Author - Chris Cloclough G1VDP

As we get towards mid may it is now getting closer too the annual visit to Friedrichshafen and the Ham Radio show at the Messe. To say I am looking forward to this one is an understatement. For some reason I think this year will be bigger and better than previous years, and I am going to be meeting friends in the beer garden for afternoon drinks – something I have missed over the past couple of years. 

It is not just the show that I am looking forward to, it is spending time with old friends, making new ones, and generally enjoying the beautiful town on the lakes of Lake Constance. Everything from the start of the journey on the Tuesday when Charles (M0OX) calls at my home to take me to the airport, then call at Ady’s (G6AD) for him to travel to Heathrow the day before our flight. Chilling out in the Premier Inn on Bath Road, Hounslow before an early start on the Wednesday to get our flight from Heathrow. Hopefully at that time in June we get god weather and can sit in the garden and watch the aircraft come in to land, where it feels you could reach out and touch them they are that close. A meal and early night ready for the alarm at 3:00am.

Get to the airport, check in, go through security, and have breakfast. Or just sit with a coffee ready for the flight at 06:35. Arrive in Zurich at 09:20 (local) – as long as no delays and the flight is on time – to get our luggage and head into the “Circle” for the train to Romanshorn and a ferry across Lake Constance. Hopefully arriving in Friedrichshafen in time for lunch in one of the many bars and cafes the town has to offer. A time to chill, relax and have a look around the town. Probably an early night with the long day and travelling taking it out of us.

Last year, 2024, on the Thursday we paid a visit to the Zeppelin Museum in the town, and we were joined by Grant (VK5GW), a friend from Australia who we met face to face for the first time. A quick trip in the afternoon to the Messe to check out the IOTA stand and start setting up, meeting more old friends who were there setting their stands up ready for Friday morning. Dinner and a few beers in the evening and meeting even more friends from the UK, Europe, and far flung countries of the world in the hotel bar.

Friday is show day number one, getting to the Messe to be greeted by Markus (DL1AN) on the German DX Foundation (GDXF) stand, usually with a coffee. The Mediterraneo DX Club (MDXC) will be there with Antony and his wife. Frank, Franco, and others will be at the Clipperton DX Club and across from them the Chiltern DX Club (both CDXC – one French and one from UK) with the British contingent. And as the day goes on more friends and visitors will say hello and speak to the team about the IOTA Awards. As I mentioned earlier a trip out into the gardens to see more friends with a beer at lunchtime, then a look around the halls full of used equipment and antique radios before looking at the new shiny equipment in the main hall again.

In the evening a meal in one of the restaurants down by the lake, before a walk back up into town and the bar Pier 41 to see the guys from Northern Ireland. A few more beers and laughs before back t the hotel for a night cap and chat with our Norwegian friends who will be passing by. A very good social scene as can be seen.

Saturday and we have to do it again. Breakfast in the hotel, a taxi and back in the hall for a coffee with MDXC or GDXF again. A few jokes and a look around before the crowds arrive. And we start again. More friends come and say hello, all DXers and expeditioners. Lunch in the beer garden, and yes a couple of beers will be involved. End of the day and it will be a meal in Tiffany’s steak house – do visit if you go to FHN as it is the best steak meal I have ever tasted. Back into town and a walk down to the lakeside to meet more friends and have a couple more beers before back to the hotel and Pier 41. 

Sunday is the last day and the return journey. Maybe a short visit to the Messe to pack away the stand and say our farewells before we get the ferry to Romanshorn and train to Zurich. Our flights are at 19:40 local time so we have time to get a meal when back at Zurich, and relax in the airport departures before our flight home. Usually there will be a few more of the British contingent around, or one or two of our friends who are also flying at the same time. Duty free bought – sorry I am a sucker for the Orange flavoured Toblerone that are for sale over there – and gifts for family we board the flight back to Heathrow and our bed in the Premier Inn again. Charles will drop us off home on the Monday ready to get back into the routine on the Tuesday at work. 

Maybe this is why I am looking forward to Ham Radio 2025 so much, to see old friends, make new ones and relax in a beautiful city in Germany.

