DESERTAS ISLANDS

Update:

We all are now safe back at home, after a very Challenge, Hard,  Risk and Grateful experience  - this one is to be remembered in our lifetime!

Photos are being uploaded in (http://www.cr3r.org/):

Online-log will soon be available (some paper log to process)

Thanks for Amateurs that contacted, listened us  and everyone that encouraged us with their support.

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Following the success of 2008 IOTA DXpedition to Selvagens Islands CQ9U (AF-047) and based on an excellent cooperation at that time between both teams (Madeira Contest Team and G.I.R.A.), we are now glad to announce for this year the Project: IOTA 2009 DXpedition - Desertas Islands AF-046.

We are looking forward to meet you on the bands.

Islands:

The Desertas Islands consist of three small islands - the Ilhéu Chão, Deserta Grande and Bugio - all of volcanic origin, located to the southeast of the Madeira island.

These islands are uninhabited due to the inhospitable conditions and lack of fresh water. They were declared protected area in 1990 and five years later they became a natural reserve.

Authorization is needed case you wish to visit them.

The Chão is a small Islet within the Desertas, our site will be installed here (see above legend - 1-Arrival / 2-Top / 3-Lighthouse + stations). 

 Team:

• CT3BD - Barros Teixeira
• CT3DL - Luis Gomes
• CT3EE - Luis Camanho
• CT3EN - Duarte Gomes
• CT3KY - Duarte Goncalves
• CT3MD - Jose Vasconcelos
• CT3NY - Joao Lima
• CT1BOL - Jorge Lopes
• CT1CJJ - Jose Lopes
• CT1EFS - Paulo Campos
• CT1ILT - Filipe Lopes
• CT1IZW - Firmino Matos

     Part of the Team will be mainly focused on the IOTA Contest, others will operate mostly WARC + VHF bands (2m, 4m and 6m);

Timetable:

• Start: Arrive at the Desertas Islands - Friday morning - 24th of July;
• End: Departure to Madeira - Sunday afternoon - 26th of July;

Setup:

• 2 HF Stations (IOTA Contest);
• 1 HF Station - WARC + 6m;
• 1 VHF Station - 2m + 4m + 6m;

     Rigs: Yeasu FT450, ICOM 756 PRO II, ICOM 706;

     Antennas: HF - Verticals and Dipoles /  6m + VHF Beams;

     Two callsigns will be used during operation CR3D and CR3R;

References:

• DXCC - CT3
• IOTA - AF-046
• GridSquare - IM12rn
• WLOTA - 1366
• ARLHS - MAD-001
• DFP - MAD003
• DIP - MAD003
• DPRN - FF104
• WFF - CTFF-33

QSL:

• via: CT1BOL (for Direct, please include enough return postage and SASE);
• Logs will be uploaded to LoTW after some time;

Special Thanks:

• PNM - Parque Natural da Madeira (as result of Selvagens Project) for the kind invitation, the challenge to perform this operation and for granting us permission to land on the Islands;

http://www.pnm.pt/

• Portuguese Navy - for availability to guarantee the transportation to/from the Islands and respective permission to use the Lighthouse facilities (stations setup);

 NRP - Escorpiao - our tranport