The DXPedition to Malpelo Island is winding down. This is high on the DXCC most wanted list. If you haven’t worked them they are pretty copyable up here in the NE. Most bands and RTTY.
John, W1AN
8 comments on “Malpelo Island HK0NA-Last Chance”
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Thanks for the reminder, John. I jumped on real quick and knocked out 15 and 20M RTTY, then 17, 30, and 40M CW. I’m hearing them on 160M so maybe…
73,
Pat, NG1G
Wow Pat, you work fast!
Well, I realized I don’t have much time left to work them on at least a few bands and modes, so I went to work. Matt and I both worked them in about a half-hour of operating time on several bands. I missed getting them on 160 and 80 too, I’m afraid. Oh well, the DXCC entity is in my log and that’s what matters (well, it matters that I’m in *their* log, but I won’t confirm that til some time today).
I have been tracking then for a while. Worked them on all bands (except 160) CW and several bands Phone. No Digital. Maybe I should do that.
According to the HK0NA web site, they should be there until 10 February. Did I miss something? If not, I still have a couple days.
Mike, K1DM
Februaru 3, 2012
Full operations will continue through (Friday) tonight at both OP A and
OP B i.e.; nine stations QRV.
This will be the last night of 160m operations and the antenna will come
down tomorrow (Saturday). OP A will be dismantled and all equipment,
antennas, infrastructure and operators will come down the mountain for
the last time. I am calling those 5-6 regulars at the top, the “iron
men”.
On Saturday night we will have 5-6 stations QRV at OP B for our last
night. At sunrise Sunday, the day of departure, four stations will
remain QRV until midday while the camp will be dismantled around them.
We hope to have everything and everyone safely on the boat for a sunset
departure back to Buenaventura for a hot shower, table service and a
cerveza.
As a matter of interest, we will break the DXpedition record set by
VP6DX of 183,686 QSOs. That is the record for DXpeditions that you
cannot fly into and where the operation doesn’t take place at a hotel
with all the comforts of food, water, and power supplied. It is
commonly called the “tent and generator” DXpedition record. We should
break it by a comfortable margin. Considering the rarity of Malpelo on
the DXCC “most wanted” list at #12 and the extreme difficulties of the
basically vertical terrain, we are most proud of our accomplishment. We
give full credit to our Colombian marine friends and the crew of the
Seawolf for doing most of the heavy lifting.
73, Bob-K4UEE
February 5, 2012
Final report from “the rock”
Today at noon local time the last three stations went QRT. 3/4 of the camp was dismantled around them as they continued to work the pileups. Amazing that there are still pileups after 190,000 ++ QSOs.
Assuming a safe transition to the Seawolf of all equipment and team members, this one is definitely for the record books!
Thanks to all for their kind comments both on the air and via our pilots. This is a gratifyng accomplishment of this International team. The Colombian and American organizers have worked very well together.
Special thanks go to the Fabulous Four (HK1N, HK1T, HK1MW and HK6F) for spending six weeks on Malpelo to make sure we were ready to begin operations almost immediately upon our arrival. Also a very specal thanks to the “iron men” at OP A who survived brutal conditons of heat, lack of food and water and as well as a dangerous climb just to get to the camp. They are HK1R, DJ9ZB, PP5XX, LU9ESD. HK1T anf HK1X, as well as a few visitors during the daytime.
We shall have two nights in Bogota seeing the sights and a specal reception with Government officials and then most team members return home on the 10th.
We are tired, but extremely happy with the results. We hope you, our audience so to speak, are also!
For the team,
73, Bob-K4UEE
If anyone hasn’t been to the HK0NA web site you should see it. The pictures are amazing, as is the effort these guys put into the operation. The climb to “OP A” was literally death-defying.
I will shamelessly use this as a plug for our 2013 trip to NP3U: If the HK0NA hams were willing to undergo such trials and hazards to give out 190,000 Qs for a DXpedition, surely we as a club are willing to put in a sincere (but less death-defying) effort to set a world M2 record in next year’s WPX RTTY, right?
73,
Pat, NG1G