FB Ed. The 3Y0J crew understandably don’t look too cheerful with the access situation looking far more difficult than foreseen. Boredom and frustration are the two things that come to mind. We will have to wait and see if one or more stations can be safely established on the Island. I’m trying to ignore the imbecilic armchair DXer comments appearing on the DX Cluster by the cowards using fake callsigns so they cannot be identified.
73 Phil G4OBK
The fact that four of the team (I presume the youngest and fittest and most experienced at sea) have managed to get to the island and start to set things up is more than the last two attempts achieved. It shows however, it doesn’t matter how much money and planning you invest in such a project, you also need a lot of luck with the weather. With so much money raised from the community, the team will be feeling the pressure to give something back (in the form of contacts) at least to the DX Foundations and clubs. I only hope this pressure DOES NOT push them into any less-than-safe decisions.
The decision to down-scale the operation is a very reasonable one. First priority has to be, to get a safe living environment set up and secured against any more storms, after that they should consider how many and which stations they will put on the air.
(at least, that’s my opinion).
73 Ed.
At precisely 1642z, team member Otis NP4G announced that 3Y0J on Bouvet Island commenced operations on 15 SSB and 12 CW.
Good luck!
The 3Y0J Team was able to land yesterday at the island. Eight operators plus Peter are on the island. They managed to secure the tent and camp. Due to the strong and challenging conditions, we are using two K3 radios running 100w, wire antennas, and a Honda generator. Please remember that the 3Y0J team will always be operating split. Never transmit on their frequency. We ask that people who have Bouvet already confirmed on some bands please do not work us again to allow an opportunity to many others to get Bouvet for an All Time New One. The team is thankful for all the support we have received in this adventure. Details to follow once the team finishes antenna and camp installations.
Using the aprs.fi data we can see exactly where the 3Y0J camp is set up.
Position: 54°26.66′ S 3°24.88′ E.
As of 2115z three bands have been used so far: 12, 15 and 30m. It’s understood more antennas are being built at time of this update.
There is a reason this is a rare DX area. It is a rock almost entirely covered in deep ice in the Southern Ocean. Hard to access, hard to operate from. You need the rare DX operators mindset which is not unlike that of many SOTA operators. Dogged. Stubborn.
I’ve listened on 15 m and 12 m but no sign of them or any chasers. I expect to hear the latter but not sure about the DX.
Good luck.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Heard lots of chasers at +15 from their POTA spotted freq but nothing from the team itself. It’s a hell of an undertaking.
[FEBRUARY 7 @ 1025z]
Ken LA7GIA has informed N2AJ that the 3Y0J Team has secured the campsite. They had a good night there last night. They will be running one station at night and two stations during the day. They will operate bands from 12m-30m. If you see a spot outside of those bands it’s a pirate. They will be operating CW & SSB at this time. Watch the DX Cluster for QSY information. If you already have Bouvet in your log please standby and let those operators who need Bouvet for an ATNO work us. There is a storm coming on Thursday that may affect operations. Please continue to watch for updates.
ANTENNA 3Y0J
Video of the team in a Zodiac dingy on way to the island.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1622906015799824384
Everything is OK in the camp. The guys are good. We have a few antennas up. Running some pile ups and preparing for the storm which will arrive in a few hours and last until Thursday. The boat will pull away from the island a bit. The antennas and camp are being secured. The winds are expected to be 60 knots. 9 members will stay in the camp during the storm. They will try to run two bands this evening and tomorrow. They will take down one antenna. They will run 30m and 17m using the Spiderpole on 17 and the aluminum DX Engineering antenna on 30m.
The operation has proved to be extremely difficult. The most extreme expedition I’ve been to. Setting up the camp has been a lot of work. We will focus on CW and phone but there will be FT8. We have just discussed this today. We are running low power, only 100w. We have no amplifiers. We have three antennas set up. We are considering setting up 20m as well. So we will have 30, 20, 17, 15.
The beach landings were accomplished by holding onto a line attached to a buoy and floating 15 meters to the beach in our survival suits. This is quite extreme. We float in all the equipment as well. Then carry the equipment 800 feet up to the camp. We have videos of this. We spent a few days to set up the antennas and tent then prepared for the storm that is coming.
Everybody is in good shape. It’s quite hard to stay here. A lot of wind, but today was a quiet, nice, and sunny day. This will change, and there will be a lot of rain. The day we arrived was a lot of wind and rain. Activating Bouvet is not like activating an island in the Caribbean. It is really windy, cold, and exhausting to bring equipment up here. It’s a different DXpedition than we thought we should do. It’s a challenge, but we hope we can stay on the island for some more days.
