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    VP8PJ - South Orkney Islands - DX Pedition - Press Release

    For Immediate Release
    Press Release #1
    March 15, 2019
    South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
    (AN-008)


    After their successful VP6D Ducie Island 2018 DX-pedition, the Perseverance DX Group (pdxg.net) is pleased to announce their intention to activate South Orkney Islands, currently Clublog #16 most wanted.
    Planning has begun for an expedition in Feb/Mar, 2020. A team of experienced DX and Contest operators will operate from Signy Island for up to 15 days. The process of obtaining landing permission is underway. The call sign will be announced at a later date. The team will sail from Punta Arenas, Chile aboard RV Braveheart. Seven operating positions are planned for 160-10 meters, SSB/CW/Digital.
    The team includes: Dave K3EL, Les W2LK, Steve W1SRD, Ricardo PY2PT, Gene K5GS, Arliss W7XU, Heye DJ9RR, Laci HA0NAR, Mike WA6O, Vadym UT6UD, Walt N6XG and Rob N7QT.
    Additional details will be released as they develop.
    Donations may be made via the website.
    Website: https://sorkney.com/
    Please direct your questions to: info@sorkney.com
    73,
    South Orkney 2020 Team


    South Orkney Islands DX Pedition Press Release
    73 Al 4L5A
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    #2
    For Immediate Release
    Special Press Release
    April 25, 2019
    South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
    (AN-008)
    We are honored to have received the Northern California DX Foundation’s (NCDXF) support for our South Orkney Islands DXpedition, scheduled for February/March, 2020.
    On April 23, 2019 we were notified by the NCDXF Board of Directors that a significant grant was approved for our project. With the cost of ships, fuel, and freight continuing to rise the future of major DXpeditions rests in the hands of the worldwide DX community. NCDXF has a long history of enabling DXpeditions to rare and/or difficult to activate entities.
    NCDXF has supported Perseverance DX Group projects since our inception in 2014. We appreciate the Foundation’s generosity and their confidence in our project team and plans.
    73,
    Perseverance DX Group
    South Orkney 2020 Team
    73 Al 4L5A

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      #3
      For Immediate Release
      Press Release #2
      April 28, 2019
      South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
      (AN-008)

      We appreciate the Northern California DX Foundation’s (NCDXF) significant grant of $30,000(USD) to our project. Their generous grant will help cover the estimated project cost of $325,000(USD).
      Recently joining the team are:
      Ken Karr NG2H
      First licensed in 1955 as KN2OZZ, then K2OZZ and finally as NG2H. Ken served in the United States Navy first as a communications officer aboard submarines and later commanded two fast attack nuclear submarines. He consulted with commercial nuclear electric generating companies, and conducted missions with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
      Ken is a member of CWOps (1477), FISTS (16869), NAQCC (7560), SKCC (12740), the Potomac Valley Radio Club (Rappahannock Chapter), Fluvanna County Virginia ARES, and past member of the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club.
      Ken was a team member of the 2016 VK0EK Heard Island DX-pedition
      Dave Jorgensen WD5COV
      Dave was first licensed in 1977 at the age of 14 as WD5COV. He holds DXCC: #1 Honor Roll, 351 confirmed (mixed), 10 Band DXCC, 3016 DXCC Challenge, and a member of the ARRL’s A-1 Ops Club.

      He is a life member of the ARRL, a member of the Intrepid DX Group, the Araucaria DX Group, the Arizona Outlaws Contest Club, the Mimbres Valley Radio Club, the New Mexico VHF Society, and is a supporter of the Northern California DX Foundation.
      Dave is an experienced DXpedition operator having been a team member on: 3D2R Rotuma Island 2011, 7O6T Yemen 2012, 3D2C Conway Reef 2012, E30FB Eritrea 2015, VP8STI South Sandwich 2016, VP8SGI South Georgia 2016.
      A retired business owner of Hydrafles Inc, located in Denver, Colorado he manufactured and distributed industrial hoses and fittings. His other career has always been electronics and communications.
      Tents
      DXpeditions to Antarctica require severe weather tents. We recently purchased suitable tents from other DXpedition teams and will consolidate them and other equipment in California.
      Fundraising
      Our fundraising drive began in mid-March. In just a short time we’ve received donations from 19 clubs/foundations and over 130 individuals. We look forward to receiving support from the global DX community. Donations may be made via the website or by contacting us at: info@sorkney.com
      Ham Radio Events
      Several of our team members will attend upcoming ham radio events, including: Dayton Hamvention, Dallas Ham-Com, Ham Radio Friedrichshafen (Germany) and the Pacific Northwest DX Convention. Please look for us and say hello.
      73,
      South Orkney 2020 Team
      73 Al 4L5A

      Comment

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        #4
        We are pleased to announce that Elecraft will be the radio sponsor for this project.

