Amateurfunk von Cocos Island

Akualisiert 03/2020 Diese Seite entstand mit Unterstützung von Anthony Quest, G4UZN ÷AQ

A - Geografie und Geschichte

Kontinent: Nordamerika - Koordinaten: 6N 87W, EJ65 - Zonen: WAZ 7, ITU 11 - Zuweisung: TI9 - IOTA: NA-012 (ex NA-192)

Die Kokos-Insel (spanisch Isla del Coco, englisch Cocos Island) ist eine unbesiedelte Insel im Pazifischen Ozean. Sie gehört politisch zum Kanton Puntarenas der gleichnamigen Provinz des zentralamerikanischen Staates Costa Rica.
Die vorwiegend aus vulkanischen Gesteinen bestehende Insel liegt 494 km vor der Pazifikküste Costa Ricas auf dem sogenannten Kokosrücken (Cocos Ridge), einer über 1000 km langen und 250 bis 500 km breiten untermeerischen Struktur, die allgemein als Spur des Galápagos-Hotspot gedeutet wird. Die Kokosinsel ist annähernd rechteckig geformt, 7,49 km lang, bis zu 4,61 km breit und hat eine Fläche von 23,85 km². Die höchste Erhebung ist der Cerro Iglesias mit 634 m im Westen. Seit 1978 ist die Kokosinsel ein Nationalpark von Costa Rica. 1997 wurde sie in die Liste der UNESCO-Welterbestätten aufgenommen.

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Video: Isla de Coco from the Air
01-04 Die Insel / The island
05/06 - Standorte / Expedition sites
07-09 - Impressionen / Impressions
10/11 - Chatham Bay
12 - Ranger House, Chatham Bay
13 - Nur scheinbar kurzer Weg: 3h über den Berg / Not really a short trip: 3 hours over a mountain top
14/15 - Wafer Bay

B - QSL Gallery

C- DXpeditions

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Operators

D- Berichte - Reports

01 - Article on Forbes treasure sharing in: 'Desert Sun', CA, 1940/01 [PDF , 2.15 MB]

03 - TI9AA - WATTS, Monthly Newsletter of the Pretoria Amateur Radio Club, 2018-03, p.11/12 [PDF , 651.67 KB]

04 - TI9MHB - NCDXC 'The DXer' 1955/03 [PDF , 173.23 KB]

04 - TI9MHB - NCDXC 'The DXer' 1955/04 - Talk by John R. Beck, W6MHB [PDF , 546.39 KB]

04 - NCDXF Tribute to John Beck, W4AI [PDF , 98.91 KB]

14 - TI9CF - 1970/02 - Report in 'Ham Gallery' [PDF , 929.64 KB]

18/19 - Controversy between TI9DX and TI9FAG, WCDXB 1975/04, 1975/05, SWN 1975/06 [PDF , 1.07 MB]

22 - TI9AEL - HamRadioHorizons, 01/1979 - Expedition report [PDF , 1.39 MB]

23 - TI9CF/TI9BY - WCDXB report on cancelled DXpedition [PDF , 1.91 MB]

31 - TI9XXX - Article in Tico Times, 2006 [PDF , 194.55 KB]

45 - TI9TTY - Article in RTTY May-June 1985 [PDF , 1.65 MB]

63 - TI9X TE9RLI - Article in The DX Magazine 1996/09-10 [PDF , 4.5 MB]

69 - TI9KK - Report in NIAR Ham News 2008/02-03 [PDF , 725.04 KB]

69 - TI9KK - VU2YAM Portrait in 'The Hindu' 2008-01-26 [PDF , 390.28 KB]