Regarding dupes, please only call us if you hear us. We have very good receive here on Bouvet Island. We do not have any facility to upload the log on the island. We are saving on fuel and connection for this. When we get back to the vessel, we will likely upload. We don’t know when the first upload will be. Going to Marama is very time consuming project because of the procedure involved. The first upload may be in the weekend. Again, if you don’t hear us, don’t call us.
Nothing more to report. Hopefully people understand the complexity of this operation. Hopefully we will be able to stay another 7 to 10 days. We are working on plans for how to continue the operation despite the difficult weather conditions here at Bouvet.
Just a pointer of you are hunting 3Y0J - they are presently ONLY operating on 30m and up. If you hear someone (or see a spot) with that callsign on 40, 60, 80 or 160 - it’s a pirate.
They appear to be concentrating on 30m CW as that gives them grey-line propagation, which doesn’t work on 20m and above. remember they only have a couple of verticals and 100w, so if not using greyline propagation they will be a weak signal. For SSB, they appear to be mostly on 15m.
73 Ed.
Thanks for the updates.
Good so that I don’t have to check the Facebook page 
I enjoy the adventure spirit and idea of the activity.
Looking at the general behaviour (Observed on WebSDR and documented on videos) with elbow pushing and band-police mentality just make me want to ignore this DXCC chasing circus.
But hey everyone has a choice to make a play or not 
Latest updates from DX-World.net:
As the team continue to make safe their camp and hunker down with a storm approaching, here’s a recording of their 17m CW signal today without much QRM, thankfully. Is your callsign in there?
3Y0J Team Co-Leader Rune LA7THA says,
“Marama has moved back to a position outside of Cap Fie for the incoming storm.
The team is in good spirits despite difficult conditions. They get two warm meals a day plus snacks. They are working very hard.
Today they started operating FT8 on 21.105 F/H.
The team has made about 5,000 QSO’s in less than 48 hours of operation.
Weather forecast says there will be high winds in the next 24 hours. We will need to secure the antennas. This may impact operation. The operation will remain on the air as long as possible weather permitting.
Reminder: If you have Bouvet on CW or SSB please do not work us on FT8. It may be the only chance the little pistols have to get their ATNO.”
Meanwhile, team member Otis NP4G (on the Marama) informs and confirms that the station on 15m FT8 (~1100z) is running Fox/Hound, two streams.
Another Update - this time via the west Coast Pilot:
INFO BELOW BY WEST COAST PILOT STATION, RICH KE1B
If you have made a QSO with 3Y0J, and you are sure of it, the team has requested that you NOT TRY TO FILL OTHER BAND/MODE SLOTS. You are taking an ATNO away from someone else.
Yes, I know that you can’t be totally sure until the log upload (probably this weekend, has to be from the boat), but some of you really know, from the exchange, the timing, etc. that you got through. As the Beatles said, “Let it Be.”
The DXpedition is operating in a truly bare-bones backup mode, with no amplifiers, no big antennas, few stations, and no generator or fuel to power any of that even if they did have it.
The team will be lucky to get 20K QSOs instead of the intended 200K, and no one will be going to Bouvet for a long time after. Please DO spot them, help your friends and clubmates to get in the log, etc., but don’t try to fill slots.
In particular, the team has requested that if you have contacted them on CW or SSB, DO NOT CONTACT THEM ON FT8. FT8 operation began today, and may be the only means for more modest stations to get in the log. Give them a chance.
Also please note: 3Y0J may go QRT (or revert to even more limited operation) as a big storm is passing through between now and Thursday. They plan to take some antennas down to prevent damage. The nine on-island team members will remain on the island and hunker down, as it is too difficult and dangerous to go back to the Marama, which has moved even farther from Bouvet in preparation for the storm.
Meanwhile, earlier today DX-World managed to record 3Y0J make a QSO with their QSL manager. Proof indeed this contact is good and in the log, hi.
Thanks for forwarding the 3Y0J updates promptly Ed, much appreciated, saves looking elswhere for them.
