1st expedition only communication from the island back to the U.S. was ham radio

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Is there a way to email Lee on TIGHAR?

Not while they're on the island.

So far as I know, the team does not have an internet connection.

[Bob Harmon]

On the June 10 daily, Pat mentioned they have an Iridium Pilot Open Port broadband setup that seems to provide an element of broadband data and voice so it would seem they do have some connectivity.

Bob

[Bob Harmon]

The 20 meter ham band (14.0 to 14.35 Mhz) seems dead tonight. 40 meters (7.0 to 7.3 Mhz) seems to be better but I have no idea if Lee will use 40 meters.

Bob

[Bob Harmon]

Lee appears to be listening on 14280 and I assume he's transmitting on 14290.

[Bob Harmon]

Lee apparently is transmitting from the boat and not the island.

[Bob Harmon]

If you're listening on one of the WebSDR's, you can hear Lee better if you tune to 14290 USB like normal but then click the USB-nrw button, then click the narrower button to about 1.67 khz bandwidth. Try it!

[Friend Weller]

Hearing fragments on the website now....  I could copy N0UN easy.  Lee is in the noise floor there someplace!

[Randy Conrad]

I agree with you Bob...The 20 meters was rather flat tonight...however I did hear Wayne from United Norway (don't ask me about that) shout out to Lee and from what I gathered sounded like a pretty interesting conversation. Anyway, I tried the 14.290 to listen to him but had no luck doing so. However, the past couple of nights have been rather interesting as I am learning so much about this trade per say. What does it mean when a short wave radio operator makes the comment "5 and 7" What are they referring too. Sounds very interesting!

[Bob Harmon]

Hi Randy - 5 and 7 probably refers to the way hams specify readability and signal strength to give the sender an idea of how he is being received. You can read about it here.

[Daniel Paul Cotts]

To Col McGowan regarding getting a message to Lee Paynter. I'm guessing one would have to contact Pat Thrasher at TIGHAR headquarters asking her to relay the message during satellite phone contact with Ric.
Phone is: 610-467-1937
E-mail: tighar@tighar.org

Possibly Pat could put you in contact with Lee's family who might know his plans.
Else, maybe you and Lee could arrange (via Pat & Ric) a commo link at a set time and frequency different from what he is currently using.

Thanks for spreading the word about Lee's life as T31LP.

[Dave Ross Wilkinson]

Hi Bob
re:

But then there is Amelia...

Is he going to attempt to reproduce some of the conditions that existed back in 1937? Will he transmit on AM rather than upper sideband? Will he transmit on other bands beside 20 meters to simulate harmonic reception? Will he transmit during daylight or nighttime? Credible signals were heard both times.

I'm interested, too, and I have some preliminary ideas.  The easiest thing to do is to simply move transmission time to daylight hours in the USA, to try to match the times the credible post- lost messages were heard in the States.  AM would be preferable, is that is how Amelia was transmitting, and to make it easier for those unfamiliar with SSB to participate.  But, since the issue is propagation, SSB or AM would be OK.  Listeners should expect to fading, due properties of the ionosphere.  It would seem that it might take a lot of time for a listener to catch a signal, and a lot of transmission time. 

Just a thought, and for all I know, something like that is planned. 

[John Katerenchuk]

I live near Lancaster, PA and this morning was able to make a very good contact with Lee, T31LP.  The frequency was 7.165 MHz (this is the 40 meter band) on LSB (Lower Sideband).  He was transmitting and listening on this frequency at 5:30am Eastern +/- 15 minutes.  There is a regular managed net control operator so the contacts are much more organized and disciplined.  I suspect he will show up again at this same time tomorrow as the net manager invited him to do so and many people wished to contact him but he was tired and needed to get some sleep.

If you wish to listen then I would suggest the best option would be to use one of the free receivers on websdr.org that is located in the USA.

Regards, John K3MA

[Bob Harmon]

Thanks for the report John - I might try listening but at 4:30 am CDT I'm just entering REM sleep :). I hope other operators keep us posted here on the forum. I do see a few reports on the TIGHAR Facebook page as well.

Here's a chance to very clearly (starting at 1:20 T31LP NOT LAND BASED) hear Lee talking to Wayne Ordakowsky, callsign N0UN, in Denver. In the ham radio world there is a little bit of concern for the fact that Lee is not standing on the island in the sand while operating his radio. He is operating from the boat as I mentioned yesterday. The boat is tied to the Norwich City wreck so there is some debate about whether he is actually on the island. None of this has anything to do with forthcoming attempts to simulate conditions and equipment of 1937, it's just a Ham Radio thing.

Bob

[Friend Weller]

I heard Lee in passing last night but super brief on 20 meters.  I've heard Wayne more so but he IS a little closer (both to me on the set and to the NJ web server).

I'd say that as there is the ever-present risk of the Nai'a bumping into the reef which requires them to hove to off the island and having placed strobes to ensure a safe distance is maintained at night, that should count as being "on the island".  Besides, there isn't sufficient B+ in Lee's transmitter to cook crab so why run the risk of *CHOMP* !!  :D

Reminds me of the parrot, the Kon-Tiki, and the aerial....just more voltage to cook a parrot in 1947!

[Bob Harmon]

Well I just heard an operator talking to Lee on 14290. There is no longer a "pileup" trying to call Lee. Since he is officially not on the island, the radio traffic has subsided greatly.

Bob