W8S Team planning be active from Swains Island, IOTA OC - 200, 4 - 17 October 2023.
Team - DJ9RR, DL2AMD, DL6JGN, KO8SCA, NG7M, PA2KW, PA3EWP, PA4WM, PA5X, PG5M.
They will operate on All HF Bands, CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY.
DXCC Country - Swains Island, KH8/S.
QSL via M0OXO, LOTW, ClubLog OQRS.
W8S Swains Island News 30 October 2023
Hello,
After questions about missing QSO’s on the 15th of October on 30m FT8 we have carefully investigated the logs again. We noticed some problems with the integration of WSJT-X and N1MM on a laptop in camp Red.
We have corrected this issue which resulted in 2000+ more QSO’s being added to our log.
Charles, our QSL manager, has added the missing QSO’s to his OQRS, Club Log and to LOTW (if applicable).
Sorry for this mistake, but finally the QSO’s are found and will be confirmed.
On behalf of the W8S Swains 2023 team,
Ronald PA3EWP
W8S Swains Island News 16 October 2023
Blue camp is down, Red camp is still functioning fully tonight local time and tomorrow during the day.
Red camp dismantling will start bit by bit Monday LT during the day. To be finished end of the day on Monday LT.
On Tuesday morning LT we will leave the Swains Island.
LT Swains = UTC/GMT -11 hours
W8S.
W8S Swains Island News 10 October 2023
Topband, Greyline and 6m EME
The latest news from Swains:
Top Band:
The weather gods are in favor of the W8S Team today!
Lots of overcast make it possible for the Team to work with 4 operators (pff-duty) on the 160m vertical. While others are operating some of the operators take some time from their scheduled rest to built up the last antenna!
The 160m vertical stands and is ready for action.
6m EME:
The first attempts on 6m were unsuccessful. There was a one-way copy and that is not enough. There will be another attempt in a few hours if there is a moon pass suitable for Europe. The team is confident that their learning curve will result in QSOs.
Greyline:
The team is aware that this morning they missed the last hour of the European grey line and the first hour of the East Coast grey line on 80m. This was necessary because they all had to do antenna work. Since all antennas are now up and working, expect full attention during the greyline on 80m and top band.
The team is fully aware that not everything is going as expected and therefore the expectation cannot be fully met yet.
Despite the extreme conditions in which to work, the ambition is as high as ever and the team is doing everything possible to meet expectations
W8S.
W8S Swains Island News 8 October 2023 Part 2
The W8S Team continued to set up antennas in the simmering heat. By times it is unbearable, the heat is so strong that we have to take many breaks, which slows down the progress. Furthermore a lot of work has been done on the station setup and the High Power Bandpass filters have been setup. We had a good run on various bands and try to maintain an even balance over the various bands.
The 40m phased array was setup today and works great!
Tomorrow the last antennas for 80m and 160m as well as 2x K9AY RX antennas will be setup.
The Team is in good spirit, but also exhausted from all the hard work in the heat.
Since today we’re fully operational with 4 stations on at all times.
We’re now working in our rotating schedule, which comprises of shifts of 3,4 and 5 hrs. We’re doing our best to work as many as possible of you!
W8S.
W8S Swains Island News 8 October 2023
Yesterday end of local morning we landed on Swains.
We split up in red camp and blue camp teams and started building up antennas. We got 6 antennas up between half afternoon and sunset, conditions were tough with heat, heavy rain and mosquitoes. We started running 30m CW last night (local time) and afterwards we continued on 30m + 20m FT8. This local morning again 30m CW and now 12m CW and 20m FT8. In the mean time were setting up more antennas and will soon start up the 2nd camp (blue camp)
W8S Swains Island News 7 October 2023
W8S DX Pedition Team start their activity from Swains Island.
W8S Swains Island News 6 October 2023
W8S Swains Island Update 2130 UTC October 6, 2023:
The whole W8S team has just landed on the island.
First signals to be expected this Swains evening after 06.00UTC (Saturday)
W8S.
W8S Swains Island News 5 October 2023
After a slight delay, the W8S Swains Team is finally on the way to Swains!
The vessel ‘Manu’atele’ sailed out the Port of Pago Pago (American Samoa) on October 5, 2023 at 09:00 UTC with the W8S Swains Team onboard!
The initial schedule was slightly delayed by the inclement weather and due to other commitments of the Government operated vessel, serving the local island communities.
After a decisive meeting with the local Port Authorities, which was attended by some of the W8S Swains Team members, the final go-ahead was given and the W8S Swains Team was allowed to board the ‘Manu’atele’ en route to Swains on Wednesday evening LT.
After departure from American Samoa and on the way to Swains, the ‘Manu’atele’ will drop some cargo at the neighbouring island of Manu’a and afterwards sail directly to Swains. A 30 hour journey lies ahead for the W8S Swains Team and the supporting crew.
