When Argentina celebrates the “Dia de la Patria” our Ham friends of Ushuaia –Tierra del Fuego– WAP ARG-23, did join the event and add the 35th Birthday to the Radio Club Ushuaia LU8XW to it.
This year due to a pandemic Covid 19, Hams from Ushuaia did celebrate the happening on VHF (they met at 146,520) and with Guillermo LU8XQL, through Echolink at 145.6 . They toasted to this date so loved by all. Long Live the Homeland !!!!
WAP joins the fest and wish our friends down to the land of “the end of the worrld” a great happy birthday of their “Radio Club” !
Here, king penguins live in huge colonies. Their days are spent chomping on krill, squid and fish, feeding their chicks and producing ‘guano’, which means poo in penguin. Nothing mind-boggling about that, you might say.
Brown Station (WAP ARG-Ø2) is an Argentine Antarctic Base and scientific research station named after Admiral William Brown, the father of the Argentine Navy.
During the summer campaign of 1995–96 the Logistics Department of the Argentine National Antarctic Directorate built two new habitable modules: a laboratory and a house with amenities. In the 1999–2000 campaign the Directorate built a new main house capable of comfortably accommodating 8 people; the new building consists of 4 bedrooms, kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Brown slipped into several years of inactivity during the 2000s decade but since 2007 is occupied during the summer again. Paradise Harbor is a large sea inlet southwest of Andvord Bay protected by an arc formed by the Lemaire, Cramer and Bryde islands. Along the harbor’s deep water coast lies the small Sanavirón Peninsula, a rocky promontory crowned by a mound of almost 70 m (230 ft) high called Punta Proa, where the base facilities are located. In the area there are several beacons to help ship guidance: Punta Proa, in the homonymous place; Punta Vidt in General Ricchieri Cove; Punta Conesa, on the entrance to Puerto Leith; Hanka islet on the homonymous place in Paradise Harbor; Punta Piedras in Oscar Cove; and the lighthouse on Cramer Island.
Brown is located 1,100 km (680 mi) from Ushuaia, the nearest port city. As of 2014 the base spans a total area of 1.4 ha (14,000 m2; 150,000 sq ft). It can house a maximum of 18 people. Research programs were developed for biology (zoology and botany), bacteriology, limnology, biochemistry, animal and human physiology, pathology, ecology, oceanography, meteorology, cosmic rays and ionospheric observations, environmental nuclear radiation, continental and sea ice glaciology, satellite geodesy, geology, geophysics, seismology, ozone monitoring and tide measurement.
Throughout the years of research and observations at Brown, more than 100 scientific papers were published by the Argentine Antarctic Institute. Thanks to its location on the Antarctica continent along the beautiful Paradise Harbor and to its relatively mild weather, Brown Station is a popular excursion destination for tourist expedition ships visiting Antarctica. In addition to visiting gentoo penguins, tourists may climb to a viewpoint 84 m (276 ft) above the station.
It’s been 180 years since Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) an American naval officer, ship’s captain, and explorer led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842. He voyaged to the Antarctic continent and his journey has never been more relevant!
Amundsen might have been the first man to reach the South Pole, in 1911, but the discovery of the Antarctic continent occurred several generations earlier. In January 1840, when Wilkes was commander of the United States Exploring Expedition, he charted 1500 miles of the east Antarctic coastline in his flagship U.S.S. Vincennes (picure on the right, shows the 19th-century painting, based on a sketch by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, USN, depicting USS Vincennes in Disappointment Bay, Antarctica, circa January–February 1840).
We remind our friend Ham radio Bhagwati Prasad Semwal, VU3BPZ (on the pic aside while at Maitri Base) when reading the article below, which gives our readers an idea on what means a Scientific campaign in Antarctica. Not only a pleasure of a selfy with penguins, not a vacation in a paradise but study, scientific projects, researches and experiments, hard life away from the normal activities at home.
India’s Bharati Station in Antarctica. The continent is home to around 70 active research bases belonging to various countries. These bases house more than 4,000 people during the summer and around 1,000 people in winter. They spend an entire year in isolation, conducting research projects on the icy continent.
This year, the winter team has 23 members deployed at the Bharati station. It is my responsibility to conduct regular health check-ups to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of my team mates.
Amateur radio use in the UK has seen a “significant” rise during the coronavirus lockdown as people seek new ways of staying connected. The national body that represents users – the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) – has said many people who formerly enjoyed the hobby are also returning to it.
Located on ASPA 128, Demay refuge (wood hut) 62°13’ South, 58°26’30” West, is situated on a flat marine gravel terrace in Paradise Cove between Demay Point and Uchatka Point. The refuge can be reached both by Zodiac and by foot.
Their memories are preserved in the cottage guest book. The refuge contains two bunk beds, gas cooker, stove and even a shower. There is a VHF radio available with antenna on the rocks above the refuge. It is perfect for hiding from the cold, wind, blizzard and heavy rain. Those who stayed in the Paradise overnight can confirm that few earthy pleasures compare to a dawn on the veranda with a warm cup of tea in hands and a view over a calm horizon decorated with icebergs, waves breaking against the rocks of Demay Head, sleepy elephant seals and playful furseals.
The little old Hut at Lusitania Bay (54° 42′ South, 154°50′ East) just north of the king penguin colony. The huts are old Walrus aircraft engine packing crates, put in place in 1949. They served as field huts for many years and still could have, no doubt, except that the king penguin colonies at Sandy Bay and Lusitania Bay overtook them both and they were abandoned in favour of the new huts at Brothers Point and Waterfall Bay. (pic aside show Lusitania Bay’s penguin colony)
Brothers Point 54° 34.4′ South, 158° 55.1′ East (pic on the right show the Googie Hut at Brother’s point)
Waterfall Bay Hut (pic on the left) located at 54° 41.5′ South, 158° 51.9′ East
While talking of his Antarctic experience, Marco De Pas (DK5SQX-IK5SQX) is happy for such a great professional and human experience lived in the Icy Continent. -Our LIDAR a kind of optical radar that does “Cloud ranging” works perfectly and that’s great- Marco said!