XRØY XR0Y Rapa Nui 2009

Just published our Videoblog’s part 3.

XR0Y – Rapa Nui Videoblog – Part 3 from SQ8X on Vimeo.

We just published out Videoblog’s part 2. Enjoy :-)

XR0Y – Rapa Nui Videoblog – part 2 from SQ8X on Vimeo.

Last weekend Stan SQ8X met HDTV guys from the Chilid video company as well as Pete SQ9DIE from Xsolve Co. Ltd. to talk about a documentary of XR0Y. Final arrangements has been set and here we are: it will be shot in a professional HDTV format, then edited at the Chilid video company and available as DVD after the DXpedition. There were already first shots taken in a beautiful scenery of the Bieszczady mts. in SE Poland.

Apart from the documentary there’s another video story going on. Stan SQ8X launches his XR0Y videoblog about preparations and personal impressions about the dxpedition. – I’m a new one into DXpeditioning and this stage of ham radio. Although it is my second time I participate in a DXpedition project, the entire process of preparations, brainstorming and other things is totally new one – says Stan SQ8X. – I think it could be nice to share all these fresh impressions and notes with other people, also with people who aren’t hams at all, too. Maybe things we do as hams could “infect” potential new-comers with “ham radio virus” just same way as we got. So why not giving it a try. My videoblog will be pointed both to ham radio and non-ham audience. So you – hams – must understand that some of you will find some explanations totally obvious, of course. But some of these things will be a mystery for one another, why don’t we unveil it to them? – he adds.

Stan also says the blog will be a total experiment to himself as well but its creation is very interesting and inspiring. Posts will be divided to 2-4 minutes long parts telling different details regarding the DXpedition and such step by step. – We hope we’ll be able to post some videoblog entries from the island as well. All will depend on our internet access as well as on spare time between running pileups and visiting the island. One thing is for sure – this expedition will make us very busy – Stan smiles.

XR0Y – Rapa Nui 2009 Videoblog – part 1 [ENG] from SQ8X on Vimeo.

A small gadget for all ops interested in our DXpedition. Feel free to download, unzip and install 7 free XR0Y wallpapers. We’ve prepared them in 3 different resolution. Pick up the one matching your screen, unzip and follow wallpaper installation depending on your OS. Enjoy!

800×600	1024×768	1280×800

Stan SQ8X, Zbig SP7HOV and our off-island supporter Pete SQ9DIE visited Jurek SP3GEM – a very famous antenna constructor on Sunday, Sept 13, 2009. This was our field antenna test day as Jurek has built 2 verticals for us: 160/80 (80m with CW/SSB capability) and a vertical for 30 meters.

Both antennas are very simple but very robust built, since they will have to sustain windy conditions at Easter Island. We’ve been training assembling and disassembling both antennas by putting them down/up several times. Advanced tests with antenna analyzer were made: both antennas tune just great! The antennas are being packed now and prepared to be shipped to Chile next week. This is another step forward of our preparations for XR0Y. Also some other final arrangements are in progress now. There’s no way back from XR0Y now – we must go there!

Apart of testing our verticals, visiting Jurek was a great ham radio experience. SP3GEM’s QTH looks like a huge antenna plant in a middle of rural plateau. It’s a perfect location for his amazing antenna systems. As a very experienced and adventurous ham operator, Jurek is also a great source of ham radio stories you may hear only from top DXers and persons with such a long ham radio experience. And once you take ie. his 80m QSL card album, you may spot all entities confirmed with unique and extraordinary cards. As of now, he misses just 3 or 4 entities on particular bands. Now he will be looking for FT5GA on 80m only :-) He currently helps his younger student – Borys SQ3JVW – to get proper ham radio training. It’s great to see that the ham radio tradition is being cultivated and shared with younger generations.

The entire XR0Y 2009 team wants to pass big thanks to Jurek SP3GEM for supporting our DXpedition.

See entire gallery of pics taken at SP3GEM’s QTH »

We have successfully integrated our website with our Twitter feed. Once we update Twitter, a post will be published here, and vice-versa :-)

XR0Y announces QSL policy and routes as follows:

Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania: direct/bureau via Stan SQ8X:

Stan
P.O.Box 8
38-600 Lesko
POLAND

North, Central & South America: direct/bureau via RCCh:

Radio Club de Chile
P.O.Box 13630
330996 Santiago
CHILE

We will have 2 QSL card types and 3 QSLing routes to chose voluntary from:

1. REGULAR QSL TYPE

Direct requests:

Cards received with 2USD or 1 VALID in 2010 IRC (NO COINS PSE) + SAE = returned via direct

ATTENTION: your IRC must a NEW TYPE IRC VALID IN 2010 (cards will be replied in 2010) and must be stamped IN A COUNTRY OF DESTINATION. For instance we can’t reply to a card received from Japan if the IRC received from Japan comes from the USA etc. – our Post Office refuses such IRCs.

Please refer to IRC types:

NO COINS PSE – we can exchange coins only at 50% of value – this is why we can’t accept coins.

If coins, no SAE, invalid or incorrectly stamped IRC or insufficient funds to cover postage received = returned via bureau.

KEEP IN MIND THE CORRECT QSL ROUTE DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION!

Bureau requests:

Cards received via bureau = returned via bureau

KEEP IN MIND THE CORRECT QSL ROUTE DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION!

OQRS (Online QSL Request System)  direct requests:

5USD or 4 EURO via OQRS = returned via direct

OQRS will become available once XR0Y gets on the air.

2. SPECIAL, LIMITED EDITION QSL CARD

There will be an unique, extraordinary QSL card designed and printed in a very limited amount – available on voluntary request only via OQRS. Due to special arrangements regarding printing this type of cards, rates for this OQRS will be announced as soon we arrange printing conditions. No doubt it will be something amazing in your QSL collection!

3. LoTW & eQSL

We will upload logs to LoTW and eQSL after the DXpedition in several months in 2010.

While XR0Y preparations are in progress, the entire team tries to guess how the trip and the island will look and feel like and what surprises it will provide. We are very interested in its history and heritage so we couldn’t omit this interesting article regarding Moais – grant statues’ mystery unveiling by archaeologists working at the island: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8236349.stm (thanks Col!)

According to the newest licensing statement released by Chilean Ministry of telecommunication (aka Subtel) after arrangements by Radio Club de Chile, we are delighted to announce we will have received a permission to use a shorter, special callsign assigned to DXpeditions transmitting from Easter Island:

X R Ø Y

Note we will not change our e-mail address set for this expedition. However our twitter feed will change to http://twitter.com/xr0y

Since the callsign has been in use 2 times in the past (1995, 2000), organizers of this expedition will pay much attention to inform numerous DX-bulletins and QSL info databases about the new callsign and our QSL route for our activity in 2009. All details regarding our QSL management will be announced isoon.

Marco CE6TBN reports he made successful field tests of Spiderbeam’s 5-bander last weekend. SWR is fine in all bands’ spectrum and the antenna WORKS!