VP6A: DUCIE ISLAND WRAP UP REPORT

[IK0ZCW]

The following report was released on 26 June:
"In 2018, on Baker Island in scorching heat, exhausted operators spent a day dismantling 11 tents, 12 antennas, 5 generators, radios, computers, Ethernet stretching hundreds of feet, desks, chairs and trash and hauled it all back to the boat. On the voyage back to Fiji we wondered if there wasn't a better way.
With funding from the Northern California DX Foundation George Wallner, AA7JV, put together a team to create that new way: welcome to the RIB, Radio In a Box.
VP6A was the first full deployment of the RIB on a rare location. On 24 June at 16:00 UTC, VP6A went QRT after making just under 62,000 QSOs, of which 24% (15,000) were unique calls. DXCC was obtained on 6 bands.
There were four stations on the island. One used by AA7JV, W6IZT and KN4EEI on the boat, and three others operated by 34 remote operators from 11 countries (9V1YC , AA1V, AA7A, CT1BOH, CT1EEB, CT1ILT, DJ4MX, F6EXV, JN1THL, KC1KUG, KY7M, KD4Z, KL7YL, KO8SCA, K1DG, K4NHW, K6GFJ, K6TD, K6UFO, KL2A, K6MM, ND2T, N1DG, N2IC, OH2BH, PB8DX, PY5EG, VE4EA, VE5MX, VK3GK, W0GJ, W1RM, W1VE, and W8HC).
It took four hours to set up the first three stations (the fourth followed on the third day), and 1 hour and 50 minutes to tear down and leave the island. Mother Nature and satellite latency threw us curve balls, but we are extremely happy with the final result. We hope our audience is too. See you from our next location".