[OKDXA] Wanna Go On A DXpedition?

[Jeff Martin]

Wanna Go On A DXpedition?

  Hopefully that subject got your attention... hi... Good Morning everyone.
Thanks again for allowing me to be your President. I'll do my best to keep
the wheels on the track... If you have any ideas about what the club should
or should not be doing or could be doing better, feel free to send me your
suggestions. 
  For those who don't know me very well, a little history... In a couple
weeks from now, my wife Becky and I will have been married 50 years. Wow,
Amazing! I wouldn't say she has been over-whelmingly supportive of my crazy
hobby, but she tolerates it... hi... We have 4 grown kids and 11 grandkids.
Two of my sons are hams, Erik N5WR in Arizona, and Scott KD5GEY in Montana.
I also have a son and daughter and grandkids in Tulsa. I was first licensed
at age 16 in 1967. The DX bug bit early. I remember working Europeans on the
15 meter Novice CW band with 60 watts. It was a thrill, and still is
really... I have worked all 340 current countries and my total including
deletions is 357 confirmed. I need two on CW, N. Korea and Marion Is., hope
to get them some day. After all my kids were grown and gone, I began taking
a few trips, nothing real exotic but I have operated from 10 different
entities. You can read some brief write-ups about some of my DXpeditions on
my QRZ pages. Covid put a stop to traveling outside the country. I am
itching to go somewhere. 
  So, that brings me to the point of this story... I'd like to know who
might be interested in a group OKDXA DXpedition? I know this has been done
before as an OKDXA group, the trips to Palau come to mind, and I also know
several of you have done trips of your own to some places. We have several
members who are experienced contest-style operators who can handle pile-ups.
I'd like to put on a good show for the deserving... hi... But then again,
I'd also like to include less experienced operators who would want to
operate at a slower pace. At this point I'm just opening up the
discussion... Where to, you might ask? Well, Pacific or Caribbean. I've been
to several Caribbean islands and a couple of Pacific spots. Flights are a
little longer to the Pacific, but still do-able. Plan on a couple days of
travel going and coming to either area... I'd definitely suggest a
destination with an airport we can fly into, rather than a long boat trip.
Operators would provide our own gear. How much does it cost, you might ask?
Well, about the same as flying somewhere on vacation and staying in a decent
hotel. Airfare, plus say an average of $200 per day or maybe a little more
for accommodations, plus meals. Plan on two weeks, two days each way for
travel and 10 days at the DX location. I've stayed at places as cheap as $85
per night on Easter Island to $350 per night on St Barthelemy. We can get
into the specifics of where to go as this discussion progresses. Here are a
few ideas... Either of the Christmas Islands would be a great place. The
Captain Cook Hotel on Christmas Island, East Kiribati has hosted several
Dxpeditions. At one time there were flights from Hawaii or Fiji. Some of
those flights may have been cancelled due to Covid, but they may re-schedule
them soon. The other Christmas Island - VK9 and Cocos Keeling Island - VK9
are both served by 737 jets out of Perth, Australia. These are actually in
the Indian Ocean rather than the Pacific. You could go to both on the same
trip. Raivavae Island in the Australs is another place in the Pacific I have
wanted to visit. There is a small resort there on the north coast that has
hosted several operations. In fact there is a group (TX5N) on the way there
now, arriving April 15th. A group of guys from South Texas were there a few
years ago. This pension has several cabins to rent at a very reasonable rate
and the host provides meals. You fly into Papeete, Tahiti, then take a
puddle-jumper to Raivavae. It would be a great place to operate from... All
these places are always high on the wanted list. Many other South Pacific
islands are possibilities and are high on the wanted list. St Vincent is one
of the more needed of the Caribbean islands. It might be a possibility. I
think you have to fly into Barbados or one of the other bigger airports,
then take a puddle-jumper to St Vincent or one of the Grenadines islands.
I'm sure there are countless other possibilities. The Caribbean islands tend
to be not quite as needed as the Pacific, but they are closer... XYLs could
go or not... up to you and her. My wife has accompanied me on a few trips,
but I think she would rather go visit the grandkids in Arizona or Montana
and let me go by myself these days. She might go, if other ladies were
going... It's an option, either way. If they go with you, plan on some time
away from the radio every day doing tourist stuff. 
  So, what do you think? Anyone interested? Wanna be the rare and exotic DX?
This is very preliminary, just throwing out an idea... Lots of planning
would be involved. Covid travel restrictions could certainly influence any
plans, but hopefully things will get better rather than worse... Feel free
to respond online or send me an email...

73,
Jeff - K5WE