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ZS8W Marion Island

Yuris, YL2GM will be active as ZS8W from Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands, IOTA AF - 021, 21 April - 16 May 2025.
He will operate on 160 - 6m, CW, SSB, Digital modes.
Recent DX Spots ZS8W
ZS8W Log search Split operation will always be used. Yuris will listen on CW up 1 or more, and on 160 meters he will listen down 2 for Japan (1810- 1820). On SSB, he will be listening up 5 or more.
On FT8, if you see RR73 from ZS8W, then you are in the log and can stop your transmissions. There is no need to transmit RR73 or 73 message.
QSL via LOTW, ClubLog OQRS.
QTH Locator - KE83wc.

ZS8W Marion Island News 13 May 2025

Yuris, ZS8W/YL2GM QRT.

ZS8W Marion Island News 3 May 2025

Yuris, YL2GM/ZS8W will restart his activity from Marion Island from 06 UTC 4 May 2025.
He is planning also QRV on 80m.

ZS8W Marion Island News 27 April 2025

Yuris, ZS8W is start his activity from Marion Island.

ZS8W Marion Island News 26 April 2025

There are no flights to the island today. Fuel is being pumped to the island base. I am waiting for the flight
73s Yuris, YL2GM/ZS8W

ZS8W Marion Island News 23 April 2025

As of 13:00 UTC April 23 Yuris remains on the ship. Still no information about the start of disembarkation. So far only pirates are on the air and DX clusters, don't bother to work them. Information will be provided when Yuris makes it to the shore or when plans become known.

ZS8W Marion Island News 22 April 2025

S.A. Agulhas II has reached Marion island. But it is not clear yet, when disembarkation will start.

ZS8W Marion Island News 18 April 2025


The ship S.A. Agulhas II departed from the port of Cape Town in the afternoon of April 18, one day later than initially planned.

Lost in the ocean Prince Edward

In the third largest ocean of the globe - the Indian Ocean - two small islands of the Prince Edward Archipelago are lost two thousand kilometers from the southern coast of Africa. But despite the remoteness and complete detachment from civilization, the area is of considerable interest.

Discovered twice

At the end of the 17th century, Dutch travelers on the ship “Marseveen” led by Ruud van Gestings tried several times to find the unknown southern continent. During one of the expeditions, the group came across two strange islands formed by volcanic activity. One was named Dina, the other Marseven. To be fair, it should be noted that on some European maps they are called so to this day. And this, in general, is wrong, because the Scandinavians gave wrong coordinates and did not become discoverers. For some time - almost a whole century - they were forgotten. Until 1772, when in 1772 the French, led by Marion Dufrane, once again went in search of the southern continent, did not open these areas of land again, having determined their correct location. However, because of the severe weather, the explorers did not dare to leave the ship, limiting themselves to a description and name. The larger one was named Marion and the smaller one Prince Edward.

ZS8W Marion Island LogoZS8W. Marion Island. Logo.

Volcanoes, rocks and nuclear weapons

Marion is a typical volcanic landmass formed in several stages. Its relief is sharply heterogeneous, predominantly mountainous, with soils high in pumice and sulfur. The ancient Island volcano, which last erupted in 2004, shows no signs of activity today, but is the highest point. Prince Edward also has a mountainous surface and its own towering peak - the volcano - Van Zinderen. In the northeastern part there are several cliffs, the largest of which are Ship and Ross.

Officially, the first people - seal hunters and whalers - entered these lands in 1800, having already discovered ancient human sites here. Who they were and why they visited them earlier, it is difficult to say. Researchers, who later came here more than once, agreed that they could have been the same fishing groups.

And in the early 20th century, representatives of the Republic of South Africa equipped a weather station on the coast, successfully operating to this day, and immediately declared the territory the property of South Africa.

The islands are covered with fogs and mysteries. For example, once an American satellite spotted in the immediate vicinity of the flash, which tried to link it to an underwater test of nuclear weapons. Israel and South Africa were under suspicion. However, the fears were not confirmed.

The climatic conditions of the sub-Antarctic belt are harsh and unsafe. Almost ten months a year there are rains, periodically changing into drizzle and snow, and the strongest winds blow, whose gusts reach two hundred kilometers per hour. Average monthly summer temperatures do not exceed +15-18 degrees Celsius, and winter temperatures are around -5 degrees Celsius.

Getting to these places is not an easy task. The lack of airstrips and regular sea communication with the mainland makes such a desire almost impossible. The only sure option is rotary-winged aviation or research vessels, which, however, landing specialists at the meteorological station, do not stay here for long.

ZS8W Marion Island DX News

The islands are not empty - penguins live and cabbage grows on the islands

As already reported, there is no permanent population on the archipelago, but there are many representatives of animal life typical for northern latitudes. In the early nineties, expeditioners brought mice, which multiplied so much that they seriously threatened the ecosystem of the area, and then cats for rodent control. Currently, both have been safely exterminated and captured.

Huge colonies are formed by penguins and seals, seabirds - petrels, typhoons and albatrosses. A subspecies of the latter, the gray-headed albatross, is quite rare and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for its unique speed qualities. The bird has a huge wingspan - up to three and a half meters and can fly at a speed of up to 120 kilometers per hour. It can stay in such a state for more than 8 hours.

The local flora is not as rich as the fauna. There are a variety of mosses, fungi and lichens. The only real plant is the self-pollinating Kerguelen cabbage, a grass with large fleshy leaves. Imported from the Kerguelen archipelago of the same name, it is fully adapted to the harsh conditions, not afraid of strong winds and frequent frosts. It is edible and is used by sailors as a valuable storehouse of vitamin C.

