Press Release #11
18. 10. 11
After 18 months of intensive planning we will soon begin our long journey to Ducie Island. This is a team effort and you are part of the team. Please help us to work you by reviewing this important information.
1. You can follow our progress as we sail to and from Ducie Island. CLICK HERE
Tracking will be available on Oct. 16th as we depart Mangareva.
2. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook – updated from the ship and island.
3. As time permits, we’ll send Press Releases to the DX-bulletins and upload photos to VP6D.com from the island.
4. Your only email route to VP6D is through the pilot team.
5. The pilots do not have the logs. Please don’t ask them about NiL, busted calls, skeds, etc.
Do send them helpful suggestions.
6. There is no access to personal email while on the ship or on the island.
7. The log will be uploaded daily, OQRS will be available at VP6D.com shortly after we leave the island.
8. The process for reporting busted / missing QSOs will be available when OQRS opens.
9. We are uploading the log only to VP6D.com – there is no Leaderboard.
10. We plan to use WSJT-X Version 1.9.1 as a Fox on all bands except 160 where we will not use DX-pedition mode. VP6D FT8 operating guidelines posted at VP6D.com
11. DXA at DXA3.org/VP6D will update about 3 minutes after your contact. Check here to see if you are in our log.
12. The log may show FT8 dupes even if you didn’t dupe us, we will resolve dupes after the DX-pedition.
13. Thanks to Lance W7GJ our plan to activate 6m EME is a first for Ducie Island.
There will be at least 3 DX-peditions operating from the Pacific during Oct/Nov. Ensure you are in the correct pileup for the DX you are trying to work. If you see your contact on VP6D’s DXA that contact is in our log.
Please consider a donation at VP6D.com to help offset the team’s significant investment to put Ducie Island on the air. Those who process a donation on VP6D.com before we sail on 16 October will receive their LoTW confirmation while we’re on the island.
We wish everyone the best of luck in getting in the log, we’ll do our best to get you the Qs you want.
73,
Team Ducie – 2018
W2LK Les – Co-Team Leader
Les discovered ham radio with some high school friends and became K2SHL when he got his General.
He became interested
in DX and discovered that contests were a great way to find more DX and started contesting in the early 1970’s.
In 1996 he received W2LK.
In 1992, he operated from the US Virgin Islands for his first experience on the other end of a pileup. In 1998, he and his friend Steve Weinstein, K2WE, were the first Americans licensed to operate from Vietnam since the war as 3W6LK and 3W6WE. Since then for CQWW CW, he has operated from J7, KH6, CT9 and V3 and for many years from K2LE and W2AX in Vermont. In 2011 he was part of the VK9HR Lord Howe expedition and in 2012, ZL9HR on Campbell Island, the VK9MT Mellish Reef team in 2014 and TX3X Chesterfield Island. He is active on all bands from 160 to 6 meters and particularly likes 160 and 80 meter Dxing.
He is a member of CW-ops (726), North Jersey DX Association, Hudson Valley Contesters and Dxers, Order of Boiled Owls of NY, the Yankee Clipper Contest Club and ODXG.
Professionally, he started his career with IBM as a programmer, worked in several banks and brokerages and eventually ran a successful consulting and staffing business with his wife, Barbara.