All of us at OnAllBands and DX Engineering would like to give a hearty βhuzzahβ to the entire CY9C St. Paul Island DXpedition team for helping thousands of hams worldwide record All Time New Ones and fill bands.
The 11-operator team made an impressive 114,842 CW, Phone, and Digital QSOs on 160 through 6 meters (including nearly 300 contacts via satellite) during their 10-1/2-day activation of uninhabited St. Paul. They manned multiple FlexRadio-based stations from St. Paulβs windswept and treeless Northeast Island site just off the coast of Nova Scotia until going QRT on September 5, 2024.
Kudos to the experienced operators who made it happen:
Craig, K9CT
Mike, K9NW
Adrian, KO8SCA
Pat, N2IEN
Lou, N2TU
Scott, NE9U
Dan, W4DKS
Glenn, W0GJ
Larry, W0PR
Murray, WA4DAN
Lee, WW2DX
As noted on the CY9C website, the successful activation required two helicopters and a boat to transport gear and operators to the island. The team experienced plenty of pileups, several days of βdisturbed geomagnetic conditionsβ that limited QSOs, and windy but reasonably good weather. To help with the cost of the activation, CY9C asks βif possible, please be generous with donations.β
βOver four tons of gear, materials, and supplies were transported to St. Paul Island,β wrote Murray, WA4DAN.
Among this hefty load was equipment provided by sponsor DX Engineering, including:
Hams everywhere offered praise for the teamβs diligent efforts:
βThank you for outstanding activity in challenging conditions! Made all missing bands covered!β wrote EY8MM on the CY9C Facebook page.
βCY9C far exceeded my expectations, given the competition and not an easy path. I managed only two bands SSB 40 and 10m, but (6b) 80-15m CW and (9b) 160-10m FT8. It took some work and a good station, but they were there to be worked,β wrote VK3HJ.
βThanks again to all of the foundations, clubs, and individuals who supported the CY9C DXpedition,β WA4DAN wrote. βWe could not have done it without your help and support!β
The team plans to send out a βbeautiful, double-folded, six-panel QSL card,β per the website.
DX Engineering Sponsors September 2024 Activation of Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island QRV in September, 2024
One of the worldβs most intriguing locations is scheduled to be on the air from September 5-15 thanks to the VP6WR DXpedition by Bill Rothwell, G0VDE. The 80-10M operation will be, per his website, on βSSB, FT8, and some RTTYβ from the small volcanic islandβthe least populous national jurisdiction (less than 50 people) in the world and the spot where, in 1790, mutineers from theΒ H.M.S. BountyΒ settled after famously burning the ship.
G0VDE will follow up the Pitcairn Island DXpedition with an operation from Mangareva as FO/G0VDE (Gambier, IOTA OC-63) from September 17-21. Look for updated details at the VP6WR website.
Hustler 4BTV 4-Band HF Vertical Antenna and DXE Installation Guide Package: The package comes with the real-world-proven Hustler 40/20/15/10M trap vertical antenna plus the essential 60-page instruction manual, which includes details on achieving maximum performance through installing a complete radial system, plus many more tips on turning this vertical into a DXing powerhouse.
The avid DXers at DX Engineering have made several contacts with operators on Pitcairn Island, as well as Ducie Island (one of the uninhabited coral atolls of the Pitcairn Islands), over the years. Here are a few of the QSL cards from their collections.
Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, reached the 2019 VP6R Pitcairn Island DXpeditionon 20/17/15M SSB. The VP6R DXpedition team battled muddy trails, challenging propagation, lightning, gale force winds, torrential rains, and even feral cats pouncing on keyboards to log more than 82,000 QSOs during their successful stay on this much-coveted DXCC entity in the South Pacific.
(Image/DX Engineering)(Image/DX Engineering)
As the card shows on the front, VP6R received strong support from DX Engineering, which supplied the operating team with a range of DX Engineering branded equipment:
Also going along for the trip to Pitcairn Island was DX Engineeringβs custom-designed 90-foot top-loaded 160M vertical antenna, featuring heavy-duty hinged pivot base (a βwork of art,β according to VP6Rβs Nodir, EY8MM) with custom base insulators to accommodate a 40-foot falling derrick made with three-inch diameter pipe. Originally built to handle the high winds of Bouvet Island, the antennaβs modular design allowed it to be easily downsized if weather conditions made it difficult to install at full size on the island. The crew sent us this photo of the antenna poised against a starlit sky.
