Thanks for the info Ed. I’m leaving the 3Y pile up now as I got my 17m CW band slot last night with 3Y0J at 1912z. He TX 18072 me TX 18084.1 KHz. Whilst I would like a DATA QSO with 3Y0J I’m going to sit back now and take a standby on that. I am back concentrating on trying to get into the CW log of FT8WW now that Crozet is back on the air. Thierry has a 3 week licence for HF again.
Its been a very busy day for SOTA with so many EU stations active. As a Chaser I prefer it during the week when there is less activity and the number of chasers is also reduced. I’ve put a few hours chasing in today, on and off, but sitting solidly at the desk for the whole day is not something I want to do these days.
Saturdays and Sundays have become rather like taking part in a long contest due to the enormous level of activity!
Hi Phil,
Well done! not only for getting the contact but also for stepping back to let others have a shot - as the team have asked.
With (from what I have understood) only two battery-powered 100W radios and two vertical antennas landed on the Island, a lot is against them and those trying to get a contact.
Team aiming to come off island at 10am (local time) today and then to try resupply the camp with more essential items such as food, fuel, generator and antennas. This might proof tricky due to 3-4m waves, but there is a weather window opportunity they hope to take advantage of. Team have just one tent on the island, no tables or chairs, no heating; very primitive conditions. Listen to the full video update below:
Good luck to the team with trying to get more equipment onto the island to expand what they can do.
73 Ed.
Further update - the´CW/SSB logs have been uploaded - if you think you have worked them (and not a Pirate) check here: Club Log: Expedition Charts - 3Y0J
[FEBRUARY 12 @ 1400Z]
The first 3Y0J log update has been made – you can check it here. To this point 11K QSOs with 6.6K unique. However, FT8 QSOs appear to be missing at this time.
The 3Y0J Bouvet ops must have returned to the boat now. The logs (at least some logs) are now available for checking if you are in them on Clublog: Club Log: Expedition Charts - 3Y0J
No worries Phil - and well done on the confirmed contact!
By the way the stats on clublog are interesting - this page: Club Log: Expedition Charts - 3Y0J (click on statistics)
IMPORTANT INFO – 3Y0J is to go QRT. After a team meeting they have decided not to bring any more gear to the island. Operations will continue until the fuel on the island runs out which is believed to be tomorrow afternoon. They will then begin to tear down camp and by Tuesday have everything removed from the island and back to the Marama. There is a problem with uploading the FT8 logs at this time. Please standby until team resolve this issue hopefully soon.
Sounds like really really rough conditions; no heat, no chair, no table operating on a wind swept island in frigid temperatures.
I watched this presentation at a ham show about the Radio in a Box concept. Nothing remarkable but quite possibly a better solution for the Bouvet team as some/all could operate from the yacht and use a SpiderBeam to get maybe 5 (definitely 3) stations on the air from a single mast.
Hi Paul,
I think the team simply decided that the odds were against them and have now decided to call it a day on the basis of safety.
I wonder what the reference to operating until the “fuel” on the island runs out is about as I thought they had not managed to get a generator ashore. I also thought they were all back on the boat - it seems only some are (to upload the logs).
In any case, it looks like Bouvet has held up its record as being one of the most difficult places in the world to operate from!
I think operating a remote station located on a rare island, from elsewhere - while technically possible today (if permission were given, it could be installed at the Norwegian government station on Bouvet for example) - is that really the aim of a DXpedition?
Possibly so but there’s many ways to skin a cat and I look forward to hearing Ken’s talk about the pre planning thought process that resulted in their approach. I have to imagine that after studying sat images of the possible landing areas the challenges where somewhat understood but maybe not.
I wish them safety in whatever they decide to do. As written earlier, braver folk than me.
Congrats Phil and any other EU stations who made it on CW. Good effort. Central NA seems to be missing out.
Sometimes the screen has been end to end Jas.
I completed an FT8 QSO on 17 m yesterday. Sigs on CW not readable here. Spent days monitoring FT8 and hours calling when they were copied. It’s a complex situation on the Island and the tale will be worth hearing. I think the interaction of the members in a small tent must be challenging
Now I am chasing FT8WW. Can’t catch his attention when I copy him.
Not sure how to explain this interest in most wanted DX. Didn’t think it was my thing
Hi Ron, let’s hope that the 3Y0J manage to recover their FT8 contacts log. The last post was that they had uploaded the CW and SSB but FT8 was giving problems.
At the moment - this is shown still on clublog:
Hi Paul, as mentioned by another other Paul W6PNG - earlier in this thread HERE - there is expected to be a talk at the DXConvention in Visalia California in April and hopefully also one at Friedrichshafen in June (but I have no confirmation of that).
NEW QRT DATE/ TIME – – 3Y0J will QRT Tuesday, 14 February 2023 at 03:00 UTC. Team will then pull out and transport all equipment to Marama. The final log update will be made once we are on Marama.
Just before 0100z, the generator shut down. This would be the beginning of the end for 3Y0J operations. Shortly after 0300z – as announced previously – we got official word the DXpedition was QRT and the camp was being dismantled. Once the Bouvet ops arrive back on boat, hopefully later today, the laptops with FT8 QSOs should be uploaded to Club Log. It’s likely we will also see first pictures and videos emerge of the activity from the island and life inside the tent etc.
[FEBRUARY 14 @ 1040Z]
Co-leaders Ken LA7GIA and Erwann LB1QI have just published some pictures on social media. With credit to both of them we re-publish here. Images were taken from Cape Fie, Bouvet showing the environment and conditions the team worked and operated in.
We will start sailing tomorrow morning. We might take a tour around the island if wx is not too bad. All team is on board and equipment strapped for sailing to Cape Town. There are just some small items to strap inside the cabins. We might operate /MM. Our estimated ETA in Cape Town is 23 Feb. We plan to stay one night there and have a team dinner.
ALL logchecks shall be directed to QSL Manager M0OXO. No team members have access to the log. They will not answer any requests.
And Ron (@VK3AFW) - They found the FT8 log data and you have a contact:
Ed @DD5LP thanks for the regular updates. I have been following a lot and this DXPedition is really exciting. The planning alone, the pictures, incredible. I only had a very short window of time at our club station to work 3Y0J. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. There was a rush on the frequencies like you rarely hear. At least I was able to hear them, which made me happy. I hope that the whole team will return home in good health. You only do something like this once in a lifetime.
You’re welcome Marcel,
Hopefully either the talk at the DXConvention in Visalia California in April will be put on the web (or streamed live) and just maybe the talk could be repeated at Friedrichshafen in June.
I “think” I heard the station once on 17m SSB but wasn’t sure. I would expect the majority of stations who got an SSB contact with 3Y0J would have been equipped with a beam of some sort. My wire loop antenna to a station running a vertical so far away can work, however not against the more powerful stations, so I was not surprised that I didn’t get a contact. As I never fully heard them, I never called.
Fingers crossed that they have a calm ride on to Cape Town and can get some rest now.
