Portugal marks 10 years of presence in Antarctica

A cooperation agreement between the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR) and the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute has been signed at the University of Lisbon. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of the start of Bulgarian-Portuguese studies in Antarctica and the establishment of Portugal’s National Polar Program.

Although the Polar Regions are far from Portugal, their dynamics affect the entire Planet. Portugal aims at benefiting of the excellent conditions of the Polar Regions as vantage points for conducting research in the frontiers of science, with strong international cooperation and excellent conditions for technological development and cutting-edge research.

International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008’s  event was the starting point to establish the foundations for a Portuguese Polar Program, a task promoted by the Portuguese Polar science community.

In 2007, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) implemented the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR) and funded research projects on atmospheric physics, cryosphere and polar biology, in the sub-Antarctic and the Antarctic.

The Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR) working in close connection with the Polar Office from FCT, is the organization coordinating the Portuguese Polar campaigns. Since Portugal has no permanent infrastructure in the Polar Regions, research is based on international cooperation and on the management and sharing of an Antarctic flight offered to partner programs. In the past five years, PROPOLAR has funded 49 research projects, provided access of 22 Portuguese scientists per year to the Polar Regions, and supported and managed 10 Antarctic flights, ensuring transport for 429 passengers and cooperating with 7 national polar programs.

Maybe one day we can enjoy some HF contacts operating from Portuguese  Hams from Antarctica … who knows?

Refugio Cabo Gutierrez Vargas  and abandoned Chilean site in Antarctica

WAP is  looking for some pics of Refugio Cabo Gutierrez Vargas  (WAP CHL-NEW) which is located 1Km close to the Presidente Aguirre  Cerda Base (WAP CHL-Ø4). On several  websites it is reported that ruins of the Refuge are still in place.  On last 2011, Mehdi F5PFP was very close to it, when he did activate Presidente Aguirre  Cerda Base (CE9XX, see QSL on the side); Mehdi  reports to have seen the remaining of this Refuge but he did not take direct picture of it!

WAP is actually in  contact with Mario Reyne CE3BFE (Jefe Expedición Antartica Chilena www.marioreyne.cl ); he is trying to get pics of Vargas Refuge (62° 56′ 41.15″ South , 60° 35′ 59.96″ West), even if he said, it will be an hard task!

Refugio Cabo Gutierrez Vargas  so called in memory of the aviation Captain who died on December 30, 1955, was located at 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) from Aguirre Cerda Station and was inaugurated on February 12, 1956. Its purpose was to serve as a Refuge for the members of the Station in  case of fire.

On December 4, 1967, the Refuge was definitively abandoned, as well as the Aguirre Cerda Station, due to a violent volcanic eruption.

 

 

 

The poor remains of the refuge structure can still be seen on the beach where it was located (aside a picture from Google Earth)

 

TNX F5PFP & IZ8EWB

Mobile networks helping with Antarctic research

Mobile networks have been assisting scientists with Antarctic research.
Scientists have been studying giant holes of open water in Antarctic ice, called polynyas, in the Weddell Sea. A team from the University of Washington has been assisted with robots and seals with antennas attached to their heads.

The robots and seals have used mobile networks to send data back to the scientists.
TNX Bhagwati VU3BPZ

The scientists’ latest findings were published in the journal Nature.

Source:
https://www.commsmea.com/technology/19729-mobile-networks-helping-with-antarctic-research

Presidente Aguirre Cerda Station (WAP CHL-Ø4)

In 1955 Chile inaugurated its station Pedro Aguirre Cerda at Pendulum Cove (62°56 South, 60°36 West), to increase the Chilean presence in the sector claimed by that nation.

At the Chilean station Pedro Aguirre Cerda andthe nearby Gutierrez Vargas Refuge scienmtists did perform studies of meteorology and volcanology.
Today only ruins remain.

When the US Coast Guard icebreaker Eastwind visited Deception Island in 1963/64, the British and Chilean scientific stations were active. The Chileans had an airstrip, with a DeHavilland Beaver supplying their base from Punta Arenas.In 1969, a violent volcanic eruption demolished the Chilean stations Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Gutierrez Vargas Refuge. Remains at Whalers Bay include rusting boilers and tanks, an aircraft hangar and the British scientific station house (Biscoe House), with the middle torn out by the 1969 mudflows. A bright orange derelict airplane fuselage was removed in 2004. Deception Island has become a popular tourist stop in Antarctica because of its several colonies of chinstrap penguins, as well as the novel possibility of making a warm bath by digging into the sands of the beach.

Last activity from this rare Old site in Antarctica (WAP CHL-Ø4) was made by F5PFP operating as CE9XX  on March 2011.

S/V San Telmo, sank in Antarctica in 1819

In 1819, the Sailing Vessel San Telmo, commanded by Captain Joaquín de Toledo y Parra, was the flagship of a Spanish naval squadron under Brigadier Rosendo Porlier y Asteguieta bound for Callao (Peru) to reinforce colonial forces there fighting the independence movements in Spanish America. Damaged by severe weather in the Drake Passage, south of Cape Horn, it sank in September 1819.

The 644 officers, soldiers, and seamen lost on board the S/V San Telmo may have been the first people to die in Antarctica, as parts of her wreckage were found months later by the early sealers visiting Livingston Island. Indeed, if any of the crew of the San Telmo survived to set foot there, they would have been the first people in history to reach Antarctica.

San Telmo Island off the north coast of Livingston Island is named after the ship.