The s**t hot 17m 3Y0J operator was a good signal in Yorkshire tonight on 18072 KHz from around 1850 when I tuned in until after 2000 when I gave up trying on that band. They were 579 on the meter at one stage and the DQRM wasn’t too bad. Some operator errors causing QRM - people calling on their TX freq etc but not much delibrate disruption that I could hear. They worked plenty of G stations in that time, but not me, I called for 40 mins. I’ll be back trying again tomorrow if they use 17m again. Hexbeam at 12m and 400 watts not cutting through just yet…
Also was hearing them a little later on 10115 - I gave it death for 20 mins before they faded and I went over to watching telly. But that was after seeing the Ben @GW4BML surprise spot on 1836 KHz. Ben was blasting through at 579, again meter report not ears. As strong as I hear G4YSS from the Yorkshire Dales summits for sure and much further away.
Back to Bouvet - I’m not bothering checking 15m (or 20m) as I have Bouvet confirmed on those bands in 1990 and 2001. A friend, Dave G0VXE in Scarborough, worked them last night (Tuesday) on 17m for an all band/mode ATNO. He uses skimmer but I don’t feel I need tools like that having managed with my ears so far for more than 40 years! They can stay on the WARC bands as long as they like for me!
73 Phil G4OBK
Team have about 4 days worth of food left. Good news is that they are ok from the storm which has been impacting the island. Listen to the latest info in the video below:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1623537422993850370
Phil - it seems the DQRM is becoming a large problem from what is said in the video. as always YMMV.
73 Ed.
The 3Y0J Team is approaching the 7,000 QSO mark and continues to operate through the ongoing storm. They had a good night sleep. Last night 30m FT8 received great signals from JA and NA West coast. Unfortunately, some callers were not using Fox/Hound. Their QSOs were not logged. As stated previously, please remember that on FT8 mode 3Y0J will always be Fox/Hound. The weather in Bouvet was sunny skies and winds around 40 knots. We will continue to operate weather permitting. The 3Y0J Team wishes to thank the Amateur Radio community for their support.
This from DX-World - not yet confirmed by the team but it seems likely as a return to the boat was planned.
With the last known 3Y0J (not pirate) signal heard on 30m CW just before 2200z on February 10th, it seems transmissions from the island have since ceased. While we have no idea of the next plan or phase of the DXpedition, a quick look at the Garmin tracker shows it’s located on the beach area at 0522z today, presumably waiting on the zodiac to come pick up team members and items, if not already. It’s very likely an official update will come from the team later today, with perhaps the log uploaded too. QRX.
Deleted
NEW UPDATE:
[FLASH NEWS] We got word from Otis, NP4G on the Marama. 3Y0J operations continue. He says whenever they finally decide to go QRT, they will need to wait for a weather window before they can come back to the yacht. They are not QRT at the moment and again active on 30 CW with Ken LA7GIA operating.
Thanks for keeping us up to date, Ed!
One strange thing last night was that 3Y7GIA showed up on 10120kHz after 20:45 utc. He wasn’t audible here but on a Kiwi-SDR in LU-land. I thought it was not a wise move if their main goal is to maximize uniques. I bet many of the big guns with already one or two QSOs with 3Y0J were among the callers.
Now if they could only find a way to upload the log. I believe I had a contact two days ago on 30 CW but signals were faint and with all the DQRM you can’t be sure what the OP at the DX-end put in the log…
73, Roman
This time official - they have not got back to the boat yet, they are still on the island.
[By Ken LA7GIA via Steve N2AJ]
The Team is OK and healthy. Conditions here are very difficult. Maintaining safety is a priority. We will continue to operate with the current equipment as long as possible. The weather conditions continue to be difficult. It is expected to improve between Monday and Tuesday. It looks like Sunday’s good weather window has unfortunately disappeared. The team remains on the air despite these challenges. At this time we are evaluating resupply and a change of operators. Please continue to monitor our 3Y0J Facebook group. You can help by reporting propagation to our pilots. We ask that if you have already worked Bouvet please do not work them on additional modes and bands. This will allow others to get the ATNO they need.
I’m attending IDXC https://www.dxconvention.com/ in Visalia, California this April and Ken LA7GIA is giving the Saturday evening dinner speech on Bouvet (I’m sure he’ll do it at Friedrichshaffen too)
Clearly Bouvet is a very difficult place to operate on and even harder to setup on and with the removal of Braveheart from the mix, maybe the approach taken is the only viable one but landing fuel, generators, radios, masts, living spaces via zodiacs from a yacht seems somewhat optimistic.
Anyway, I look forward to hearing his and the team’s story. They are certainly a braver collection of folk than me!!
