Gene Spinelli, K5GS, [email protected] How’s DX? VP6D Ducie Island 2018 (OC-182) Ducie Island is an uninhabited atoll in 130° W 128° W 126° W the Pitcairn Islands, located in the cen- ter of the southern Pacific Ocean Pitcairn is a British approximately equidistant from Chile overseas territory. and New Zealand, both of which are several thousand kilometers away. It Oeno 24° S lies 535 kilometers (332 miles) east of SouthPitcairn Pacific Pitcairn Island, and over 1,000 kilome- IslandsOcean ters west of Easter Island. The atoll is Henderson 1 2.4 kilo meters (1 ⁄2 miles) long, mea- Ducie sured northeast to southwest, and Pitcairn about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) wide. The main island, Acadia, is crescent- South Pacific Adamstown Ocean shaped, several hundred meters long, 0 12mi 0 12mi 0 2 4 km and mostly covered in scrub and low 0 2 4 km 0 12mi 26° S trees. There are also three small islets 0 2 4 km 0 50 100 mi on the southern side of the atoll; 0 50 100 km Pandora, Westward, and Edwards. QS1805-HDX01 Due to its inaccessibility and landing Ducie Island is just over 350 kilometers east of Henderson Island, which is just enough permit requirements, Ducie is rarely distance to qualify it as a separate DXCC entity from the Pitcairn Islands. visited today. Pitcairn). Edwards named the island unique call signs. However, after 10 Among the Pitcairn Islands, Ducie in honor of Francis Reynolds- years of no Amateur Radio activity, Henderson Island is famous for its Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie, under Ducie has been climbing up the most- birds, but Ducie is also a significant whom he had previously served. In wanted lists and now ranks as Club breeding ground for a number of bird 1867, it was claimed by the United Log’s #21. Ducie is an All-Time New species. More than 90% of the world States under the Guano Islands Act, One (ATNO) for hams who became population of the seabird Murphy’s but the United Kingdom annexed it on licensed after 2008 or who discovered petrel nests on Ducie (an estimated December 19, 1902, as part of the DXing after the last activation. 250,000 birds), while pairs of red-tailed Pitcairn Islands. tropicbirds and fairy terns make around VP6D DXpedition 1% of the world population for each Ducie Island Announced species. Like many remote islands, Added to DXCC At the 2017 International DX Ducie is threatened by plastic pollution. Ducie became a DXCC entity on Convention in Visalia, California, mem- A recent expedition to nearby November 16, 2001, after the bers of the Perseverance DX Group Henderson Island found an astounding Pitcairn Island Amateur Radio (PDXG) discussed several potential level of plastic debris being deposited Association (PIARA) was accepted DXpedition opportunities. By the end of there by the rotating current of the as an International Amateur Radio the convention, we narrowed down the South Pacific Gyre. Union member-society. The first list to Ducie, and had more than enough interested operators. Discovery of Ducie Island expedition was led by Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK, in March 2002 Ducie was first discovered in 1606 by using the VP6DI call sign. One year Our international team includes: Ken, Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, who later, in March 2003, Kan again oper- NG2H; Les, W2LK; Gene, K5GS; named it Luna Puesta, and then ated as VP6DIA. Ducie was last acti- Dave, K3EL; Heye, DJ9RR; Mike, rediscovered by Edward Edwards, vated in February 2008 as VP6DX by WA6O; Vadym, UT6UD; Steve, captain of HMS Pandora, who was an international team of 13 opera- W1SRD; Walt, N6XG; Laci, HAØNAR; sent in 1790 to capture the mutineers tors, using the expedition ship Jacky, ZL3CW; Chris, N6WM; Arnie, of HMS Bounty (although they did Braveheart. The team made an aston- N6HC, and Ricardo, PY2PT. not find the mutineers on nearby ishing 183,584 contacts with 38,754 Reprinted with permission; copyright ARRL. 90 May 2018 www.arrl.org Like many restricted nature reserves, landing on Ducie Island for a DXpedition and overnight stay requires a landing permit (issued by the police and immigration office on Pitcairn Island), a travel visa, and, of course, a VP6/D radio license. Shortly after the DX Convention, we applied for the landing permit. The application included our plan for 14 operators, tents, generators, radio stations, and various antenna types. We received the permit in early July 2017 and immediately applied for the call sign and travel visas. Our stay will be governed by a strict set of biosecurity and environmental rules similar to those we encountered on Campbell Island (ZL9) in 2012. One regulation states that fishing by non- residents of Pitcairn Island within the The experienced crew of the RV Braveheart will get the VP6D DXpedition team to 12-mile limit is prohibited. Ducie Island. [David Lloyd, K3EL, photo] Getting to Ducie Island For transportation, we selected the The Setup at VP6D (except 60 meters), and SSB/CW/ now-familiar expedition ship Antennas will include monoband RTTY/FT-8, including 6-meter Earth- Braveheart from Tauranga, New 2-element rotatable vertical dipole Moon-Earth (which would be a first Zealand. Braveheart and her owner, arrays on the higher bands, four- from Ducie). We are hoping to give Nigel Jolly, K6NRJ, have a long his- squares on 30 and 40 meters, verti- new contacts to as many stations as tory of providing outstanding support cals for 80/160 meters, and two HF possible, and to maximize the num- to the DXpedition community. Yagis. The layout will be similar to that ber of unique calls we work. Radio Braveheart and Jolly’s other vessel, used by VP6DX in 2008, with the ver- operations are expected to begin Claymore II, visited Pitcairn Island tical antennas positioned close to the around October 20 and end on many times as resupply vessels. shoreline to take advantage of the November 3, dependent on the “saltwater amplifier.” CW and SSB weather. The team will meet in Papeete, Tahiti, camps will be separated by several Detailed planning for the project and then fly to Mangareva, the east- hundred meters, to help reduce inter- began in December 2017. Since ernmost major island in French station interference. The team will then, we’ve been contacting equip- Polynesia, where Braveheart will be camp on the island, taking meals and ment sponsors, and began our fund- waiting to begin the estimated 3-day sleeping in a small tent city. journey, our equipment already raising campaign with a generous loaded aboard. We will land on the Logistical support from the grant from the Northern California main island, Acadia, located on the Braveheart will allow the operators to DX Foundation (NCDXF). As of this north and east side of Ducie. The focus on their radio duties. Our writing, we’re well into the project transit will take us past Pitcairn equipment of choice is the Elecraft plan; team member assignments Island, and, if there is time after the K-Line, and each station will be include the antenna plan, power and DXpedition, we will make a quick equipped with a linear amplifier. Our infrastructure plan, network and wire- stop there to meet several descen- chosen logging program is N1MM+. less design, emergency plan, sched- dants of Fletcher Christian, the Logs will be uploaded to www.vp6d. uling, and more. For further famous leader of the mutiny aboard com at least once per day using the information on the project and how to HMS Bounty in 1789. Inmarsat BGAN satellite. The plan is support it, please visit our website at to have eight operating positions in www.vp6d.com. two radio camps, 160 – 6 meters Reprinted with permission; copyright ARRL. www.arrl.org May 2018 91.