If someone is going to Cádiz (Spain) this summer, don’t forget to visit the exhibition that recalls the trip of the Sailing Vessel San Telmo, the first ship that could reach Antarctica, and its 644 crew missing members. The exhibition, organized by the Naval Museum of San Fernando is open to the public until next August 31.

The museum is owned by the Spanish Ministry of Defense, and is peripheral to the Naval Museum of Madrid.

TNX IZ1GJK
Read more at:
 https://www.abc.es/cultura/abci-armada-expone-cadiz-triste-historia-san-telmo-perdio-antartida-1819-201904280124_noticia.html

A Challenge for those who love the Poles

On WAP website, we have recently add a new page called “Arctic & Antarctic Global Program”, a French proposal for Hams, launched years ago by F5PFP (f5pfp@sfr.fr), to whom address requests of information, or asking for the “form” to list the stations worked.

Pic aside shows F5PFP when signing VP8DLM in Antarctica.

The combination of the Antarctic & Arctic Challenges scores allows the landing to a global scores called Polar Trophy.

Check http://www.waponline.it/arctic-antarctic-global-program/ to get  full infos

Captain Caillet-Bois, Naval Refuge WAP ARG-NEW

The Captain Caillet-Bois, Naval Refuge (63º 54 ’40” South,  60º 47′ 52″ West), is an Argentina’s refuge in Antarctica,  30 meters above sea level on the small D’Hainaut island , Port Mikkelsen bay,  Trinity Island,  one of the Palmer archipelago. It was inaugurated by the Argentine Navy on December 10th , 1954.  Its original  name was Port Mikkelsen Refuge.

In March 2017, it was renewed by a task force of the M/V ARA Bahía San Blas; a group of 6 Navy men remained for 8 days in the shelter making maintenance and replace spare parts until March 17, 2018.

On the evening of the first day of navigation in Antarctica, the M/V ARA “Bahía San Blas” anchored near Trinidad Island, where the Capitán Caillet Bois Naval Refuge is located, thus starting the operations of the final stage of the 2018 Antarctic Summer Campaign.

http://gacetamarinera.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/04-03-17-cailletbois.mp4?_=1

No Ham radio activity has been performed at this Refuge so far; If it will happens in the future, a new WAP Reference will ne given

Antarctic Meeting for  Polar Veterans

Volker Strecke, DL8JDX (pic taside) informs that next 14th November 2019 in Dresden, Germany there will be an Antarctic Meeting of many Polar Veterans on the occasion of 30th Anniversary of the border opening between former East and West Germany and the later reunification as well as the related impressions from that time at Georg Forster (WAP DDR-Ø1)and Neumayer II (WAP DEU-Ø2) Stations.

 

 

TNX Volker Strecke, DL8JDX 

New QSLs available @ Mehdi F5PFP

Nine years ago, Mehdi Escoffier, F5PFP did set a great Antarctic Expedition which have reached several rare spots such as Bases, Huts and Refuges  in Antarctica.

On last 4 December 2018, we did inform the Antarctic chasers that, as regards of VP8DLM, FT5YK , CE9XX  (2011 Antarctic Expedition), Mehdi, F5PFP was going to print a new batch of QSL cards as the old ones  have been almost exhausted.

(see: http://www.waponline.it/new-batch-of-qsl-going-to-be-printed-by-f5pfp/ )

Now the cards are ready (see the pics aside) and  Mehdi , F5PFP has informed, through a post on Antarctica List (antarctica_list@yahoogroups.com ), that these new QSL cards are available.

Those interested can write to Mehdi F5PFP ( f5pfp@sfr.fr ) to arrange how to get them.

 

TNX  Mehdi F5PFP

NZ-Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1) rebuilding program

Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1)  is getting old. Antarctica NZ wants a complete replacement; to dom that plan, Antarctica New Zealand must raise $50 million in charitable donations as part of its $250m Scott Base rebuild.

The state agency plans a 10,000 square-metre new base with three interconnected buildings on the same site as the existing base. It will include 100 beds, science labs, meeting spaces, a cafeteria and pub, and a hangar for two helicopters.

Scott Base redevelopment Senior Manager Simon Shelton said the current base was reaching the end of its functional life.

Thanks and credit: https://www.stuff.co.nz  

Source:  https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/113844159/scott-base-rebuild-to-cost-250-million?fbclid=IwAR2opY3TK73Cxv3NeYR-ejkeC_DwLz49ibB6uG8mTUrTpY0Ik_KgsG6RZW0

From the Hamradio  wise,  we’re really missing some HF contacts with this Base in Antarctica!

We hope to work some NZ operators on HF bands SSB & CW from Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1) as we got used to do years ago!

2019 – ANTARCTIC CHALLENGE & POLAR TROPHY

Mehdi Escoffier  F5PFP has just published the 2019 Antarctic  and Arctic Challenge ranking  and the Polar Trophy score, a kind of an adventure shared by Old Timers all over the world.

Collecting rare spots, make contacts to such remote locations  through the Ham radio  is not just an hobby, it’s a real passion!

Join us and enjoy this real fascinating world!

For reasons of space, we publish only the first 10 Hams classified but we refer you  to antarctica_list@yahoogroups.com to see the full list

[table “9” not found /]
[table “10” not found /]
[table “11” not found /]

It’s a great emotion to see our great friend Reg Beck VE7IG (SK) on all the 3 lists; Reg was great man, great DXer, professional Radio operator and a good friend,  we will keep forever a great recall of him!

TNX Mehdi F5PFP