DX
DX related news item
The multi-operator DX0DX DXpedition to The Spratlys in the South China Sea is a much anticipated event for 2011 that has been 18 months in the planning.
Already reports about it appear on dozens of websites and blogs in the English, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and a number of European languages.
The licence has been issued and government approvals received for the 19-day activation of this much sought after DXCC entity from the 6th to the 24th of January.
A multi-national team of 30 radio amateurs, including eight Australians, is set to operate from four dedicated operating camps for SSB, CW, RTTY and 2m & 6m operation.
Within weeks of the DXpedition being announced major corporate sponsors gave it their endorsement Icom (America) by supplying ten top-line Icom IC7600 transceivers plus one IC9100 transceiver, Amplifiers promised by Acom International, OM Power and THAMWAY Corp, Antennas - SteppIR, Spiderbeam and Mosley- Electronics, Bandpass Filters courtesy WX0B Array Solutions, Masts (Rohn Products); Head-sets from Heil Sound; Feeders The RF Connection, plus Ham Radio Outlet giving its support.
Adding credibility to the exercise has been Bob Schenck N2OO agreeing to be the DX0DX QSL manager. So far 15 individual radio amateurs have given their financial support.
Experienced DXpeditioners (Charles Spetnagel W6KK and David Collingham K3LP) on the team have taken on the tasks of shipping the needed equipment and designing the station layout.
The team's three medical doctors are ready to assist should anyone become unwell, and to also outreach to the island's residents as part of the DXpedition's humanitarian, health and welfare contribution.
Want to know more of to give the DXpedition your support, check out the website DX0DX.net
This DXpedition with a team of four Australian radio amateurs will be operating for six days, 0001 UTC on 27 August through to 0100 UTC on 2 September.
Team Leader Chris Chapman VK3QB advises that YJ0VK on Vanuatu's main Island of Efate will be on the HF bands, with special attention to the WARC bands.
The stations will be fairly simply yet effective 100 watts feeding vertical and dipole antennas, and an Inverted-L for 160m.
More information is available on the website yj0vk.vkham.com
Depending on internet availability the plan is to update the online log at least once a day.
We wish the team Chris Chapman VK3QB (Leader), Allan Meredith VK2CA (QSL Manager & Webmaster), Luke Steele VK3HJ and Benton Vowles VK3CBV well.
The Team headed by Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY continues to work towards completing a range of matters mainly related to the logistics that go with such a large and prolonged DXpedition on a remote island.
A multi-national group of up to 30 amateur radio operators from eleven countries will reach Thitu Island in the South China Sea by boat in three dedicated teams to put DX0DX on air 6-24 January 2011
A recent change in local government leadership has occurred on the island and Chris VK3FY reports it has been re-assuring that the level of support and encouragement from officials remains strong.
The appointed DX0DX QSL Manager is Bob Schenck N2OO who has a very good track record in handling the QSLing for more than 100 DXpeditions.
In early online polling on the DX0DX website www.dx0dx.net of the DX community on the mode that DX0DX is wanted was fairly evenly divided between SSB (37%), CW (35%) and RTTY (28%), and there’s an even spread of band preference 160m to 10m.
So far the VHF & UHF bands rate poorly, but undoubtedly when DX0DX has propagation it will be in great demand. The chosen HF, VHF & UHF frequencies appear on the DXpedition its website. For those interested in 6m, a propagation beacon will run on 50.090MHz when the band is closed.
With six months to go before DX0DX gets on air, Chris VK3FY reports that steady progress is being made to seek further sponsorship and funding support. It is hoped to be able make more announcements in coming months.
To date the corporate sponsors are ICOM America, SteppIR, Spiderbeam, WX0B Array Solutions, Ham Radio Outlet, and Heil Sound. It is hoped to be able make more announcements in coming months.
The DX0DX Team acknowledges the financial support already received from individual radio amateurs Brad WA6JJB, Paul N6PSE, Marc DO4DXA, Maurice N4LZ, Vic W4VIC, Ken N5TY, Allan VK2CA, Paul VK2HV, Scotty KG9Z and Clay K7HC.
Support has also be given by the IARU Region 3 member society Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA), DXWORLD.NET, and ClubLog.ORG
These radios have been used for the 2m and 70cm bands, but now they can make it down to 6m.
Matt Bilston VK3VS has found a way to trick the PRM8030 down to 52MHz without modifications. He's also working on how to get these radios down to 29MHz FM too.