Last week the Hinckley Amateur Radio & Electronics Society (HARES) paid a visit to Bletchley Park and the RSGB’s National Radio Centre (NRC). An excellent day out for any one who has an interest in the history of World War 2, and what went on in secret here in the UK. It was at Bletchley where Alan Turing and his team “cracked” the German Enigma machines coding. This is shown throughout the parks museum and grounds. The NRC is in a small building attached and shows a history of Amateur Radio with a station set up to demonstrate our wonderful hobby. Using the call GB3RS we were allowed to have a go on the air, and myself I had a go on the QO-100 station they have set up.

QO-100 is a geostationary satellite over Africa, and has a footprint that covers from Brazil and the Caribbean across to Thailand (see image). I have long wanted to have a go at making contacts through this satellite and now from this have a go on air I am determined to get a station set up at home.

The first part has been reading and studying on how to get on the air with the minimal of cost. I have decided I am going to use the DX-Patrol  LNB (Low Noise Block) and their helical antenna on a 1.5M dish I have kindly been given by one of our club members Tony, G7FSD. This dish needs a little work to clean it, remove some light rust, and then give it a coat or two of paint to make it look presentable. I have also bought an old Icom IC-371 (IC-471 in Europe) 70cm multi-mode transceiver to use as the transmitter into a DX-Patrol 13cm transverter I have yet to buy, maybe return from Friedrichshafen with this.

But for now I will just receive with the LNB and SDR receiver, getting to see how it works and the protocols of satellite operating.

Taken from Charles’ webpage. So if you want quality clothing to identify who you are at any Amateur Radio, or even a club event, go and use the discount code through Charles’ link at the bottom of the article.

If you are looking for personalized gear such as Polo Shirts, T.Shirts, Fleece, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Caps, Dust Covers & much more, take a look at the online shop of Bart SQ1K on this link;

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SQ1KBartsShop

You can also claim a discount on your order by clicking on the link in the sidebar on the M0OXO website;

https://www.m0oxo.com/ 

The latest press release from the 3Y0K team on their trip to Bouvet next year. This will be an All Time New One for me as I missed out on the last time they were down there not having any antennas up at home. Please donate as much as you can afford to help these guys out, almost all are personal friends of mine.

In February 2026 or in less than a year an international team of 24 amateur radio operators will land on Bouvet Island. Bouvet is a Norwegian overseas territory and lies in the South Atlantic Ocean, with 93% of its surface covered by ice and snow. It sets the record as the Most Remote Uninhabited Island on Earth, and ranks #10 on the Most Wanted DXCC listing at ClubLog. 

Operating as 3Y0K, our team will attempt to give as many ATNOs as possible and be active in all amateur radio bands from 10 to 160 m. We will direct our attention to human modes but will be active in CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and QO-100 satellite using 12 stations. 

We have the necessary permit to land on Bouvet Island by helicopter, issued by the Norwegian Polar Institute. Our plan is to start the sea journey in Cape Town, South Africa, from where an icebreaker under Icelandic flag we’ll take us to the island in 7 days. Since landing depends on the weather conditions, we are scheduled to be on and around the island for up to 21 days. A helicopter will assist us in bringing ashore a significant amount of equipment to setup two separate camps: one on the lower platform at Cape Fie, and a second on the top platform there, focused on North America.

The logistics behind this project is complex and requires a budget of $1.65M. Most of the money is used to pay for the services offered by the icebreaker and its crew, the helicopter with its two pilots and one mechanic, as well as the fuel. Each team member is contributing a significant amount to the budget, and they will also incur additional costs for commercial airfare, two side trips to Norway required by various tasks, winter sleeping bags and clothing, etc.

Passionate amateur operators and clubs around the world as well as multiple companies are supporting this project. As prime example, Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) have pledged up to $200K, of which half matched against donations received from outside of North America. Companies such as DX Engineering, Icom, RF Power and ACOM are supporting the team with a multitude of radio equipment components. We also teamed up with a small private group to share the large costs of the DXpedition.

Don’t hesitate to visit our website to read more about this project, the team, the latest news, and learn about the complex preparations the team is engaged in to ensure that its mission will be executed safely and successfully. At this time we are looking to raise an additional $200K to avoid putting further financial strain on the team. Please consider donating to this project. We will be only happy to make a Zoom presentation about it to your membership at a time of your convenience.