04 - TI9MHB

February 1955

W4AI, John R. Beck *1919 †2008-02-11, age 89. John was originally licensed as W6MHB in San Francisco. In 1955 he went on his first DXpedition to Cocos Island as TI9MHB. The following year he joined RCA on the Air Force Eastern Test Range, where he worked as a Resident Engineer on many of the tracking stations. During this assignment he held the calls VP7BT on Eleuthera Island, VQ9J in the Seychelles, ZD8J on Ascension, and VP2A and VP2AAA on Antigua. After he left the Range he worked with RCA Alaskom in Alaska where he held the call KL7AI. He retired from RCA in Alaska and returned to FL where he was licensed as K4LJV, then W4AI. He also spent a year in Brazil as PY1ZFO. John was an avid DXer and contester, and had worked all but two countries. He is best remembered in the contesting world for his two # 1 World placements in CQWW DX CW Contests in 1966 and 1967 as ZD8J . ... He entered a nursing home in October 2004. (By Fred Perkins, K4LQ)
This was the third recorded operation from TI9 and the first specifically as a Dx-pedition. The QSL card acknowledges the help of the Radio Club of Costa Rica and the Northern California DX Club. The operator was John R. Beck W6MHB, (1919-2008), later W4AI. (For a tribute see the Reports). There is a talk on the Dx-pedition given by Beck
The ship “ Isle of Capri “ sailed from Los Angeles on 8 January 1955. Operation was from Chatham Bay. The Isle of Capri was separately carrying a well-organized treasure hunting expedition searching for the Loot of Lima gold ( ref: Sandusky Register 10 Jan 1955) (also mentioned Popular Electronics 1954/63). That operation failed. TI9MHB made 2042 QSO’s.The operation was in the month of February, as was the TI9BR activation in 1949, presumably an optimum time for sailing. Interestingly, about TI9BR, Beck said: “ They operated from aboard ship at all times and he has a signed statement from one of the crew members to that effect “.

10 - TI9FG

02/1964

Frederic Theodor Gaspard - "The Bluenose I was a worldwide famous Canadian schooner - the fastest ever built. She raced the best ships in America, and was never defeated. In 1946 she went aground off Haiti, rough seas destroyed her within 24 hours. Bluenose II was built during 1963 with identical hull, sail and rigging. (Length overall 160fr, draft 15 ft., displacement 285 tons) Our expedition chartered her for her maiden voyage for a treasure hunt to Cocos Island. We made a movie and a TV show of the ship, the voyage and the treasure hunt." (George, K2UO, ex WA2UOA). The Canadia 10c coin shows a replica of the Bluenose I
"Frederic Theodor Gaspard, †January 15, 2008, Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Fred was president and CEO of Gaspard Sons, a successful manufacturing company, with a head office and factory in Winnipeg, plus branch offices in Toronto, Minneapolis, and two factories in Puerto Rico. He had diverse interests; he was a private pilot, and for years enjoyed the challenge and sport of flying, joining friends on numerous adventure trips to northern Canada and Alaska. He was a world traveler, no trip was ever too long or far away. Traveling inspired a deep interest in photography both video and still. His talent as a photographer developed through the years, the latest state of the art camera was his constant companion." (Winnipeg Free Press, 2008)

25 - James T. Plowman, WA6EWI/TI9

Expedition Report with WA6EWI, now VK3EWI, F4WBZ (Recorded by OE1WHC, June 2019) [MP3 , 3.89 MB]

43A -Tracey K. Werner Sherry, N1CWH / Thomas Sherry, KA1KXF

Courtesy of Ms Tracey Werner Sherry

67 - TI9M

February 2002

Modified version of an excellent Powerpoint Show © and courtesy by Ronald Stuy, PA3EWP

67 - TI9M - Presentation [PDF , 12.91 MB]

70 - TI9/3Z9DX

16 - 22 Feb 2015

The team: 3Z9DX, Dom; TI2HMJ, Jorge. Support: SP8SIW, Przemek; RA9USU, Dimitri
Before departing, Dom confirmed with officials in Costa Rica there is no other TI9 activity planned and will not be for some time (contrary to earlier reports a large group were planning a DXpedition to TI9 later this year).