(Image/The VP6WR DXpedition)
Mark, W8BBQ, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, did some serious band-filling during the five-operator VP6T Pitcairn Island DXpedition in January 2012. He made contact on 80M, 40M, 30M, 17M, 12M, and 10M CW, and 20M, 17M, 15M, 12M, and 10M SSB.
Organized by Jacques F6BEE, the VP6T DXpedition made 56,300 QSOs in 11 days.
(Image/DX Engineering)
George, K3GP, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received three different QSL cards from the January 2008 VP6PR DXpedition, each one featuring a different photo from Pitcairn Island. Dave, N8NB, DX Engineering technical support specialist, reached VP6PR on 17M RTTY.
George, K3GP, joined thousands of DXers around the world by earning this QSL cardβactually, a 32-page bookletβfrom the 2008 DX Engineering-sponsored VP6DX Ducie Island DXpedition. The VP6DX crew logged a whopping 183,584 QSOs.
(Image/DX Engineering)
For all your DXing, contesting, or rag-chewing needsβwhether youβre a Big Gun, Little Pistol, or somewhere in between, visitΒ DXEngineering.comΒ forΒ transceivers,Β amplifiers,Β antennas,Β headsets, and so much more.
Editorβs Note:Β Every month,Β DX Engineering features QSL cardsΒ from our team membersβ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, weβll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. Weβre excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands weβve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!
As of this posting, thereβs still time to make contact with the CY9C DXpedition from St. Paul Island. The team is scheduled to operate continually until the evening of Wednesday, September 4, 2024. Donβt miss the opportunity to put this three-mile-long, rarely visited island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canadaβthe 50thΒ Most Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublogβin your logbook before the operation from the Northeast Island site goes QRT.
CY9C has been on the air since August 25.
On Monday, September 2, the teamβs website reported that CY9C had recorded more than 81,000 QSOs, noting that there will be more SSB activity moving forward.
DX Engineering is a major sponsor of CY9C, having provided equipment including:
Watch Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, interview members of the CY9C team (βa bunch of MacGyversβ who have been re-engineering equipment in the ham radio spirit, according to Craig, K9CT) from the wind-swept island.
The interview was held Friday, August 30, 2024.
OnAllBands will be posting a complete wrap-up of CY9C in the days ahead.
The historic Rig in a Box N5J DXpedition from the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge is in the books. Jarvis was the 18th Most Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog when the activation was fully underway on August 9, 2024.
Thanks to countless hours of planning, technical advancements in the hobby, amazingly skilled offshore and worldwide remote operators, sponsors including DX Engineering, and an active community of DXers, the #18 ranking will certainly take a precipitous fall when the next most-wanted list is released.
N5J marked the first activation of Jarvis Island (a dual entity with Palmyra Island) since the April 1990 AH3C/KH5J DXpedition, which logged 55,000 QSOs over ten days. The only other time Jarvis has been QRV was AD1S/KH5 in November 1983βthe first time this 1.7-square-mile coral island in the South Pacific was on the air.Β
Along with remote CW and FT8 stations, the N5J at-island operating team of Don Greenbaum, N1DG; Mike Snow, KN4EEI; Tomi Pekarik, HA7RY; Rig in a Box innovator George Wallner, AA7JV; and Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA recorded more than 100,000 QSOs on 160-6M in SSB, CW, and FT8 after 11 days of operation. Additionally, 3,000 operators qualified for an N5J special award by making FT8, CW, and SSB contacts and logging QSOs on five bands.
