JX5O Jan Mayen Island 4-16/7/2011

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SQ8X , SV2KBS , HB9ASZ , NI1L , SM0MDG , SO9C , SQ9DIE , TF3ZA saranno attivi da Jan Mayen Island dal 4 al 16 luglio 2011 con il call JX5O
Trasmetteranno sulle bande 40-6m.
QSL via SQ8X
Info su: http://janmayen2011.org/

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Direct from JX5O team on yacht Aurora

Land over horizon! We see Jan Mayen Island – covered partially with fog patches and cloud. Getting colder and colder – approx 6 deg C now and will get colder soon.

The sea is almost flat and we’re approaching land thanks to Aurora’s engine only. We’re about to reach the island’s most southern part around 23:00 UTC and it will take another 2-3 hours to get to the landing site. Weather looks promising and there should be no big swell, we hope.

Once the sea became calm, no sea-sickness has been reported and everybody feels much better. We can hardly wait to put our very first steps on the island.

This is probably the very last message sent from Aurora, and we won’t be able to send any more once we land at the island.

Cross fingers for us, please!

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QSP from Team Leader SQ8X

" Had no sleep for 36 hours, all exhausted. Only 20 CW & SSB active so far. Maybe 17 CW later this evening. Four stations will be running eventually. RTTY by end Friday. "

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QSP from Team Leader SQ8X

The team continue to be active on CW, SSB & RTTY – primarily on 20 & 30m. This is because Aurora activity is affecting higher bands. They are checking and calling CQ on 10, 12, 15m often, unfortunatley with no response or any signals apparent from their side – they do not ignore these bands. Even 17m was completely dead for a time earlier.

They are very tired. Weather is cold and windy. Everything is covered in a slight dust, even in the operating tent. Coupled with this, laptop problems continue to exist for the team. Yesterday’s early morning (UTC) 30m RTTY contacts have not been recovered; please call again if you think your QSO may be one of the missing.

Despite this, they are working in the IARU contest during the weekend on 20m SSB – go get them!

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QSP from Team Leader SQ8X

Earlier today JX5O made some QSO’s with southern Africa – this path had proved a real problem beforehand, so naturally all operators involved were delighted.

Stan SQ8X informs the weather is still pretty atrocious. Winds are blowing at 80km/h, with a wind chill resembling -20C. The operating tent has collapsed a few times during activity. However, they are all in very good spirits.

Some words about the bands

http://janmayen2011.org/team-in-good-spirits

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Stan SQ8X informs that JX5O will cease operations tomorrow, Wednesday July 13, at 04:00UTC latest. This is earlier than expected, but the yacht skipper prefers the team to leave by afternoon due to recent weather forecasts.

2nd log upload now completed.