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

Thu Apr 14 07:53:54 EDT 2022

Pretty sure it would meet the <$200/day threshold not counting airfare.  
I'll ask.

Mark N5OT

On 2022-04-14 6:13 AM, Jeff Martin wrote:
> This is another option... Rent-A-Shack places, I've been to a couple, PJ4 and KP2.
> PJ2T would be a fantastic station, very good gear and antennas. Curacao is easy to get to and like Mark said, spouse friendly. It's not particularly rare, but a good place to get your feet wet from a DX location. The Rent-A-Shack is much easier, no gear or antennas to haul or setup, licensing not too difficult... Anyone interested?
>
> Jeff - K5WE
>   
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mark Beckwith
> Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2022 6:07 PM
> To: Oklahoma DX Association
> Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Fwd: Fwd: Wanna Go On A DXpedition?
>
> Did I mention it was turnkey?  Most of us are not getting any younger.
> Turnkey can be a very good thing, considering the alternative.
>
>
> On 2022-04-13 6:04 PM, Mark Beckwith wrote:
>> I should clarify, the bit I said about not getting on the air outside
>> of contest hours is my personal thing.  Most or all of the ops who do
>> these things /just can't stay off the radio/ and they have /a really
>> great time/.  It's just not /my /thing. I'd rather drink a beer out on
>> the patio and relax, knowing I'll get my licks in on the radio when
>> the contest starts.  At PJ2T there are four stations and antennas
>> pointing everywhere, and ... if you haven't done it, it will totally
>> blow your mind, and I recommend it.
>>
>> 73 - Mark N5OT
>>
>> On 2022-04-13 6:00 PM, Mark Beckwith wrote:
>>> 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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