As noted by Ann Fried on the N5J Facebook page, βAll the hard work and planning did a great service to hams worldwide.β
Pierre Leroy wrote, βKeep on doing good work. Conditions are not easy but ATNO from ON6PL.β
βThanks to the whole team for outstanding work,β wrote Tor Langvand. βChallenging propagation from time to time. Nevertheless, >100K QSOs in the book is fantastic. Great job, all.β
Gerry Hull, W1VE, posted on the N5J Facebook page the day the DXpedition went QRT, βThe Magnet team is busy taking down everything and preparing for the trip back to American Samoa. They are the real heroes who powered this operation! As the Team Lead for the CW Remote Crew, I couldnβt be happier about the outcome. As an advocate of remote DXing and contesting, Iβm extremely pleased how everything worked.β
From the N5J website, the team wrote, βThank you for all the QSOs. It was a blast.β
(Image/N5J Jarvis Island)
The Impact of RIB Operations
The Rig in a Box concept, which allows self-contained amateur radio stations to be placed on land while operators work remotely, is proving to be a game-changer for DXpeditioners as well as hams trying to check off the remaining rare entities on their DXCC scorecard.
George, AA7JV, member of the offshore crew of the N5J DXpedition, sets up a Rig in a Box station on Jarvis Island. AA7JV and the rest of the local team conducted the DXpedition from the MV Magnet, a vessel that was just offshore of Jarvis Island. (Image/N5J Jarvis Island)
RIB-centered ventures dramatically increase the chances that decision-makers governing wildlife protected areas will grant permission for these operations. RIB DXpeditions ensure that boots will only be on land to set up, tear down, and maintain the RIB stations, reducing environmental impact and eliminating a stumbling block that has kept many entities off the air for decades.
(Image/N5J Jarvis Island)
Get up close and personal with the N5J team in this video featuring DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR, interviewing operators aboard the MV Magnet on August 9, 2024.
Β βIn addition to us being here there are three Fish and Wildlife scientists that are currently on the island,β explained George, AA7JV, in the video. βTheyβre conducting research and working on the island. This is really the result of Don (N1DG) having worked with the Fish and Wildlife Service to convince them that amateur radio can be not just a user but a partner. And as a partner we can contribute to their efforts, and in return for that, they let us operate from these very highly protected reserves where normally they do not let anybody.β
DX Engineering Equipment on Jarvis Island
In DX Engineeringβs ongoing mission to stand beside hams who are putting rare DXCC entities on the air, the company contributed a range of gear to complement the RIB setups:
The teams at DX Engineering and OnAllBands salute everyone involved in making the N5J DXpedition to Jarvis Island possible. Look for posts about more DX Engineering-sponsored DXpeditions in the days ahead.
Well according to their QRZ page the CY9C DXPedition to St Paul Island is now underway. The operation started on August 26th and will finish on September 5th 2024.
I saw them spotted on the cluster (20m CW working split) and decided to give it a try. Carefully set up the split wanted (I went up 4) and then confirmed that my trusty decoder could easily decode their CW (sent at 35wpm???)
I set my contest keyer in my Yaesu FT991a at 30wpm and then hit memory 1 on the keyer. NO Luckβ¦. after about 3 minutes of sending my call out I finally heard back VA3QV 5nn.
I glanced at the screen to confirm what I had heard and also quickly hit memory 2 and 5nn ON was sent out. Right after that I heard TU and the screen again confirmed what I had heardβ¦
Just for giggles I checked the Club Log for CY9C and to my surprise I found the following:
Gotta love it when a DXPedition promptly uploads their logsβ¦.
Now to be honest St Pauls Island is not exactly βrare DXβ at a distance of just over 800 miles I know that I will get them on one of the bandsβ¦
Todays attempt was just quicker than I expected and in a different mode.
This afternoon (1500 utc) CY9C was spotted on 15m CW and I thought I would try again as I needed CY9 on 15m for my feeble attempts at 5 band DXCC.
It was a ZOO between the lids who canβt understand what βUPβ means and the DX Cops who insist on explaining to the lid what UP means there was no chance of me hearing the reply if they actually heard me (I was up 4-8) β¦
Well I got a few days but at least I got them once.
Well according to their QRZ page the CY9C DXPedition to St Paul Island is now underway. The operation started on August 26th and will finish on September 5th 2024.
I saw them spotted on the cluster (20m CW working split) and decided to give it a try. Carefully set up the split wanted (I went up 4) and then confirmed that my trusty decoder could easily decode their CW (sent at 35wpm???)
I set my contest keyer in my Yaesu FT991a at 30wpm and then hit memory 1 on the keyer. NO Luckβ¦. after about 3 minutes of sending my call out I finally heard back VA3QV 5nn.
