VP8STI & VP8SGI South Sandwich Isl. & South Georgia Isl.
25 November 2015
From VP8STI & VP8SGI Facebook page:
“All of the VP8STI/VP8SGI equipment has been loaded aboard the R/V Braveheart by Nigel Jolly and his crew. In a few days, they will begin their long and arduous voyage to the Falkland Islands, where they will meet the Intrepid-DX Group’s VP8STI/VP8SGI team on January 9th.”
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17 November 2015
Paul N6PSE Co-Leader, VP8 Team informs DxCoffee Readers:
“The VP8STI-South Sandwich, VP8SGI-South Georgia and VP8IDX (Falklands & /MM) licenses have been issued and are in hand. In just six short weeks, the team will be making their voyage to South Sandwich Island. Our ship, the venerable RV Braveheart is being prepared and loaded for her long voyage halfway around the world to meet the team in the Falkland Islands.
We expect to land at South Sandwich and begin operations sometime on January 17th if sea conditions and weather permit. After ten days at South Sandwich, we will break camp and voyage three days to South Georgia. We expect to land and be on the air on February 1st.
This is a “Pure DX” Dxpedition. The team is not mountain climbing or collecting specimens, our sole focus is getting you in our logs! We will work very hard to do that!
To date, we have raised $153,500 from the global DX Community. The 14 team members have contributed $210,000 towards our entire budget of $425,000. If your club or you yourself have not already donated will you please consider a donation? We cannot get there without you!
The Intrepid-DX Group is an IRS approved 501.C.3 non-profit organization and your US contributions are tax deductible.
Please watch for updates and announcements in The Daily DX, DX-World, DX Coffee and DX News.
Thank you, ”
Paul N6PSE
Co-Leader, VP8 Team
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1 November 2015
VP8STI/VP8SGI Team informs DxCoffee Readers:
At this time, we would like to announce several new aspects of the VP8STI/VP8SGI Dxpeditions:
Youth & Community Participation
Since the early 1990’s, the Intrepid DX-Group’s leadership, David (K3LP), Paul (N6PSE) and other team members, have led our effort to incorporate “Youth Development and Community Involvement” in our Amateur Radio DXpeditions. Those included were the ET3AA Addis Abba University in 2011, 3D2R Rotuma Youth Project in 2011, Dorothy Grant Elementary School Amateur Radio Club (K6DGE) and School Students in 2010-present, YI9PSE Iraq, T33C Banaba, ST0R S. Sudan in 2013, XZ1J Myanmar in 2013, 8P6R in 2005, 3D2DC in 2004, VU3RWO in 2006, J6R, J6/K3LP in 1997-2003, A61AF Dubai Men’s College/A61AJ 1996-1998 and many others.
During the South Sandwich and South Georgia Island DXpedition, our Honorary School this trip is the trusted Dorothy Grant Elementary School in Fontana, CA. Teacher Beverly Matheson’s (WA6BK) 4th Grade Class students have prepared a DGES Flag that will travel to and from the islands. In addition, the students have prepared a small weather tracking experiment for the DXpedition to participate. We hope to continue to ignite the interest of these students in Amateur Radio.
Dxpedition Pilot Program:
Our regional Dxpedition Pilot Program will be led by experienced Dxpeditioner Antonio Gonzalez-EA5RM. Antonio will communicate with each of our regional Pilot stations to ensure that we are satisfying the needs of the global DX Community and that we are aware of propagation and other issues. Our regional Pilots are as follows:
EU/Chief Pilot-EA5RM Antonio Gonzalez
US East Coast-W2IRT-Peter Dougherty
US West Coast-AA6G Chuck Vaughn
JA/Asia-JR4OZR Harumi Kukita
VK/ZL & Oceania-VK4MA Paul Richards.
You can contact them via our website by clicking on their photograph on the main page of our website at http://ift.tt/1SjyOG9 Our pilots are entrusted to help us meet your needs as best as they can. Our pilots will not have access to our logs and all logging issues will be addressed by our QSL Manager following the conclusion of both activations.
At this time, all plans are moving forward and we expect to be QRV on January 17th as VP8STI.
Please watch for updates and announcements in The Daily DX, DX-World, DX Coffee and DX News.
Thank you,
Paul N6PSE
Co-Leader, VP8 Team
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15 October 2015
Paul N6PSE informs DxCoffee Readers:
The activations of South Sandwich and South Georgia Islands as VP8STI and VP8SGI in January-February 2016 are the next major Dxpeditions to take place.
The decision to activate VP8-South Sandwich and VP8-South Georgia was made upon seeing how well FT4TA, FT5ZM and K1N were funded.
That gave us the confidence to go forward activating these two rare and remote islands on the same trip. We are now finding ourselves with a significant funding shortfall. By adding South Georgia to our itinerary we added fifteen days at $8,000 per day or $120,000 onto the cost to activate South Sandwich.
