Author - Chris Cloclough G1VDP

Recently I have been receiving huge amounts of electronic QSL card requests from a number of different sources, or should I say I have received a so called “electronic QSL card” from a bot website. These sites have just harvested QRZ.com for emails and just send them out. I have at no point given my permission for this to happen, and I never will. And I can’t believe that the management at QRZ.com are allowing this to happen, but then the owners are wanting the income from the payments they must receive from these websites.

As these cards are worthless for any awards I am just not interested in them. If you need or want my confirmation then please read the QRZ.com profile and ask through the proper channels. If you send an electronic one it will never reach me as I have now started blocking the domains from where they come, so I guess somewhere there is a pile of these requests just in a file wasting bandwidth on some server somewhere. If you are a user of these services you need to look at what you are sending, especially to myself as these are just a waste of time and effort.

Our Indian friends have announced another IOTA activation by the same team as AU2V. The following is taken from their website and social media.

This is a rare opportunity for IOTA enthusiasts around the world to log this highly sought-after entity, currently the most wanted IOTA in India! Our team has worked tirelessly to make this activation happen, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Sad news in the Amateur Radio world today. A manufacturer of radio to computer interfaces has been attacked by Russian missiles destroying their administrative and manufacturing buildings. The following is from their website.

[Kyiv, 12 Feb 2025] – Today, RigExpert’s administrative office was completely destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile. Fortunately, all employees are safe.

Despite this difficult situation, the RigExpert team is committed to restoring operations as soon as possible to continue providing our products to you. We are working tirelessly to minimize delays and fulfill our commitments. Besides, we are maintaining our usual customer support operations.  Please, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

“Our top priority is the safety of our team and the continuity of our operations. While our administrative office is in ruins, our production facilities survived, allowing us to continue serving our customers and partners,” said [Ashot Andeev, CEO]

RigExpert is committed to resuming full operations as soon as possible and will keep stakeholders informed throughout the recovery process.

For further information, please contact: office@rigexpert.com

About RigExpert

RigExpert is a leading manufacturer of antenna and cable analyzers, known for its commitment to innovation and quality. Despite current challenges, the company remains dedicated to supporting the global amateur radio and communications community.

This idea came from reading an article in RadCom about a club in Norfolk that had done this with great success. We put out an advert on all the social media channels around the Hinckley area inviting any one with an interest in radio, fixing, making, CB, and any other thing we could think of to do with communications and radio. And it paid off, we sparked interest from radio amateurs who had let their licence lapse and were looking to get back into the hobby, a few who were looking at a new hobby for themselves, and some members who had not been for a couple of years yet still paid their subs. We welcomed all.

On the evening we had Dxpedition videos running on the big screen. Ady (G6AD) brought his Yaesu FT102 line up in to show older radios, his IC7300, and his clansman backpack to show the difference of them. A few different hand held transceivers were also on show. Danny brought his little interface he has built based on the Pi boards and showed how when it will connect to his radio how he will be able to work remote using a tablet. Talk, demonstrations and tea/coffee made for an excellent atmosphere where we introduced the hobby to new visitors and old hands alike. We will definitely be seeing them again, and look forward to the next one.

Thanks to all who attended and chatted to the new faces, and to the old faces who came to get a feel for how the club is now being run.

This has recently been posted on the Peter 1st Island 2027 website. Another rare entity to be activated in the next few years, luckily this one was worked by me back in 2006 when the last team visited the island. I will be supporting and in the pile ups for sure, just to keep my skills up to scratch and get the band slots I need.

Peter I DXpedition team is proud to announce today the signing of a vessel contract with ICETUGS www.icetugs.com that will take us to Peter I Island in February 2027 where we intend to stay 3 weeks around the island. ICETUGS, an Iceland based company, has an excellent track record in providing services for expeditions, cargo and fuel supplies, tugging, as well as rescue and camp setup in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. ICETUGS is the same company that will take Team Bouvet to their destination in 2026.

Since Monday there have been rumours flying around that the announced activation of Mount Athos was an illegal operation. These are the news releases from the team in the monastery and from a trusted source.

SV1GA/A Mount Athos (28th January)

Many unsubstantiated rumors and expressions of ill will are being directed at the SV1GA/A DXpedition team and Mount Athos.

SV1GA/A

Then today direct from the team.

 

SV1GA/A Mount Athos

From Martti Laine (OH2BH)

INTERIM NEWS FROM MONTH ATHOS

Sorry for holding up the news release but it is all for a good reason!

Time flows differently in the Holy Community as even the morning prayer starts at 4 AM. We can all learn and benefit from the Mount Athos lifestyle.

Most importantly, the SV1GA/A team is safe and in good spirits and excited to have brought on the air such a rare DX entity.

The matter of Amateur Radio in Mt Athos is in the hands of different entities within the Holy Community and all we can do at this point is serve as source of knowledge and expertise. For us the key entity is the authority that issued our invitation/permit to carry out the SV1GA operation. Our paperwork is as clear as water but outside sources have put everything on hold for further review.

We are not trying to speculate the variety of arguments or opinions but just provide information for the parties involved. The final Word is expected soon as we wait for the relevant authorities to meet and review our case.

As we also have limits for waiting, we will make the decision about our own standing very soon.

When preparing a DX activation such as Mt. Athos many things need to considered such as operators, equipment, location, safety, transportation, licensing and others but what always comes as a surprise is the jealousy of competitive fellow DXpeditioners.

We will follow soon with additional details.

Warmest regards from Mt Athos!

Again credit to Bernie W3UR @ The Daily Dx for publishing this information.

The latest news from the amateur radio world. One of the rarest DXCC in Europe.

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE MT ATHOS PENINSULA (courtesy Steve Hass )

From the 3Y0K website, another press release and update.

3Y0K Bouvet 2026



Today we have paid our first deposits for the helicopter and vessel contracts in total around $450,000. Paying the deposit as part of the contract signing shows a major commitment from the team, and we will now start the detailed planning.



During the course of the next few weeks we will study and determine the station and antenna setup to be used at Bouvet Island. With our previous experience from the island and the local conditions we will make sure to adapt the setup and QTH to maximize the team effort. We will also look for synergies with the upcoming Peter I expedition as the intention is that the equipment we select for Bouvet to the extent possible also will be used at Peter I. Looking at synergies between the two expeditions will make it more efficient for both teams.





Please help us offset some of our cost by donating either through our website www.3y0k.com or directly via PayPal donate@3y0k.com



Thank you!



73, 3Y0K

This has been taken from Facebook. A very rare IOTA activation in February. I have already donated, even though I am not guaranteed to work it but I think it is well worth the risk.

AU2V Sacrficial Rock (IOTA AS-161)

The following is a news release from a friend, Ken (LA7GIA), on the next activation of Bouvet Island, in the South Atlantic. Probably one of the most remote places on earth, and these guys are going just so we radio amateurs can make a brief contact with them to tick it off our list of countries/islands worked. 

3Y0K Bouvet

73, Team 3Y0K