FT5ZM DXpedition to Amsterdam Island - 2014: Recent Episodes
Onno (VK6FLAB)
Before the team members departed on their journey to Amsterdam Island in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean during a typical Australian BBQ the team shared their project plans, the challenges ahead and the anticipated excitement. On their return all team members fresh off the MV Braveheart shared their experiences before heading home. The team spoke with Onno VK6FLAB on their arrival in Perth before embarking on their 9 day ocean voyage to activate FT5ZM on Amsterdam Island. Interviews were conducted on the 11th and 12th of January and, after returning from the island, on the 23rd of February in Perth, Western Australia (VK6).
Some statistics for FT5ZM:
- 170,000+ contacts
- 10,000 contacts per day
- 8 operating stations
- 37,000 uniques
- 160m - 10m, including WARC bands, Phone, CW, RTTY
- 7,000 RTTY contacts
- 14 team members
- 6 people on Braveheart
- 20 people on Amsterdam Island
- 10 yagis on two sites
- 7 verticals
- Verticals on 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m at Antonelli
- Verticals on 80m, 40m, 30m at Mataf
- several receive antennas
- 10,000 photos
- videos
QSL information:
- A dozen people handling QSL at the South Jersy DX Association
- Paper, OOQRS, Bureau, LoTW
Information Technology DXpedition style. How is it working in a system many miles from support? How do you protect against data loss? The KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. How did computers and Amateur Radio evolve? The excitement of the contact. Spratley Islands, 160m CW in 30 second opening, what a thrill! Worked all States on 2m.
What are you looking forward the most? What was your most vivid recollection for your first DXpedition in 1999? Can you give us a fly-over view of what antennas you're going to be erecting?
What is the shack on Amsterdam Island going to look like? What about sleeping arrangements? Any rivalry between Canada and the USA? What about your memorable contacts?
What do you expect to get out of this DXpedition? What is it that makes you keep coming back? How can you help yourself get the contact? How do you work split?
What's the thrill of being in a DXpedition? What makes you keep coming back? What's the most gratifying part of DXpeditioneering? What was your most memorable contact?
Very excited to be on this adventure of a lifetime DXpedition, his second one. Looking for QRP stations from home in Colombia. What do you recommend to make contacts on Morse, how do you get started? Everybody is going to be on Kitchen Patrol. What's the traditional Colombian dish you're going to share?
This is a half a million dollar project, how does one finance such a large project? The CFO perspective. How do you get from the idea to the actual journey? Where does the funding come from? How did you get started? Memories of a contact on 160m, working Burma, into India and others.
What's required to make FT5ZM happen? It's been a two year project. What's the work - environment like? Is everyone a computer expert? Memories of a 20m CW contact with an 80-year old who developed radar in WWII. A re-enactment of the US Civil War, speaking with an artillery-man.
The weather in Amsterdam Island, from 8C in Moscow to 44C in Perth, through to 10C in Amsterdam Island. 100,000 contacts in log. Now I can give new countries to other people.
Team Leader of DXpedition to Amsterdam Island. How do you herd cats to make an expedition work? Memories of expeditions to the Island of Peter the First.
Overview of Amsterdam Island as one of the top DXCC most wanted. Not activated for 15 years. 1979 - Spratley Islands, first DXpedition. Memories of contacts with Amsterdam Island, with Tristan da Cunha Island, Andaman Islands.