Our analysis of our funding shows us that while our individual donations have exceeded all expectations, our club donations have not. We are seeing that many Clubs that gave FT5ZM or K1N $1000-$2000 are giving us $500 or a fraction of what they gave to these other Dxpeditions. Some clubs have decided not to make any donation to us that gave quite generously to other recent Dxpeditions.
While we appreciate each and every donation, we can tell you that a Club donation to us of $500 amounts to a donation of $250 for the activation of each of these rare and remote islands. With a budget of $425,000 we are making small incremental steps when leaps and bounds are needed.
As you know, upfront donations are critical for a Dxpeditions success. Each member of the Intrepid DX Group has contributed $15,000 of their personal funds to move the VP8STI-South Sandwich and VP8 South Georgia Dxpeditions forward. These are two ten day Dxpeditions to two top ten DXCC entities back to back. (#3 and #8)
To date, we have raised $142,000 above the team contribution of $210,000. We still have a deficit of $73,000 that we need to fill as much as we can.
It is only through the generosity of Club donations such as yours that we can make this DXpedition possible.
We would love to realize sufficient support so that the Intrepid-DX Group could plan the future activation of another top five island entity after the VP8STI/VP8SGI Dxpedition. Without sufficient funding, we cannot make those kinds of plans for the future.
At this time, we are asking for those Foundations and Clubs that have not yet made a donation to please consider doing so. We cannot make it there on our own.
Please watch for updates and announcements on The Daily DX, DX-World, DX Coffee and DX News. We hope that you will consider a donation today,
Thank you,
Paul N6PSE
Co-Leader, VP8 Team
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10 September 2015
Paul N6PSE informs DxCoffee Readers:
The South Sandwich Islands are a cold and inhospitable place. At 59 degrees south, Southern Thule Island is one of the most remote places on Earth.
Southern Thule is closer to the polar circle and the South Pole than either Bouvet Island or Heard Island. To get there, we will voyage the Drake Passage and brave strong winds and high seas. Our sole focus is to get you in our logs.
The Intrepid DX Group is pleased to announce that all of our plans are moving forward very well. We are pleased to report that all of our gear has arrived in Tauranga, New Zealand. It has been fumigated and is now being stored before it is loaded onto the RV Braveheart for her long voyage to meet the team in the Falkland Islands.
At this time, we wish to inform the Global DX Community of our intended QRV dates from each island. We will depart Stanley, the Falkland Islands on January 9th, 2016. Approximately five days later, we will arrive in King Edward Point, South Georgia where we will meet with the Government of South Sandwich and South Georgia and undergo a safety and biodiversity briefing. We will then voyage three more days south to Southern Thule Island in the South Sandwich chain of Islands.
We expect to arrive at South Sandwich on January 17th however, that is dependent on the weather and sea conditions. Our ship Captain tells us that it is common to encounter rough seas on the way to South Sandwich and that rough seas and bad weather can prevent our landing by several days. We plan to be on South Sandwich for ten days operating as VP8STI. We will then break down our camp and voyage three days back to Husvik Bay, South Georgia where we expect to land and set up operations on or about February 1st. We will operate from South Georgia Island as VP8SGI.
Our main priority is to make a great impact to the need for South Sandwich contacts and we will sacrifice our time at South Georgia to ensure that we make that impact from South Sandwich.
We expect to return to Stanley, the Falkland Islands on February 14th. We will be QRV from Stanley as VP8IDX until our flights home on February 20th.
When our voyage starts, you can see our location in real time on a map on our website. You will know when we are about to land or are departing one island for the other. We will be in daily satellite communications with our Pilots, and support team. You can get a feel for propagation as we will be QRV as VP8IDX/MM on the way to and from the islands.
Our plan is to be at each of these top ten entities for ten days. To effectively do that, we need your support.
We are seeking more support from the many DX Clubs of North America, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia that have yet to make a donation.
To date, our Club & Individual donations by continent are as follows:
North America: 77%
Europe: 14%
Asia: 8%
Oceania 1%
Middle East & Africa: 0%
Central & South America: 0%
So, please consider a generous contribution to this project. To have your club or organization’s logo included with the QSL card, please contribute $250 or more. Individual contributions of $150 or more will be listed with the QSL card. All donors of $25 or more will receive an early LoTW upload. Everyone who supports the Dxpedition will be listed and properly recognized on our website.
We encourage you to visit our website (http://ift.tt/1SjyOWr) and donate via the PayPal link. It’s easy and free to donate. Alternatively, you can mail a check or money order to the address listed below:
Payable to: Intrepid-DX Group
C/O David Jorgensen-WD5COV, CFO/Treasurer
18645 Cortez Rd SE, Deming, NM 88030 USA
Thank you,
The Intrepid-DX Group VP8 Team
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10 September 2015
Paul N6PSE informs DxCoffee Readers:
“We are pleased to report that our VP8STI/VP8SGI equipment has arrived in Tauranga, New Zealand. It has been fumigated and has cleared Customs. It is now being stored by the RV Braveheart crew in preparation for their long voyage to the Falkland Islands to meet the team in January.