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74 - TI9A

02.-09. February 2020

Team: Dmitry Zhikharev, RA9USU; Andrey Chesnokov, UA3AB; Mats Strandberg, RM2D; Jorge Aguilar Montoya, TI2JV. Operation from the Chatham Bay. First CW and SSB camp located on top of the hill. Open to almost 360 degrees around. Three element RR-33 antennas with 13m masts, Four Square antennas for 40 and 30 meters bands, Verticals for 80 and 160. Second camp located next to the water, right at the shore. All VDA and Vertical antennas for FT8. Clear direction pass to EU & US & JA. 30.000 contacts. Operation supported by Cocos Island Rangers, SUTEL & MICITT - Expedition homepage: ext. Link - QSL: UA3DX

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01 - RA9USU, Dmitry
02 - RM2D, Andrey
03 - UA3AB, Mats
04 - TI2JV - Jorge
05 - Gina Cusa Jones (General Director PNIC), Andrea Chaves Cordero (MBA Financial Admin PNIC), and Team
06 - Departure from Moscow
07 - Okeanos Aggressor II
08 - Directions
09 - Camp 1: CW, SSB - 1. RR 33 3 el 10/15/20 - 2. RR 33W 3 el 17/12/20 - 3. 4SQ 40 - 4. 4SQ 30 - 5. Vertical 80 - 6. Vertical 160/80 - 7. Beverage EU - 8. Beverage JA - 9. Inv-L 160 - 10. VHF
10 - Camp 2: Digimodes - 1. RR 33 3 el 10/15/20 - 2. RR 33W 3 el 17/12/20 - 3. 4SQ 40 - 4. 4SQ 30 - 5. Vertical 80 - 6. Vertical 160/80 - 7. Beverage EU - 8. Beverage JA - 9. Inv-L 160 - 10. VHF

TI9A - 80m - CW - 2020-02-02 [MP3 , 976.15 KB]

TI9A - 40m - CW - 2020-02-02 [MP3 , 976.15 KB]

75 - TI9C

30.01.-09.02.2020

Operators: XE1B/4A4A, Mark; HK5OKY, Francisco ("Frank") Antonio Rodriguez Gonzalez - 160, 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 6m, SSB and FT8 only - 20 and 40 monoband verticals, 120fr OCF, 2ele cophased multiband. ICOM 7600, ICOM 7300. Acom 1010 700W. QSL: XE1B (10$ for paper QSL) - Expedition homepage: ext. Link - No activity reported so far.

Fußnoten / Notes

All comments, if not otherwise stated, by Anthony Quest, G4UZN÷AQ
All Links downloaded February/March 2019

^#00 - TI5FI - "It is with very much regret that we learn of the death, from double pneumonia, of Willard T. Young, VE5AG. 5AG was one of the founders of the Victoria Short Wave Club, later moving to Vancouver. From there he went on a treasure hunting expedition to the Cocos Island(s) to give a new country to many, as TI5FI. He had also been an operator at GSYX, and recently connected with the TCA." -XTAL, Magazine of the VE Opertator's Ass., Toronto, Canada, June 1939, p11 - ext. Link - see also image 97