In short, the habitat conditions on Prins-Edouard are close to extreme, which, however, does not prevent its exploration and future development.

ZS8W. Where is Marion Island located. Map.

ZS8W Marion Island. Sunrise 05-29-2025 at 04:58 GMT sunset at 13:53 GMT
ZS8W Marion Island comments forum

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78 Comments

100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Jorge
  • Callsign: LA1ABC
  • 2025-05-13 19:19:42
I wonder how many of the trolls posting negative comments about SANAP here and on the cluster had even heard of SANAP before this expedition. Now are they suddenly concerned about an extra person going to Marion Is? I'm sure that Yuris helped out with some work there, but even if it wasn't needed... What is wrong with bringing along a ham operator if there is extra space for him anyway and he pays for his own food/supplies/etc. and has no negative impact on the scientific work there? His operation led to many hams like myself becoming aware of the effects of climate change (and the mice!) on the island's environment and wildlife. This is good for Marion Is. And should hams be stopped from going to all other protected islands as well? Also, there is nothing wrong with FT8. You are required to be at your radio and monitor what's going on. You have to set/change your xmit freq. to find a spot where the DX will hear you. If he calls you and then doesn't hear you, you have to move around until he does. It's really no different from RTTY except that it's better because lower power can be used. A little pistol with some patience and determination can get a contact. SSB would have been a nightmare, with only the biggest of the big guns getting though. Thank you Yuris for your determination to activate this very rare entity, and thank you SANAP for having the sense to know there was no harm in bringing him there in spite of any political backlash from those who look for any excuse to be critical of you. Sometimes journalists are the worst among them; desperate to grab your attention with any alleged controversy they can come up with.
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Rating: 5 of 5
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Rating: 5 of 5
Tim
  • Callsign: K4TK
  • 2025-05-11 21:57:28
60%
Rating: 3 of 5
Tim
  • Callsign: K4TK
  • 2025-05-11 18:37:07
Paul, I think you're trying to make a subtle statement to me? And as soon as you said...."using only my dipole", I pretty much instantly knew, you most likely PERSONALLY didn't work him....YOUR COMPUTER worked his computer. And I looked on your QRZ page and confirmed that. (also confirmed it in ClubLog). The next phase of "QSOs" like that, in my mind, will be working him through the internet on 2 meters with linked systems. At least that's my take. You're of course entitled to your opinion on that too, and I respect that. But you'll not change my mind. FT8, is NOT....two operators ....working and using skills....BOTH station skills and operator skills....to work a real QSO. FT8 is two computers working each other digitally. VERY efficient? Yes indeed. Able to do it with a wire and low power over rough conditions? Yes indeed. A REAL challenge...a REAL contact? NO....indeed.....NOT. That's my take. Obviously, many don't agree with me. And that's perfectly ok. Whatever floats your boat. I see you're a Pilot (or retired Pilot). I know therefore you no doubt do indeed have some radio skills. I've worked with a lot of Pilots during my 45+ year IT career doing Radar Evals. Not trying to be disrespectful, just pointing out what a LOT of us are thinking about FT8 contacts. If you're ok with those contacts....fine. I'm happy with my real contacts...having to work for them....pulling him out of the QRM...and working a QSO....person to person. If this offends anyone, I'll say on the surface I'm sorry....but I am entitled to an opinion just like everyone else on here. FT8....like contacts worked through the internet....just aren't REAL Ham radio contacts to me. And I feel even more sorry for those who don't have cw skills....and this DXpedition worked ...so far, exactly 2 SSB contacts. I suppose for those people, maybe the ONLY hope....was to work an FT8 contact? If so, I really do feel sorry for them............because they'll never know the joy or thrill of ACTUALLY working a rare DX station like this....person to person....fighting thru QRM, QRN, etc. Instead, their computer did it for them..........perhaps even with 100 watts....and a wire.... Many thanks to Yuris for a real contact person to person.....cw in this case.....and 73 to all....no matter how you worked him........... Good DX to everyone.............
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Rating: 5 of 5
Paul
  • Callsign: W7PJS
  • 2025-05-10 14:27:28
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Rating: 5 of 5
Arkadiy
  • Callsign: UN8FR
  • 2025-05-07 17:53:54
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Sergio
  • Callsign: IU8KRD
  • 2025-05-07 10:00:49
80%
Rating: 4 of 5
John
  • Callsign: K5MO
  • 2025-05-06 22:32:34
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Rating: 5 of 5
Arkadiy
  • Callsign: UN8FR
  • 2025-05-06 12:23:13
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Rating: 5 of 5
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Rating: 5 of 5
Paul
  • Callsign: W7PJS
  • 2025-05-04 15:52:41
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Rating: 5 of 5
Paul, in Tennessee
  • Callsign: W7PJS
  • 2025-05-04 15:21:26
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Fake Will
  • Callsign: VK3DOB
  • 2025-05-02 10:45:01
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Rating: 5 of 5
Arkadiy
  • Callsign: UN8FR
  • 2025-04-30 15:40:15
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Al
  • Callsign: 4L5A
  • 2025-04-30 07:46:07
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Rating: 5 of 5
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Rating: 5 of 5
Yuris
  • Callsign: ZS8W
  • 2025-04-27 19:41:47
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Arkadiy
  • Callsign: UN8FR
  • 2025-04-26 07:04:01
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
Peter Sils
  • Callsign: KD0AA
  • 2025-04-24 00:36:21
100%
Rating: 5 of 5
benz
  • Callsign: yb4kb
  • 2025-04-18 14:08:25