FT W - Crozet Islands

[4L5A]

After very long procedures with the TAAF Administration, Thierry F6CUK has just received a letter from the Prefect giving him a favorable opinion to take part in the OP4-2022 rotation in the OP1-2023 rotation, i.e. from December 2022 to March 2023 , more than two months only radio operator on Crozet. The call sign request will follow.

It is Paul F6EXV who will provide the QSL service and manage the "treasury".
Thierry will communicate all the details to us as they progress.

Thierry will seek financial assistance given that this project is estimated between 40 and 45,000 euros.
This is not an expedition backed by a club but he will be alone and we will have to wish him a lot of courage to face the very many and immense pile-ups that this will raise because we must be aware that Crozet is the 3rd DXCC entity in the world. most wanted ... The last activity since Crozet by Florentin F4DYW with the code FT5WQ dates from 2009!
Best regards

Jean-Michel F6AJA

FT5W Crozet - Les dix entités les plus recherchées

[4L5A]

Dear friends
Further the announcement by Jean-Michel F6AJA, we would like to inform of the following :
After many months of efforts and negociations, the TAAF (the body in charge of the FTs administration) has granted permission for a one-man nearly 3-month operation from Crozet Island to Thierry F6CUK, from mid December 2022 to mid March 2023 (be patient !) Exact dates will come just prior to the operation.
The last activity from Crozet was in 2009 by Florentin F4DYW as FT5WQ.

Details will be forthcoming in the next few days, weeks and months, when they become available and publishable.

Thierry F6CUK will be the operator, Paul F6EXV will be the finance/QSL manager.

Please do not try to contact either Thierry F6CUK or Paul F6EXV for the time being, there will be no reply to any messages related to this operation untill further notice.

Stay tuned !
73
Paul

[4L5A]

F6CUK, Thierry, is on his way to Ile de la Possession (Possession Island) in the Crozet Islands.
He is planning to land 20 December 2022.

[4L5A]

I've been on the base since this morning (its 11:18 here) and the trip on the Marduf went well and just a little woozy twice.

I got acquainted with the future shack which is fine, just 2 or 3 things to check for interference with equipment in the room but hey, that should do it.

I should sleep in the same building, I just have to go outside and walk 10m to go to my room, which should do it there too.

On the antenna side, if we can do it as I think, that will be very good.

It's very crowded here because there are a lot of people on the base, but INFRA will take care of me on Thursday.
A base is on a small mound which puts the foot of the mast 2 or 3 m from the roof of the building where I am and there is everything to guy and pull the Levy.

The shack is in the basement facing the mast so 10 to 15 m of coax at most to pull, the clearance is great at 360° and the dish should pass without worry above the roof of the building located at 330° towards OQ-100.
All the staff is very friendly and the amateur radio attracts a lot of questions. But already I can say that everyone knows who I am and is ready to help me.

So, no traffic will start before the weekend.

I also had contact with the IPEV, it should be fine and the measurement fields are opposite the base. The famous Absolute Measure lasts about 20 minutes so it's about 4.5 hours total, but I think there is a way to see it in detail. Anyway I have to see the manager (who was with me on the boat) and the 2 technicians who will take the measurements to define an action plan.

To be continued…

Thierry

[4L5A]

All equipment arrived safe, this will be his operating position.

[4L5A]

F6CUK, Thierry, has set up the radio room. He has two Kenwood TS-590SG transceivers and an Acom 1000 amplifier. Earlier today he began assembling his wire antennas, which will include verticals and dipoles. He will be focusing activity on 30, 20, 17 and 15 meters but if conditions permit he will use the upper bands. For low band DXers co-organizer and QSL manager F6EXV, Paul, told How's DX 80 meter activity will be "very limited, if any" and 160 meters would be "unlikely". So far there has been no activity but Thierry is expected to begin operations this weekend. The callsign has not been announced, to prevent pirate activity. In fact the callsign will not be announced to the public until after the first QSO. At that point Paul will announce the callsign to the DX community via the Crozet 2022 website

[4L5A]

F6CUK is start his activity from Crozet Islands as FT8WW 25 December 2022.
He was active on 30m today.
FT8WW Crozet Islands