Mese: Gennaio 2021

MPV Everest  did arrive in Hobart, Tasmania,  to commence work for the Australian Antarctic Program, resupplying Australian stations and changing over personnel this summer.

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) has chartered the vessel to undertake two voyages to Casey (WAP AUS-Ø2), Davis (WAP AUS-Ø3) and Mawson (WAP AUS-Ø4) research stations in Antarctica.

The first voyage has departed for Casey research station on 9 January after cargo and equipment has been loaded for resupply, and expeditioners board the vessel.

Built in 2017, the 140-metre long MPV Everest is an ice-strengthened ship with the ability to break sea ice up to one meter thick, and an international crew experienced in polar conditions.

Maritime Construction Services (MCS) has announced, that it has been awarded a contract by The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) for Supply Services in the Antarctic region. With the ICE Class 1A Super characteristics of the MPV Everest, this is the best equipped vessel worldwide to provide these services in Antarctica.

No Ham operation have been performed from onboard

Here a few  recent information about ham Radio from Antarctica. Good hunting!

Wolf’s Fang Runway (WAP MNB-12)

Oleg ZS1ANF is on his way to Wolf´s Fang Runway MNB-12 on the Antarctic inland ice and possibly will be active as ZS7ANT in this Antarctic summer season at beginning of Febr.. Probably he will be operating from Whichaway Camp WAP MNB-11 too.

See http://www.qrz.com/db/zs1anf

Neumayer 3 Base (WAP (DEU-Ø8)

The German research icebreaker Polarstern DP0POL/mm did arrive at the shelf ice coast north of the Neumayer 3 base at Jan.18, 2021. Soon we can expect the hear DP0GVN and DP1POL from that location.

QSL for DP0POL/mm and DP0GVN via DL5EBE, QSL for DP1POL via DL1ZBO.

See http://www.qrz.com/db/dp0gvn   and  http://www.qrz.com/db/dp1pol

Halley 6(a) Base (WAP GBR-4Ø)

Seba, VP8/SQ1SGB is currently working as an electronician at Halley 6(a) Base on the Brunt Ice Shelf.  He will try to operate mostly on 40m between 23,00 and 00,00 UTC in SSB or FT8. Check 7180-7195 SSB, 7073-7075 FT8. He will stay there until Feb.4, 2021 only. QSL via EB7DX.  VP8DOI is busy on the field and it’s hard for him to be on air.

See also http://www.qrz.com/db/vp8/sq1sgb

Belgrano II Base  (WAP ARG-Ø6)

The Belgrano II Base in Antarctica (LU1ZG and LU3HRS/Z) is still active in this antarctic summer season 2020/2021. The are QRV mainly on 20m FT8-FT4-JT65 when time permits. IOTA reference is AN-011 (Ross Island). QSL via LU4DXU or LU4AA or LOTW. QSL from LU4AA will be delivered only twice a year

Keep an eye on W.A.P Worldwide Antarctica Program http://www.waponline.it  for any further info.

See http://www.qrz.com/db/lu1zg

8J1RL Syowa base (WAP JAP-Ø3)

“JARE61”. Till february, Takumi Kondo (JG3PLH) and Taka (JA1AGS) are active on CW and FT8. From Feb.  2021 till Jan 2022, Hiro (JH7JCX) will be the only operator up there.
Info: https://www.qrz.com/db/8J1RL

Polar Ship /MM

Several Polar ship are actually sailing the Antarctic even if no Ham radio operation have been planned from onboard.  M/V  Vasiliy Golovnin (VU ship) has reached  Cape Town. After completing the cargo loads she well head to Antarctica

New DX North & South Pole Award

UA6GG did issue a completely new polar award: the North & South Pole Trophy.
See: http://www.dxtrophy.com/arctica

More awards: https://www.dxtrophy.com/plaque

Further Enquiries: mydxtrophy@gmail.com

 

Last moment news: Strong earthquake strikes near Antarctica, causes small tsunami

A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Southern Ocean near Antarctica on Saturday, prompting a tsunami alert for areas which are virtually uninhabited, officials say. Small tsunami waves were reported but serious damage or injuries are not expected.

