I will be giving the keynote presentation this coming weekend at the 2016 International DX Convention in Visalia. Besides presenting a very exciting presentation, the Diablo DXers will be on hand when we attempt to include the VK0EK team live from the Braveheart.

We also will have a joint Press Release issued by Elecraft and we hope to have a very exciting surprise for you in their booth.

Finally, I will be bringing Cool Astrids VK0EK souvenir gift packs to be given away at the top band dinner as well as the regular convention prize drawings.

Hope to see you there!

73, Rich KY6R

(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

Our close friend, stow away travelling partner and team artist – Jeff Murray, K1NSS – is now offering some exclusive (and fun !) VK0EK Heard Island souvenirs. You can order yours at:

http://www.cafepress.com/dashtoonsmall/13469090

This is in addition to the other souvenirs that you can purchase from the DXA page and at Astrids Embroidery.

Photo by Bill, AE0EE

The team has taken down most antennas and have a couple stations and a couple antennas still up. The work was much harder than expected as a storm surge came into the Nullabor – where the flooded antennas were located.

Photo by Jim, N6TQ

The penguins wondered why these humans were trying to act like penguins . . .

Photo by Jim, N6TQ

This guy just slept through it all . . . . Photo by Jim, N6TQ

Today the winds are high, but we’ve had some sunshine this afternoon (and graupel/hail this morning). We still have a couple radios on the air, but much of the crew is removing antennas from the lake near our camp.
Weather is partly cloudy, with a temperature of 5 C, strong north winds and high surf, and a pressure of 982 mbar.

Our cloud based support help desk (Freshdesk) will go QRT at 0100z April 11th. At that time no new support tickets will be logged, but the system will respond with this message:

The VK0EK Support Help Desk is now QRT

If you would like to order your QSL, purchase a souvenir or make a donation please go here:

https://shop.vk0ek.org/

If you have a busted call or other QSL Card question, please visit this page for instructions:

https://vk0ek.org/qsl/

If you have questions regarding the ZL/ZS9HI/MM QSL operation – please visit that calls QRZ page and wait until Adam, K2ARB gets back so he can handle your request.

All donors will be added to the VK0EK.ORG and HEARDISLAND.ORG web sites in the next coming days, and everyone will get LOTW and Credit credit in the next couple of months. We are not uploading to eQSL or other electronic systems.

73,

The Diablo DXers

Our 40 m SSB station is on 7.094 MHz, listening around 7.194.
Today we will continue disassembling the antennas. The 160 meter antenna will come down, as will most of the others. We hope to keep up one station and one or two antennas until the last possible moment (Tuesday morning local). At this time our exact closing time for radio operations is still dependent on today’s progress breaking things down and getting them loaded onto the Braveheart or prepared for loading.
Weather this morning is mostly cloudy, 5 C, winds moderate to strong from the northwest, and a pressure of 985 mbar.

SVDA in the flooded Nullabor with curious friends  . . . Photo by Dave, K3EL

This is just one of many exclusive extraordinary images and videos that I will share at next weekends Visalia International DX Convention Saturday night Banquet Keynote presentation. The team has sent me many breath taking images – including all of the wildlife and even the beautiful Aurora Australis!

We will also be in contact with the team aboard the Braveheart as they make their way home!

73, Rich KY6R

My equipment during the QSO :

TX : Elecraft K3
Power : 100 watts
Antenna : Diamond HF20-FX

vy 73 de PD7RB Robert

We’ve begun disassembling the antennas in anticipation of our impending departure. Our 80 meter operations have concluded. On 40 meters, we have gone from having a 4-square to a vertical.

If you’ve seen the pictures of the partially-flooded area in which our low-band antennas are placed, you may have thought it was foreshadowing something, and you would be correct. Today, in high winds (>30 kt), light drizzle/snow/graupel, and water up to the middle of the shins, our intrepid crew recovered and disassembled the 80 meter vertical and 40 meter 4-square.

Tonight, we’re celebrating the birthday of Alan (VK6CQ, VK0LD). As we were blowing up balloons to celebrate, a few CW contacts were made between squeaking balloons. Despite the cold and wind outside, all is well here in the tents.

At 1400z it was partly cloudy (4 octas), the temperature was 3 C, strong westerly winds, and the pressure had risen to 978 mbar.

To say that we are momentarily in the eye of the storm would pretty much cover it. Biblical amounts of wind, rain and flood. We have begun slowly pulling up stakes for a Monday departure.

Adam, K2ARB