FT5GA Bulletins

October 6
Yesterday, the crew, while in full pile up on 2SSB, 24CW and 28rtty had to stop suddenly because of technical reasons, concerning the power supplying. Yesterday evening the op’s were active again but this morning the traffic had been cut again. Now 4 stations are active; the 4th was put under repairs and after some DiY, it’s on the air again. These 4 stations will be on the air until the last moment and as longer as possible. The crew must dismantle the 80 and 160 area farm included the K9AY, this morning. The plane which will come with the new reserve, is awaited a day early as scheduled, and the air track and its surroundings, are to be cleaned of any obstacle. It could be possible that all of the antennas have to be dismantled to day and the traffic, could be ceased, in such a case, this evening of course. We will inform you of any change, if it’s happened.
Didier, F5OGL, FT5GA team leader.

3. October
This is the last weekend for FT5GA. Some zone are still to be worked, if the propagation will come with us. So the team will pay some attention on 80 m CW to the USA, and also on 160m, even if these bands are very very noisy. Jeff, F6AOJ, EU Pilot is writing the strategy lines for the last week, according to these considerations.
Some friends from over the pond have indicated the presence of numerous pirates using the FT5GA callsign near the team band plan, so we ask you to check the daily updated online log, about your QSOs. We don’t understand the reasons which cause these strange actions, maybe they are a little bit neurotic?
In spite of this presence of pirates, our friends, the crew members, are not annoyed at all. We know also that a lot of friends haven’t yet contacted FT5GA. It will be done all that it’s possible on Gloriosos to QSO them at least one time, during this last week.
The pilots, instead of their own job restraints, are receiving around 500 messages a day. They have to read them, to work them, and also to answer, for the most part. We are receiving from the world, observations and FT5GA’s signal reports from friends. We thank them for the good help. When all the received information is compiled and analyzed, the traffic strategy is sent to FT5GA. So daily, the crew can make the plan of the day – Traffic, Service, aso.
From Didier, FT5GA team leader

October 1
FT5GA team is only 5 young completely inexperienced op's in low-band traffic, even not DXers, they are only pileuppers, on the wrong side of the island and with antennas away from sea coast, which means 10 to 20 db signal loss. Beach access is prohibited for it’s a Turtles reproduction area. But FT5GA is on the air! It was this or nothing after 5 years of lobbying, so?
We are not responsible for: SFI = 70, poor S/N ratio in the evening
and legions of QRMers, low band peak from 2 to 5 in the morning EU local time, power availability, operator availability
Radio is only 2/3 of time. 1/3 is job as military. We don't have control of the time table and their local organisation makes number of activities on the island for all residents (100%) at the same time. It is a compromise. In balance it is a long expedition, low cost operation for a very isolated place and nobody complains about.
In the evening the propagation is quite poor, because this time it is very early in the season and the noise level reduces the signal to noise ratio and so many people who are hearing nothing are permanently making deliberate QRM and it is just time lost.
So it is up to you, you have until October 8th to try again.
Pilots receive about 500 requests a day, for special selective activities. We can’t and we don’t want to manage in that way (planning such a program would require a Cray computer us in back office, and operators. We are sure to be in line with DXCC concept. Remember, DXCC is a competition, and expeditions not a minimum public service for every one. DXpeditions working via list operation or equivalent selective mode should not be accepted by DXCC desk. If a red carpet is spread between DX and DXers what is a QSO value? It is nothing more than contact via MSN.
Today we hope to have caused 35,000 smiles with 35,000 QSOs, a figure which we hope to reach this evening.
Jeff F6AOJ Eu-Pilot

28. September
After a good CQ WW DX RTTY contest, the team has came back to the traffic instructions, wrote masterfully by Jeff/F6AOJ, using the usual propagation studying tools and Pilots reports. Last night a Spiderbeam antenna fell down. Fortunately nothing was broken, and all has been set up without any problem. We got from Yves-Michel/F5PRU, the following crew observation about the low bands: As it was expected the 160m band is very poor. The QRN is very important. On 40 and 80m, the propagation is not particularly good and the reception is poor because of this QRN.
This noise is probably due to the almost permanent presence of thunderstorms, in the Gloriosos and Comoros archipelago areas. About the higher bands, the crew focuses at the time on 10, 12 and 15 meters. The results in the past days were good, particularly on 10 where were found, at our surprise, very good conditions. In the morning, all the windows to Oceania, East/South-east Asia, Africa, South America and the west coast of North America will be visited.
We are very sad to observe the big activity of the Pirate Crew, around the FT5GA frequencies. Some hams do not know what Pirate means. Please check the log and try again, if your QSO is not in it. The pirate crew cheated you.
From DIDIER, F5OGL, Gloriosos 2009 – FT5GA – team leader