Upon arrival at Swains, the W8S Swains Team and support crew will offload the ‘Manu’atele’ at high tide and go ashore with a landing craft, sailing up and down several times to offload all the cargo.
After the landing, the W8S Swains Team will start working in the simmering heat to set up the 2 operating camps and start operating hopefully during the local night, beginning on October 7, 2023 at 06:00 UTC.
W8S Swains Island News 3 October 2023
Team W8S meets 93KHJ
Today started early for the team. They were invited at 7am for the morning show at the local radio station 93KHJ. Together with Alex Jennings the Swains2023 adventure was presented to the listeners.
W8S Swains Island News 30 September 2023
Pilots Team
***************
To maximize the efficiency of this DXpedition the team is assisted by a team of Pilot stations consisting of experienced DXers.
The W8S Pilot stations are the off island team members from key areas who are in regular contact with the team on Swains Island. Their job is to report on how things are going from their location and act as liaisons between the DXpedition and Hams in their region. The pilots will advise the team about the regional possibilities and impossibilities.
Of course for that they will need your help……..
Do you here the W8S signals whilst they are working another area of the world, or you can hear them long path, or…… Please advise your regional pilot so he can collect and analyse your information and inform the team.
Alex PA1AW will be the Chief pilot in charge of gathering all relevant information from regional pilots and channel such information to the W8S team on the island. *Please use your regional pilot.* The Chief pilot is busy coordinating the other pilots and solving problems!
Feedback and updates from the W8S team on the island come in several ways:
* “The Latest News” blog on the website (subscribe in the website footer).
* The Swains2023 feed on “X” (Twitter).
* The Swains2023 Facebook page.
*Chief Pilot*
Website & Social Media
*Alex – PA1AW*
W8S Swains Island News 28 September 2023
After 6 years of planning and above all waiting the long awaited DXpedition on Swains Island under the W8S callsign is becoming reality.
The team of operators are on their way to Hawaii where they meet September 27. The day after they will fly to Pago Pago (KH8), where they will stay for a few days before boarding the ship that will bring them to Swains Island.
In Pago Pago they will buy the latest supplies, do the final check of all the equipment, configure the laptops and radios and – if they have time – work for a few hours under KH8/their own callsign.
October 4th the team will reach Swains Island and they will spend the remaining daylight building as miu=uch as possible antennas in both camps. They hope to have the first signals out that same night under the callsign W8S. All is depending on the circumstanding during the landing and on the island.
When the operation is running there will be daily log updates via Charles M0OXO (QSL manager) who will post it on the clublog page.
W8S Swains Island News 21 September 2023
Pilots of W8S Swains Island DX Pedition
Chief Pilot - Alex, PA1AW.
Europe and Africa - Jan, DL7JAN.
British Islands - John, G4IRN.
North America, Steve, N2AJ.
South America - Siso, HK3W.
Asia - Champ, E21EIC.
Oceania - Lee, VK3GK.
W8S Swains Island News 3 September 2023
W8S QSL Policy
Request via Buro Cards Direct Cards LOTW Price
OQRS – Buro twice a year after 6 months Free
OQRS – LOTW during process OQRS 5 Euro
OQRS – Direct + LOTW after printing cards during process OQRS 8 Euro
Donations after printing cards 1 day after QSO >= 10 Euro
After 6 months all QSO’s will be uploaded to LOTW.
OQRS Buro: cards will be answered only via OQRS, don’t send QSL via the buro.
OQRS LOTW: as soon as the request is received the LOTW confirmation will be processed within 24 hours
OQRS Direct + LOTW: as soon as the request is received the LOTW confirmation will be processed within 24 hours and the direct QSL cards will be sent after they have been printed.
Donations: If someone donate 10 Euro or more, the LOTW confirmation will be send in approx. 24 hours after the QSO is made, after the QSL’s have been printed, the direct QSL will be sent.
Charles M0OXO will take care of the W8S – Swains 2023 QSL management.
We trust Charles M0OXO and his outstanding QSL service needs no further inroduction.
W8S Swains Island News 17 May 2023
Although it was silent for quite some time, we were still working on the project and are happy that we can now announce that the contract with Alex Jennings is in our hands. Alex Jennings is the proprietor of Swains Island and providing the logistic support for the DXpedition.
The DXpedition to Swains Island will take place in the autumn of 2023. The governmental ship Manu’atela is booked for our trip. We will arrive on Swains Island the 4th of October and will depart the 17th of October 2023.
Four new members are in our team because some couldn’t join due circumstances. The team still consist of 10 international operators. The operators are: DJ9RR (Heye), DL2AMD (Rainer), DL6JGN (Hans), KO8SCA (Adrian), NG7M (Max), PA2KW (Evert), PA3EWP (Ronald), PA4WM (Martin), PA5X (Johannes) and PG5M (Gerben).
