Category - Blog

VU4R Neil Island, Andaman Islands

Press Release 1 by VU4R Team

The VU4R Team will be active from 20th March 2020 to 31st March 2020 in Neil Islands, Andamans.

The operation will mainly focus on low bands 160M, 80M, 40M. We propose to activate 60M for the first time from VU4R Dxpediton. We will also be operating during the CQ WPX contest, giving the contesters yet another rare prefix !

We do have concern band limitation on 160M due to the recent changes in our WPC which we are working on to resolve the Frequency Spectrum issue. Based on that we will also announce later final frequency and operating schedule. The location will be the Northern tip of the Neil Island with clear opening to Europe / USA and All the antennas will be on the beach.

Our Team has decided that Charles, M0OXO of great repute will be the QSL Manager, Club Log and Online Log will be uploaded during or after the Expedition as the network permits. We will also be active on Eshail satellite for one day.

A minimum of three stations will be active , more will be operation depending on propagation and resources. We will be using SteppIR / Hex beam for the high bands and Vertical antennas for the low bands .

We need to hire the boat from Portblair to Neil Islands, The Island has intermittent power supply . we have to hire generators and many
other items needed to procure for this activity in addition to Station Rooms in Resort for 11 days. We will be operating over 150m from the beach , A large qty of Low Loss LMR cables, poles and many items are required.

Your contribution to this DXpedition is Welcome and every contribution will acknowledge and updated in our website.

All individual supporters 25$+ will receive direct QSL.

All individual supporters 50$ + will receive direct QSL + VU4 Pin

All individual supporters 100$ + will receive direct QSL + VU4 Pin +
Custom T-Shirt.

Our Website is http://vu4r.vu3rsb.org for more information – Please support via paypal or international bank.

73s and thank you.. Team VU4R

R.Sarath Babu, VU2RS ( Old Call VU3RSB)

IOTA 2020 Honour Roll & Annual Listings

Published on the IOTA Website;
 
”The 2020 Honour Roll and Annual Listings have been posted here on the IOTA website.
 
The two main listings with a total 1647 entries show an increase of 10 over the same listings in 2019. Early indications based on increasing take-up in the last three months point to a bumper year 2020.
 
Some 253 record-holders now have scores of 1000 or more IOTA groups, an increase of 9% on last year, and 590, up 2%, have scores of at least 750 groups, the number required for the IOTA Plaque of Excellence. Scores at the top continue to close with 63 record-holders breaking through the 1100 mark and 18 of them within 10 of the top score.
 
Congratulations to leader 9A2AA on 1129 groups out of a possible 1133 that have seen activity, to I2YDX and I1JQJ who follow close behind and indeed to all who have joined the IOTA family or updated in the last year.
 
Following a brief break Checkpoints have started processing applications again. Now is the time to make that submission if you wish to avoid the busy period later in the year.
 
G3KMA, 22 February 2020”

9J2LA Zambia – Counting down…..

With just a week to go to this Dxpedition, please take a tour of the LA guys website. Following on from 7P8LB last year and Z2LA in 2018, the Team leave for Zambia in just over a weeks time.

Please take a browse through their website and check out the Operators, their Operating Plans and also the QSL information.

Try to remember to report ALL busted or missing calls using the form on the Bespoke OQRS ONLY (not via email or social media) and of course don’t send us your QSL Card via the bureau. We do NOT need your QSL Card so try to use M0OXO Bespoke OQRS in all instances.

If you can support the Team in any way please do so also on their website.

https://9j2la.com/
https://9j2la.com/team/
https://9j2la.com/operating-plan/
https://9j2la.com/qsl-info/

CP6/DK7PE Bolivia

Rudi, DK7PE will be active as CP6/DK7PE from Bolivia between the 25th February & the 6th March 2020.
He will operate on HF Bands.

QSL via DK7PE.
Ads for direct QSL:
Rudolf Klos, Ulrichstrasse 26, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
QTH – Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

(tnx https://dxnews.com/)

TU5PCT Cote D’Ivoir

TU5PCT will be active from Cote dIvoire between the 24th & 29th February 2020.
The all Czech Team includes – OK1BOA, OK1FCJ, OK6DJ.
They will operate on 160 – 10m, CW, SSB, RTTY & FT8 modes.

The Team are well on their way to the Ivory Coast and tell us

”Air france “like us” in Paris. We paid 200 eur for overweight onboard luggage and had to check in additional luggage with our delicate electronics ( 2x notebooks, ts480 and microham interface). Hopefully it safely arrives with us to Abidjan. Not the best beginning of our trip”.

QSL via OK6DJ, ClubLog OQRS, LOTW.
Ads for direct QSL:
David Beran, Dolni Kamenice 55, Holysov, 34562, Czech Republic

(tnx https://dxnews.com/)

Micronesia Dxpedition (OC-155 & OC-299)

From Cezar VE3LYC – ”We chartered a boat for this project at a cost of $20k. Our time schedule is to leave Weno on April 30, and return on May 12. To guarantee this schedule, 50% of the charter cost must be paid by March 15. Flying to Weno will take 3 days each way, with a mandatory overnight in Hawaii or Guam, depending on actual flights/airlines. The team will arrive in Weno at least two days ahead of the boat departure, in order to finalize a number of logistical aspects associated with this operation. Read More

W8S Swains 2020

In close cooperation with Alex Jennings, the representative of Swains Island, the team has decided to postpone the W8S DXpedition to Swains Island to autumn of 2020.

The reason behind this postponement is the travel restrictions when entering American Samoa, restrictions imposed by the Department of Health of American Samoa as a result of the Corona virus outbreak.

The Department of Health allows non-residents to enter American Samoa only via Hawaii, after a 14 days mandatory quarantine in Hawaii.

For the team this is not a workable situation. It would require extending the holiday time by an additional 2 weeks, re-routing of the flights and purchasing new tickets etc.

Everything is prepared for our DXpedition, and we are eager to go, but unfortunately the Corona virus outbreak is out of our control.

Although this is a disappointment for everyone, the W8S DXpedition is not cancelled, but just postponed for later this year!

3Y0I Bouvet Island -Update

Rebel Team update

We are on track with 3Y0I Bouvet project. Still missing some budget but we are getting closer and closer. Second attempt will take place in December 2020. Before December, Rebels are moving to Pacific to activate Banaba Island (callsign secured T33T).This activity will start in fist half of 2020.
After Banaba we will sail to T2 Tuvalu (working on callsign T22T)

During April we will also be active from 2 IOTAs OC 156 and OC 121……..Stay tuned.

3B8M Mauritius 2020

3B8M Team will be active from Mauritius Island, IOTA AF – 049, in CQ WW DX CW Contest, 28 – 29 November 2020. They will operate in MO Category. Ful details of the Team will be announced later.

Qsl via M0OXO Bespoke OQRS  

VY0ERC, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut

Logs for the recent CQ WPX RTTY Contest carried out from the VY0ERC Station on Ellesmere island, Nunavut (IOTA NA-008) have been uploaded to M0OXO OQRS.

Please be aware that only the Contest Log has been uploaded at this time, other logs will be added to OQRS at the end of this Season’s trip to Eureka Outpost.