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By John AE5X, August 15, 2011

Nine of my 10 years in the Navy were spent in the Submarine Service. This posting is about that 10th year - the one I spent aboard a merchant ship as one of a small contingent of other submariners, up from the depths and still working for the submarine community.

Our purpose in the Indian Ocean between Singapore and Fremantle, criss-crossing a segment of the ocean for 28 days between port visits, was to make high resolution contour soundings of the ocean floor and correlate them to precise GPS positions. The resulting data would allow submarines to obtain navigational fixes while submerged rather than risk exposing themselves by coming to periscope depth to obtain a satellite fix.

We enjoyed the opportunity to be on a huge ship with lots of room, our own staterooms and female crew members – Merchant Mariners, whose physical attractiveness varied in proportion to our time at sea. We also had fresh, non-scrubbed air and daylight. Life was good.

This was considered arduous sea duty in that we didn’t return to the US during our year onboard. That was okay with us – we were all single and quite enjoyed the monthly port visits to 9V and, particularly, VK, whose YL’s made us feel most welcome.

But after my first 28 days at sea, with much more free time than would be imagineable on a sub, I knew I needed an at-sea diversion besides all the James Michener and Paul (The Great Railway Bazaar) Theroux books we devoured. So I ordered a Yaesu FT-101 and started educating the ship’s captain about MARS, thinking I could run phone patches for my shipmates when conditions allowed it. Continue reading 'Adrift on the Pacific…..with an FT-101EE'»

Comments (6)

By John AE5X, August 1, 2011

In 1989, a DX station from a rare entity appeared on 20m CW. This one-man DXpedition was poorly planned (as an afterthought), poorly equipped (with borrowed equipment) and the op’s skill was unequal to the pile-ups that his callsign would generate.

A boy had been sent to do a man’s work.

Borrowed gear was provided by a well-meaning radio officer from an Exxon tanker that was also in port at this entity, VQ9 Chagos Archipelago. Paddles & keyer? No way, Jose – here, try my bug. Knock yourself out, son.

The antenna, unfortunately, was a TH7DX at 60 feet. “Unfortunate” because it would actually allow this poor feller’s CQ’s to be heard and responded to. Thunderously responded to. Continue reading 'The worst DX op in the history of ham radio'»