[South Florida DX Association] FT5XO Kerguelen Press Release

[Bill Marx]

>From Dan W2NDP (MFDXA)
:

The team expects to be operational here from the 20th of March through the
>  1st of April.
>
>  Callsign is FT5XO.
>
>  A team of twelve operators representing seven nations will be
>  participating in this month long trip. Operators are AG9A, HB9ASZ,
>  GI0NWG, M0DXR, N6MZ, N0TT, SP5XVY, VE3EJ, VK6DXI, W3WL, W7EW and 9V1YC.
>  All team members are experienced contesters or DXpeditioners, and 7 out
>  of the 12 are veterans of at least one previous Antarctic regional
> DXpedition.
>
>  In order to maximize band openings we will have the ability to run up
>  to 7 stations at once. Operations will take place on all bands from
160m-6m
>  using CW, SSB and RTTY.  There will also be operation on PSK-31 and EME.
>
>  The team has two "Battle Creek Special" verticals for 40, 80 and
>  160m, single 1/4 wave verticals each for 30m and 40m, plus a full set of
>  monoband vertical dipoles for 20m and up.  All 1/4 wave verticals and
> vertical
>  dipoles were constructed and supplied in South Africa by ZS4TX.
>
>  Just like the 2002 DXpedition to South Georgia and South Sandwich there
>  will be no websites, pilots, or on-line logs. We feel that a DX QSO
>  made by the hard work of knowing propagation, listening, skillful calling
>  and paying attention to the DX station's pattern is more meaningful and
> fun.
>  We have purposefully advanced minimal publicity about our DXpedition in
the
>  spirit of putting the operator instead of the technology back into the
>  forefront of the DX chase.
>
>  Logisical support in South Africa was provided by ZS5BBO, ZS5NK, ZS5VE,
> ZS5GMW, ZS5HV, ZS5IAN and the members of the H.A.R.C.  Equipment and
>  logistic arrangements in New Zealand were provided by the crew of
>  The Braveheart,and ZL2BSJ.
>
>  The QSL manager for this DXpedition is Garry, VE3XN.
>  Many thanks in advance for any extra contributions received
>  with your QSL envelopes.
>
>  This DXpedition is funded by the twelve team members and an exclusive
>  grant from the NCDXF  - The Northern California DX Foundation.
>  There are no other organizational or commercial sponsors for this trip..
>
>  Sincere thanks to the NCDXF for their continued support of
>  DXpeditioning to the world's most remote destinations.
>
>
>