Mese: Febbraio 2025

Everybody recognize that DAØANT was one of the most active stations during the 22nd Antarctic Activity Week. Congratulation to the whole Team! To increase the interest around this activity, Karsten, DL1RUN did create his own small diploma, available at  DL1RUN’s own website: https://hamaward.de.
At https://hamaward.de/2025-aaw-en/ , everyone can download his QSL.
The 22nd Antarctic Activity Week did take place from February 17 to 23, 2025. On this occasion, the Club station DAØANT has been on the bands every day. As a thank you for the activity of the calling stations, the local association Mittweida (S-44) of the DARC e.V. will issue a FREE activity diploma. For this diploma, connections on 3 different bands and modes (CW, Phone, Digital) are required within the activity period from February 17 to 23, 2025. The awards are free of charge and can only be downloaded via this website until 2025-12-31.

WAP did receive a mail from Karsten, DL1RUN:
«Greetings from the entire DAØANT Team. It was a lot of fun for everyone. We want to be back at the AAW next year. All operators did upload regularly their QSO data to the website. This means that the data for the online diploma is available very quickly. We also offer the possibility to download the QSL card (dQSL) as well.
Next year we will also be able to offer this for the other stations. However, the prerequisite is that all stations want this and regularly upload the QSO data to the website. This will then be done in the same way as for the past 6ØANT event.
You are welcome to ask the AAW 2025 operators whether they would be willing to take part in the campaign online next year.  However, it will only work if all OPs upload the data to the website.
You can see an example at: https://hamaward.de/2025-aaw-en/  You can use my call DL1RUN for testing. I have not yet fulfilled the diploma requirements. Volker, DL8JDX has fulfilled the conditions and can download the diploma. I am already looking forward to the feedback.
73 from Karsten, DL1RUN

The awards and QSLs are free of charge and can only be downloaded via DL1RUN’s website until 2025-12-31.

TNX Karsten, DL1RUN & Volker, DL8JDX

Today, February 22^nd Argentina celebrates the “Argentine Antarctica Day”

Argentina administers thirteen bases, six of which are permanent (operational all year round) and the rest are temporary (operational only in summer). Of these, two are administered directly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Carlini (permanent, formerly Jubany base) WAP ARG-2Ø and Brown (temporary) WAP ARG-Ø2.

The other bases are administered by the Joint Antarctic Command (Ministry of Defense). These are Orcadas Base (WAP ARG-15), Marambio Base (WAP ARG-21), Esperanza Base (WAP ARG-Ø4), San Martín Base (WAP ARG-Ø8) and Belgrano II Base (permanent)(WAP ARG-Ø6); and the temporary bases Melchior (WAP ARG-13), Decepción (WAP ARG-12), Cámara (WAP ARG-16), Primavera (WAP ARG-Ø9), Petrel (WAP ARG-17) and Matienzo (WAP ARG-Ø1).

 

Not to forget that, 22 years ago, WAP (Worldwide Antarctic Program) did launch (on the 3^rd week of February) when Febr. 22 falls in it, the Antarctic Activity Week to celebrate the Antarctic Continent as a land of research, science and PEACE.

.

The 22^nd AAW  starded last Febr. 17th, ends on Febr. 23rd.
Years ago, Stations from Antarctica, uses to be on air, to share with WW Hams community this important event … unfortunately, this healthy and intelligent practice, disappeared with the advance of the satellite era.
Today, very few Bases in Antarctica use to be on air at this date!

At the beginning of the 22^nd Antarctic Activity Week (Febr.17-2025), Argentina did celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Almirante Brown Scientific Station (WAP ARG-Ø2).

On February 17, 1965, the “Instituto Antartico Argentino” did open thhe Almirante Brown Scientific Station, formerly a Naval Detachment. Since its reopening as a permanent Scientific Station of the Argentine Antarctic Institute, until its partial destruction by a fire in 1984, Base Brown was Argentina’s most prominent scientific station in Antarctica. Studies were carried out in biology (zoology and botany), biochemistry, human and animal physiology, pathology, bacteriology, meteorology, auroras, nuclear radiation (environmental), glaciology, oceanography and ecology.

Currently, summer Antarctic campaigns are carried out there and scientific work is concentrated in the areas of oceanography and biology, particularly penguins and fish.

Almirante Brown Station is located in Paradise Bay, on the West coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the most beautiful places in Antarctica, with intense tourist activity in the summers.

The Base has his own Radio shack (see pic aside), but unfortunately is not used!
We especially greet those who, at some point inhabited this very special places as well as we thank Mehdi F5PFP who was the last one to activate this rare one on last march 1^st 2009.

.
Other calls active from Almirante Brown (WAP ARG-Ø2) from 1970 through 2009 have been: LU1ZB, LU1ZE, VP8DJK, LU/FT5YJ & LU/FT5YK.

In the occurrence of the 22^nd WAP’s Antarctic Activity Week (17-23 Febr.2025), the Ukrainian Radio Club, through their Antarctic veterans, propose the “Terra Australis Incognita Award”, available for free to the WW Radio amateurs who are joining the 22^nd AAW.

This is an Award dedicated to all the Researchers in Antarctica, and it’s issued with the support of the Ukrainian Radio Clubs: UADXC, DELTA CLUB, RIVNE DX CLUB, UFF (Ukrainian Flora Fauna).

Terra Australis Incognita, is available to Hams that have made contacts any bands any modes with Special Callsign’s Radio stations, in the days of WAP Antarctic Activity Week as well as stations that did operate from Antarctica or did work and wintered in Antarctica at any of the Research Stations, Marine and seasonal expedition and/or on board of research vessels and aircraft.