I glanced at the screen to confirm what I had heard and also quickly hit memory 2 and 5nn ON was sent out. Right after that I heard TU and the screen again confirmed what I had heardβ¦
Just for giggles I checked the Club Log for CY9C and to my surprise I found the following:
Gotta love it when a DXPedition promptly uploads their logsβ¦.
Now to be honest St Pauls Island is not exactly βrare DXβ at a distance of just over 800 miles I know that I will get them on one of the bandsβ¦
Todays attempt was just quicker than I expected and in a different mode.
This afternoon (1500 utc) CY9C was spotted on 15m CW and I thought I would try again as I needed CY9 on 15m for my feeble attempts at 5 band DXCC.
It was a ZOO between the lids who canβt understand what βUPβ means and the DX Cops who insist on explaining to the lid what UP means there was no chance of me hearing the reply if they actually heard me (I was up 4-8) β¦
Well I got a few days but at least I got them once.
For Guglielmo Marconi, the great challenge was to transmit wireless signals across the Atlantic and to all the ships at sea. He built stations at Poldhu, England; Glace Bay, Nova Scotia; and Cape Cod, United Statesβall near the ocean.
Was this done with a knowledge of oceanside propagation, or was it because he was in the business of ship-to-shore communication?
Those of us blessed with a waterfront residence on the east or west coast have much stronger communications links across the Atlantic or the Pacific than people living in the middle of the continent. Weβve all heard stories of antenna farms on or near saltwater marshes that get much improved signals. I even heard one about a ham with both feet in the Atlantic operating a low-power backpack radio with a whip and having a QSO with a station in France.
The βsaltwater amplifierβ is the increased ground conductivity near the sea, leading to more antenna gain. Average soil has a conductivity of 0.005 Siemens per meter, saltwater averages 5.0 Siemens per meterβan improvement by a factor of 1,000.
Do the math and thatβs roughly 10 dB of gain. Imagine turning your 10-watt QRP radio into the equivalent of 100 watts.
Medium Wave Beside the Waves
Early on, some AM stations in the metro New York City area learned that oceanside towers can produce big signals. For more than four decades, High Island had been home to two of the biggest New York City AM signals: WFAN (formerly WNBC) on 660 kHz and WCBS on 880 kHz.
CBSβs station was so powerful that it could be heard as far away as Florida and Chicago on good days. Typical coverage included daytime signals up the coast as far as Cape Cod and down to Cape May. Then as now, CBS was one of Americaβs principal broadcasters, and the company found the saltwater ground system of Long Island Sound ideal for carrying radio waves.
Broadcasters have sometimes found some advantage or necessity to locate transmitter sites on islands. These islands vary from the isolated home of KUHB on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea to the now defunct WMBL on βRadio Islandβ near Morehead City, North Carolina. It was the first radio station serving the area and was well known for its clear reception and surprisingly long range.
Gordoβs Ground Shootout
Gordon West, WB6NOA, once did a head-to-head comparison between a traditional copper-foil strip that went nearly all the way around his boat and a seawater ground. The results of his experiment were published in Sail Magazine. Using an Icom marine SSB/ham transceiver and Icom AT-130, he was careful to retune the antenna each time ground systems were switched for an accurate comparison.
While the copper foil capacitive ground did produce a usable signal, the seawater ground improved antenna power output considerably.
In addition, this configuration decreased the noise floor while receiving and increased sky wave signal strength. It also caused a four-foot fluorescent tube to glow brightly with modulation peaks.
Greg Lane, N4KGL, did a test comparing two identical verticals, one on the beach near the water and another inland, away from the beach. In addition, a low dipole was added to the mix to see if horizontal polarization made any significant difference. Only simultaneous spots were used for comparison.
Using a pair of identical WSPRlite transmitters on 20 meters, Lane first established a baseline with a WSPRlite attached to each vertical. Both were set up several hundred feet inland at the same distance from the ocean. Evaluating the 55 spots, all were similar in output and operation. Using a low-power wattmeter onsite showed no discernable difference in output.