Due to Covid and the global economic situation, our costs have increased considerably compared to 2020. The total cost has increased to 125.000 Euro and we therefore ask you to increasing your donation as well! In the meantime, we have been working on another antenna setup, focusing on the higher bands. We are preparing VDA’s for 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20 meters. We will have 2 additional radio’s active. With 6 stations running we can make more QSO’s and give more DXers an All Time New One. Our camps are separated by approx. 500 meters, which will allow us to operate on some bands with 2 stations simultaneously.
W8S Swains Island Team
W8S Swains Island News 11 December 2022
W8S Swains Island DX Pedition planned March 2023 Postponed.
W8S Swains Island News 16 June 2020
Dear friends,
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic it is still impossible to travel to Swains Island.
This means that we have to postpone our DXpedition until spring 2021 at the earliest.
Alex Jennings and the team will start planning again as soon as we are allowed to travel to American Samoa without restrictions (such as 14 days in quarantine). All equipment already purchased is waiting for us in Pago Pago.
We are very disappointed with this postponement, but if we look at it from a positive angle, propagation will be better next year! We continue our Swains DXpedition project and keep you informed via our mailing list, website and the social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
The Swains DXpedition Team
W8S Swains Island News 22 February 2020
Following the disappointing news earlier this week the Swains2020 team is extremely happy that we can announce the new schedule for the W8S DXpedition to Swains Island. The team will be on the island from September 23 until October 6, 2020.
We like to thank all our sponsors and supporters for the understanding and confidence we have received after the message about the forced postponement of the DXpedition.
We are therefore very happy that we can already share the new planning with you.
The Swains 2020 Team
W8S Swains Island News 18 February 2020
In close cooperation with Alex Jennings, the representative of Swains Island, the team has decided to postpone the W8S DXpedition to Swains Island to autumn of 2020.
The reason behind this postponement is the travel restrictions when entering American Samoa, restrictions imposed by the Department of Health of American Samoa as a result of the Corona virus outbreak.
The Department of Health allows non-residents to enter American Samoa only via Hawaii, after a 14 days mandatory quarantine in Hawaii.
For the team this is not a workable situation. It would require extending the holiday time by an additional 2 weeks, re-routing of the flights and purchasing new tickets etc.
Everything is prepared for our DXpedition, and we are eager to go, but unfortunately the Corona virus outbreak is out of our control.
Although this is a disappointment for everyone, the W8S DXpedition is not cancelled, but just postponed for later this year!
You and/or your DX-club made a donation to the Swains DXpedition, which is very much appreciated by the whole team as that helps the team to cover some part of the investment the team already made.
However if you are considering withdrawing your donation, please just let us know.
As soon as we have the new firm date for the DXpedition we will update you and the whole DX-community.
See our website, Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and announcements.
Regards,
Ronald Stuy, PA3EWP
W8S Swains Island News 20 January 2020
50 days to go…
The preparations are part of the fun too.
An amazing load of work is done by all team members. Antennas, hardware, software, the camp set up, medical wellbeing, transportation, satellite connections, inter camp communication, operating schedules, vaccinations to name just a few….
Yesterday we had a video conference call between all international team members to discuss the final loose ends. All lights are green.
The European members will depart from Amsterdam and Frankfurt on Saturday 7 March. Flying through Singapore, new Zealand and Samoa to their neighbouring islands American Samoa. Our American members will depart the same weekend to meet up in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
The vessel Manu’Atele will bring us to the Swains atoll. This will be a 24 hour journey. Landing on the island will be done by smaller boats at high tide to minimize reef issues. A serious challenge. Think of all the radio equipment, antenna materials, tents, generators, fuel and food for two weeks. The ship will leave after landing. Hopefully picking the team up again after 14 days.
W8S Swains Island News 27 December 2019
Everything is on schedule for our Swains DXpedition.
Last month Martin PA4WM en Gerben PG5M have been working on the antennas for Swains. After some small design changes, the antennas are ready now (thanks to Dado E74AW for helping with the 160m antenna).
We also have collected a lot of other equipment en tools. We were in doubt if everything would fit in the 3 boxes we created especially for this adventure.
This morning we started packing all the equipment. At the end of the afternoon we were ready. Luckily everything fitted in the boxes: 14 RX/TX antennas, 800 meters of coax-cable, 2.4 KM of radials, bandpass filters, power supplies and tools were packed in the boxes.
The boxes are ready for transport, the total weight is approx. 200 KG.
Within 3 weeks we will transport it to American Samoa.
After finishing this phase of our project we will now focus on the next phase the radio and computer equipment.
The whole team is looking forward to activate Swains Island as W8S.
Regards,
Ronald Stuy, PA3EWP