Ham Talk Live! Episode 100 - Bouvet Island DXpedition LIVE update

Sorry to hear they had to abort but down 1 engine is not a good thing! That is a very rough environment on equipment and people!

 

Unfortunate, but hopefully they will try this next year. Perhaps they want to consider the Braveheart next time around.

 

Given all that has gone wrong so far, heading back seems to be the only choice for now. The trip back will be fraught with peril, but better than being stranded.

 

Although MV Braveheart has done a greeat job in so many DXpeditions in the southern oceans, she has no helideck. Use of MV Braveheart for Bouvet would require landing by zodiacs on the close to non-existing and rocky beach at Nyrøysa ("the new heap of rocks", created by an avalanche in the late 1950-ies) on the northwest side of the island. Other expeditions have worked from there. This QTH provides good conditions to the Americas, decent conditions to Europe, while Japan and the rest of Asia could only be worked long path, due to 2500 feet of Bouvet island coming in the way. The long path from Bouvet to Asia goes straight across the US. When the signals are good enough to work Asia long path, they are outstanding in the US, creating quite some challenges to get past the US wall to work Asia. Good propagations in all directions was the reason why they wanted to work from the glacier, and then heli landing was the only viable alternative and the reason MV Betanzos was chosen, actually with the help of Nigel Jolly, the owner of MV Braveheart. There have been some ideas of landing in zodiacs and climbing with the gear from the beach to the glacier, but I don't know of many professional iceclimbers in the DXpedition community, so until proven otherwise, I consider that approach unrealistic.

73 de Frode LA6VQ

 

Thanks Frode. I did not realize the issue with the helicopter. 73, Dave, w1wn

 

No problem, Dave. One cannot think of everything.
To be able to find a decent QTH, some of the places selected as DXCC entities are best reached by air, with Bouvet and Peter 1 islands as good examples.

73 de Frode LA6VQ

 

This is disappointing, but their safety is the main concern. I know the weather has interfered with a lot of their plans, and the engine issues on top of that just spells trouble. I hope they are not too discouraged, and willing to give it a try again when it's possible and safer.

 

Guess you don’t have to try, looks like the event is not happening, 73

 

Regarding financial sponsors: I'll contribute financially to DXpeditions like this one when the organizers allow frequencies that we General level hams can communicate on. This Bouvet Island expedition has neglected to allow a single frequency outside the Extra Class level. I know the response will be to "up-grade". However, in the interim, would it have hurt to have a frequency on 20 or 40 meters with in the General Class allowable frequencies?
I don't think so.

 

Those are only the frequencies you receive on. The transmit frequencies are in the General band after the first couple of days.

 

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You don't seem to get it OB!!! If you remember "3Y0X-Peter One" they'd initially planned on 2005 as then I was planning on being a part of that (DX-PEDITION) but it WAS ABORTED, and then in 2006 IT BECAME A REALITY!!! SO ALL OF US DXers NEED "PATIENCE"!!! And I'm one who has FAITH IN THEM AND THEY CAN (KEEP) MY DONATION UNTIL THEY GET THERE AGAIN, WHICH THEY WILL!!!

 

Delbert, Could you please post those frequencies that fall within the General level license. I can't seem to find them on the Bouvet website.

 

They aren't published. It's the split that they announce when they are on. They only announce their transmit frequencies in advance. They pick a split depending on what is happening at the moment. But they make a point to get those in the General band for the US as much as possible.

Neil

 

Worked in 1990 on 100 watts and a double bazooka
Nb8q
Station was 3y5x then

 

Last night Bill ZS6CCY was picking up US 5-watt stations right and left with his 4-square antenna in South Africa. It can happen!