ZL9HR - Campbell
30 November-09 December 2012
24. Nov 2012
Nine of the ten team members are in Invercargill, NZ with the tenth member flying in early Sunday morning.
The NZ Department of Conservation inspected all our DX-pedition equipment on Saturday and found everything to be in acceptable condition to be brought to the island, no exceptions were noted. The team knew what had to be done to achieve this rating and all was handled prior to shipping.
All the equipment was unpacked, inspected and many items were wrapped in plastic sheeting, in bins, or removed from their cardboard boxes. The equipment was placed in quarantine until Monday morning. A final inspection of personal items will be conducted on Monday morning at which time everything will be transported to the boat. A subset of the team then went to purchase 1,100 liters of fuel for the generators.
On Sunday afternoon we return to the DoC station for a briefing on working around the island's wildlife, safety and a review of the permit conditions. Today we met the DoC officer who will accompany us during the expedition.
The boat just arrived from Auckland Island where she took a DoC team to inventory penguins. We will meet the boat on Monday morning to begin the loading process. We are told the seas have calmed down after a storm recently passed through the region.
We are scheduled to sail shortly after noon on Monday. Once underway we will not be checking e-mail or any of the Internet blogs, all communications will be through the designated pilots.
Thanks for your continued support of ZL9HR.
From "Daily DX", 26 November 2012:
VK2JI, ex-VK2ARE, Ed Durrant, is the ZL9HR team’s publicity officer and informs us the team is on the way to the island by boat, but will be delayed by foul weather. The embarkation point was Bluff, on the southern-most point of New Zealand’s south island, for the 60-hour voyage on the Great Southern Ocean. The destination, Campbell Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and DXCC world most wanted number 11. The operation was originally scheduled to be on the air November 28-December 9, with 160-6M activity as soon as the antennas go up. 9M6XRO, John, is one of the ops on board the “Evohe” an 82- foot two-masted sloop. He says they have taken shelter in the lee (the side sheltered from the wind) of Stewart Island for a day or two for the storms between New Zealand and Campbell to subside. Stewart is the third largest of the New Zealand islands, 30 miles south of the embarkation point. John says the arrival date is now uncertain but appears to be, presently, Thursday or Friday. And it may take the better part of a day to get set up.
Here are their target frequencies: CW 1825 3528 7030 10125 14035 18080 21035 24905 28035 50107 - SSB 1840 3793 7185 14200 18145 21295 24965 28495 50145 - RTTY 3630 7035 10145 14090 18105 21090 24925 28090
The ZL9HR team includes operators 9M6XRO, HA5AO, K3EL, K5GS, KE4KY, VE7DS, VK2IR, VK3YP, W2LK and ZL3CW
Their permit to operate prohibits antennas in or near the water and spending night times on the island, unless bad weather makes going back to the boat too dangerous. Col says the team will “likely be off the island daily between 10:00-15:00 UTC”; however if you hear them on the air during that time period it might not be a pirate as they could get stuck on the island due to bad weather. Low band ops may want to hope for some bad weather, at least enough to keep them on the island for a night or two, where it would be safer! QSL via EB7DX direct or bureau. There will also be OQRS and LoTW “shortly after the DXpedition.”
November 26 2012
The ZL9HR operation will be delayed due to bad weather in the southern ocean. We're at anchor south of Stewart Island waiting for the weather to clear. We expect to arrive at Campbell Island on Friday, but the weather will dictate the schedule. Everyone is in good spirits awaiting departure.
November 28 2012
They are still at Stewart Island the weather is still bad the waves are 11 meters high they will be leaving tomorrow morning 29th of November for Campbell Island and hope to be there Saturday morning and start operating late that day. We talked to them on 20m 14.285 during the Greek net, they are using the ships radio to communicate in the Ham bands. This evening they are on 40m 7.130 DX net .
Later:
The ship is still sheltering from storms at Stewart Island off the south of New Zealand this evening (Wednesday 28th December) but will be leaving tomorrow morning and they hope to reach Campbell Island on Saturday morning”. European pilot station MM0NDX, Col, says “I have it confirmed they will not be extending their stay, unfortunately”. So they will continue with their schedule through December 9th.
Saturday, December 1 2012
After a "bumpy" ride to Campbell Island S/Y Evohe is making into Perseverance Bay.
Landing will take place in half an hour or so.It is now Saturday the 1st of December 7:00 am (Friday 30th November 18:00 utc) Weather is no too good, very misty but no rain.
05:00 UTC ZL9HR Operational from Campbell Island.
Sunday, December 9 2012
After a very long final day, the team on Campbell Island finished operations at about 16:00 UTC 8/12/12 - 05:00 9/12/12 Local time and now starts the work of disassembly of the antenna systems, equipment packing and transfer of everything back to the boat before departure back to New Zealand.
We wish all the team a safe and calm trip back to New Zealand and then on to their home countries and look forward to the next HARAOA DX'Pedition wherever that may be to.
Tuesday, December 12 2012
The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia, ZL9HR team of ten Amateurs from around the world, arrived safely back on the New Zealand mainland on Tuesday 11th December having completed operations on Campbell Island in the early hours of Sunday morning 9th December (local time). On arrival back into New Zealand, the last of the log data was sent to the webmaster and the online log updated. The team of operators then set off back to their homes around the world with undoubtedly memories of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
High praise for the operation has been received by the pilots from Amateurs around the world and the question most often asked is “where will the HARAOA team go next?” - we'll all have to wait a while before that question can be answered!