^#01 01 - TI9BR - 1949. This seems to have been the first recorded post-war operation. Short Wave Magazine in 1949 states that this was a gold-mining expedition. "The radio-amateur history of the island began after the Second World War, when Cocos Island was included in the first post-war list of DXCC countries. The first option to establish a connection with the Cocos Island was in 1949 when
Mike Arnautoff W6LUE came from the island with the call TI9BR. " (OK1NF Blogspot 02/2015); in Redondo Beach CA (1956 Call Book). Same name and call currently 2018 on qrz.com – extra class license; possibly son or grandson .- The call letters TI9BR (if authorised) could show that the license-holder was TI2BR – there is a TI2BR in the 1948 Call Book – Bertrand F. Roe, P.O. BOX 1112, San Jose, Cost Rica, but nothing is known about him. - This was a well-prepared expedition, and it would be reasonable to expect some form of radio communication with the mainland. The name of the ship was Bolivar.
Expedition Reports:
1. Gettysburg Times – Gettysburg PA, 20 January 1949: "Treasure Ship to sail today to hunt $60 million in Pirate Treasure on Cocos Island – to use bulldozers …. The Fifth James A. Forbes Expedition."
2. Long Beach Independent, 11 February 1949: "Treasure Hunt ready - ship arrives at island."
3. San Mateo Times -9 February 1949
The first James A, Forbes expedition was reported in the Desert Sun (CA) (Palm Springs ?), 12 January 1940: “Former local people may share treasure...” (full article see D/Reports/#1). In the party were Charles Forbes and James Forbes Jr. of Riverside, grandsons of the late Alexander Forbes whose exhaustive study of maps and documents relating to the “Loot of Lima “provided the impetus for the hunt.- The original James A Forbes was the first mate of the Mary Dear and one of the mutineers who stole and hid the treasure. James Jr. was a direct descendant.

^#02 02 -TI9UXX - Evan Stover, W6UXX, of San Diego. "TI9UXX made a very brief appearance from Cocos Island toward the end of last year. He made only 29 contacts and the only European among them was G2PL” (Short Wave Magazine Vol 6, No 126, February 1954/p 737 - ext. Link ) NCDXF had noted activity from Clipperton had been awaited, although W6UXX appeared from Cocos. NCDXF December 1953: That W6LW had worked him and received a QSL.

^#03 04 - TI9MHB This was the fourth recorded operation from TI9 and the first specifically as a Dx-pedition.The QSL card acknowledges the help of the Radio Club of Costa Rica and the Northern California DX Club. The operator was John R. Beck, W6MHB, (1919-2008), later W4AI. (Report in The DX-er of NCDXC, Vol 4, No 4, April 1955: ext. Link - Talk on the Dx-pedition given by Beck: ext. Link )
The ship Isle of Capri sailed from Los Angeles on 8 January 1955. She was separately carrying a well-organized treasure hunting expedition searching for the "Loot of Lima" gold (Sandusky Register, 10 Jan 1955 - Free trial: ext. Link ) , also mentioned: Popular Electronics 1954/63). That operation failed.- The operation was in the month of February, as was the TI9BR activation in 1949, presumably an optimum time for sailing. Interestingly, about TI9BR, Beck said, in The Dx-er March 1955, Vol. 8, No. 3 (full text see section D): “They operated from aboard ship at all times and he has a signed statement from one of the crew members to that effect. “ (Personal comment: That a crew member should remember that from six years back and be able to give a signed statement does stretch the imagination.)
From the Obituary By Fred Perkins, K4LQ, ext. Link - Download 2019-02-25) John had some outstanding scores in many ARRL DX CW contests from his DX locations. He was most proud of a number of letters he had received from contest sponsors over the years attesting to the quality of his logs. John logged all his contests in pencil, then retyped them on a typewriter for submission. John moved to Sebring in 1992 with plans to build a contest station with three 140 ft towers, stacked yagis on the HF bands and substantial antennas on the low bands. Unfortunately his health failed before he was able to complete this project.

^#04 15A - TI9CF. There was operation en-route to the island and /MM confirmations were given, but pen alteration or note on expedition cards only, no separate cards, from both TI9CF/MM and TI9J/MM

^#05 17 - TI9NA. Erik Roy, TI2NA, was a pioneer in Costa Rica in Satellite and VHF operation. He had activated the first six-metre beacon in Central America in the 1960’s

^#06 18 - TI9DX. “The 4th DX-pedition this decade by the Radio Club de Costa Rica yielded over 2500 QSOs with 86 countries on all bands for 10 to 160 meters plus the first ever 432 mHz satellite QSOs. Problems with the generators limited the activities to one station CW/SSB during the three day visit (one and a half days operation. DXNS 671 (8 April 1975) stated that the call to be used for satellite QSOs would be TI9VHF. Ham Radio Magazine of June 1977 reports satellite QSO’s with TI9DX

