South Orkney Islands

South Orkney Island DXpedition Project planning continues on schedule. Tent Weekend -- During the weekend of July 12th seven team members and three volunteers met in Placerville, California, to prepare the tents for use on South Orkney Island. Participating were team members: Dave/K3EL, Les/W2LK, Gene/K5GS, Steve/W1SRD, Walt/N6XG, Mike/WA6O, and Rob/N7QT. Volunteers Kevin/K6TD and Bob/W1RH helped with the preparation and Doris/K0BEE prepared meals for the three days the team was doing the work. Temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37C), much different than the next location where these tents will be deployed. These are the same tents that were used by VP8ORK 2011 South Orkney and, with a different configuration, KH1/KH7Z 2018 Baker Island DX- pedition. Kevin, K6TD, having previously assembled the tents on Baker Island offered his assistance to the team. We unpacked and inventoried all the parts, assembled the tents, and marked key components for faster installation on the island. The inside and outside of each tent were power-washed and treated with a disinfec- tant to avoid inadvertent introduction of non-native species. Flooring was constructed using approved materials, assembled and integrated with the tents. After this trial run the flooring was dis- assembled, power washed, and disinfected. Everything was packed and wrapped in waterproof tarps, ready for transport to our customs broker. Pictures of the weekend activities are at: https://sorkney.com/tent-weekend Band / Mode Addition -- We added 60m FT8 to the operating plan. Fundraising -- Team members made their 2nd payment to the project, and our 2nd payment to Braveheart was processed. As of this writing, 33 clubs / foundations and 273 individuals have shown their support for the project. While we?re making progress, we have a long way to go to reach the goal of 50% team member funding of the estimated project cost of ~$325,000(USDs). Please keep in mind, serious DX-peditions, especially those in the Southern Ocean, must pay the bills before leaving home, we are no exception. If you need South Orkney for an ATNO, or plan to work us, we would appreciate your help. Ham Radio Events -- Please look for us at the Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington in August. 73, Team VP8/VP8DXU Website: https://sorkney.com/ Please direct your questions to: info@sorkney.com OPDX