Another MDXC sponsored DXpedition!
Once again a Belgian DXpeditioners Team will activate the most wanted Rockall Island (IOTA EU#189)!
The callsign they’ll use is MM0RAI. Team members are: ON4HIL, ON4ATW, ON4AHF, ON5TN and ON7YT.
Three of them can be considered veterans becouse part of the team of May 2009 activation.
On Sept. 23 they’ll leave the ON-land and 4 days after will be to the Rockall Is. If all goes as planned they will be on the air around Sept 27 or 28, 2011.
Keep in mind that heavy seas or bad weather can delay operations! Please visit their website for details and latest news: www.rockall.be
Due to the critical conditions, they ask everybody to:
Please do not work us on multiple bands, weather permitting we will only have 48 hours on the rock , maybe even less.
Remember others are trying to get through the pile up for a new one too.
QSL will be sent to MDXC Members also via our FREE internal QSL-service
[UPDATE] Sept. 30, 2011
Here is an audio interview published on the official site of the DXpedition where they tell what are going to do in the next coming days.
[audio:https://www.mdxc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/interview.mp3|titles=interview]
Interactive Map
Interactive Map
TX7W Austral
T32EU East Kiribati
IZ8BGY
“everything ok on board, last night we had some bad weather up to 9 beaufort . our pactor-link for sending e-mails is working now .
we are passing the nord-cape of Scotland under the Orkney islands .
more news to follow later, because high wawes now and we need our hands to secure the equipment
73 Rockall-team”
IZ8BGY
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 15:50
The Cdt. Fourcault has reached Rockall at a distance of about 10 miles, and sailing very slowly. About 3 crew members suffer from severe seasickness (ON4HIL; ON5TN and Tom). About 3 crew members are probably mentally en physically strong enough to do an attempt to reach the rock. In the comming hours they are going to deliberate about the forthcoming situation. The storm of 12m high waves in going to pass in the next hours. Late in the evening weather will be better. Winds are now around 50 to 70 knots! They can’t see the rock at the moment. They can only see as far as 100 yards. An update will follow….
iz8ccw
Thursday, 29 September 2011 08:28 | Written by Marc Cosemans
Yesterday they had a huge storm with heavy seas. The team has decided to sail back to St Kilda, to stay there until a decision is made to return to Rockall. There are several people who were seriously seasick. These team members have to adjust back on land. The weather forecasts are favorable in the coming days. Update will follow
IZ8BGY
Update 29-09-2011 at 12 UTC
2:53 PM | Posted by “The Rockall Team”
They arrived at St-Kilda. The sea is almost flat! The crew can rest a bit now. The weather forecast will be examined carefully for the next days, in consultation with the guard from the military base. We don’t know if they will be active from St-Kilda. Look at the DX cluster carefully…..
IZ8BGY
Good news!!!
Friday, 30 September 2011 07:21 | Written by Marc Cosemans |
We believe we have some good news to report you all….
The rockall team is going to undertake a second attempt to reach and climb the rock!
They will leave St Kilda this evening. They will have to sail 14 hours back to Rockall. They carefully studied all the swell and wind charts, and came to the conclusion that Saturday morning is favorable to go on the rock. The plan is to activate the rock for only 1 day because they lost much of time, in returning to St Kilda. The team came rest and did some amazing stuff over there at St Kilda:
Here you see Rudi, ON7YT having a good time with water skiing and fishing
You can examn the weathercharts yourself. This link for the wind forecast and this link for the swell forecast
IZ8BGY
Saturday, 01 October 2011 08:22 | Written by Marc Cosemans |
The Cdt. Fourcault has arrived. They have achored the ship and are about 250m from the rock. A landing is out of the question right now. The swell will be better in the coming hours. Patrick (ON4HIL) and Rudi (ON7YT) will do an exploration tour with the zodiac. If they can get on the rock, it will be a small operation. Only 2 bands will be activated. On 40m and 20m. Stay tuned for more information…..
IZ8BGY
We have landed!!
Saturday, 01 October 2011 11:48 | Written by Marc Cosemans |
Patrick, ON4HIL is the first to land on Rockall!
IZ8BGY
Stopped transmitting on the October, 2 at 06h52 UTC
They try to be off the island by noon
IZ8BGY
MM0RAI/p EU189
SL policy
Thursday, 06 October 2011 06:12 | Written by Marc Cosemans |
The log has been uploaded to LoTW. All individual sponsors (both 2009 and 2011) will get a “free”direct QSL card via mail, no need to send a SASE to our manager! (provided you worked us of course). Make sure your address is correct on QRZ.COM! Bureau cards will be put in the QSL’ing system in November. Members of the GDXF and MDXC will have their cards a little sooner. The QSL card has to be designed and printed so sit back and wait. If the online log does not show your callsign send an e-mail to ON4ATW . An update will be posted on this website to let you know when the cards arrive from the printer.
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