters. The Republic of Maldives is quite rare on 160-meters and for this reason, a special effort was made on this band. |
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| Out of 784 top band contacts, over 100 QSOs were with East coast North American operators. From this location, 160-meter contacts with the West coast of North America were not favored. For more detailed information please click here to visit the 8Q7AA world-wide web site. QSLs go to N7TX and you may click here to submit band-by-band QSO information via e-mail for an electronic "log check." |
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| The 8Q7AA team consisted of Oscar Resto KP4RF, Sally Brown-Martínez KM5EP, Bruce Sawyer N6NT, Darryl Hazelgren AF7O, Warren Hill K7WX, Rich Chatelain K7ZV, Dan Brown NA7DB, Steve Thompson N7TX and Paul Playford W8AEF. Local assistance was through Ibrahim Ahmed 8Q7QC. Propagation predictions were provided to us by Robert Brown NM7M, and Dick Wolf N6FF served as our hard working pilot station, providing us with daily feedback. Andy Stafford, G4VPM, the originator of the idea for this operation, was also our contact through which we worked with 8Q7QC and the Department of Transport and Communications of the Maldive government. Thanks Andy! |
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| The 8Q7AA story was part of the DX program at the 1998 Visalia, California and was the topic of the 1998 DX Dinner Banquet at the Dayton, Ohio Hamvention. 8Q7AA will soon be featured in an upcoming issue of CQ Magazine. We hope that we worked you from the Republic of Maldives! |
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