Let the voyage begin!”
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31 July 2015
Paul N6PSE informs DxCoffee Readers:
“The Intrepid DX Group is pleased to announce that all of our plans are moving forward very well. We are pleased that we have been able to add World-Class CW Maestro Dmitri Zhikharev RA9USU to our team.
We have now shipped all of our equipment to New Zealand at considerable expense. Our container contents will be loaded aboard the RV Braveheart and will meet us in the Falkland Islands in January.
This will be a “Pure DX” event. We have assembled a team of World-Class experienced operators, including two DX Hall of Fame members. Our sole focus is on getting you in our logs!
When our voyage starts, you can see our location in real time on a map on our website. You will know when we are about to land or are departing one island for the other. We will be in daily satellite communications with our Pilots, and support team. You can get a feel for propagation as we will be QRV as VP8IDX/MM on the way to and from the islands.
Our plan is to be at each of these top ten entities for ten days. To effectively do that, we need your support.
The fourteen members of the VP8STI/VP8SGI team have committed to paying $210,000 of the $425,000 needed to carry out this Dxpedition. To date, we have raised $118,000 in club and individual donations. . We still have a significant deficit of $97,000. The VP8STI/VP8SGI asks for more support from the DX Clubs of North America, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia to support our plans. Many well established clubs have yet to donate.
To date, our Club & Individual donations by continent are as follows:
North America: 80%
Europe: 13%
Asia: 6%
Oceania 1%
Middle East & Africa: 0%
Mexico/South America: 0%
So, please consider a generous contribution to this project. To have your club or organization’s logo included with the QSL card, please contribute $250 or more. Individual contributions of $150 or more will be listed with the QSL card. All donors of $25 or more will receive an early LoTW upload. Everyone who supports the Dxpedition will be listed and properly recognized on our website.
We encourage you to visit our website (http://ift.tt/1SjyOWr) and donate via the PayPal link. It’s easy and free to donate. Alternatively, you can mail a check or money order to the address listed below:
Payable to: Intrepid-DX Group
C/O David Jorgensen-WD5COV, CFO/Treasurer
18645 Cortez Rd SE, Deming, NM 88030 USA
Thank you,”
The Intrepid-DX Group VP8 Team
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15 July 2015
Paul N6PSE informs DxCoffee Readers:
“The Intrepid DX Group is pleased to announce that all of our plans are moving forward very well. We are testing and re-testing our gear one last time before it goes into a container next week and makes its voyage to meet the RV Braveheart in New Zealand.
This will be a “Pure DX” event. We have assembled a team of World-Class experienced operators, including two DX Hall of Fame members. We are not doing any mountain climbing, creature collection or software development. Our focus is on getting you in our logs!
At this time, we wish to announce that we are adding 6 meters as well as 60 meters to our plans. We will make a solid effort to be QRV and to give out contacts on these bands as well as 10-160 meters.
We wish to clarify our operating strategy: We will be QRV on 6-160 meters with six stations and we invite you to work us on all bands and modes. We will also select a band that is propagating for the most hours of the day, and we will be QRV on that band for the duration of our activity. This is a means to increase the number of unique call signs in our logs and to give everyone a chance to work us. We will be looking to give ATNO contacts at every opportunity.
Our goal is to conduct two 8-10 day DXpeditions to each of these top ten entities. To effectively do that, we need your support.
The fourteen members of the VP8STI/VP8SGI team have committed to paying $210,000 of the $425,000 needed to carry out this Dxpedition. To date, we have raised $315,000 which includes our team contribution. We still have a significant deficit of $110,000. The VP8STI/VP8SGI team needs the support of the worldwide DX Community to help us make this Dxpedition a success.
While donations from North America were strong initially, we would greatly appreciate more support from North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East. To date, our donations by continent are as follows:
North America Clubs & Foundations: 84%
Europe: 13%
Asia: 3%
Middle East & Africa: 0%
South America: 0%
Oceania: 0%
Japan will be our most challenging area to work and we are fully committed to make a major effort to work all regions of the globe.
So, please consider a generous contribution to this project. To have your club or organization’s logo included with the QSL card, please contribute $250 or more. Individual contributions of $150 or more will be listed with the QSL card. Everyone who supports the Dxpedition will be listed and properly recognized on our website.
We encourage you to visit our website (http://ift.tt/1SjyOWr) and donate via the PayPal link. It’s easy and free to donate. Alternatively, you can mail a check or money order to the address listed below:
Payable to: Intrepid-DX Group
C/O David Jorgensen-WD5COV, CFO/Treasurer
18645 Cortez Rd SE, Deming, NM 88030 USA
Thank you,”
The Intrepid-DX Group VP8 Team
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