        Elecraft will provide K3s transceivers, KPA-500 amplifiers and their P3 Panadapters.

        We appreciate Elecraft's continued support of Perseverance DX Group projects.
        73 Al 4L5A

        Comment

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          #5
          For Immediate Release
          Press Release #3
          May 26, 2019
          South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
          (AN-008)

          Project plans continue to be developed. The radio and antenna strategiesare complete and work is underway building detailed project plans and sourcing equipment.
          Call Sign
          We will use the call sign: VP8/VP8DXU
          Corporate Sponsors
          A key component of any serious DX-pedition is the radio equipment. We are pleased to announce that Elecraft is again partnering with us as a major equipment sponsor. Elecraftwill provide fully featured K3s transceivers, KPA-500 amplifiers and P3 Panadapters. Elecraft has been a trusted supplier of all Perseverance DX Group (PDXG) projects, we appreciate their continued support and sponsorship.
          Our other corporate sponsors include DX Engineering, Arlan Communications (RadioSport) and Rig Expert.
          Tent Weekend
          Scheduled for the 2nd weekend of July in Placerville, California is our tent assembly project. We will unpack, inspect, make any necessary repairs and repack the 3 tents we acquired for this project. To minimize island setup time, we will construct and “kit” the tent bases /flooring in California. The tents and flooring will then be disassembled and repacked for sea shipment.
          Fundraising
          We received significant financial support from the Northern California DX Foundation, the German DX Foundation and the Far East DX-Ploiters. As of this writing a total of 29 clubs/foundations have committed to support the project and 178 individuals have shown their support. This is a good start, but we still have a long way to go in order to meet the goal of the team members funding 50% of the estimated project cost of $325,000(USD). If you need South Orkney for an ATNO, or plan to work us, we would appreciate your help.

          Confirmations:
          As with previous PDXG DX-peditions we are again offering a tiered structure for early LoTW upload (from the island) and free QSL cards at the $50 or greater level. Both offers have proven to be very popular with the DX community. Details are available at the website or by contacting us at:info@sorkney.com


          Ham Radio Events
          With Visalia and Dayton behind us, one or more of our team members will be attending Dallas Ham-Com, Ham Radio Friedrichshafen (Germany), the ARRL Arizona State Convention(Prescott, AZ) andthePacific Northwest DX Convention. Please look for us and say hello.
          We enjoyed meeting many DXers at Visalia and Dayton. The winner of the Icom 7300 (Visalia raffle) was Rick Kile WA7BNG.
          73,
          Team VP8/VP8DXU
          73 Al 4L5A

          Comment

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            #6
            For Immediate Release
            Press Release #4
            June 27,2019
            South Orkney Islands DX-pedition VP8/VP8DXU (AN-008)
            Project planning continues on schedule.
            Corporate Sponsors
            A key component of any serious DX-pedition is the equipment. Joining our corporate sponsor team are:
            WiMo
            We are pleased to announce that WiMo Antennen und ElektronikGmb, Herxheim, Germanywill sponsor the HF Yagi antennas by providing a complement of antennas from theirEAntenna product line.
            Spiderbeam
            Returning as a sponsor isSpiderbeam GmbH, Spremberg, Germany.As with our previous DX-pedition projects,Spiderbeam will provide their line of high-quality fiberglass and aluminum telescoping masts. We are happy to again welcome Spiderbeam to another PDXG project.
            Tent Weekend
            Scheduled for July 12 – 15, 2019 in Placerville, California is our tent assembly project. Over 2,300 pounds (1,050kg) of WeatherPortextreme weather tents and supporting equipment was shipped to California from Illinois and Georgia. We appreciate the assistance from: Don N1DG, Craig K9CT, Bob K4UEE and Rick N4HU in making these tents available to our project, and Mark KJ6EUO for his assistance in receiving and storing the shipment in California.
            We will unpack, inspect, make any necessary repairs and repack the tents. To minimize island setup time, we will construct and “kit” the tent bases /flooring in California.
            Band / Mode Addition:
            We added 80m SSB to the operating plan.
            Fundraising
            Our fundraising campaign continues. The next payment to Braveheart is due in July and our shipping budget of $25,000(USD) is tracking close to plan. As of this writing,30 clubs / Foundations and 236 individuals have shown their support to the project.
            We have a long way to go in order to reach the goal of 50% team member funding of the estimated project cost of $325,000(USD). If you need South Orkney for an ATNO, or plan to work us, we would appreciate your help,expenses must be paid before we sail.
            Many of the current individual donors have supported our previous DX-peditions whether they needed the entity or not. We appreciate the confidence they’ve shown in our team, and invite others to sign on.
            Ham Radio Events:
            We enjoyed meeting many DXers at Ham Com Dallas, Friedrichshafen, Germany and the Arizona ARRL State Convention, Prescott.
            Please look for us at the Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington in August.
            73,
            Team VP8/VP8DXU
            73 Al 4L5A

