02/06/2016
Stormy weather continues to plague the VP8SGI DXpedition[1] team on South
Georgia. High winds and snow have caused damage to antennas and tents and even
interrupted operations as team members took time out to make repairs. But,
stations calling out of turn or not heeding operators' instructions also have
been slowing things down.
"Our biggest challenges are the high winds, which are destroying our antennas
and tents, and the many out-of-turn callers that continually call while we are
trying to work others," DXpedition Co-Leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said, echoing a
familiar refrain. "We are particularly frustrated by those European callers
that continue to call as we are trying to work Asia/Japan."
Ewing called on operators around the world to "show our best ham spirit" so
that everyone gets a chance to work VP8SGI before it shuts down on the morning
of Monday, February 8. Ewing pointed out that the 14-member team, which
operated from South Sandwich as VP8STI on the first leg of its DXpedition, will
have spent more than 45 days away from home "risking their lives in one of the
hardest places in the world," by the time the DXpedition concludes. VP8STI
logged 54,642 contacts during its stay on Southern Thule Island, before having
to cut short its operation due to issues related to severe weather.
Chief Pilot Toni Gonzalez, EA5RM, said that plans to focus on working operators
who need South Georgia as an all-time new one (ATNO) will be changing due to
day-to-day as propagation shifts. Sunday, February 7, VP8SGI operators will be
asking for ATNO contacts "from time to time."
"[P]lease follow operator instructions and respect those for whom VP8SGI is
still an All Time New One," Gonzalez said. The DXpedition operators do not
listen for callers on their transmit frequencies, but listen above (UP) or
below (DOWN) their own frequency.
Six meter operation remains a possibility, but there are no firm plans. The
operators may start up on 160 meters earlier than they have been, to improve
the odds for stations in Western Europe.
VP8SGI has been on South Georgia for 9 days. "We are pushing forward to our
goal of 80,000 contacts from the South Georgia Islands," Ewing said on February
5, at which point VP8SGI had logged some 70,300 contacts.
[1] http://www.intrepid-dx.com/vp8/
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