September 24
The FT5GA crew continues to try satisfying the international Ham radio community. The propagation is very changeable, in these equinox and higher sunspots times. Two rigs fell down (broke) some days ago. Now one is again in order but the second has to be repaired when coming back home, because of new parts missing on Gloriosos. - By the way, three stations are on the air as often as possible.- On next weekend, the entire crew will enter the CQ WW DX RTTY contest, in Multi/single class. The two other stations CW/SSB will be also on the air.
We have now 14 days of traffic to do. We hope more quiet pile ups for these two weeks. The logs are received at F5CQ’s every evening and uploaded in the row at:
ext. Link
The operators have confirmed us once again the lost of time with unruly operators. Some other seem death for they have to repeat very often their callsigns to get confirmation of the QSO. Listen the operators sending information or instructions!
About the QSOs/QSL, Didier, F5OGL, team leader and Rafik/F5CQ webmaster are receiving complaints about wrong callsigns or more. As it was said in a previous message, no answer will be give to these messages. If there are problems, they will be solved when the future QSLing operation after FT5GA return.
We say once again that the (power) cuts, which are systematically denounced on the clusters, are service imperatives, for maintenance. During these times, no AC nor DC is available, and at these moments the operators are doing service job, especially doing the generator maintenance. These mandatory cuts are used also by the crew, during their very short spare time to study the Traffic instructions wrote upon pilots observations. It’s essential to make the most of you satisfied.
From Didier, F5OGL, FT5GA team leader and QSL manager.

September 20 in the evening and September 21 in early morning.
Didier/F5OGL had some difficulties to join the team by satellite cell phone. The link was not reliable enough, with numerous cuts. The logs were transmit not very easily. The last log uploaded contains 10416 QSO and the last one was recorded on September 20th at 11:04 utc. About 500 QSO are missing, for the date/time are not correct. I’ve not uploaded them to avoid disturbing on the 'best time to work FT5GA' page. I’m waiting for some more information about the time track; when corrected, these 500 QSO will be add on the logsearch page. I’m receiving a lot of complaints about QSO’s made on 40m and 17m. After checking, I discovered that a lot of them were not made with the FT5GA crew, but were so QSO’s with pirate stations who are jamming the bands.
From DIDIER, F5OGL, Gloriosos 2009 – FT5GA – team leader