Two trials were conducted with the saltwater vs. land antenna comparison. The first one had the antenna placed at the shore and the other 700 feet inland. The second trial had them placed 200 feet apart. Results showed the saltwater vertical always beat the inland vertical for any WSPR spot with an average 10.8 dB advantage. As expected, the closer the antenna to the water, the better the gain.
In the low dipole vs. saltwater vertical scenario, the saltwater vertical was better 32 times out of 33 spots, with nearly a 10 dB advantage. The only downside was higher radiation angles.
Overall, his observations appear to support the presence of a significant saltwater gain.
Radial Placement for Maximum Gain
The object of the saltwater effect is to improve the ground system for better efficiency. Rudy Severns, N6LF, reminds us when AC current (RF) flows in a conductor, the current tends to flow only near the surface. The ground current for a saltwater vertical antenna is restricted to a thin layer near the water surface (skin depth). This means radials need to be near the surface to take full advantage of the saltwater effect.Β Β
Running a copper wire with a fishing weight (or several) to the edge of the surf would probably be sufficient for casual use at the beach. A floating radial on an anchored pool noodle would be a good solution in calm inlets and tidal pools.
Tides are a challenge. Local tides can range from a foot to more than 50 feet. That would significantly cover the radials and vertical element, changing the effective length of the antenna system. A workable long-term solution could be a floating dock or a float substantial enough to support the antenna. You donβt need a long radialβattaching a piece of sheet metal or screen several feet long to the bottom or side of the dock can provide a low-resistance ground without a trailing wire.
Several DXpeditions have used pairs of 1/4 wavelength elevated radials connected to vertical antennas directly over flooded reefs. The radials need to be kept well above the water surface, even at high tides, for best results.
Close Also Counts
The objective with a vertical monopole antenna is not just to have any ground connection, but to have a low-loss ground plane under the base of the antenna. Think of the ocean like a huge copper sheet, just not quite as conductive. Being within a few wavelengths of an ocean is the next best thing to having radials near or in the water. Walt, K4OGO, has some videos online that discuss antenna designs and setup for use on the beach.
Going mobile? When you park close to the sea, the radio waves go over the surface, reflect and bounce off into the atmosphere and skip, just like stones or pebbles across a pond.
Reflections on Saltwater Propagation
Seawater is too good of a conductor to pass radio wavesβinstead, it reflects them like a mirror off of its surface. Saltwater contains Na+ and Cl- ions. Saltwater is electrically conductive because these ions are free to move in solution.
You might argue that 10 dB is only a little more than 1.5 S-units, but it can mean the difference between βcanβt hear a thingβ and full copy.
This might be a good time to book that beach vacation to fish for some DX!
Anyone who chases DX canβt fail to have noticed that the Jarvis Island DXpedition is now on air and has been for less than 48 hours. I did have a listen yesterday but didnβt hear them anywhere. I set up HamAlert notifications specifically for N5J with the source set as G, GM and GW in [β¦]
All of us at OnAllBands and DX Engineering would like to offer our hearty congratulations to Marek, FH4VVK, and his support team for the successful one-operator activation (FT4GL) of the Glorioso Islands.
This French-controlled atoll in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar ranked as the 7th most-wanted DXCC entity per Clublog when the DXpedition began from Grande Glorioso Island in May. When it wrapped up on June 18, FH4VVK had logged more than 60,000 QSOs, with HF contacts made in all modes used (only 160M was βnot satisfactory,β per the FT4GL blog). QSOs included ATNOs for smaller stations who were given preference in the latter stages of the operation.
Among those vying for this rare contact were the avid DXers from DX Engineering, including customer/technical support specialist and DXCC Honor Roll member (first place, mixed modes) Wayne, K8FF. He reached FT4GL on 20/15/12M FT8, adding to his growing list of digital contacts.