Thank you in advance for your support, and look forward to contacting you from the Most Remote Uninhabited Island on Earth!

Team 3Y0K

It will soon be time for our travels to Germany and visit the biggest Ham Radio show in Europe, and one of the fun events of the year. Below is the latest publicity and reminder to get your tickets for this excellent show.

Experience the fascinating world of amateur radio in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance from June 27 to 29, 2025. Europe’s most important trade fair for radio amateurs, HAM RADIO, will be held here for the 48th time.

The motto of HAM RADIO 2025 is “Remote Radio – Connecting the World”.

Immerse yourself in a world full of unlimited possibilities and discover the latest trends and technologies in amateur radio!

In addition, our partner and conceptual sponsor of the trade fair, the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC) e.v., is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Messe Friedrichshafen would like to congratulate them on three quarters of a century of full commitment to amateur radio.

Book your online ticket for HAM RADIO 2025 today at a special price and join in the celebrations!

Best regards from Friedrichshafen,

Your HAM RADIO team

This information has been taken from Charles (M0OXO) website. People complain about the cost of a QSL card, but when you see these numbers I am sure you agree they are value for money, but then again probably not as everyone expects everything for free now – the selfish “me,me,me,me,me” society we live in. Thank you Charles & Tim (M0URX) for your service.

Hinckley ARES welcomed Dr Lucie Green to their club night, via teams, to give a presentation on how she and her team are planning on using a space craft orbiting the earth to study the suns “corona” during a total eclipse.

The presentation started at 19:30 with Dr Green giving a short talk on what happens during a total eclipse of the sun, and how sort a window the science teams have to get images to allow them to learn what is happening in the suns atmosphere, this is easier to see due to the light from the sun itself being blocked out and not causing a bright circle blocking the view. With the explanation on seeing plasma and CME’s erupting through the corona and how through history the scientists of the 18^th and 19^th centuries did this with drawings, moving on through to the modern coronagraph’s that are used today.

She then went on to introduce the MESOM mission that is currently being worked on and developed. This will be a space craft that orbits close to the earth and moon, using the moon to create the eclipse of the sun allowing the corona to be viewed more in depth and over a longer period. There is potential for the amateur radio community to get involved with this project as it moves along, assisting with monitoring the spacecraft on its orbit.

A fascinating talk, and one that would certainly go down well at the RSGB Convention.

The team have sent out the following to all the DX bulletins. This is from the Daily/Weekly DX News by Bernie (W3UR), probably the best and friendliest – and it is worth a subscription if you are a serious DXer.

In February 2026 or in less than a year an international team of 24 amateur radio operators will land on Bouvet Island. Bouvet is a Norwegian overseas territory and lies in the South Atlantic Ocean, with 93% of its surface covered by ice and snow. It sets the record as the Most Remote Uninhabited Island on Earth, and ranks #10 on the Most Wanted DXCC listing at ClubLog.

Operating as 3Y0K, our team will attempt to give as many ATNOs as possible and be active in all amateur radio bands from 10 to 160m. We will direct our attention to human modes but will be active in CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and QO-100 satellite using up to 12 stations.

We have the necessary permit to land on Bouvet Island by helicopter, issued by the Norwegian Polar Institute. Our plan is to start the sea journey in Cape Town, South Africa, from where an icebreaker under Icelandic flag we’ll take us to the island in 7 days. Since landing depends on the weather conditions, we are scheduled to be on and around the island for up to 21 days. A helicopter will assist us in bringing ashore a significant amount of equipment to setup a camp with two radio tents. One radio tent on the lower area of Cape Fie, and one radio tent on the upper area with better take off to NA. Upper camp will focus on working NA.

The logistics behind this project is complex and requires a budget of $1.65M. Most of the money is used to pay for the services offered by the icebreaker and its crew, the helicopter with its two pilots and one mechanic, as well as the fuel. Each team member is contributing a significant amount to the budget, and they will also incur additional costs for commercial airfare, two side trips to Norway required by various tasks, winter sleeping bags and clothing, etc. 

Passionate amateur operators and clubs around the world as well as multiple companies are supporting this project. As prime example, Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) have pledged up to $200K, of which half matched against donations received from outside of North America. Companies such as DX Engineering, Icom, RF Power and ACOM are supporting the team with a multitude of radio equipment components. We also teamed up with a small private group to share the large costs of the DXpedition.

