Mese: Giugno 2020

Thanks to Max IK1GPG for updating the annual ranking (WAP_ranking-issued)  and the of the most popular WAP Antarctic Awards issued (WAP_awards-issued).

WAP-WACA & WAP-WADA are a real achievement of years of DX in Ham radio activity where, Antarctica remains one of the most challenging  goal.

We remind the chasers that any time is good for sending  up dates  and /or requests of  new  Awards. No specific months or date are requested, any time is fine. When you think you’re ready  do it,  you can just contact IK1GPG  Max, WAP Award manager at (wap_info@virgilio.it)  asking information and/or to send him your list.

Having one or both of this prestigious Antarctic Awards is really  a certification to be a lover of the Icy Continent … but don’t forget the Honor Roll and Top Honor Roll, they are really the high-status certificate.

We remind the readers that here at WAP website there is a dedicate section for the WW Antarctic Awards  …  something that couldn’t be missed on the shack’s wall of any skilled DXers!

Check  http://www.waponline.it/worldwide-antarctic-awards/  to get more.

A  sudden fire broke out at the Russian Antarctic station “Mirny”  WAP RUS-Ø7  on last june 21^st at 16:40 GMT time.  The fire erupted at its weather research unit (Meteomarine) and quickly spread to several other labs, helped by strong winds.

The station has lost the Aerology Lab (aerology it’s a  branch of meteorology that studies the free atmosphere, that is not influenced by the soil), the Laboratory of Physical Institute of the RAS, program Stratospheric sounding of cosmic rays, server, hydro meteorological laboratory and the radio room.

Mirny Station actually houses 23 staff members, no one injured. The state-funded Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute said that 11 people who worked at the damaged building were evacuated and resettled at other premises. It said that communications with the outpost have been fully restored

Read the full info at:

https://izwest.livejournal.com/5623654.html?utm_source=fbsharing&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1otV99F_WOly5PmUqb6MktLQS-uQLlRJPMHWpAQBn3xK42cQ7_MIiGG58

Alexander Solodov, RX3ABI is one of the members overwintering at Mirny Station (WAP RUS-Ø7). He is supposed to be there till February 2021 operating as RI1ANM. At the moment, nobody knows  if and when he could return on air.

Hams should recall the “Award  & Trophy Program”, launched by Russian Robinson Club and published on WAP website on last Jan 7^th 2020 to celebrate the 200^th Anniversary of discovering Antarctica.

200 years is an important Anniversary and the well known at WW level:  “Russian Robinson Club “ is happy for the highest participation achieved by the program in honor of the bi-centenary of discovering Antarctica.

The results of the “Diploma” have been summed up on June 19^th 2020 by checking the 400  logs received.
To check the pdf  list click  here –> 2020_RRC_Ant_Results

Full info at: http://robinsons.ru/news/podvedeny_itogi_diplomnoj_programmy_v_chest_200_letija_otkrytija_antarktidy/2020-06-19-505   

Winners that will receive the rewards in  recognition of their achievements. are:

Ham Section
1^st   I1HYW     Gianni Varetto                  Italy    3525 points
2^nd  RA3RKG Ivanov Alexander A.        Russia 1454 points
3^rd  UA9CGL   Vladimir P. Batuev           Russia 1279 points

SWL Section
1^st      R1A-644/mm           Russia          550 points
2^nd      UA1-113-64             Russia          250 points
3^rd      R4A                       Russia          240 points

TNX RZ3EC  @ Russian Robinson Club

The Bove Commission (COM-BO) is formed by a group of experts and volunteers from governmental and private institutions, with the common goal of getting more historic information on the dismantling of the Italian Giacomo Bove Station in Antarctica (WAP ITA-Ø1).

It is known that, in september 1976,  the argentine ship ARA G.ral S. Martin Q4, “El Sapo” with approximately 30 marines from the Armada, was called to  remove the Italian Scientific Station built by Cepparo’s Expedition and named after Giacomo Bove . The  removed material was  first transferred to other ship,  ARA Bahia del Buen Suceso and then, to Buenos Aires where it should still be available in some containers of the Armada, forgotten or hidden in some old building of the Armada.

40 years ago the political situation both in Argentina and in Italy was much different compare to now.  After more than 40 years, it is time to open the folders and look for the documents that explain to the Italians and the Argentines what was the real reason for this choice.

The great friendship, that  joins the two Cuntries today, could be the element that will allow to shed light on a situation that nowadays  is still very strange!

To those who wish to add something, or leave a comment on this subject,  please use this email: combove@virgilio.it

Marble Point, (WAP USA-28) 77° 26′ South, 163° 50′ East, is a rocky promontory on the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The United States operates a Station at the point. The outpost is used as a helicopter refueling station, supporting scientific research in the nearby continental interior such as the McMurdo Dry Valley. Weather permitting, helicopters are able to fly in and out of the station 24 hours a day during the summer research season.

