[OKDXA] Fwd: Fwd: Wanna Go On A DXpedition?

[Mark Beckwith]

[try that again, dang thing] .....



I have been a lot of places, but nearly always connected to a contest 
expedition.  In the old days (HC8U) it seemed important to be on the air 
outside of contest hours.

After a while, for me, it was more about the contest and less about 
handing out QSOs.  From 2004 to 2015 I went around with the same bunch 
of operators and we activated places in the Caribbean and Central 
America for ARRL CW.  For CQWW I would do more adventurous stuff 
including EA9 and A73.

I also tried to have my own DX QTH on Belize as V31NN for a while.

Throughout all that I was a repeat offender at PJ2T and that really grew 
on me as an easy place to go.  In recent years, it has become both a 
real DX location turnkey Multi-Multi.

Ultimately, I hung up the idea of going anywhere else.  After that they 
elected me President which I did for 3 years.  I stepped down last year.

This is all to say, I have a seriously large foot in the door down 
there, and that bunch, the "Caribbean Contesting Consortium" at Signal 
Point on Curacao, which is PJ2T, is able to accommodate a whole club for 
a DXpedition or contest, easily.  It is totally turnkey.  They still go 
wanting for some relatively major contests.  It makes for a VERY FUN 
week and is comparatively spouse-friendly.

If there is interest I can get details.

73 - Mark N5OT


On 4/13/2022 5:55 AM, Jeff Martin wrote:
> 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
>
>
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