3G1P

[4L5A]

3G1P. Cezar VE3LYC, Felipe XQ7IR, and Johan PA3EXX will attempt to operate as 3G1P from Islotes Pajaros, IOTA SA-100 New, the only counter of this IOTA reference, between August 18 and 23, 2025. This is a daring project, involving a number of hazards and risks, and the team hopes that island chasers and DXers at large will support their effort. Depending on the available space, the team intends to install and operate two or three stations, as much as possible around the clock, using CW, SSB, and FT8 on 10 to 40 m.

[4L5A]

3G1P News 15 May 2025
The license for the special callsign has been issued to Felipe, and is valid between August 4 and 29. Meanwhile, Cezar and Johan received their reciprocal licenses from SUBTEL, which are valid for the entire month of August. Finally, local fishermen accepted to support our team with logistics in mid-to-late August, which is why the operation has been scheduled at the time indicated on top of this website.

[4L5A]

3G1P News 19 May 2025
The operators will bring their own radios, amplifiers, and antennas, but everything else needs to be purchased in Chile and brought to Caleta Lobos. We will rent wet suits in Iquique, as well as a truck for the transportation of all the radio, camping, food, water, and fuel components. Meanwhile, we hired local fishermen to provide us with boating services, as well as continuous support to keep the wildlife at bay while we will be on the island.

Apart from generators that had already been purchased, we need to buy coaxial and power cables, tents and camping equipment, including tables, chairs, cooking stove, mats or cots, sleeping bags, as well as sealed drums for the safe transportation of all small components and the collection and storage of various types of waste.

While on Pajaros, the team will have cell phone coverage and will upload the log daily. However, we do not intend to spend time on the internet during the operation, and so please refrain from attempting to contact us over the email or WhatsApp.

This is a really difficult project due to various hazards and associated risks, and we hope that island chasers will support our efforts. Therefore, we will be actively looking for any possible group and individual donations, which will be acknowledged timely on this website.

[4L5A]

3G1P News Following discussions with the Chilean Coast Guard, the team developed a Safety Plan, which included an identification of hazards, as well as the mitigation of various risks associated with them. The plan also specified the name of the person who will lead the logistical team from Caleta de Lobos. The document, prepared by Felipe with feedback from the rest of the team members, was transmitted to the Coast Guard on May 23, and we are happy to report that we received their approval today.

Meanwhile, we are working on the logistical plan, and as part of it we purchased custom-made hypalon bags for the generators. These are somewhat similar to drybags, but much sturdier and heavier, made from rubberized polyurethane. These are the same type of components we have used for the Bouvet DXpedition in 2023 and will be using again in 2026.

[4L5A]

3G1P Islotes Pajaros News
The team continues to work on various continencies meant to ensure that all people (three operators and one helper) and materials will be successfully landed on the rock from the first attempt. As such, in order to take advantage of the most favorable sea conditions in early morning, we agreed with Juan, the head of our logistical team, to organize everything in only one transport from Caleta Lobos to Pajaros. This will require two boats instead of one, but it also offers the advantage that drivers will be able to support each other during the landing operation. Only Juan though will remain in stand-by, day and night, during our entire activity from the island. We are also re-evaluating the type of sealed drums we need to purchase, in view of the cost and available supplies, and look into having them tested.

[4L5A]

3G1P Islotes Pajaros News 18 June 2025.
The team decided to add a 2-element yagi for 10-15-20 m to their multiband vertical antennas. In view of the very limited space on the island, we appreciate that this yagi will help reduce interference between stations.

[4L5A]

3G1P News
In five weeks, our team will head to Iquique. The generators, sealed drums, various radio and other components will be shipped there in advance, and stored in a warehouse. Other radio components, laptops, and accessories will arrive with the operators, as accompanying luggage.