September 21
Today there will be an AC cut of several hours to do the maintenance on the only one generator active on the island. Unfortunately, the second broke down at the end of the last week. The crew will spend this time to check another time the antennas and reinforce their guys and anchored. Two of the four transceivers are temporarily out of order; the operators will do the maintenance,also. They have tried the 160m band but the conditions and the propagation are atrocious. Tomorrow, Jeff, F6AOJ, will transmit, some new traffic instructions to use the more efficient propagation tracks by band and continent. The satellite digit link use seems to be better from this morning , so we will try to upload the logs every day.For the Digital fans, F8CRS will put FT5GA on the air during the next CQ WW DX RTTY (Sept 26. and 27.). Even if the discipline becomes better, the crew members inform that too much time is lost repeating the callsigns heard with holders who do not confirm or who confirm after several times. Please listen to the operators
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 16, 2009 (10:30 UTC)
This morning, after a very windy night the operators discovered that the V40 was broken in 2 pieces (it has been repaired), the V80 was slighty bented but also repaired. The WARC Spiderbeam had a faulty contact (fixed), 5 band Spiderbeam is ok. All three stations are installed, tuned and correctly configured. This afternoon, they will setup the V160 and K9AY. Hopefully they got precious help from the glorioso military. This will allow to certain op to operate. All three stations will be back on air as soon as the third Spiderbeam will be erected. Tonight, two stations will be actives for the whole night.
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 16, 2009 (06:00 UTC)
After the first day only one station was set up. The first day was reserved to exhibitions to the VIP. At the end of the first day, a vertical for 80m was also in service. They were on 80m all last night long. A huge QRN annoyed the traffic. Today a part of the crew sets up the antennas and the other, indoor is assembling rigs, PC, Pa’s and so on, for the two other stations. The traffic will grow up during the day, more and more. However, know that four times a day, the crew must stop the transmissions around 04h00, 09h00, 16h00 and 17h00 UTC, for control, especially of the AC supplies, by the Chief of maintenance crew and members. Rafik, F5CQ waits the first log to be uploaded on the web page at : ext. Link tonight or tomorrow in the morning. The first part of the FT5GA log will be available, on Sept 17th, in the morning, + or less.
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 15, 2009
The Transall plane, carrying the TAAF and Mayotte authorities, the French Foreign Legion detachment and the FT5GA crew has landed on Grande Glorieuse yesterday at 13h30 GMT (16h30 local). The night falls very quickly so, it will be too late to set up the antennas, even one. It will be done this morning just after the sunrise. After more than five years, some hours to wait again is undoubtedly the best achievement we would had hope, isn't it ?
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 14, 2009
The FT5GA team landed safe on late Saturday, at Saint Denis de la Reunion Airport. While this week end, the members of the crew spent some time to check and finalize the laptops and the Wintest soft. They were heard doing that on the bands, barefoot, on Sunday using CW and RTTY, from Sainte-Clotilde.This morning the departure to Mayotte is scheduled around 09:00 local time. Then they will fly to Glorieuses, were they are expected to land around the end of the afternoon. To night I’ll call them by satellite cell phone to know approximately when they will begin to traffic.The Higher Authorities of the Territory and the other from the French Forces presence on the island, may delayed that a little bit. So it seems reasonable to expect the first signals on Tuesday in the morning. (GMT time) By the way I will thank all of our pilots and friends who are ready QRV to collect all the useful information to permit us the best traffic organization. Jeff, F6AOJ did a good job and send it us, about propagations predictions, Floyd, N5FG is ready to receive and transmit us all what will be useful for the Whole American Continent. We know the poor conditions to day for the FT/G/Americas way so with the pilot help we will try to be as top as possible for them. This morning, Lee, ZL2AL sent us some predictions for the VK/ZL area. The Middle and Far Asian observation are awaited, and will come soon. The FT5GA has the chance to offer you a rare possibility to get the 4th Most Wanted country (The last time was in the 1999/2000); Could we ask the Ham community to don’t mess up the party ? Please hear and hear before coming in the pile up. The operators will give also some instructions while beeing behind laptops, keys and mikes. They have received strict orders to keep the traffic under their control
The logbooks will be able as soon as possible on the Web page at ext. Link Rafik, F5CQ our webmaster, will update as often as possible, receiving conditions permitting. Thank to him too for the big job done in the past and for that he will have to do in the next days. So beam your antennas, keep your ears and rigs ready. The crew members are motivated as ever and they will do all their best to make all of you happy.
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 11, 2009
ToDAY at 18h45 (Paris time – 1645 utc), the plane to La Réunion had took off from Charles de Gaulle Paris Roissy Airport. The complete Gloriosos 2009 crew is on board. – F5IRO, F5PRU, F5LPY, F4EGS, F8CRS, and Lieutnant Florence Gabulon –, they are on the way to FT/G. They will land tomorrow in the morning, at Saint Denis airport.Some last details to check with the TAAF authorities, and they will take off to Mayotte then the Gloriosos on Monday 14th.The TAAF Prefect, the higher authority for the "Iles Eparses", on the zone, and the Prefect of Mayotte, will go along the crew and the French Foreign Legion detachment. They will spend some time on the island, and especially observe the ham station set up and first hours of traffic. Now you can beam your antennas right to the Indian Ocean. You have some four days to do and be ready: The first signals are expected on next Tuesday.
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

September 7, 2009
291 kg of gear on the scale (transceivers, PA’s, power suppliees, antennas, masts and miscellanous aso ...) have been picked up by Didier/F5OGL, Yves/F5PRU and Franco/F4EVR .They gave it to Mr Alain LEFELLEC, Export freight manager of the LOGFRET Society, located at Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport. We thank him for his kind reception and his help to make this expedition a success.Two pallets will flight to morrow to the Reunion island, were they will be got back by the Airforce base 181, freight service.We now have in hand the authorisation to transmit on the Radioamateur Service bands, from Grande Glorieuse.
73's de Didier, F5OGL; - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