Scotty, KG9Z, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist and owner of the Nine-Band DXCC, 160M WAS, and other honors, also filled multiple bands on FT8 in Fox/Hound mode. He called FT4GL a βgreat one-man operation.β
βWe warmly and from the bottom of our hearts thank all the people who have shown their gratitude and trust in us throughout this adventure. Numerous messages and emails of encouragement helped Marek and the whole team to continue so that this activity went as smoothly as possible, and the pilots who were very responsive in informing the community of the correct news.β
Hereβs a sampling of the outpouring of positivity from online posters:
βAbsolutely outstanding, Marek. The DX community is forever grateful for activating a very rare entity for us, and for such an extended period of time. 73 and safe travels from all of us at K4TOR.β
Tor Langvand
***
βGlad that Marek was able to activate FT4/G. ATNO for me and many others. Great job mate!β
Wesley Beck
***
βHe did a fantastic job. I met my goal, which was an FT8 and SSB contact. As for the lids that interfered: Those who can, do, those that canβt try to take out their lack of ability and knowledge on those that can. These people are a special kind of lid.β
Unfortunately, as the comment above and the FT4GL team noted, Marek was not immune to some of the bad actors who have become all too commonplace during rare activations. Pirate stations, music broadcasters, and other interference turned this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into an βintense and sometimes difficult experienceβ not representative of βthe OM spirit,β per the FT4GL blog.
DX Engineering was proud to supply Marek withΒ VA6AM 150W PEP HF Band Pass FiltersΒ for 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10MΒ to help make more QSOs possible. These high-quality, multi-stage inline passive band pass filters are specifically designed to limit the transmitting and receiving RF passband to a single amateur band.Β
Next UpβJarvis Island and St. Paul Island DXpeditions
DX Engineering was also pleased to provide two August 2024 DXpeditions with mission-critical gear:
The 100% RIB (Rig in a Box) N5J operation from the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge, one of the rarest DXCC entities on the planet, is scheduled for August 5-20.
The 10-operator CY9C DXpedition team is scheduled to put St. Paul on the air August 26 to September 5 from the windswept and treeless Northeast Island site, just off the coast of Nova Scotia.
With permission from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the 10-operator CY9C DXpedition team is scheduled to put St. Paul on the air August 26 to September 5 from the windswept and treeless Northeast Island site, just off the coast of Nova Scotia.
The team of experienced hams, many of whom participated in the highly successful CY0S Sable Island DXpedition in March 2023, plan to be active on 160-6M, employing Yagis on 20-6M and elevated sloping dipoles and verticals on the low bands. There should be a good mix of modes available for filling bands (CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, EME, Satellites), with an emphasis on Morse code contacts. Uninhabited and rarely visited St. Paul Island is approximately three miles long and a mile wide.
The island features an automated solar-powered lighthouse built in 1962βthe third lighthouse which has served watercrafts between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Cabot Strait. Lighthouse chasers will be hoping to add this to their conquests (STP-002), as well as POTA (CA-0122) and IOTA (NA-094) enthusiasts.
The island is encircled by foreboding rock-faced cliffs, which will require the CY9C team to use two helicopters to transport gear and team members to the operating site.
DX Engineering was a proud sponsor of the CY9C 2016 St. Paul DXpedition. The company provided a range of gear used on the island, including the Butternut HF9V 9-Band Vertical Antenna.
(Image/DX Engineering)
Two operators from that DXpedition, Jay, K4ZLE, and Murray, WA4DAN, are also scheduled to operate in this latest venture. For CY9C 2024, DX Engineering has provided the following equipment for a Beverage antenna system:
DX Engineering Beverage Antenna System: This single-wire, single-direction beverage feed system (100 kHz to 30 MHz) designed by W8JI is immune to the strong signal overload and core saturation common in multi-transmitter environments, making it ideal for low-band DXers. It employs an isolated-winding matching-transformer system to significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio in Beverage and other high-impedance antennas.
(Image/DX Engineering)
DX Engineering RPA-2 Modular Receive Preamplifier: This preamp delivers low internal noise and is optimized for the 300 kHz to 35 MHz range. The device is designed to help you hear the weakest signals without artificially raising the noise. Robust components allow this preamplifier to withstand high signal levels while providing superior dynamic range and third-order intercept performance that equals or exceeds most receiver and transceiver front-ends.
There is a major expedition planned to Jarvis Island in the middle of the Pacific in early August 2024 and their planned operations include some 50 MHz activity.
Press release
***
Dear Fellow DXers,
In March the Dateline DX Association was pleased to announce that it has received permission from the USFWS for a DXpedition to Jarvis Island National Wildlife Reserve this August. Jarvis is ranked nr. 18 on Clublog's global most wanted list. It is number 9 in Europe.Β In some EU countries Jarvis is ranked as high as second most wanted on phone and digial.Β Jarvis is ranked higher than Bouvet (16) in Europe. It is 450 miles from Palmyra Atoll and 1500 miles from Hawaii.