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              #7
              For Immediate Release
              Press Release - Special
              July 9,2019
              South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
              VP8/VP8DXU (AN-008)
              We are pleased to announce that Hans-Peter Blaettler HB9BXE has joined the team. An experienced DX and contest operator, he was first licensed in 1978, and primarily operates CW. He previously operated as: HB0BXE, VK4BXE, 5H1BP, XV4B, and was a team member of the following DX-peditions:
              - St. Brandon 3B7RF
              - P29VBC New Guinea
              - 3Y0X Peter 1
              - VK0EK Heard Island

              Additionally, he was the team leader for:
              - 3B6RF DX-pedition to Agalega
              - 3W6C DX-pedition to Côn Có Island (Vietnam)
              In 2004 he operated from the top of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak, Africa’s highest mountain at 5,895m (19,341 ft) above sea level.
              He is a development engineer for a company that manufactures electronic components. In fact, most of his amateur radio equipment is homebrew.Other interests include cycling on mountainroads.
              Hans-Peter brings significant Antarctic and operational experience to the team.
              73,
              Team VP8/VP8DXU
              73 Al 4L5A

              Comment

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                #8
                For Immediate Release
                Press Release #5
                July 27, 2019
                South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
                VP8/VP8DXU
                (AN-008)
                Project planning continues on schedule.
                Tent Weekend
                During the weekend of July 12th seven team members and three volunteers met in Placerville, California to prepare the tents for use on South Orkney Island. Participating were team members: Dave K3EL, Les W2LK, Gene K5GS, Steve W1SRD, Walt N6XG, Mike WA6O, and Rob N7QT. Volunteers Kevin K6TD and Bob W1RH helped with the preparation and Doris K0BEE prepared meals for the three days the team was doing the work. Temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37C), much different than the next location where these tents will be deployed.
                These are the same tents that were used by VP8ORK 2011 South Orkney and, with a different configuration,KH1/KH7Z 2018 Baker Island DX-pedition. Kevin K6TD having previously assembled the tents on Baker Island offered his assistance to the team.
                We unpacked and inventoried all the parts, assembled the tents, and marked key components for faster installation on the island. The inside and outside of each tent were power-washed and treated with a disinfectant to avoid inadvertent introduction of non-native species.
                Flooring was constructed using approved materials, assembled and integrated with the tents. After this trial run the flooring was disassembled, power washed, and disinfected. Everything was packed and wrapped in waterproof tarps, ready for transport to our customs broker. Pictures of the weekend activities are at: https://sorkney.com/tent-weekend/
                Band / Mode Addition:
                We added 60m FT8 to the operating plan.
                Fundraising
                Team members made their 2nd payment to the project, and our 2nd payment to Braveheart was processed. As of this writing, 33 clubs / foundations and 273 individuals have shown their support for the project.
                While we’re making progress, we have a long way to go to reach the goal of 50% team member funding of the estimated project cost of ~$325,000(USD). Please keep in mind, serious DX-peditions, especially those in the Southern Ocean, must pay the bills before leaving home, we are no exception. If you need South Orkney for an ATNO, or plan to work us, we would appreciate your help.
                Ham Radio Events:
                Please look for us at the Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington in August.
                73,
                Team VP8/VP8DXU
                73 Al 4L5A

                Comment

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                  #9
                  For Immediate Release
                  Press Release #6
                  September 1,2019
                  South Orkney Islands DX-pedition VP8/VP8DXU (AN-008)

