Category - Blog

Olof G0CKV will again be active from Harstena Island IOTA EU-177 as SM5CKV/P during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 29-30, 2017).

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail

Members of the Fuzhou Amateur Radio Club will again be active as BG5UDN from Pingtan Island AS-138 during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 29-30, 2017).

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail

GB2HCC is a special event station supporting Lupus UK Charity.

The event will be on air from the location of the TV Series ‘Downton Abbey’, Highclere Castle in Royal Berkshire.

Listen for GB2HCC in the coming weeks.

PRESS RELEASE #2 — JULY 11, 2017

Whilst currently working in Germany, team member Dickson EL2DT, will be taking time out to attend ‘HAM RADIO’ in Friedrichshafen this coming weekend. In fact, he is giving a short presentation on the much awaited 1st IOTA activation to Baiyah Island, AF-111NEW. To catch up with the latest planning and preparations so far, be sure to visit the IOTA Forum this Saturday July 15th between 10:00 and 11:45 hours in Halle A2 Raum 1.

Since our first Press Release (https://af111new.com/news/) we have incurred additional costs which have been fully met by the team. We feel these recce trips are essential to identify the variables on this otherwise unknown piece of rock! To get there, we have decided to hire a 4×4 and to drive the 400 kilometer dirt track to where we will meet the boat that will take us to the island.

A further recce trip will be made by both Richmond EL2BG and Dickson EL2DT likely at the end of August – this time to land on the island and to find suitable position(s) to set up our stations and antennas. It’s very important to maintain our relationship with the local elders and villagers who are giving us the necessary access to land on Baiyah.

Jeremy EI5GM, Dave EI9FBB and Col MM0NDX have now booked their flights to Monrovia. All going well and following our intended itinerary, we hope to be QRV from October 31st (slightly earlier than initially announced). We aim to have 3 stations active simultaneously from the island – no mean feat considering the island is not very inviting and landing areas are few. Our operation will be short (3 days) but very intense! Please respect our wishes as we will try to give out this new IOTA reference to as many uniques as possible.

The ever efficient Charles M0OXO will be our QSL manager. Expect the usual high standard from him. https://af111new.com/logs/

A further news update will be issued once the final recce trip has been completed. In the meantime, we sincerely thank those clubs, organisations and individual donors who have donated to the 5L3BI project so far.

Please see https://af111new.com/support/ for full listings and on how you too can donate.

Vy 73 de 5L3BI team.

Update from Grant VK5GR;

This will be a one man holiday style Dxpedition with family, and so operating will be at times limited. I will try and plan some days when I will definitely be active (working around solar storms etc if needed) and publicise them at little closer to the day. Other days will be family time, and completely dependent on what we are doing while exploring this island paradise.

The plan is to take a 500W station with a vertical folded monopole for 40m – 6m, which with a tuner may prove partially effective on 80m as well. The principle activity will be on digital modes (so I can operate when the family is asleep) but there will be some SSB activity as well. The rigs will be an Elecraft K3+KPA500+KAT500. The antenna has been designed and built by Steve VK5SFA.

The trip will see us arrive in Niue on September 12th (Niue time) and I expect the station to be active by end of day on the 13th (VK stations please remember Niue is on the other side of the date line, so this will be well into the 14th of September for VK/ZL). I am in particular planning on being active during the CQ WW RTTY contest on the weekend of the 23rd/24th of September. Last day will be Monday 25th of September (as we fly home on Tuesday 26th via New Zealand).

Good luck Grant!

 Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail

Qsl Cards for the above Callsigns are being prepared by the VK Team. They will be available in due course but this may be a little longer than my usual service due to logistics.

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail

Jeremy, EI5GM and Col, MM0NDX will be active from Bere Island IOTA EU-121.

They will be qrv as EJ3HB during the IOTA contest (July 29-30, 2017).

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail

Michael G7VJR has announced his will visit Vanuatu in 2018.

He will be qrv as YJ0G between the 2nd March 2018 to 19th March 2018 from Epule in Vanuatu in CW mode.

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Post Mail