To apply for the Award is necessary to have made at least:
1 QSO with Amateur radio stations in Antarctica
1 QSO with Special stations that operate in AAWs (Antarctic Activity Weeks) of the WAP (Worldwide Antarctic Program)
2 QSO with Amateur radio all over the world who have worked in the past and/or wintered in Antarctica in a Research stations, marine and seasonal expedition and/or on board of Research vessels and aircraft. Contacts have to be made starting 01.01.2014, any bands, any modes; same rules are also valid for SWLs. The award is available in electronic form. Just send your request in the form of a Log extract, to the Award Manager Pavlo UT1KY: e-mail: ut1ky@ukr.net

See all the Antarctic Awards available by Ukraina at: https://www.waponline.it/worldwide-antarctic-awards/ukraina/ 

TNX Pavlo UT1KY

For many years, WAP did try to understand the exact place where Delfin M. Val (EA4BOD) was active from, during the Scientific Spanish Expedition called “Antartida 9101 IEO”. Nobody so far has been able to confirm where, in which part of the South Orkney he was operating from!

For sure, Delfin, who did sign EDØBOD in January 1991 did operate from Laurie Island in the South Orkneys as generically reported on his QSL, but our question was:  Where exactly?

I met EA4BOD (now SK) in Torremolinos Spain in 1994; I was so excited to be close to a famous person who had aroused my admiration from the very first moment, that it didn’t even cross my mind to ask him for more details of his Antarctic journey when he worked there with a scientific research team.!

Delfin EA4BOD, had an interesting life; in 1937 he was taken from an orphanage to the Soviet Union where he went to school, grew up, got married, had children, and stayed till 1975 when he returned to Spain. Being a skilled technician Delfin has written several publications on the field of HF radio transmission and on the theory of antennas and their practical construction. See: https://www.urvag.com/phocadownloadpap/EA4BOD_Calculo_instalacion_antenas.pdf

Well, Laurie Island is the site of the Argentinean Base “Orcadas” (WAP ARG-15) which coordinates reported on the card are 60° 45’South, 44° 43’ West; this is a permanent Scientific Base on Laurie Island; maybe EDØBOD could have operate from there but one of the QSLs found recently (see below) reports different coordinates: 60°45’South, 44° 40’ West

Different coordinates, 44°45’West (Base Naval Orcadas-Argentina), versus 44°40’West, reported on EDØBOD mean different locations!

Luckily, we have a great friend, a real expert of these island; I’m talking about a famous character, Prof. Lyubomir Ivanov who I reached when he was in Antarctica involved in a research mission.

Question put to Prof. Ivanov:
We did work several stations in Antarctica; two of them taken as example, did operate from Laurie Island: One is LU1ZA Base Orcadas, the other one is a Spanish operation dated 1991; EDØBOD reported to be at 60° 45’ South, 44°40’West.

As cartographer, You are an expert of Laurie island and perhaps you could have better information about the exact location where the Spanish expedition did operate from. Hope you can find what I haven’t been able to find so far…!

Prof. Ivanov replyed: We are restricted to dealing with just degrees and minutes, no seconds. Then the coordinates of Argentinean Orcadas Base would be 60°44’S, 44°44’W. As for the reported EDØBOD point coordinates 60°45’South, 44°40’West, the nearest named geographic feature would be Point Moreno at 60°45’S 44°41’W. So, my guess is that the Spanish QSL card refers to Point Moreno if not erroneously referring to some other nearby location or Orcadas Base itself.
Best, Lyubo

If Delfin had been at the Argentine Orcadas base he would have been used EA4BOD/LU or LU/ED4DOD or LU/EDØBOD, but it wasn’t like that! So, at the light of the above information, WAP confirms what we have stated 34 years ago; EDØBOD is Orcadas Camp Base, WAP ESP-Ø3, unless other more precise information eventually coming!

WAP has received a Video, taken at a recent Antarctic happening in the city of Rvine-Ukraina. We are pleased to share it, given that Antarctica, designated as Continent of peace and cooperation, reflects the spirit that aims the Worldwide Antarctic Program  as well.

The event “Ukraine in Antarctica: Research and Indomitability” held in Rivne, saw the participation of several students, teachers and families, with a remote connection to the Polar Researchers from the Akademik Vernadsky Station (WAP UKR-Ø1), telling the audience about the difficulties they encountered during their expeditions, their daily lives, and in general, how is life in Antarctica.

Watching the video,  at min.1,13, we can see Yurii Otruba, Vernadsky Base Leader on the 25^th and 29^th Antarctic expedition at the Vernadsky Research Base, at min. 2,16 Pavlo UT1KY.

At min.3,19, the three guests: UT1KY, the Co-leader , and Yurii Otruba, Akademik Vernadsky Base Leader.

On last March 11^th 2024, the 29th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition left Kyiv aiming to the Akademik Vernadskyi Station. Most of the team are newcomers (ten people), but they are led by one of the most experienced polar explorers in Ukraine, geophysicist Yurii Otruba. For him, this has been his eighth wintering. Unfortunately, no Ham radio operators among the Ukrainian Team this time!
TNX Pavlo UT1KY

Also for the 2025 edition of the Antarctic Activity Week, our good friend Paolo Corsetti, IK3GER from Venice-Italy has set the 2025’s  “CALLING ANTARCTICA“ certificate available  at:  https://www.ik3ger.it/awards-page1.html

Just very simple rules shown below (Click on the link). Read how to apply for it. Everyone can get the 22^nd edition of this Diploma for free.
TNX Paolo IK3GER

.

The Certificate (from Feb. 1st 2025) is already online, at Paolo’s website:  See the bottom of the page.
Clik on the flag: Italian or English to get the rules in both languages