03/31/2016
"Amateur Radio Roundtable[1]" finally succeeded in getting a live video
interview with VK0EK team leader Bob Schmieder, KK6EK, on March 29 after
conducting an audio-only chat on March 22. Although the image during the
historic linkup with Heard Island via a satellite telephone connection suffered
from high latency and somewhat resembled moon-landing video from the late
1960s, the audio was excellent, and "Amateur Radio Roundtable" host Tom Medlin,
W5KUB, and Schmieder discussed some of the non-ham radio aspects of the
DXpedition. Schmieder explained that part of the trip involves environmental
and climate-change research on the part of two team members, to obtain new
information about changes on Heard Island over the last 20 years.
"Our goal here in the science work is to photographically document the retreat
of the glaciers," Schmieder told Medlin. "Where there was ice, there's now
water."
Schmieder said the team also has been documenting what he called "a fair
amount" of debris on the shore, a lot more than when he last visited there in
1997. Schmieder characterized the VK0EK DXpedition as 80 percent ham radio and
20 percent science, as required by their access permit. He said the DXpedition
would not have been possible without financial support from the scientific
community.
Schmieder also remarked on the cold, windy conditions, as the Southern
Hemisphere heads into fall and winter. The March 29 interview[2] has been
archived on the "Amateur Radio Roundtable" website. Medlin will attempt a third
and final live video shot with the Heard Island DXpedition on April 5, and he's
hoping for better video quality.
[1] http://tmedlin.com/wordpress1/video-2/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOUAwWU41dQ
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