August 25, 2009
GLORIOSOS 2009 and Magic band. The propagation forecast for the Magic band from Gloriosos is very bad at the expedition time, quite in all directions. Taking advice from 6 meters specialists, they inform us that chances to give FT5GA to world hams are very low and even less. The only one antenna available is a 2 element HB9CV, with no other possibility to bring an or several other more efficient one(s), included for EME ; So it has been considered we had to focus on HF bands. So we sadly decided to concentrate our activity only from 160 to 10 meters. We ask the 6m community to understand our decision
73's de Didier, F5OGL;- Gloriosos 2009 team leader

August 19, 2009
The FT5GA team has in hand, the flight tickets from Paris CdG to the St Denis Réunion Island airport. The departure is scheduled on September 11th and the return on October 8th.The information about the French Forces Transall flight from Saint Denis to Grande Glorieuse will be published as soon as the FASZOI Hq will have confirmed them. (FASZOI = French Armed Forces for the South Indian Ocean Zone) The stay on Grand Glorieuse is considered having about three weeks length.All the gear has been picked up and is now ready packed on pallets, to be sent to the Reunion island, in the next few days.
Thanks especially for that to the Provins ARC, F6KOP members Serge, F6AML and Frank, F4AJQ.
73's de Didier, F5OGL, Gloriosos 2009 team leader

June 30, 2009
The Gloriosos 2009 is a new time postponed because of flight problems. We think, however, the dxpedition could be begin at the end of August.The runway on Grande Glorieuse suffers heavy problems of stability which have to be solved very quickly, in next July, to allow again the jumbo planes landing with full security .This postponing will allow us to include new operators, David, F8CRS, and Bernard, F5LPY. Seven operators will go to FT5G.Three stations will be active 24h a day and the 3rd dedicated to monitor the 6 meter . This last station will be used back on HF if propagation opens the lower bands.The length of the stay is always scheduled for three weeks if no other change will happen. e must once again remain all of you, that the landing on these islands is very difficult and the Go signal is given only when all the security measures are in place, known and applied. We have to thank a lot for their help, the French Australes and Antarctic Territories Administration, The South Indian Ocean Zone Forces Headquarter, and the Commandment of the French Foreign Legion detachment in Mayotte.
Gloriosos 2009 crew

Official comments by Didier, F5OGL, team leader :
A part we can say, even if the first event which made the July 2009 Gloriosos, postponed haven’t happen, the today’s aircrash of the Yemenia A310 at sea, after 2 hours of flight, is a new event which might have made the DXpedition postponed in any case. The plane which will have been used to come from La Reunion to Glorieuses, is now on the zone and participates to the researches of survivings for an unknown lenght of time... These events and to reinforce the runway have been considered by the French Authorities. For the most security, please wait again with us some more weeks.

June 9, 2009
The Glorieuses 2009 team gathered at Frank’s F4AJQ the last week end, June 6 and 7, with some KOP Team members. During these two days all the time will be spent to tune the antennas, to teach the dxpeditionners about their setting, and to cordinate all of the packages. Finally, 4 complete stations, with each at least a 800 Watts PA will be settled on Glorioso main island, to be active as closer as possible of 24h a day.The antenna farm will consist of 2 Spiderbeam 10-15-20 and other for 12-17-30, An Inverted L for 160m, one V10, one V80 and one HF2V 80-40. Some other vertical elements are packed too; so is also a K9AY array receiving system. A 6 meters station will monitor the Magic band, but only into a G5RV.The complete crew ( we hope it will not happen new changes ) consists of : F5IRO Freddy – F5PRU Yves – F5RQQ Jean-Marc – F5TLN Sylvain - F4EGS Philippe and three SIRPA agents : Florence (YL) journalist, Yann director and cameraman and Didier cameraman and sound engeneer We thanks a lot Jeff F6AOJ, Floyd N5FG, Toshi JA1ELY, Mike UAØME, Lee ZL2AL, who will be our pilot stations. Floyd, N5FG and Jeff F6AOJ, were more than ever making big efforts in the back office, thanks again.
About the callsign: For the First time, Gloriosos will be active under the new French Antarctic and Austral Territories (TAAF) regulation so the callsign claimed is : FT5GA. For which the confirmation is pending. From the year 2005, the "Iles Eparses", Gloriosos, Tromelin, Juan da Nova and Europa - are now put under the TAAF authority.The future callsigns will be issued as follow: FR/G becomes FTxG Gloriosos
73's de Didier, F5OGL - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