Check out the website www.vk3smb.com/projects/ebandsix.shtml
The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia will be on Montague Island (IOTA OC-223)for four days 20-23 August, including the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
A team of Club President Tommy Horozaki VK2IR and Vice President Peter Garoufalis VK2NN will be operating on multiple bands simultaneously.
Tommy VK2IR says the aim is to work DX and lighthouses.
For the first time in nearly two decades radio amateurs in Thailand have access to 50-54 MHz (6m) during the CQWW VHF contest 17-18 July.
This is a temporary 48 hour allocation granted by the Thai regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission.
The last time Thais got access to the 6m band was in 1992 during the Southeast Asia Net (SEANET) convention staged Thailand.
Before that, the late founder of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand, Gen Kamchai Chotikul HS1WR (sk) in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Meantime radio amateurs in Oman have been allocated 50-52 MHz.
At the invitation of the WIA its special callsign VK100WIA was operated by Amateur Radio Victoria on 17-19 May.
A team of Keith Proctor VK3FT, Terry Murphy VK3UP, David McAuley VK3EW and Noel Ferguson VK3FI push the QSO tally through the 1,000 mark by Wednesday.
David VK3EW ran the callsign on 40m in the evenings at a rate of about 40 contacts an hour on the Monday and Tuesday.
Noel VK3FI put it on air from Mildura during the Amateur Radio Victoria annual general meeting on Wednesday.
Terry VK3UP and Keith VK3FT shared the rest of the operating work load. It was a very successful three days.
Despite months of publicity it has been surprising how many VK operators did not know the purpose of the special callsign that will be on air until the end of October.
IOTA AS-051, CQ Zone 26 and ITU Zone 50 (Report #1 210510)
A multi-national team of up to 30 radio amateurs from nine countries is in advanced preparation operate from Spratly Island group in the South China Sea.
Following 12 months of discussions with military and civilian authorities permission has been received to operate on Thitu Island (Pagasa in Filipino, the second largest island in the Spratly Islands with a population of about 100.
The DXpedition, organised by the South Pacific Contest Club, will run from 6 to 24 January with the final 420km travel leg for three groups of operators, equipment and supplies is by cargo boat.
All supplies including food, water and fuel to sustain the DXpedition needs to be transported to the island.
The team includes five doctors which is not only reassuring other DXpeditioners, but will provide a welcome humanitarian effort through free medical checks for those permanently on the remote island.
The plan is to have four CW stations, four Phone, a RTTY/Digital Modes plus VHF/UHF.
Sponsors include ICOM (America), Ham Radio Outlet, SpiderBeam, Heil Sound and DX Engineering. Further corporate sponsorship and funding is expected, and individual donations will be acknowledged.
The DXpedition is supported by the IARU national radio society, Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA).
The team leader is Chris VK3FY. The rest of the team to date includes: Keith VK3FT, Roger VK3FZ, Peter VK3FGRC, Jim VK3PC, Nik VK3FNIK, Allan VK2GR, Josette VK2FXGR, Wally VK6YS, Dindo DV1DIN, Ed DU1EV, Edward 4F1OZ, Cholo 4F8BOF, Kaye DV9XO, Toshi JA8BMK, San K5YY, Oscar EA1DR, Christian EA3NT, George EA2TA, Vincent F4BKV, Bjorn SMOMDG, Charles W6KK, Arnold N6HC, Robert N6OX, John N7CQQ, David AH6HY, Simon IZ7ATN, and Bill N6WB.
Chris VK3FY is due to visit The Philippines soon to check out the logistics arrangements and ensure all other requirements are finalised.
A website is now up and running: http://www.dx0dx.net/
(DX0DX Public Affairs, Jim Linton VK3PC)
A number of Bravo Golf prefixed callsigns are now active using CW on the 15m band above 21.1 MHz and eager for DX contacts.
Writing in the FISTS Down Under newsletter is John Kirk VK4TJ who has worked a number of BG stations and each have expressed great anxiety about QSLing.
The reason for this is that amateur licence system in China requires operators to achieve a minimum of 10 DX QSOs to qualify for a licence upgrade.
John VK4TJ says the BG stations he's worked recently are really proficient on the key. To speed up their desire for an upgrade he's now emailing the BG stations a scan of both sides of his QSL card, rather than wait for the bureau to deliver them.
Those closely following developments will know that two new sunspot groups, 1050 and 1051 appeared in the last week of February resulting in 38 days to date of continuous sunspots.
Coupled with this are widespread reports of good propagation on the 10 and 12 metre bands, along with improvements on other HF bands.
Check out the beacons on 28MHz, tune the band or just put out a CQ DX call.
