[South Florida DX Association] Peter I DXpedition

[Bill Marx]

  From Norm W4QN

  The Peter I DXpedition is coming up in January.  Peter I is the #5  "Most
  Wanted" in the latest DX Magazine survey.  Peter I is close to
 Antarctica -
  south of Bouvet, Heard Island, South Sandwich and others, even  south of
the
  Antarctic Circle.  Although this is summer in Antarctica, the  crew is
expecting
  subfreezing temperatures, high winds, blowing snow, etc.   The island is
95%
  covered by glaciers, and the only safe entry to the island is  by
helicopter.
  There have been two operations from Peter I, the first in  1987 and a
second in
  1994.  So ten years since last operation plus  extremely adverse
environment
  pretty much explains the #5 ranking.  The  budget for this is well into
six
  figures, with the operators putting up much of  the money themselves.
Obviously
  the DX community is being asked to support  this operation.

  Your DXpedition Funding Committee has agreed that NIDXA support this with
a
  $500 donation.  These funds are actually coming from the proceeds of
W9DXCC
  2002 CD sales, which had already been earmarked for DXpedition  funding.
As
  previously mentioned, club members are also welcome  to support Peter I on
an
  individual basis.  We have made an  arrangement with the Northern
California DX
  Foundation to handle  contributions from members.  NIDXA is a nonprofit
  organization,  but NCDXF is not only nonprofit but "charitable" so that
contributions
  to NCDXF  are tax deductible.  If you would like to support this, just
send a
  check  to me payable to NCDXF and you will be able take credit for the
  contribution on  your income tax.  Please mail the check this week or
bring to the
  meeting  on Friday.

  I should mention that if our club plus member contributions exceeds
$1,000,
  the NIDXA logo will appear on the Peter I QSL card.  But our objective
here
  is not the logo on the card, but to join with the worldwide DX community
in
  supporting this extremely costly and dangerous endeavor to one of the top
5 rare
  countries.

  There is a great article on Peter I and the role of the Northern
California
  DX Foundation in December 2004 QST, page 77 - "How's DX?"    Check it out!

  73  Bill  W9VA        NIDXA  VP