Svalbard

[DalenVigil]

VERY cool. No pun intended. I spent a month in Iceland in the dead of winter. It was definitely an experience! Got some fantastic aurora pics, saw more than a few marriage proposals, and had the weirdest hot dogs...

 

[Boombox]

One thing that does not encourage taking an HF radio with us is that auroras and M/HF radio don't mix well --But there does seem to be a radio club in Longyearbyen, where we will be staying, and maybe if we run across any 2 metre activity we will try to visit the locals.
I have no real agenda- my life seems to run smoother that way .

Lauri

While the Auroras' effect on MW/SW may be true, MW DXers in the far north of Finland, Sweden and Norway seem to do OK. So it may depend on the strength of it. Not living in Aurora territory, I wouldn't know. I am aware, however, of 'auroral' MW conditions, living in the northern tier of states. Kills the regionals, and signals from the southern regions (California, Nevada, Arizona, Mexico, etc.) come in well. But that's the effect of the auroral radio zone on the middle latitudes, I'm sure it is probably quite different at 70-80 degrees north.

That said, the idea of going so far north in the winter seems like a cool idea. I.e., really getting to understand how the locals deal with it. That abandoned Russian mining camp also looks interesting. I understand it is like a ghost town, with few scientists as inhabitants.

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

There is no gainsaying that radio communications in the arctic is fraught with pitfalls. As any ham knows, when the geomagnetic indices are up its a good time go read a book, for everything is getting wiped out.

Having tried on many occasions to rely on HF communications in polar regions I can attest first hand to the fun auroras play'd with our circuits.
During the last Cold War the US Air Force recognized these limitation when they went the 900 MHz troposcatter route for the DEW and BMEWS sites**

"White Alice" it was called (love that name, btw,) and expensive it was !!
But it connected the far north reliably in those days before satellites and fiber optics.



Often having cursed the auroras for their radio mayhem, this trip I am going to put aside my hobby and just enjoy the auroral beauty.
My father, a retired Air Force meteorologist who for many years as the commander of the weather squadron at Andrews AFB used to dread and curse blizzard havoc's on their forecasts --
He said, shortly after his retirement while watching the snow fall during a frosty storm :

"You know, Snow !-- it really is quite pretty !"

I am going to follow his example.


Lauri




Happy Thanks Giving Guys !
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** Distant Early Warning ....Ballistic Missile Early Warning System,....

 

[6079smithw]

Spent 3 weeks on Adak training exercises in 1965.
The auroras were spectacular. Adak... not as much.

 

[krokus]

Just got the time to read this thread. Sounds like a fantastic trip.

I wonder which Lauri will get more of: job offers, or marriage proposals?

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

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Vi er på vei nå! --- we're on our way !




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[KevinC]

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Vi er på vei nå! --- we're on our way !


View attachment 133884

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You’d think they’d have a more modern plane.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

You’d think they’d have a more modern plane.

Its an adventure. That one is already outfitted to carry the dogs and sleds.

 

[MUTNAV]

Its an adventure. That one is already outfitted to carry the dogs and sleds.

I don't think that's actually them, unless they went into appropriate time period dress, unless everyone's just been playing...

Regardless.... good luck on the trip, and we expect scenary pictures ...and don't forget ones with people in them for yourselves.

Scenery is nice, but its the people that make the trip.

Thanks
Joel

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I don't think that's actually them, unless they went into appropriate time period dress, unless everyone's just been playing...

Regardless.... good luck on the trip, and we expect scenary pictures ...and don't forget ones with people in them for yourselves.

Scenery is nice, but its the people that make the trip.

Thanks
Joel

I had no idea folks actually take me seriously here!

 

[6079smithw]

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Vi er på vei nå! --- we're on our way !


View attachment 133884

Got to ride in a Ford Tri-Motor when I worked at Harrah's Reno 1977.

 

[phask]

Got to ride in a Ford Tri-Motor when I worked at Harrah's Reno 1977.

I did as well - the old Port Clinton - Lake Erie Island route.

 

[MUTNAV]

Got to ride in a Ford Tri-Motor when I worked at Harrah's Reno 1977.

I'm not positive it was a ford tri-motor in the image that was shown, the Germans at the time had something similer.

Thanks
Joel

 

[Boombox]

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Vi er på vei nå! --- we're on our way !


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Håper du har en god reise til Svalbard. Stå warm.

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

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It was quite the trip !....uneventual until right up to the very end when --

"My throat is sore....." Cindy
"Oh....So is mine"- Me
".....Maybe its the dry air in this plane's cabin ?"

Oh, such Wishful Thinking!

Then, a day later, now safely back in the US, we both fell into the grips of a raging flu -
And it was a classic flu too !-- the whole works-- the sneezings, coughing fits, fevers, muscle aching weakness-- and the fun still lingers on today as I slowly recover.