The station’s remote location and adjoining frozen sea have largely stemmed tourism in the area. However, the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov conducts cruises in the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. In 1993, the icebreaker docked at fast ice offshore Marble Point. Tourists aboard helicopters launched from the icebreaker, flew excursions into the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

The way station at Marble Point, is located on a narrow strip of land between Wilson Piedmont Glacier and the sea about 50 miles from McMurdo Station WAP USA-22.

United States military forces built the camp on the western shores of McMurdo Sound in 1956 in conjunction with the forthcoming 1957-58 International Geophisical Year (IGY).

Christopher M Post, N3SIG (aka WZ3Q) has been active on 2004 from Marble Point Field Camp (WAP USA-28) signing KC4/N3SIG

Chris reports: -In March of 2005 I returned from my last trip to Antarctica… I have no further dates for deployments. After spending 18 Months working at McMurdo Station I made over 5,000 contacts! My last tour to Antarctica I served as Captain of the Antarctic Fire Department at McMurdo Station. Thanks to all the hams I contacted who made my unique journey to Antarctica a Ham operator’s dream adventure!
QSL card, has to be requested direct with proper return postage to:

Christopher M Post,
447 E. Garrison Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018,  USA

WAP did join a digital conference, set by “Future Project”, “Cervignano Nostra” and “Adri-Antartica”, held on Saturday June 6^th, to promote and enhance a site called “Antarctic Memorial” being born  in Cervignano, a city in Northern Italy near Trieste.
Pic aside shows the participants:
Luca Furios (Moderator)
Luca Palazzi (Student and maker of the scale model of the  G.Bove base)
Prof PH D Julius Fabbri (IV3CCT)
Maria Teresa Scarrone President & Salvatore Puro Vice President (Associazione Culturale Giacomo Bove e Maranzana)
Carlos Pedro Vairo (Director of Marine and Antarctic Museum-Ushuaia, TdF, Argentina)
Gianni Varetto I1HYW (WAP)

We are talking about a place (MAVI) entering in a challenge launched by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano).  Since 1975, FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano, the National Trust for Italy, restores and takes care of special places in Italy so that present and future generations from all over the world, may enjoy a priceless legacy.

We already reported about this subject, but for those who wish to refresh their memory, here below are the links:

http://www.waponline.it/april-18th-2020-international-day-for-monuments-and-sites/ and http://www.waponline.it/the-giacomo-bove-antarctic-base-relives-in-italy-thanks-to-the-students/  .

Hereby a bit of the story:
In 1976 the film entrepreneur Renato Cèpparo, born in Portogruaro Italy, but lived in Milan, inaugurated the first Italian scientific research Base at Italian Valley,  on King George island, Antarctica and named it to Giacomo Bove (WAP ITA-Ø2). After only 8 (eight) months, the base was dismantled by a group of 30 sailors from the Argentine Navy. That has caused a diplomatic happening and the case… a classic “cold case” is still open

Despite the initial support of the Argentines and the Italian institutions (CNR, Foreign Ministers, Universities, etc.), the entrepreneur was soon “discharged” and began his “ban”, a modern example of “damnatio memoriae” that, nowaday, is still on!

Forty years later, an high school teacher, prof. Julius Fabbri, after having been in Antarctica in front of King George Island, decided to build a memorial to recall the ” Giacomo Bove Camp“, which had been so named in memory of the homonymous hydrographer, officer of the marine direction Giacomo Bove  (23 april 1852 – 09 august 1887),  the greatest Italian explorer of the nineteenth century.

The “Valle Italia” Antarctic Memorial, Cèpparo-Bove (MAVI) was inaugurated in 2018, at the IISS Arturo Malignani of the Bassa Friulana,  a UNESCO associated school.

Beside the MAVI construction site, Prof. Julius Fabbri carries out the diplomatic project of “Establishment of the First Italian Antarctic Historical Site” (IPSSIA) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This year In fact, the MAECI should have presented an article with a paragraph on MAVI, but unfortunately Covid19 had the event canceled.

The actual conference has been organized to document what has been done so far, and  the Organizations that share and support the project.

The whole activities are coordinated by prof. Fabbri who founded the Adri-Antartica Association, together with national consortium set up to follow the various phases, together with the local committee “ItalyAntartide” of Cervignano del Friuli.
Among the dozens of supporters, there is “Giacomo Bove & Maranzana Association” the historical partner of the project (see http://www.giacomobove.it/ita/) .

The  new visitor center called  Antarctic Memorial “Valle Italia” (MAVI), Cepparo-Bove is available at IISS Arturo Malignani, Cervignano del Friuli, Italy.
Live stream video of the conference, is available on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/luca.furios/videos/10218089372407078/UzpfSTE2MjAwODM3ODY6MTAyMjA5MDIxMzg0OTYxMjc/ 

 TNX Julius IV3CCT /II3BOVE, WAP-271.
(New callsign of the “Malignani 2000” School is IV3HIY , the project manager is OM Julius Fabbri, IV3CCT with the help of ARI Udine-Italian Amateur Radio Association).