(L-R), NP4IW, WJ2O, VK6CQ, K3EL, KK6EK, UT6UD, HB9BXE, NG2H, K2ARB, VK2BAX, KM4MXH, N6TQ, W7XU, AE0EE
First “Quick” Statistics:
- 75, 344 QSO’s / 28% Uniques (similar to K5P but different continent dist.)
- DXA received @400K views with 70K unique hams viewing during the DXpedition
- VK0EK.ORG (WordPress) received 1 million views during the DXpedition with 40K unique visitors
vk0ek.org 
Congratulations! It was great following the VK0EK Mission the past couple of weeks. The final count of 75k is great! Neither the ‘spotless’ sun, nor the force of the elements could stop you from adding to the total. Well done! This was a DXpedition with many firsts and easy to gather that it was exceptionally well organized.
Trust that you will have a pleasant return journey on the ‘Braveheart’!
Thank you!
73, Jan
Thank you , very good job . Safe return home.
Thanks for putting YOUR necks on the line to get OUR contacts.
Sailed past Heard Island in the 70’s, bleak would be a nice summers day from what I remember.
Your contact made #100 on CW for me, so very valued, thanks for the quick LOTW.
Thanks guys, great dx-pedition. Thanks for your effort to put on the air this rare entity after 19 years.
73s de IW0HEX Pasquale
Hughe Thanks ! You are all professionals. 5 bandslots (CW) altogether. The highlight for LA1U, located 300 km North of the Arctic Circle in Norway was the 160 meter QSO. Although, at times affected by both Aurora Ovals we still managed. Thanks very much! Its been a real pleasure following you guys the past couple of weeks. Have a Safe trip home!
I’ve really enjoyed following you on this journey. Was lucky enough to work you as well! Loved the pictures and the learned a whole lot. God Speed de KD8DEU, Al
TNX QSO’s. I made all bands where VK0 was needed!!!
Truly an amazing expedition that fulfilled my dream to finally work Heard Island. In 1983, I was 17 years old and had been licensed since 1980. The VK0JS/VK0NL expedition was the very first expedition I really wanted to work as a new DX-enthusiast. My station at home was very small, and I decided to go by bicycle to the local radioclub (SK6DG) to have bigger chances to suceed. Despite many days of attempts. involving 2 x 15 km bicycling, I do not think I managed to work that expedition… At least, no visual evidence of QSL-cards can be found.
in 1997, I was not active on the bands anymore, and obviously lost the second opportunity to work Heard Island.
Now in 2016, from another DXCC entity, I was better prepared than ever, and at least managed to allocate one of my busy days (too much business trips this period) to visit my small Moscow countryside shack. With modest antennas (hexbeam for 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20 meters), Inv L for 160 (also for 30 meters) and separate verticals for 40 and 80 meters, I managed to work 7 bands on CW (160-10) excluding 20 and 10 meters and 2 bands SSB (17 and 15) within less than 24 hours. Simply fantastic experience and the team has all my respect and admiration for excellent ears and operating skills!
Thanks a lot guys for an extraordinary effort during very hard coditions (both weather and sunspots)!
Thank you very much for this fantastic Dxpedition. Great team!
I wish you a safe journey home.
Taught us all a bit about propagation. Got you on the bands I didn’t expect to, and not on the bands I expected to. The blog was fabulous. Safe return to all.
Could not copy you on any band until the Friday before your QRT. Then a few dots on the waterfall….and I could just hear you coming into Northern California.
Thanks for the all time new one.
Worked VK0IR 19 years ago (time passages, my God). Lucky enough to work you on 40 cw with a windom + 300W….. great experience guys, thanks so much. 73’s de IK1GEY Fabio
Great Job, many thanks for a new one!
best 73 Manne. DL4MP
My station is in the “Tribander & wires” league, located in NC. I never heard a readable signal from VK0EK, although I thought it was going to happen at one point on 80 meters. I’ll work on the other 7 ATNO’s I need and hope for another shot at un-HEARD IS. 73 de Roy WA4DOU
Hi Dad! (Bob Schmieder) Just wanted to drop you a note from Cambodia. The kids and I are watching the DXpedition with great excitement. Hope it all goes as hoped and also that your trip back is safe.
Russ Schmieder
Thanks for a great DXpedition, well organised with the right people. I wish you good fortune with your return journey.
73 de VK4FO Gordon.
Thank you for a fantastic DXpedition and all the QSOs. You’ve made many dreams come true.
I have said some of this before. Licensed in 1981 at the age of 17, I was too green and my station too weak to work Heard Island in 1983. In hindsight, the biggest problem I had was lack of confidence. I didn’t believe I could work Heard Island through the pileups and even though I did call for a while I am sure that affected the outcome. You have to believe! I was not very active on HF during the Heard Island operations of 1985//6/7. In fact, I didn’t even know they were on. I was doing VHF DX and EME at that time. In 1997 I was living in an apartment, QRV 80 meters only with a very poor antenna. This was a turning point in my DXing activities. I heard VK0IR quite well on 80 meters, but could not work them. It would take some time, but eventually this failure would set the stage for a move, major station improvements over a period of several years and a focus on HF DXing.
I got you on 8 bands, 3 modes. Propagation didn’t cooperate on 10 meters. You gave me ATNO #330 (current entities – I also have several deleted ones in the log), which at the time was one short of Honor Roll. However, with the deletion of Kingman Reef on March 29, I made HR. VK0EK was the last ATNO to reach the magic number. Thank you! You also gave me #290 on one of my favorite bands, 160 meters. Special thanks for the instant LoTW confirmations! That was a very nice touch. Of course, as always after a Cordell Expeditions trip I am now wishing every DXpedition had DXA.
I will always remember following you, calling you, working you. Heard Island is finally off my “one that got away” list. I have saved a few audio recordings for posterity. My favorite has to be the one of you on 160 meters.
I only wish that I could come see the presentation at Visalia, but due to health challenges it isn’t possible.
congratulations for a job well done 73 ! from DY2JVD of Baguio City , Philippines i have been monitoring you on my sony ICF-7600 DS reciever the signal is weak but still audible. God Speed