I saw on Facebook this morning, that many were thanking the VK0EK expedition for the ATNO and were thanking them, in general, for a wonderful DXpedition. I would suspect they have gone QRT.
And I would guess I'm in the minority as I'm not in any of their logs. In fact, I never even heard them decently well enough to work them. There were a couple of times that I could tell they were on a given frequency, but they never loud enough that I would be able to hear my own call come back to me, on the off-chance that they would have heard me. It didn't seem right to just add to the QRM.
Am I disappointed? You're darn tootin' I am! Working VK0EK would have been an ATNO for me and I sure as heck would love to have them in my DXCC tally. But I'm not depressed about it.
It all goes back to that post a few weeks ago about balance. Yes, I do not have Heard Island as an entity worked. However, the sun is still shining, the birds are still chirping, our solar system is still plowing its way throughout the galaxy. I still have to go to work tomorrow and earn a living.
And while I didn't work them, and life goes on, I still applaud their effort. It's not easy to go to a remote island near Antarctica, and brave the elements and hardships to provide the rest of us Amateur Radio ops with a bunch of excitement and fun.
Thank you Team VK0EK - even though I'm not in your log - thank you for a job very well done, indeed!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
That's the way it goes Larry. Had that many times before. Though I was fortunate enough to hear VK0EK on 40m, just barely. But they have big ears and am in the log. A miracle...Anyway, I know how you feel and have deep respect for your approach. 73, Bas
ReplyDeleteLarry, you are not in the minority. Club log shows about 21000 unique callsigns worldwide with VK0EK QSO's. The FCC shows over 737000 ham licensees in the US alone. So the vast majority of hams did not contact VK0EK.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky that the only time I heard them well at all was around midnight local a few days ago on 30 meters. They were calling CQ and I was able to get through after a few calls. It is surprising how many hams call continuously during Expeditions when they obviously can't hear the dx.
73,
Mark W0LM
It's always nice to have the DX logged. But, I long ago stopped caring about joining-in the zoo of shouty people. Not because I have given up, but because my normal operating shows me that there is really no difficulty whatsoever in getting a good signal to anywhere on the planet, even with a very simple antenna (one wonders as to the wisdom of choosing a complex four square array for such an adverse environment.)
ReplyDeleteDXpeditions are great, and the effort and expense of the VK0EK trip is self-evident and to be warmly appreciated. But, in the end, and as I am apt to bore people with, I am just as far away from him as he is from me!