Our fully integrated Log Search / OQRS / QSL management application was developed by our team. All OQRS submissions are automatically processed for printing and/or LoTW upload.
We will transmit on the QRGs ± QRM, showen in the frequency table. We are working on split only. Please pay attention to the SPLIT MODE! We are listening to US Genarals on 14.280 and UP.
Please, only use the Online QSL Request System (OQRS) on this website. We do not need YOUR QSL card via the Bureau. You may request your free buro card using our OQRS system.
Insider 3
Welcome to the third edition of “The Insider” which is sent to all VP6D individual donors.
The big news is the additon of Ken Karr NG2H to the VP6D team. Pista HA5AO who was on the aborted Bouvet project decided to rejoin the 3Y0Z Bouvet team and try it one more time. For the foreeable futiure he will focus his full attention on the new project.
Ken and several Hamburg, New York junior high school friends were captured by amateur radio in 1955. He was licensed KN2OZZ, then K2OZZ then NG2H. His first station was a 25 watt crystal controlled Heathkit AT-1, military surplus receiver BC-455, and 40 meter half wave dipole. In 1958 he entered engineering school through Navy ROTC and upgraded to the Heathkit DX-100 he stationed in the Triangle Fraternity house at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Upon graduating, one of his favorite Navy assignments was submarine Communications Officer when almost everything was still CW and HF.
Over the years he has been active in the CW traffic nets, contesting at Steve’s NR4M station, DXing, and operating on the 2016 Heard Island DXpedition (where the picture was taken). Ken is a member of CWOps (1477), FISTS (16869), NAQCC (7560), and SKCC (12740). He is a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (Rappahannock Chapter), Fluvanna County Virginia ARES, and past member of the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club and member of Rotarians of Amateur Radio (ROAR).
We’re sad that Pista decided to drop out, but we welcome Ken to the team.
We have now transitioned from planning to Implementation. With most of the detailed planning completed we have shifted to the implementation phase. Equipment is being ordered and sent to our consolidation point in California, team members made their travel bookings and we made a group booking for the hotel in Tahiti. Being a popular holiday and diving venue the hotels are already booking fast. It’s important that all the pieces and parts fit together to form a cohesive project plan and timeline. All team member travel and living expenses to and from the Braveheart are individual team member expenses. These expenses are not part of the project budget.
A plan was developed for us to use the same Elecraft equipment as the Baker Island DX-pedition team. We’re working with Elecraft and the Baker Island team to have the equipment shipped back to our equipment coordinator in California. We will unpack the cases bring the Elecraft equipment to the factory for refurbishing and repack into integrated station shipping cases. We appreciate the cooperation of Elecraft and the Baker team to make this a reality.
Each Elecraft station will be packaged in a customized Halliburton shipping container provided by Jim Sansoterra K8JRK. These are the same containers we used at TX3X, they’re waterproof and cushion each component on all sides.
Spiderbeam GmbH joined the list of equipment sponsors. We used Spiderbeam equipment on previous DX-peditions, especially for the low band antennas. We will also be using Spiderbeam aluminum telescoping masts for the beam antennas.
We are in the process of finalizing a partnership with a major antenna manufacturer. The firm’s CEO offered us whatever assistance we required. Look for a Press Release on this development.
As you’ve seen with other DX-peditions, we will have a Garmin In-Reach along for the ride. After we activate this handheld device it will broadcast our position every 10 minutes, the Iridium satellite network will relay our position to a website. We’ll also have unlimited inbound and outbound SMS (text) messaging for communication with the pilot team and team member families.
Our fund raising campaign continues. At this writing we received a “very” generous grant from the German DX Foundation (GDXF) - Germany’s premier DX group - that brought us to 49% of our fundraising goal. Since then we’re now at 52% of the goal with additional clubs and individuals offering their support. A list of all donors is available at VP6D.com
Please look for us at the DX convention which will be conducted at Visalia, California. Many of the VP6D team members will be there.
73,
Team Ducie 2018
For your use only, please do not distribute or publish
Insider Issue 2
Welcome to the second edition of “The Insider”, which is sent to all VP6D individual donors.
Welcome to the second edition of “The Insider”, which is sent to all VP6D individual donors.
As they say at the horse races: “they’re off and running” - so is the Ducie 2018 team.
The big surprise is ClubLog repositioned Ducie Island to #21 most wanted. We announced at #29, and then went to #27, then #20 and today at #21. We know it will change again before October.
We appreciate the suppliers and/or manufacturers who donate / loan large amounts of expensive equipment. We prefer the Elecraft K3 line, they’re lightweight, rock solid performers and most importantly their excellent receiver performance and rejection characteristics are hard to beat in such a small package.
We’re planning to use Elecraft equipment, as is the Baker Island DX-pedition team. We’re working with Elecraft and the Baker Island team to possibly share some equipment. While we think the timing will work, we do have a Plan B which also uses the Elecraft K-line. At this writing we’ll also have at least 2 SPE Expert 1.3K amplifiers. A final equipment inventory / plan should be finished by the end of March.
Our antenna plan is coming together nicely. We are using 2 element rotatable monoband dipole arrays on all HF bands. Low bands will have 4 squares on 30 / 40 and verticals for 80 and 160M. Current thinking is due to the island’s narrow footprint we’ll have at least 2 camps separated by about 100 meters. All verticals will be placed near the sea. We also expect to also have at least 2 yagis. Vadym, UT6UD who is a multi-award winning Top Band operator is assigned to the antenna team. The 160m receive antenna has not yet been selected.
We successfully negotiated a group booking on Air Tahiti. There is only one flight a week from Tahiti to Mangareva, miss the flight and the DX-pedition is over for that unlucky person. We arranged for the group booking to ensure everyone has a seat on the plane. While the airline only processes group bookings for 15 passengers or more, they made an exception due our sailing schedule. The cost of this booking will be paid by the team members; it is not a VP6D expense item.
With the help of Lance W7GJ and the 6 meter community we added 6 meter EME to the operating plan, we’ll and do our best to activate that band / mode. We also had a request for 60 meter operation; unfortunately, our license does not have a 60 meter allocation.
We are discussing ideas on dedicating operating time to working ATNO and QRP stations. Of course, there’s an honor system involved with this concept. We don’t know if the caller really is QRP or doesn’t have Ducie on any band / mode. More discussions on how to implement these ideas. Please write it you have any ideas on this, or any related, subject.
Our fund raising campaign began on Dec 9, 2016. We appreciate the early support from the DX community. All bills need to be paid before we sail, the early donors are critical to helping the team with financing the project. With the holidays behind us the DX community is responding. Individuals, clubs and foundations are signing on to help us meet the $65,000(USD) goal. The Northern California DX Foundation was the first DX foundation to make a grant, followed by others. To date, individual donations are also coming in and we’re been working with several suppliers for equipment support.
In closing, like you, we were very sad to learn of the Bouvet team’s weather and mechanical situation. This is a DX-pedition team’s worst nightmare, we can’t imagine their disappointment. There is absolutely nothing a team can do when two significant events occur; safety is always the primary objective.
That’s it for this edition. In a month or so we’ll have all the plans complete and begin the implementation phase.
73,
Team Ducie 2018
For your use only, please do not distribute or publish
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