XT2MD Burkina Faso

15th October 2024
Please read the information below and share with your friends. This will make your life easier should you have any questions relating to the Dxpedition by the Mediterraneo DX Club which starts on Thursday 31st of October.
 
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Make the right question to the right person-don’t be fooled again!
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Start the operations is approaching. In order to make everyone happy we would like to remember some useful contacts:
 
XT2MD’s Official spokesman/social media content M0OXO ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
North America Pilot N1DG ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
South America Pilot HK3W ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
– for LOG problems (busted calls, NIL and so go on…), the only person who has the complete log and is able to check and correct is IK2VUC ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE TO WRITE TO GIULIANO IK2VUC:
 
May be you are not in log because you didn’t got the QSO (and you have to try again) or, if you aren’t in log with a bunch of other operators made the QSO after you, may be we are disconnected and you should wait till midnight (log back-up) to see your call.
 
– for any sked or information about E.M.E. write to DL8JJ ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
– for any sked or information about QO-100 write to GI4DOH ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
– sked or other info/requests on low bands write to IZ8FFA ([email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 
Feel free to contact those guys if you have questions, information or requests: they will collect your messages and forward to us almost on real time, it will be much quicker and easier than directly contact the expedition crew.
 
During last TJ9MD we had a terrific digital activity… much before our arrival in Cameroun: in order to avoid to be fooled again by some frustrated jolly fellow, just wait official news about our activity from above mentioned guys!
 
Just to be clear: XT2MD won’t be on-air before Thursday 31 late afternoon-evening (Time zone: 0).
 
see you on our (real) pile-up
73 Ant I8KHC
XT2MD Team Leader#
 
QSL via IK2VUC

DX Féile 2025

6th October 2024

DX Féile 2024 was a huge success! Held at the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, County Clare, it saw over 50 attendees, plus several guests from around the world.

Next Years event will take place at the same Hotel on Saturday October 11th 2025.

Please add the date to your diary to avoid disappointment! 

6Y7EI Jamaica

6th October 2024
Following 9N7EI, 7Q7EI, 5V7EI, V26EI, 7P8EI Dxpeditions, EIDXG have announced their next Dxpedition will be to Jamaica as 6Y7EI.
 
The Dxpedition will be the 12th to 24th March 2025 +/-.
 
More details to follow….

3Y0K Bouvet (2026)

18th September 2024
This is a challenging project logistic wise where vessel and helicopter must be coordinated, and the contracts placed sufficient time ahead.
 
We have studied various offers for boat and helicopter services, in line with the scope of this project. Due to the postponement from 2025 to 2026 we also had to renegotiate the terms. We are now in the final stage of negotiating the vessel and helicopter contracts for the 3Y0K Bouvet Island DX-pedition anticipated for 2026 www.3y0k.com <http://www.3y0k.com/> We have agreed on the important price elements in these contracts, and will release more info once we have all details completed.
 
For now we aim to fully finance this trip upfront. This is a major DX-pedition where we also team up with a small private group to share the cost and risk for this DX-pedition. In addition the funding of this trip significantly depend on us building a team of 20 operators to finance the budget. We’re 14 operators and are actively looking for another 6 operators to complete the team.
 
As we are approaching the final stage of the negotiations we are again reaching out to anyone who wants to join our team to participate in this one in a lifetime adventure. We estimate to stay around the island for 21 days and the total duration should be around 40 days.
 
Should you wish to join our team please contact [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> or Cezar VE3LYC directly. For Peter I we are still looking for another 3 operators before the team is complete.
 
73, 3Y0K team

Amateur Radio Dxpeditions (ARD)

18th September 2024
Join or Renew Your Membership with Amateur Radio DXpeditions! 🎙️
 
As we look back on an exciting and productive year, we invite you to renew your membership or join our growing Amateur Radio DXpeditions (ARD) community!
 
Whether you’re a seasoned radio amateur or just getting started, ARD offers the chance to be part of dynamic DXpeditions and new projects, with members both in Norway and internationally.
 
This year, we completed 3Y0J our DXpedition to Bouvet island, merged with the LA Afrika Group, and are currently preparing our next Dxpedition to Namibia (V55LA).
 

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IOTA QSO Matching (via Clublog)

18th September 2024
For those of you who use Qso matching to retrieve IOTA Matching via Clublog please note the following change.
 
On the IOTA Website, you previously navigated through your Profile – Add Qso’s from Clublog – Login Credentials.
At that point you went to the next stage by entering your own Login and Password for the Clublog website. This now is no longer the case.
 as outlined above but now you need to enter a one-time ”Application Password” (available from the Clublog website). Once you have copied and pasted this App Password into the field on the IOTA page, continue as normal.

So, in short you don’t use your Clublog Password anymore.

I have attached a couple of screen shots that show you where to find the Application Password on Clublog, it’s very easy. See below; 
 

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Solar Cycle 25 continues to surge

18th September 2024
Solar activity continues to intensify. In August 2024, the average monthly sunspot number exceeded 200 for the first time in 23 years, almost doubling the official forecast:
 
The current solar cycle (Solar Cycle 25) wasn’t expected to be this strong. When it began in Dec. 2019, experts predicted it would be weak like its immediate predecessor Solar Cycle 24. Instead, Solar Cycle 25 may be on pace to rival some of the stronger cycles of the 20th century. Already in May 2024 we have experienced a century-class geomagnetic storm with auroras sighted in the South Pacific, central America and south Africa.
 
The last time sunspot counts were this high, in Sept.-Dec. 2001, the sun was winding up to launch the Great Halloween Storms of ’03, which included the strongest X-ray solar flare ever recorded (X45) and a CME so potent it was felt by Voyager at the edge of the solar system. A repeat is not guaranteed, but current sunspot counts tell us it’s possible.
Years from now, we may look back and realize that 2024 was the maximum of Solar Cycle 25. Or not; the original “official forecast” predicted Solar Max would occur in July 2025. Either way, we probably have at least 2 more years of high solar activity ahead.
Image; A composite view of sunspots in Aug. 2024. Credit: Senol Sanli
 
Credits to spaceweather.com