^#07 The consecutive operations TI9DX and TI9FAG caused some controversy

^#08 18,19 - TI9DX/TI9FAG. This was a well sponsored Swiss Dx-pedition, promoted as a scientific expedition. The QSL cards were printed in Germany by Felix Koerner, DL1CU. The sponsors shown were DL1CU's German monthly magazine QRV), Fritzel Antennas, and several Swiss companies. - The picture front of the design includes a Radio Club de Costa Rica logo (identical with one seen on some TI0RC cards); the reverse includes a rubber-stamp style print in red: 20 IV 75 Visite de la Expedicion B.F.S. Biol-Fisica-Suizo. The start date in fact seems to have been a little later. These cards were signed by Aldo HB9AQM.
Initially, the operation call was to be HB9AQM/TI9. (Notes in West Coast DX Bulletin 17-75. April 29 1975, via ext. Link - also letter from Aldo Diener, HB9AQM). - There were cards printed for HB9AQM/TI9. I have only seen a blank card – later overprinted TI9FAG expedition; most likely never used, as although a license was issued for that call it was revoked before the start of the Exedition. And later – a different TI9FAG card, naming only Fernando TI2FAG and signed by him. The scanned card here, 19(0-3), is for a QSO on 2 May 1975.
The consecutive operations TI9DX and TI9FAG caused some controversy. (See Section D)- To summarise: The lead operator of TI9DX was Rodrigo A Madriz TI2WD; the lead operator of TI9FAG was Aldo Diener HB9AQM. TI2WD objected to the Swiss operation on the grounds that only TI2FAG was licensed to operate. It seems that Diener had received permission on the understanding that reciprocal licensing would be agreed by the Swiss authorities, but this was not forthcoming.The Costa Rican authorities revoked the permission given to the Swiss operators, and subsequently (temporarily also the TI9FAG and also the TI2FAG licenses. The operation continued successfully with TI2FAG as license holder.
There were cards printed for HB9AQM/TI9. I have only seen a blank card – later overprinted TI9FAG expedition; most likely never used, as although a license was issued for that call it was revoked before the start of the Expedition. And later – a different TI9FAG card naming only Fernando, TI2FAG and signed by him. Our scanned card 109(03) is for a QSO on 2 May 1975.

^#09 20 - TI9BY. Wolf Baron, TI2BY, to have operated 04/77 with TI2CF, but trip cancelled. (Report in NCDXC West Coast DX Bulletin #13/77, 29 March 1977, #13/77 and #16/76, 20 April 1976 - both via ext. Link ), "TI9-Cocos showed on Sunday, April 11th and the callsigns were TI9WD and TI9BY. TI9WD said to QSL to TI2WD" 13 contacts noted on Club Log. Also DXNS 72, 5 27 April 1976)
“Wolf Baron TI2BY was a well-known ham who started his hobby shortly after WWII and remained active until 1977. "In Cost Rica and Latin America he pioneered digital modes, especially packet. But overall Wolf Baron was known as one of the great teachers of Amateur Radio in Central and South America.” (Obituary in Northern Ohio DXAssociation - OPDX Bulletin 3 December 1977)
He held the calls HC1BY, HC0BY, HK5AUG, HR2BY, TI2BY, TI9BY and YS9BY and was one of the founders of Radio Club Grapa in Honduras in 1999.