But I can't complain about this grud's timing-- it left us alone the entire trip-- and the trip was great.
First off, we saw more auroras than any reasonable girls could ever wish for. They lit up the Svalbard polar night in ways that rival any colossal fireworks displays- only these auroras were silent changing kaleidoscopes of colours streaking overhead from horizon to horizon, silently and continuous.



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Seeing the auroras, particularly the first time for Cindy, right there made the trip a success. However we had more on our agenda.

(ah !- the curse of Type A personalities !)

We were honour'd guests at the EISCAT faciities and big dish sites. It was a real pleasure speaking "aurora" with other physicists **- though I'm afraid it left my poor friend out in 'left field'- perplex'd by the technical jargon. That was all made up by the wonderful dinners with no shop talk.

But then it was Cindy's turn: Using her special talents she honed over years in Washington she made some mysterious (to me) arrangements with the Russian coal company, Arktikugol at Barentsburg to visit the mining village.
That was cool experience !

.... via a 15 minute flight in a Russian supply helicopter loaded with machine parts (Arktikugol does not generally fly any non-company people--- but then they rarely deal with the likes of someone like Cindy.)

We were unsure of what kind of reception we would receive- the events in Ukraine and all-- but all our fears were quickly allayed-- The Russians were warm and welcoming from the first moment. More on our visit to 'Баренцбург' (no, I don't , but Cindy does - speak Russian.)

and, but of course ! --- what about Ham Radio ?

Stay tuned !

JW6/Lauri





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***Just about everyone in Svalbard speaks English
**Photographing auroras, especially with a 'mobile phone -is a real challenge--- one which escapes me. This, alas, is not one of mine.

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[Boombox]

I've seen pics of Barentsburg. Looks like a relic from the past, but in a cool way. Glad your trip turned out well. Sorry to hear about your flu. At least it waited until you got home from the trip./

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

Visiting Barentsburg is a unique experience. Unfortunately the international tensions today cloud a lot - but like I said before, the Russians treated us with nothing but charm and warmth during our short little visit, and I refuse to enter into anything political.
Cindy's fluent Russian won admiration from the people we met (fortunately for me most spoke some English-- though the universal smile is a language everyone understands-- and I am quite conversant in 'smile.')





A visit to Barentsburg in the dead of the polar night leaves a lot to the imagination-- there is not much to see except classic Soviet-era buildings, and everything was in dark shadows.... We made a visit to the Consulate and got neat stamps in our passports. A friendly consular aide offered to accompany us to lunch**... suggesting we go to about the only real restaurant in towne- the Red Bear-- where we were instructed not to miss the local beers from their brewery.

And We Indulged !

We had to try eating everything culturally Russian as suggested by new friend. And she was a font of information about life in the Russian arctic villages.

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Anything to recommend Barentsburg ?
The people make it wonderful..... oh, and don't miss the statue of Lenin in the village centre .

Next--- A visit to JW3E

Lauri




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** later Cindy joked that perhaps she was also FSB


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[El_Kabong]

Great smile, Laurie. 😀

Glad you enjoyed the kaleidoscope skies. Thanks for sharing.

-Donnie

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

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I think its worth saying again that our trip was in the heart of Polar Darkness. Coming from sunny climes, Its can be really hard to get your head around such a concept- for its just as light (or dark) at high noon as it is at midnight. I don't regularly wear a wrist watch, but here I did- I used a little digital watch set on a 24 hour scale, for "2 o'clock" could just as easily be AM as PM. If you are thinking a Polar excursion, keep this in mind.

We wanted to throughly explore Longyearbyen, and set off on a walking tour. Naturally we had to buy souvenirs- and everything Polar Bear is very popular..... I think we over did the cute bear items.



And though cute the bears can seem - from a distance- they are still a dangerous animal. Its a law in Svalbard that you must carry a large bore shotgun or high power'd rifle when traveling outside the village.




We attempted using some 'phone numbers Cindy had, to contact the local radio club-- Svalbard Amatørradio Klubb- but with no success. There is (?) a 2 metre repeater on a mountain overlooking Longyearbyen but it was either down or we had old info. However we had the address for the club station and set out on foot to find it. This time we were in luck, for a club member was there and he gave us a tour.

It's quite a nice set up, tho sparse. You can bring your own equipment and use their antennas, or if you want to take a chance, they have a 'loaner' HF transceiver. Keep in mind that the AC power outlets are not like North American- and that its 230VAC @ 50Hz..... you will need some way to convert this to 120.

I tried a twirl of the dial on the 'guest transceiver'--20 metre's was dead--40 was just musical squeals of overhead auroras.... nothing uncommon at these latitudes. If you go there remember this.
You can rent the station for 1000NOK a day (about 100USD) and with your CEPT papers use your own callsign "JW/K# etc" or their club station callsign JW5E.
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So !
It was a great trip !
We didn't get eaten by polar bears, no marriage proposals, and things with EISCAT may continue for us in the near future.


Thanks Guys for coming along !


Lauri



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[KevinC]

How long until you get the film developed so we can see some pictures?