May 14, 2009
One Ham radio team of 3 to 4 military operators along with two reporters from SIRPA are going to reach Glorioso island by 9th July and will stay there up to 28th July 2009. The video reporter team has to make several footages and documentaries, the main one about the dxpedition itself. They are going to work from 160 to 6 m in as much mode as possible. The callsign is currently confidential ! It could be a surprise for more than one! We are going to get three stations and we will be welcome by the Foreign Legion. All the equipments are going to be loan by the F6KOP team and F4AJQ CDXC president. Leader and QSL manager : F5OGL Didier Webmaster : F5CQ Rafik We are looking to get as much support as possible from our sponsors. We hope to put the log online every day and Rafik will up date it as soon as possible. Operators : F5IRO (TO4E), F5PRU, F5TLN and if possible F4EGS, F5RQQ.
73's de Didier, F5OGL, - Gloriosos 2009 team leader

August 13, 2008
Considering numerous rumours spread by non authorized hams about the dates of the next Gloriosos 2008 dxpedition, I think I have to give some information to avoid any more errors. On the island, the anti-cyclonics shelters building is nearly finished. The taking over of the French Army sovereignty personnels and the return of the building workers will be effective at the end of this month. At the beginning of September, after the last checkings on the installations, especially on electricity, all the heavy building gear will be evacuated from the island. I am, more than ever in very close contact with the military authorities of the French Forces for the South zone of the Indian ocean, in the Reunion Island. I've met the new HQ Chief warrant officer, before his starting for his new 3 years assignment to the zone. He assured me of his entire support and help for this expedition. The last problems to be solved are about some local logistic, especially the dates usable for the military planes flights and boats departures, which schedules haven't nothing common with commercial ones. I repeat that all the necessary authorisations are in hand. Believe us about our will to do a most perfect as possible dxpedition to the Glorioso. For that, safety first is our goal. Know if it could be easy to go, the Gloriosos rank in the most wanted list will not be n°4. For another island in the Eparses, Europa 2003, we had to work several years to prepare it before doing. All the ham operators are personnels of the French Military Defense and they have all a professional assignments which have priority over all, included the Ham radio Dxpedition. The major risks on the zone doesn't allow to include civilian ham ops in the crew. No date is fixed to day, but I'm doïng all my best to lead Gloriosos 2008 before the end of this year, It must be said that without all combined elements gathered, I prefer postpone the operations as often as it will be necessary I continue to work hard to put the Gloriosos on the air and know that's not very easy.
73's de Didier, F5OGL, - Gloriosos 2008 team leader

April 18, 2008
The operation for Glorioso 2008 must be delayed for some weeks. The HQ of the south zone of the Indian ocean announced us due to the fact that important works of facilities will take place on the island. During two and a half months, at the beginning of June, shelters anti cyclonic will be build to protect the military personnals and some equipment for the weather station. Due to the number of persons who will be on the island during the same period, we decided with the HQ of force of the south zone of the Indian ocean to do this DXpédition when these works will be ended. The exact dates will be define according to the operational occupation of the military transport in this region but we hope to accomplish this operation to the end of September or the beginning of October. This leaves us the time to improve our preparations and, we thank you all those who contribute to the realization of this plan and firstly the military authorities of the Reunion island and our financial and equipment sponsors..
73's de Didier, F5OGL, - Gloriosos 2008 team leader

March 7, 2008
After many years of effort the permissions have been delivered. This operation can take place, probably, early of May. To start between May 5th to 9th for some weeks. For the moment the operators are Pascal F5PTM, Freddy F5IRO, Spéphane F5KIN, David F8CRS, Yves-Michel F5PRU and may be 3 others. They try to have 3 or 4 stations. The sponsors are welcomme, please contact Didier F5OGL.

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