Here is the day-by-day time schedule:

- Aug 13: team members will depart from home and travel to Iquique.
- Aug 14: meet in Iquique (mid-afternoon), and arrange transportation to Caleta Lobos.
- Aug 15: shopping for camping gear, including tents, tables, chairs, mats, and sleeping bags.
- Aug 16: shop for water, food, and fuel supplies, as well as miscellaneous components.
- Aug 17: rent wetsuits, load a truck and a van, travel to and overnight in Caleta Lobos.
- Aug 18: wake up very early, load two fishing boats, arrive at Pajaros around 6 am local time.
Land all people and components, move everything on top of the island, and setup camp.
Get on the air by mid-afternoon local time.
- Aug 19 to 22: on the air from Pajaros.
- Aug 23: shut down before sunrise and prepare to leave the island in the morning.
Leave all camping gear and miscellaneous components with the fishermen of Caleta Lobos.
Drive to Iquique and return the wetsuits.
- Aug 24: Sell the generators. Prepare personal bags for the return trip home.
- Aug 25: Depart from Iquique. Felipe arrives back home the same day.
- Aug 26: Cezar and Johan return home.

Note that we won't be able to install anchor pegs on Pajaros for either the tents or the antenna masts. This is because the top of the island is covered in a very soft and more than 50 cm think guano layer. Furthermore, there are no rocks on the island that we can use for anchoring purposes. There are only huge boulders there, similar to what we encountered on Escondida (LU6W, SA-096) in 2015. Consequently, our plan is to bring rocks from Caleta Lobos. For two tents and three masts we'll need at least 21 anchoring points, or close to... 200 kg of rocks! Worth mentioning, all the rocks that we'll bring on Pajaros will have to be brought back to the village!

We are immensely grateful to the groups and individuals who extended to us grants and donations. Their unreserved trust and enthusiastic support energized and determined us to incorporate even more contingencies in the logistical plan of this challenging project. Meanwhile, we continue to look for donations from those willing and able to help us defray more of our costs.

[4L5A]

3G1P News 25 July 2025
During our repeated discussions with the leader of the logistical team, a respected fisherman from Caleta Lobos, he indicated that his major concern for everyone's safety is the presence of the guano on the rocks. Under the ocean spray, the guano on the inclined rocks will be wet and extremely slippery. Consequently, he planned to install a couple of ropes on the island, meant to provide us with support while climbing to the intended campsite, on top. We also decided to incorporate an additional contingency by having Felipe build a 7 m long rope ladder, which we will be able to installed, if needed, with 10 mm diameter rebars hammered into the vertical limestone rockwall.

The leader of the logistical team visited the island twice during the last few days. His first visit was on July 20, late morning, when the sea was pretty rough. He managed to put foot on the island with great difficulty, after which he scouted the place for the best path to the top, and installed a couple of ropes in the process, which he secured and left in place. He returned to the island on Jul 23, early morning, when the sea was very calm and allowed him to bring some rock anchors for our tents and masts. It was his decision to go for rocks rather than plastic kegs filled with sea water.

Team members had a zoom meeting on July 24 in which they went in great detail over the radio equipment. Given the highly variable sea conditions, they decided that the radio, generators, camping gear, food, water and fuel supplies will be packed such as to be deployed in two phases. If sea conditions are good, both phases will be implemented right away, one after the other. However, if sea conditions worsen, or are difficult to begin with, only the first phase will be deployed, while the second will be attempted a day or two later.

Furthermore, in order to better take into account the variability of the sea conditions, the team plans to work very hard in Iquique in order to finalize the rental and purchasing of various components necessary for this project faster than originally scheduled. If successful, they intend to arrive in Caleta Lobos one day earlier, on Aug 16. There, they will do their best to have everything prepared for transportation to the island. If the weather and sea conditions cooperate, the team will attempt landing one day earlier, on Aug 17. However, if the sea conditions are difficult, they may have to wait, as the decision to go remains with the leader of the logistical team.

[4L5A]

3G1P News
With all shopping done, wetsuits rented, we are now waiting for the truck to come to our accommodation in Iquique to take us to Caleta de Lobos. We'll need some time to load everything properly in the truck's bin, but we aim to be at our destination by 19 UTC or shortly after. The plan is to attempt landing tomorrow morning, and be operational by early to mid-afternoon local time.

[4L5A]

3G1P News
The operating team along with the logistical crew drove to the rock this morning bright and early. Unfortunately, the sea didn't cooperate, as the hull and the currents were outside of what the leader of the logistical group considered acceptable landing conditions. Moreover, the weather forecast is not looking good for the next 3-4 days. Meanwhile we decided to inspect a couple of other little rocks, which seemed at first to potentially qualify for this IOTA group. However, upon further checking, we concluded that they do not meet the conditions. We are back in the village and are evaluating our options.