MM0UKI/p – Rockall (IOTA EU-189)

19th November 2021
In June 2022 a team will land on Rockall Island, more than 200 nautical miles from the West Coast of Scotland, and the nearest civilisation. Their intention is to survive on the tiny island for one week battling winds and waves in order to raise £1,000,000 for charity.
 
The Ham Radio community know only too well, the stories of this infamous Rock. Kudos to Nobby G0VJG who will join the Team and will have 1/2 days on the rock as the sole Radio Operator. He will try to focus on 20 and 40m and use SSB only.
 
Still #1 most wanted IOTA in the World, it will be a huge challenge.
Further information will be available in the coming months but please take a look at the links on this post and follow the Team as they progress towards their target date.
 
 
For further updates you may also wish to follow M0OXO on Facebook and Instagram where updates will be made.
 
Pilot M0OXO
Qsl for this project will be M0OXO OQRS (Direct Only).
Instagram charles_wilmott

A451ND

15th November 2021
National Day (18th November) is an official holiday in the Sultanate of Oman and the main one in the Country.
 
National Day events include parades, fireworks, camel races, a horse show, and once every five years, a military exhibition drill. The ‘Glorious National Day Military Parade’ is the highlight and main event of the National Day holiday.
 
A451ND is QRV from the 18th and until around the 25th November on all modes.
 
Qsl via M0OXO

TL7M Central African Republic

1st November 2021
(From QRZ.Com) – ”Ken LA7GIA active from Bangui Oct 30 to Nov 15 2021. All band and all modes. First activation of 60m via special permit.
 
Elecraft K3 and Juma 1000 + KX3, Simultaneous transmission on 2 bands, CW/SSB + FTx. One computer, one brain.
 
Donations recieved via paypal [email protected] before Nov 16th receive Express LOTW and Direct QSL.
Donations are appreciated to cover some of the cost.
 
QSL via M0OXO – NO bureau cards. Direct only.”

XT2AW Sponsor Update

29th October 2021

Harald and his Sponsors give generously to provide for the School Children in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Thanks to your generous donations, our sponsored school children, some of whom have to walk 10 and more KM to school, have now received a bicycle.

I would also like to say thank you very much on behalf of the children and their parents.

A43MI / A44M Oman

29th October 2021
A44M / A43MI Team will be active from Masirah Island, IOTA AS – 014, in CQWW SSB Contest, 30/31st October 2021 as A44M.
 
 
They will operate in Multi Op Category.
 
Outside the Contest they will be active as A43MI.
 
QSL via M0OXO OQRS

3Y0J Bouvet (Press Release #6)

27th October 2021

3Y0J DXpedition to Bouvet Island, November 2022

We have reached our first payment milestone for the Marama vessel contract. Today we have paid the first deposit, and with this payment we confirm our plans of activating the #2 most wanted entity Bouvet. We would like to thank each individual and club who has contributed to this payment with their upfront support, especially thanks to our Lead sponsor NCDXF. It is a huge task and undertaking to go to Bouvet and we still critically need additional upfront support to close the budget.

We are happy to announce two additional operators to the team to make it complete with 13 operators. Dave WD5COV will rejoin us on this adventure to Bouvet. Dave is a well-known and recognized DXer and DXpeditioner who has embarked on over ten major DXpeditions including three in the top ten most wanted category.

In addition, we have included Peter in the team as a combined crew and dedicated FTx operator. Peter is an experienced captain and expedition leader with huge experience from offshore sailing, sailing in remote polar uncharted areas and specializes in supporting some of the most complex expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. He is experienced in safety evacuation procedures, MOB maneuver in cold water, beach landings in difficult locations and he is an experienced zodiac operator that will be based in Norway. He will be heading up the zodiac landing at Bouvet.

Our preparation for Bouvet includes planning, constructing, and testing a system for landing zodiacs safely, this will be tested in rough sea in Norway before and after Christmas. We plan for several systems and techniques to adapt to the onsite conditions. We plan for safely landing the zodiacs in different manners also with some swell, unmanned and with less risk for operators. And we prepare for the event that zodiacs are capsizing and we still can retrieve the equipment. We have done the first prelim sea trials of the zodiac equipment in Norway and will continue sea trials to further mature the concept. We plan for a gasoline powered winch system to lift equipment up the cliff, and this will be tested in Norway after Christmas. We plan to access the 25 ft cliff with professionals means, and if needed prepare for climbing and bolting a short route to gain access. We refresh our climbing experience, and some team members will be certified climbers. In 2022 we will practice safe rope access training and evacuation down the cliff with instructor also including emergency evacuation with injured operator. We will have IRATA educated instructors training with us.

We also have an extended off-island team of 5 Norwegian professionals and experts from the maritime industry assisting us. These are former captains and chief engineers with huge experience within RIB SAR vessels, maritime risk assessment and safety training. Some of them have stayed several seasons at Bouvet, stayed anchored at Cape Fie, have passed Bouvet more than 60 times and have done zodiac landing at the same spot. With all these upcoming events and the knowledge in the extended team – be rest assured this will be a well planned and executed project.
You can follow our plans from our website and the 3Y0J Facebook pages:

http://www.3y0j.no

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3093983840726129

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaMaR21075U

Thank you,

Ken Opskar LA7GIA, Co-Leader
Rune Oye LA7THA, Co-Leader
Erwann Merrien LB1QI, Co-Leader

VP8ADR & VP8BTR Falkland Islands

27th October 2021
Logs are now available on M0OXO OQRS for Bob VP8ADR and Lyn VP8BTR.
 
Bob and Lyn are both active from their Sheep Farm at Walker Creek
on the Falkland Islands (IOTA SA-002, GRID GD08oa).
 
Qsl Cards for both callsigns are currently being prepared by UX5UO QSL Print and will be available in a few weeks time. OQRS is open where you can search both logs and order your QSL Cards either Direct or via the Bureau.
 

3D2CR Conway Reef – IOTA

23rd October 2021
3D2CR operation by Dominik Grzyb from Conway Reef, September 2021
 
IOTA Management regrets that it will not be able to accept for IOTA credit contacts made with the 3D2CR operation from Conway Reef between 18 and 25 September 2021.
 
Dominik has not been able to show that his FT4/FT8 activity complied with IOTA rule B.3.10 on which clarification was given in a Management News Item on 10 September. At Dominik’s request credit will also not be given for a small number of contacts made on SSB.
 
Management wishes to draw IOTA DXpeditioners’ attention to its policy of only accepting for IOTA credit contacts that result from contemporaneous direct initiation by the operators on both sides of the contact. Automated contacts, i.e. contacts not initiated and completed personally by both operators at the time of QSO are not acceptable in a programme founded on an ethos of recognising personal operating performance and skill.
 
Team IOTA, 23 October 2021