                  Corporate Sponsors

                  We are delighted to announce that Low Band Systems will supply their High-Power Bandpass Filters for all planned bands. This complement of best in class filters, in conjunction with vertical and horizontal polarized antennas, will allow us to operate two stations on the same band simultaneously and improve overall inter-station operability.
                  DX-peditions to the Southern Ocean are challenged by high winds which may result in downed antennas unless adequately guyed. Joining our corporate sponsors areMastrantAntenna Guyingand Clamcleat Limited. We’ll use a selection of their antenna support products to keep the masts in the air.We appreciate the confidence these new sponsors have in our project and team.
                  Project Major Milestones
                  During the week of October 20th team members will meet nearPalo Alto, California to consolidate, integrate, test and pack the equipment for its transport to Punta Arenas, Chile. Arrangements were made for our customs broker to transport the tents and all other equipment to their depot where a container will be prepared for the journey.
                  The team began making their travel arrangements to meet the Braveheart in Chile. At their own expense airline reservations are being booked, and a Punta Arenas hotel will house the team.
                  Braveheart left New Zealand on August 20thto meet her contractual obligations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, including VP6R Pitcairn Island DX-pedition, first stop Papeete, French Polynesia. She will return home sometime in April, 2020.
                  Fundraising
                  The inconvenient truth is amateur radio DX-peditions to the Southern Ocean, and other rare entities that require a ship charter, are expensive. While the team members willshoulder much of the cost of the project, we depend on corporate sponsors, clubs/foundations and individuals to share the cost. Ham radio is our hobby, businesses require full payment for their services.
                  To date,37 clubs / foundations and over 300 individuals have shown their supportfor the project.With 6 months before sailing we are at 48% of our fundraising goal.
                  A subsequent DX-pedition to South Orkney Island will likely not take place for a long time.If you need South Orkney for an ATNO, band fills, or plan to play in the pileups, we would appreciate your help before we sail.
                  Ham Radio Events:
                  With the project still in the planning stage, we’ve agreed to participateat the following events:
                  - Ham Radio (June, 2020) Friedrichshafen, Germany
                  - Asia Pacific DX Convention (November, 2020) Osaka, Japan
                  In closing, we’ve been in contact with Silvano I2YSB of the Italian DX Team. Their recently announced DX-pedition to Tanzania will not overlap our South Orkney project.
                  Good luck to Silvano and his team.
                  73,
                  Team VP8/VP8DXU
                  73 Al 4L5A

                  Comment

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                    #10
                    For Immediate Release
                    Press Release #7
                    October 11,2019
                    South Orkney Islands DX-pedition
                    VP8/VP8DXU
                    (AN-008)
                    ARRL Colvin Award
                    We are honored to have received a significant grant from the ARRL’s Colvin Award program. The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment established by Lloyd D. Colvin, W6KG (SK).
                    Consistent with Mr. Colvin’s wishes and with the policies of the ARRL Board, the Colvin Award is conferred in the form of grants in support of Amateur Radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX. For additional information about this award: http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants
                    Clipperton DX Club
                    The Clipperton DX Club (CDXC France) has joined the list of club/foundation sponsors with a significant donation to the project. CDXC has been a long-time sponsor of PDXG DX-peditions, we appreciate the confidence CDXC has shown to our DX-pedition projects.
                    http://wp.cdxc.org/cdxc-history/
                    Corporate Sponsors
                    We are pleased to announce that ON5UR QSL Printing has joined our list of corporate sponsors. Max (ON5UR) is a full service QSL printer that produces high quality QSL cards in many formats, including monochrome, full color, folded / single cards at competitive pricing. We appreciate Max’s offer to be our QSL card sponsor.
                    Project Major Milestones
                    Beginning on October 24th team members will meet nearPalo Alto, California to consolidate, integrate, test and pack the equipment for its transport to Punta Arenas, Chile. Arrangements were made for our customs broker to transport the equipment to their depot where a container will be prepared for the journey.Equipment shipments from European sponsors:WIMO, Spiderbeam, Mastrant, Clamcleat and Low Band Systems arrived from Europe, or via DX Engineering.The Elecraft equipment will be picked up at the factory, DX Engineering, RadioSport and Rig Expert products were previously received.
                    The team began making their travel arrangements to meet the Braveheart in Chile. At their own expense airline reservations are being booked, and a Punta Arenas hotel will house the team.
                    Braveheart left New Zealand on August 20thto meet her contractual obligations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, including VP6R Pitcairn Island DX-pedition, first stop was Papeete, French Polynesia. She will return home sometime in April, 2020.

                    Antenna Strategy
                    Similar to our Ducie Island (VP6D) plan,the antenna team designed a strategy that considers Signy Island’s location and topography. Vertical Dipole Arrays, constructed from Spiderbeamproducts, will bedirected towards Europe, over water. For other geographies the topology is less suitable for VDAs so insteadEAntenna Moxons will be used. Low band vertical antennas, using Spiderbeamand DX Engineering products, will be used for all geographies.
                    Fundraising
                    We appreciate the response from the worldwide DX organizations. So far, forty-fourclubs / foundations have signed on, and equally important are the over 350 individuals who have supported the project, especially the 41 Premier Sponsors who each donated $200(USD), or more. We still have a long way to go but we’re encouraged by the response. If you or your club aren’t listed on our website please consider a donation.
                    73,
                    Team VP8/VP8DXU
                    73 Al 4L5A

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