Please visit our website at http://www.3Y0K.com to read more about this project, the team, the latest news, and learn about the complex preparations the team is engaged in to ensure that its mission will be executed safely and successfully. At this time, we are looking to raise an additional $200K to avoid putting further financial strain on the team.

Your financial support is critical, so please consider donating either directly and/or through the clubs, associations, and foundations that you are members of. We will be only happy to make a Zoom presentation about this project to the membership of your organization at a time of your convenience. Meanwhile, we intend to continuously track the level of fundraising on our expedition website to inform everyone as to where we are in this endeavour. 

Thank you in advance for your support, and look forward to contacting you from the Most Remote Uninhabited Island on Earth!

Team 3Y0K

This month we see a number of expeditions to some interesting DXCC’s and IOTA’s. Currently on air we have D68Z from the Comoros Islands off the East Coast of Africa, VK9CU to the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean, and VP8TXF & VP8CIW in the Falkland Islands. All have been easily workable from the UK on all modes and bands. But there is more. 

Starting on the 12th March 2025 we have a group of mostly Belgian operators going to the Andaman Islands and will be using the call VU4AX. This is led by a couple of friends  Max (ON5UR) and Francis (ON8AZ), along with some very experienced DXpeditioners. Hopefully we will be able to make contact with this team, I need the Andamans on a couple of band slots so will only call in towards the end of the expedition to allow the ones needing them for an all time new one.

Thanks to the Daily DX for the following information.

The Russian Robinson Club are again on their travels, this time in Central and South America. Having just completed an IOTA (TI1RRC/P NA-117), a POTA (TI1RRC)  and a stop over in Panama (3F3RRC) for another POTA they are heading into Chile for another IOTA as XR8RRC (Wellington Island SA-032) and then on to SA-091 using the same call from 19th March. Both needed here for my IOTA award and both will be chased on any mode. 

There is also a Russian team activating AS-068, RI0B, from the 15th to 30th March. Another one that is needed by me for my IOTA award, I missed the last expedition being off air in 2022. The Russian Legends team operating this are also experienced DXpeditioners and should be workable from UK on all bands. 

For a number of years now I have been a member of the CDXC (Chiltern DX Club) here in the UK, and it is a group of like minded DXers and contesters who share and exchange information. This weekend in the clubs email forum it has been a big topic in the emails. Most saying that they do not want these emails and that it is wrong that the perpetrators, QSL World and QSL Creator, can harvest email addresses from QRZ.com. Only solution is to do what one member has and remove the email address from the given field and somehow put it into your bio with changes so it can not be harvested. One thing I am doing.

Another member wrote an email to a site owner and received this vile and disgusting email back in reply – email copied from CDXC email forum – which the general feeling was it neeeded to be in the public domain.

“I emailed hamradiodx.es to ask them to stop sending me emails.

This is the reply I received.

Para empezar…. lo de inmediatamente…. ¿Quien te crees que eres tu para darme ordenes a mi? Hijo de puta , inmediatamente puedes comerme la polla. Si no quieres recibir emails de QSLCREATOR bloqueas la direccion y listo pero a mi tus exigencias me comen la polla 30 veces ¿Te queda claro? Y si no te queda claro me cago en tu puta madre hijo de puta.

A llorar a tu puta casa payaso

Google translate:

“To start with… immediately… Who do you think you are to give me orders? Son of a bitch, you can immediately suck my dick. If you don’t want to receive emails from QSLCREATOR, block the address and that’s it, but your demands will suck my dick 30 times over. Is that clear to you? And if it’s not clear to you, I’ll curse your fucking mother, son of a bitch.

Go cry at your fucking house, clown.”

So that’s nice of them.”

As can be seen this is how a fellow radio amateur speaks to another with utter contempt and downright disrespect. This guy needs shaming, but then he is so far up his own arse that he is another one who thinks he is above everyone.

SO as to be fair to all, the author and owner of QSL World has written a letter of apology to all for the numerous emails that were generated for contacts and the “spam” numbers that were sent out. Have a read and see how a difference it can be to be polite in a response to the emails he received about the issue by following this link – https://qslworld.com/letter-to-the-public/.