Because itβs been over 34 years since last activated it is one of the highest ranked IOTA and POTA targets among the hams who chase those awards.Β Β We were pleased that both program administrators have altered their rules to allow for their awards to be credited by working one of the 5 operators who are remoting from the ship just offshore (and still in the reserve).
An experienced team of five consisting of George, AA7JV, Don, N1DG, Tomi, HA7RY, Adrian, KO8SCA, and Mike, KN4EEI, will install 6 RIB stations on Jarvis.Β The at-island team will be augmented by 24 remote operators from Asia, Europe and North America.Β All phone, 160 and 6 mtr operations will be done locally.Β Β The local ops will also operate CW and FT8 on all bands.Β The remote operators will operate on 80 to 10 meters using CW and FT8 modes. We are permitted 12 days of operation but the permit is good for the whole month of August to allow for weather issues.
The core of the Dateline DX Association is the team of operators from the highly successful Baker Island 2018 and Midway 2009 DXpeditions.Β Both DXpeditions received the coveted DXpedition of the year awards at Dayton.Β We have broad experience working from the Pacific and remote and environmentally sensitive areas around the world.Β It was this experience that earned Dateline the first permission to activate Jarvis since 1990.Β This will be the third ever operation from Jarvis.
Any DXpedition to a protected area is expensive and our externally financial need is over $200,000. We have a boat, approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to safely carry us to and from the Reserve and not cause any harm to Jarvis Island or the surrounding reefs.Β Β The budget would easily have been over $500,000 had it not been for the use of AA7JVβs vessel, the Magnet.Β The $200,000 is required for fuel, USFWS permit fees, extra crew for the trip and data services and equipment.Β Β Radios are not included in the budget as NCDXF contributed to the design and building of the RIBs.
NCDXF has also kickstarted our fundraising campaign with a hefty grant of $75,000.
Please understand the dates for our DXpedition were not our first choice. Rather, the exact dates of our DXpedition were specified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Β While top band opportunities are limited by the early August dates, 10 and 6 meters should offer ample opportunities to pick up new band counters.Β Β Europeans (where Jarvis is number 9) should benefit greatly for ATNO QSOs during the peak months of cycle 25.
There will be extensive science being conducted on Jarvis by 3 biologists from the USFWS.Β We will be providing free transportation and food for their team.Β
You can follow our plans on our web site at: http://jarvisisland2024.com, and on Facebook.Β
We are counting on help from DXers and DX organizations from around the world to help cover our costs.Β Jarvis has not been activated for 34 years and we anticipate by demonstrating our RIB concept to the USFWS biologists accompanying us to Jarvis we can open the doors to other islands off limits to the ham community.
Please consider making a donation to the Dateline DX Association to help bring Jarvis Island on the air.Β Β Donations can be made either through our paypal donate@jarvisisland2024.com or direct to our bank:
Checks made out to the Dateline DX Association should be sent to:
Dateline DX Association
PO BOX 1397
Duxbury, MA 02331-1397
We wish to thank you in advance for your support.
Don Greenbaum, N1DG and George Wallner, AA7JV
Jarvis Island 2024 and The Dateline DX Association
A friendly reminder for all you Lazy, Mindless, Automated Computer Scripted Text Messengers out there - you want to RR73 the virtues of FT8 from the rooftops
7O8AE & 7O8AD Yemen DXpedition. A two man low power DXpedition from a rare DXCC Entity with an emphasis on CW & Phone with the CW Op running FT8 on the side.
DXpeditioners have figured out they can turn on their automated FT8 computer scripts and make more money than actually operating their Ham Radios on Phone or CW
The massive Bouvet pile-ups have begun! 3Y0J trimmed their camp back to two stations, 100 watts with wire antennas, but they made it on the air around 1600Z!
3Y0J Bouvet - They Have arrived! From their Facebook Page today: 3Y0J Bouvet Island 2023 Update: "3Y0J Team Co-Leader Ken LA7GIA reports, βWe are at Bouvet"
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