Its looks some South African Radio Amateurs complaining badly about ZS8W operation.
I don't understand what the problem is.
The ZS8W license is valid and Yuris is on the island.
If the South African government has violated any of its rules, then that is a question for them, but not for Yuris, YL2GM/ZS8W.
The link provided by ZR1AGV in the comment under the information about ZS8W
https://dxnews.com/zs8w/ It does not open, so I will quote the article in full.
My friends from South Africa helped me open it.
Outrage over ‘Marion Island madness’ as foreign radio hobbyist sets up at station
71-year-old Latvian ham radio enthusiast has been trying to reach the remote location for years
04 May 2025 - 00:00
Bobby Jordan MAKING WAVES Juris Petersons, 71, is broadcasting high-frequency radio from Marion Island.
Image: supplied
Questions are being asked about how a 71-year-old amateur radio enthusiast got to join a technical team on South Africa’s remote Marion Island.
Juris Petersons’s participation was approved against the advice of a senior official in the department of forestry, fisheries & the environment (DFFE), who labelled it non-compliant and potentially damaging to the country’s scientific work and reputation.
Petersons brought with him equipment allowing him to communicate with ham radio enthusiasts around the world — raising concerns about the risk of environmental damage on an island considered a refuge for seabirds.
Inspired by
Previous requests by Petersons to join the Marion Island team were turned down. He is known among a global community of amateur radio operators who collect “call signals” from remote locations. Marion Island is considered one of the most valuable owing to strict access control to the territory.
His arrival on Marion Island this week surprised some involved with the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP). The island is battling logistical constraints and technical difficulties that threaten the operations of its scientific base. Sources questioned why the department would include an amateur radio hobbyist on the team rather than a local expert qualified to effect repairs.
Petersons is due to spend six weeks on the island, to test amateur radio systems. High-frequency radio of the kind preferred by radio hams is useful on Marion owing to the uneven terrain, but radio ham sources this week said Petersons appeared more interested in achieving a rare ham radio milestone than conducting experiments.
Risks and concerns about the appointment were noted in an internal DFFE memo, sent by advocate Radia Razack, the acting deputy director-general for oceans and coasts, to senior management. It refers to “the intended installation of an 18m antenna on a previously unused site on Marion Island”.
“Previous rejections by relevant directors highlight ongoing concerns regarding the merit and purpose of Mr Petersons’s objectives,” it reads, raising concerns National Research Foundation-approved projects could be affected.
“The department and South Africa are already under scrutiny for various issues within the Antarctic programme. Further irregularities could result in additional negative press and stakeholder dissatisfaction.”
Department spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa said mitigation measures had been put in place to address concerns. They included “strict monitoring” of Petersons’s on-site activities, restricted transmission (one session a week) using a low-impact antenna and limited-height antenna, and no blogging or live posting “to preserve bandwidth and avoid operational conflicts”.
“The department is satisfied that these measures address identified risks and maintain compliance with environmental and regulatory standards,” said Mbelengwa.
Several sources said Petersons’s trip could set a dangerous precedent for other amateur radio incursions into the sensitive environment, famous for its bird colonies, and to which access is severely limited. Visitors arrive by ship, after a 1,200 nautical mile, five-day trip from Cape Town.
The appointment also prompted a complaint to environment minister Dion George from a telecommunications company that alleged it was overlooked in favour of Petersons, despite it having donated needed equipment.
Some questioned the rationale behind appointing a foreign contractor. “Yes, there are comms problems, because all the systems are outdated and need to be replaced,” said another reliable source. “Regardless, that needs to be done by the department, not [Petersons].”
The department and South Africa are already under scrutiny for various issues within the Antarctic programme. Further irregularities could result in additional negative press and stakeholder dissatisfaction
Petersons’s expedition is being monitored by the global ham radio community via web portal DX-World.
“Juris ... was on Marion Island and waiting for his antenna bags to be dropped off,” the site posted on April 27. “Since activity started on April 27, Juris has now made over 10K QSOs [contact with another station],” read another post in reference to his amateur radio activity.
On Thursday, the site said he had been asked to stop transmitting: “This is mainly to do some antenna work on the island. After [about] 3 days, he will resume activity.”
The site also features a photograph of Petersons posing with his home call sign, as well as pictures taken on Marion. A post on the site said he would be working as a radio engineer and member of the SANAP station communication maintenance team.
Peterson could not be reached for his version of events. However, various comments left on radio ham Facebook group Rebel DX questioned how he obtained a permit to visit the island.
“I think zs8w [Juris] didn’t inform SANAP about his real intentions, which was [an] amateur radio expedition,” said one commentator. “They hire a 71-year-old man as radio antenna repair team ... but there are 12 huts to visit during 10 to 12 days ... And they didn’t take 30-year-old South Africans to do the job? That sounds very weird.”
Petersons has tried for several years to access the island, and at one stage applied to do so as chair of the Latvian Radiosport Federation.
Though research bases mostly use satellite communication technology, high-frequency radio technology is still considered a vital backup for when satellite communication fails, as sometimes happens on Marion due to the weather.
Mbelengwa insisted Petersons was suitably qualified and would “test amateur radio systems as potential backup communication tools in remote environments”.
“Mr Petersons was not appointed to carry out any official departmental functions. He travelled in a private capacity, fully self-funded,” he said.
But research stakeholders say Marion Island is no place for self-funded expeditions.
“Marion is always oversubscribed, and even this year there were projects that couldn’t go [to the island]. Some of the project numbers were reduced, so I don’t understand the reason for prioritising Juris,” said one stakeholder.