^#10 24 - TI9DX. Blank cards from this operation were used by TI9CF to confirm QSOs in 1980 by TI9CF and TI9JVA, noted on cards in pen

^#10A WA6EWI/TI9. First liciensed in 1959 as WV6EWI, upgraded to general, WA6EWI, July 1959, Advanced in 1961. Worked in electronics, since school, first in TV repair, then telecom, then marine electronics. Sailed in October 1977 from San Diego on his yacht Toloa to Mexico and points south. Was granted permission in May 1979 to operate from Cocos Is, more than 4500 QSO. From Cocos, sailed to French Polynesia, then Hawaii, where he went back to work in marine electronics, until he continued his circumnavagation, stopping in American Samoa, Australia, Papa New Guniea( P29EW), SE Asia, Europe, Caribean, and back in San Diego/ Oakland in 1995. Finally he and his wife decided to make Australia their destination for retirement, and sailed around the south pacific until selling the boat in Sydney in 2012 (qrz.com)

^#11 31 TI9XXX. Rogelio Pardo-Maurer. *1963-06-10, Danbury, Connecticut. Son of Rogelio Pardo-Evans and Susan Clarke Maurer. His father was Costa Rican Health Minister. He grew up in San Jose, Costa Rica and attended the Lincoln School in the Northern suburb of Moravia, before studying at Yale University and graduating in 1983. He became a sergeant in the U.S. Army’s Green Beret reserves (Airborne) and also worked in the private sector in business and consulting posts. Former Political Officer for the Nicaragua Resistance; writer of book The Contras 1980-89. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defence for the Western Hemisphere from 2001-2006. Received Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the U.S. Department of Defense for nearly five years of leadership within the Department. Reported that he had to leave his post because his Special Forces Unit had been called up for a one-year tour of Iraq. Write-up from the Costa Rica Star: Rogelio Pardo Maurer – A Pentagon employee and member of an elite United States special operations unit, who had a dentist appointment on 9/11. A year later he was in Kandahar engaged in combat against al-Quaida fighters near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan. - Article in Tico Times from 2006-07-14

^#12 37-39,41,42 - TI9JVA,CRM,CC.CCC,WI. These operators were all active atround the same date, but each with his own QSL card, and not as a group

^#12a Info provided by Alan Jubb, 5B4AHJ, Club Log Team (mail 2020-02-19)

^#13 45 - TI9TTY. Operation was planned for Wafer Bay but was found to be occupied by another amateur radio group who had set up two days earlier (Presumably TI2J). So station was set up at Chatham Bay. - Report by QSL Manager James A Sladek WB4UBD(RTTY Journal (American) May-June 1985, Vol 33 #5 - ext. Link )

^#14 67 - TI9M. The operators had to apply for their own individual TI9 licences. There was a newsletter mention of TI9/F5CWU. This is the reply from F5CWU as to whether this call was actually used: “Yes, that call was used to make some QSOs in 2002 from Isla del Coco. Each of the operators had to get a personal licence (and pay fees) to obtain a group call TI9M. Each one was free to use it or not. On my side, I made around 20 QSOs mostly with friends from France for fun. Our main aim was to log as many stations with the group call of the expedition. That’s the story about this callsign 😊 I think the answer will be similar with other operators even if some of them are SK now" (E-mail 2018-06-03 to G4UZN)

^#32 67 - TI9PN. - "There is an eight-man guard force for the National Park, and, on a trip in early May, TI2CF left a transceiver for their use. TI9PN is now active from the island, operated by Jose. Jose speaks little English, and will be most-ly below the American phone band; however, he will be up occasionally to work a list taken by TI2CF, who also handles his QSLs." (Ham Radio Horizons September 1980) - DXNM notes TI9N April-December 1980 (DXNM #23, May 1997)

^#15 69 - TI9KK. VU2YAM Sadineni Yamini –*1978, Indian woman. Now Speaker of Telugu Desam Party TDP Interview on TV1 Telugu 08 December 2018

^#16 67a - N7DF/TI9 - "I think I gave a few people big surprises. The Radio Office in San Jose Costa Rica issued each of the TI9M team members separate /TI9 licenses so I took advantage of the unique opportunity to use mine during the contest. We ddn't have the regular 160 meter antenna up yet so I had to make do with the 80 meter inverted L. QSL cards go to my home address. 73 Larry N7DF" ext. Link - via Alan 5B4AHJ, Club Log Team

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