TX Factor Episode 5 has now been released.
This episode shows the Silcoates School Club Station in detail as well as interviews with Staff and Pupils about their interest in the hobby.
Click the image (left) to see the Film.
Archive - September 2014
Those close to it have been anxious to ensure the sustainability of the IOTA programme over the next 50 years and have spent some time reviewing the challenges and opportunities it faces. A number of issues have been identified: firstly, the heavy reliance of the programme on just a few key people; secondly, the need to ensure that IT support for the programme is modern and robust and will include online island credit submission akin to LoTW; and thirdly, a requirement for a friendlier and more accessible website which will be of greater use to both newcomers and the more experienced island chaser.
The review accepted without question that all island and participant databases should be preserved and that any changes should be backwards-compatible. In addition, it was important to seek ways to rejuvenate and ensure the sustainability of the programme. This vision we loosely called “New IOTA”.
Over the summer, one particular pathway began to emerge. It was that of partnership rather than a top-down approach which had characterised some aspects of the programme’s management in the past. The RSGB Board is agreed that the IOTA team should be invited to establish a group to develop and implement the “New IOTA” concept, with the RSGB providing seed-corn finance and other appropriate support. This approach acknowledges that the strength of the programme lies with its national and international participants whom, we are assured, have the motivation, skills and enthusiasm to develop the programme and to promote it to its full potential. This way forward has the full support of the IOTA team and has been welcomed by the wider IOTA community both at home and abroad.
Our initial feedback is best summed up by Don Chamberlain MD, W9DC, who said
“I am excited that the RSGB is combining with IOTA enthusiasts around the world to create a “New IOTA” program. Their efforts will resolve most existing QSL and submission issues and will encourage IOTA chasers to participate in this very prestigious and challenging award.”
Over the next nine months the group will be asked, through a market/user-led approach, to develop a plan for the “New IOTA” programme to embrace management and governance, IT, data management and security, and a review of partnering options and any other relevant topics. It is envisaged that this will lead to a devolved structure, with a Memorandum of Understanding to clearly delineate the responsibilities of all parties.
The Society and the programme’s Management believe that the resulting governance structure, management processes and IT framework will ensure the IOTA programme is not only sustainable into the next years of the 21st century, but continues to grow and play the prominent role that it has done in Amateur Radio DXing and contest activity for the last fifty years.
DX8DX plans for the publicised IOTA activations this weekend have changed.
This means he will be only able to activate one of the proposed Islands this time around. His hopes to make the crossing (between 12 and 18 hours depending on the Sea state) and hopefully be in Pangutaran (OC-188) by 26th September. He will remain there until the 3rd October. Of course I must again remind you that Dindo will be working intermittently throughout this period so operating will be sporadic periods but nevertheless as he is now there for a full week and that this is the rarest of the groups, we hope this will be a popular outcome for the IOTA chasers.
Check out the Blog by clicking here for any further information up to and during his activation of this rare IOTA.
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit at 18:24 p.m. yesterday, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere as never done before.
MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.
Following orbit insertion, MAVEN will begin a six-week commissioning phase that includes maneuvering into its final science orbit and testing the instruments and science-mapping commands. MAVEN then will begin its one Earth-year primary mission, taking measurements of the composition, structure and escape of gases in Mars’ upper atmosphere and its interaction with the sun and solar wind.
Click image to see You Tube movie.
Operations began yesterday by Zorro JH1AJT in Eritrea. he was using the Callsign E30FB.
Zorro is in Eritrea on business and this information published by the Eritrean Ministry Of Communication;
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday between Eritrea and Japan regarding Sports Collaboration at Asmara Palace Hotel here in the capital. The Memorandum pertains to regular exchange of sports delegation, exchange of information, coordinating seminars and preparing mutual programs and projects focusing on Olympic and Paralympics participation of Eritrean athletes during the period 2014-2020.
Up to this morning Zorro had logged over 1400 qso’s, many of them ATNO’s. Expect to hear Zorro sporadically for the next few days.
YW5RYL are now qrv from Las Roques Island, IOTA SA-035.
The archipelago of Los Roques is a group of islands and cays in the Lesser Antilles belonging to Venezuela which have an estimated 40.61 square kilometers and are located between the Archipelago Las Aves (west) and the island of La Orchila surface (the east).
It has an area of approximately 221,120 hectares between sea and land areas, and is considered the largest marine park in Latin America.
A few images from the recent activation of Longstone Island IOTA EU-109 (Farne Islands Group) can be seen on this link for anyone who is interested.
Click the image to view. Tnx Paul 2E1AYS
DX8DX
Pangutaran Island (OC-188)
Request DX8DX Qsl card here
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, in the southwestern Philippines. The archipelago forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea and southern limit of the Sulu Sea.[1] The Sulu Archipelago islands are within the Mindanao Region, in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, or Tawi-Tawi.
The archipelago is not, as is often supposed, the remains of a land bridge between Borneo and the Philippines. Rather, it is the exposed edge of small submarine ridges produced by tectonic tilting of the sea bottom [2][3] Basilan, Jolo, and other islands in the group are extinct volcanic cones rising from the southernmost ridge. Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost island of the group, has a serpentine basement-complex core with a limestone covering.[3] This island chain is an important migration route for birds.
The largest cities in the area are on Maimbung and Jolo islands. The larger island of Palawan to its north, the coastal regions of the westward-extending Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao, and the northern part of the island of Borneo were formerly parts of the thalassocratic Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo.
The archipelago is the home of the indigenous Tausug people; various group of Samal (or Sama) people including the semi-nomadic Badjaw; the land-based Sama; the related Yakan people; and the Jama Mapun people. The Tausug language is spoken widely in the Sulu Archipelago as both first and second languages throughout these islands. The Yakan language is spoken mainly in Basilan Island. Numerous dialects of Sinama are spoken throughout the archipelago, from the Tawi-Tawi Island group, to the Mapun island group (Mapun), to the coast of Mindanao and beyond.
Tongkil Island (OC-119) (CANCELLED)
Request DX8DX Qsl card here
Banguingui (formerly Tongkil) is a 4th class municipality in the province of Sulu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 17,802 people.
The original name of the municipality was Tongkil, and was renamed Banguingui on January 29, 1999 by virtue of Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 71 of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in honor of the dominant Banguingui tribe of the municipality. It was inaugurated only on January 29, 2006.
Thanks to Budi YF1AR and his manager Bob N2OO for receipt of the latest Qsl confirmations.
IOTA OC-122 Sipora Island and YF1AR/5 IOTA OC-122 Tambelan Besar Island were both activated earlier this year and traditional Paper Qsl confirmations arrived today.