I don't understand what the problem is.
The ZS8W license is valid and Yuris is on the island.
If the South African government has violated any of its rules, then that is a question for them, but not for Yuris, YL2GM/ZS8W.
The link provided by ZR1AGV in the comment under the information about ZS8W
https://dxnews.com/zs8w/ It does not open, so I will quote the article in full.
My friends from South Africa helped me open it.
Outrage over ‘Marion Island madness’ as foreign radio hobbyist sets up at station
71-year-old Latvian ham radio enthusiast has been trying to reach the remote location for years
04 May 2025 - 00:00
Bobby Jordan MAKING WAVES Juris Petersons, 71, is broadcasting high-frequency radio from Marion Island.
Image: supplied
Questions are being asked about how a 71-year-old amateur radio enthusiast got to join a technical team on South Africa’s remote Marion Island.
Juris Petersons’s participation was approved against the advice of a senior official in the department of forestry, fisheries & the environment (DFFE), who labelled it non-compliant and potentially damaging to the country’s scientific work and reputation.
Petersons brought with him equipment allowing him to communicate with ham radio enthusiasts around the world — raising concerns about the risk of environmental damage on an island considered a refuge for seabirds.
Inspired by
Previous requests by Petersons to join the Marion Island team were turned down. He is known among a global community of amateur radio operators who collect “call signals” from remote locations. Marion Island is considered one of the most valuable owing to strict access control to the territory.
His arrival on Marion Island this week surprised some involved with the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP). The island is battling logistical constraints and technical difficulties that threaten the operations of its scientific base. Sources questioned why the department would include an amateur radio hobbyist on the team rather than a local expert qualified to effect repairs.
Petersons is due to spend six weeks on the island, to test amateur radio systems. High-frequency radio of the kind preferred by radio hams is useful on Marion owing to the uneven terrain, but radio ham sources this week said Petersons appeared more interested in achieving a rare ham radio milestone than conducting experiments.
Risks and concerns about the appointment were noted in an internal DFFE memo, sent by advocate Radia Razack, the acting deputy director-general for oceans and coasts, to senior management. It refers to “the intended installation of an 18m antenna on a previously unused site on Marion Island”.
“Previous rejections by relevant directors highlight ongoing concerns regarding the merit and purpose of Mr Petersons’s objectives,” it reads, raising concerns National Research Foundation-approved projects could be affected.
“The department and South Africa are already under scrutiny for various issues within the Antarctic programme. Further irregularities could result in additional negative press and stakeholder dissatisfaction.”
Department spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa said mitigation measures had been put in place to address concerns. They included “strict monitoring” of Petersons’s on-site activities, restricted transmission (one session a week) using a low-impact antenna and limited-height antenna, and no blogging or live posting “to preserve bandwidth and avoid operational conflicts”.
“The department is satisfied that these measures address identified risks and maintain compliance with environmental and regulatory standards,” said Mbelengwa.
Several sources said Petersons’s trip could set a dangerous precedent for other amateur radio incursions into the sensitive environment, famous for its bird colonies, and to which access is severely limited. Visitors arrive by ship, after a 1,200 nautical mile, five-day trip from Cape Town.
The appointment also prompted a complaint to environment minister Dion George from a telecommunications company that alleged it was overlooked in favour of Petersons, despite it having donated needed equipment.
Some questioned the rationale behind appointing a foreign contractor. “Yes, there are comms problems, because all the systems are outdated and need to be replaced,” said another reliable source. “Regardless, that needs to be done by the department, not [Petersons].”
The department and South Africa are already under scrutiny for various issues within the Antarctic programme. Further irregularities could result in additional negative press and stakeholder dissatisfaction
Petersons’s expedition is being monitored by the global ham radio community via web portal DX-World.
“Juris ... was on Marion Island and waiting for his antenna bags to be dropped off,” the site posted on April 27. “Since activity started on April 27, Juris has now made over 10K QSOs [contact with another station],” read another post in reference to his amateur radio activity.
On Thursday, the site said he had been asked to stop transmitting: “This is mainly to do some antenna work on the island. After [about] 3 days, he will resume activity.”
The site also features a photograph of Petersons posing with his home call sign, as well as pictures taken on Marion. A post on the site said he would be working as a radio engineer and member of the SANAP station communication maintenance team.
Peterson could not be reached for his version of events. However, various comments left on radio ham Facebook group Rebel DX questioned how he obtained a permit to visit the island.
“I think zs8w [Juris] didn’t inform SANAP about his real intentions, which was [an] amateur radio expedition,” said one commentator. “They hire a 71-year-old man as radio antenna repair team ... but there are 12 huts to visit during 10 to 12 days ... And they didn’t take 30-year-old South Africans to do the job? That sounds very weird.”
Petersons has tried for several years to access the island, and at one stage applied to do so as chair of the Latvian Radiosport Federation.
Though research bases mostly use satellite communication technology, high-frequency radio technology is still considered a vital backup for when satellite communication fails, as sometimes happens on Marion due to the weather.
Mbelengwa insisted Petersons was suitably qualified and would “test amateur radio systems as potential backup communication tools in remote environments”.
“Mr Petersons was not appointed to carry out any official departmental functions. He travelled in a private capacity, fully self-funded,” he said.
But research stakeholders say Marion Island is no place for self-funded expeditions.
“Marion is always oversubscribed, and even this year there were projects that couldn’t go [to the island]. Some of the project numbers were reduced, so I don’t understand the reason for prioritising Juris,” said one stakeholder.