Crozet Island DXpedition
Dates are now known. The Marion Dufresne will leave Reunion Island on December 8th, with a stopover at Tromelin to resupply the people there (another nice DX), then bound for Crozet. I should get there around Christmas.
The ship will come back on March 26th, 2023, to pick us up, and after stop-overs at Kerguelen and Amsterdam, arrive at Reunion on April 16th, 2023. Therefore, I will be on Alfred Faure base for a solid 3 months. These dates may vary slightly depending on weather conditions.
I am in close contact with the TAAF (Many thanks to the man in charge of Crozet, and to Mr. Chareyre for their attention) in order to prepare my arrival in the best possible conditions. Some of the main points under
discussion are where the antennas (HF and QO-100) will be installed, as well as the shack.
Obviously, I will not start operating the day after my arrival. I will need to install the antennas and the station. For that, other people's help will be required. The weather will have its role to play, as it would be
impossible to climb to the roof, erect a mast under high winds: the base commander will have to give his approval. Starting the operation will not be the top priority of the first day.
In theory, I will stay in the Albatros building. It is next to the Biomar building. It looks like they have arranged it so that I will not be of any nuisance to the other people (night operation for example). Looking at the
picture below will give you a better idea.
© Benoît Stichelbaut - www.stichelbaut.com
On the left is the Biomar building, on the right is the Albatros. Thank you to Mr. Stichelbaut for allowing us to use his picture.
The callsign is not issued yet, and I have requested a special call to commemorate the 60 years of the first transmissions made by Mr. Baudelot, first ham operator on the island in the years 61/62. The callsign will be
released only hours before the start of the activity by Paul F6EXV and Jean-Michel F6AJA, i.e. after my arrival on the island. Paul will inform via internet and Twitter, Jean-Michel on his DX bulletin. This will be so to
avoid pirate activities. Anything not coming from Paul or Jean-Michel will be mere speculation. Be cautious of the FT4Wxxx that might show up !
As for the equipment, things are also progressing. Many sponsors have kindly responded to our solicitations. Contrary to our initial information, I will not be using K3s. Since Elecraft no longer produces K3S, it was
difficult for them to loan or sell some to me. They mentioned a K4 but I do not want to go with only one transceiver, I need at least a second one in case of break down. Considering the procurement problems that all manufacturers are facing, I did not want to take any risk. Consequently, I have decided to use a transceiver that I have at home, as well as used by F6KOP for their DXpeditions, namely the TS-590. It is fully equipped, and has a big advantage: no interface required to operate FT8, a mere USB cable between the rig and the laptop is enough. Antenna plugs, a receiving antenna connector, an RS232 interface, USB, all filters and ATU. So no further options will be required. Furthermore, it has a great receiver, and can be easily found second-hand at very reasonable price.
So, I purchased a TS-590 which is right now being modified by the Kenwood after sale service, to solve the known ALC issue. This modification is covered by the Kenwood warranty. I will soon purchase another 590 that will also be modified.
On the amplifier side, after talks and advice from the Clipperton DX Club and the F6KOP team, I have chosen a 500W tube amp, the Acom 1010, less fragile than solid state amps. It can bear with a 3/1 SWR, which is a great advantage for a place where I will not be in full control of the environment. So I will purchase a 1010 and have another one loaned by the CDXC via F6KOP. Let them be thanked for this.
I also thank Acom company for the discount they are offering for the purchase, but this is not a gift. They are doing the best they can, still, the cost is not negligible in the overall budget.The antennas will be the subject of another press release, after we have made some tests at Paul's QTH in the spring. More to come later.
I have asked the TAAF to get permission to send part of the equipment with the previous ship supply mission (leaving in November). It sometimes happens that, because of the weather during landing, not everything can be brought to the island. Imagine being on the island without a station! As I often say, Crozet is not Tahiti !
A lot remains to be done. Going to the TAAF islands for 4 months needs a lot of work, and is to be deserved. One of the next items on the agenda is winter clothing, and organizing skeds with school children's via QO-100. Thank you to all the team members as well as to our sponsors, nothing would be possible without them.
As a conclusion, you can see preparations are going well, thanks to the continuous team work. Even if sponsors are helping a lot, expenses go on, and more help will be welcome. I suppose Crozet will be an ATNO for many,
and you can't afford missing it, as nobody knows when the next ham operation will take place from this #3 most needed. Thank you all!
You will find our PayPal info on the Crozet2022 home page:
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/home.html
Thierry Mazel F6CUK
OPDX
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