The earthquake happened at 8:37 p.m. Chilean time on Saturday and struck about 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of Elephant, a mountainous and ice-covered island in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands.

The nearby Chilean base Eduardo Frei (WAP CHL-Ø5), has been put on evacuation alert due to tsunami risk.

Thanks and credit: https://bnonews.com/index.php/2021/01/powerful-earthquake-hits-off-antarctica/  

The QSL of Y83ANT, (sept. 13,1983) shows the GDR station “near Novolazarevskaya” at 71°S, 12°E. There is no mention of a name of this Base on the QSL, just a generic “GDR station near Novolazarevskaya.

A question arose: If Georg Forster Station was located at 70°46’S-11°51’E, is this old one, the same Base?

We have to thanks 2 Antarctic veterans, several time operating from this Antarctic site, who did help WAP to write a true  story of this East Germany (GDR) laboratory, established near the Russian Novolararevskaya Sation: Ing. Andreas Mueller DL3LRM, and Dr. Volker Strecke DL8JDX.

Andreas said:

«Historically, the team from East Germany has been a part of the Russian Novo Station since the late 1970s, but had their own base about a kilometer away from the main building. In 1987, this base (a set of containers and an antenna areal) was named “George Forster” in order to become the first official research station of East Germany, as part of their efforts to be part of the Antarctic Treaty (which demands that a Country has to run a permanent all year base in Antarctica). So this is the reason why the QSL only states “near Novolazarevskaya”, since in 1983, as “George Forster” was not established yet. Had the privilege to visit that site and the plague twice, and also to met some of its residences».

Volker, another old time Antarctic veteran and operator of Georg Forster Station (WAP DDR-Ø1) sent us a complete explanation that clarifies the entire story on the GDR activity in Antarctica.
Volker wrote:

«The former East Germany (German Democratic Republic GDR) acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), see http://www.ats.aq  on November 19, 1974, initially as non-consultative member. The GDR built this “Container station” in 1976 in the Schirmacher Oasis near the Russian Station Novolazarevskaya (WAP RUS-Ø9). It was called GDR Base Laboratory near Novoalazarevskaya. The only one HAM Radio activity from that Base Laboratory,  between 1976 and 1987 was Y83ANT in 1983.
Picture aside, shows an old view,  shortly after the completion of the GDR Base Laboratory near Novolazarevskaya in 1976 (Photo: Hartwig Gernandt, AWI Bremerhaven).

The GDR research activities included scientific works on  ionospherics, magnetics, geology, chemistry and biology, were supported by the Russian colleagues from Novolazarevskaya and by the Indian colleagues from Dakshin Gangotri (WAP IND-Ø1) and Maitri (WAP IND-Ø3).

After ratification of the Treaty, the GDR received ATS consultative status on October 5, 1987. This was associated with an own research station in Antarctica. So the existing base laboratory was officially named GDR Antarctic Research Station Georg Forster (WAP DDR-Ø1) at Oct. 25, 1987.

In the summer season 1987-1988 at Georg Forster,  a completely new radio station was built. Georg Forster did get the marine Call Y3ZA and the land-based Call Y3G. The radio system was a very powerful and reliable: KSS-1300 with 1 KW, able to operate in CW, SSB and SITOR Telex, several EKD-500 receivers, an extremely good working 2x85m V-Beam, a corner reflector antenna, a diversity antenna, a vertical antenna and several wire antennas».

HAM Radio activities from Georg Forster were:

1988-1989  Y88POL   (op: DL8JDX)

1989-1991  Y90ANT  (op: DK1BT)

1990-1992  Y88POL   (op: DL8JDX)

The Georg Forster Base had 5 overwintering teams:

1. Antarctic Expedition (AE) 1987-1989 with 8 members (including Volker, DL8JDX, as electronic engineer)
2. AE 1988-1990 with 8 members
3. AE 1989-1991 with 8 members
4. AE 1990-1992 with 4 members (including Volker, DL8JDX, as electronic engineer, Radio officer and Post officer)
5. AE 1991-1993 with 1 member

After the German reunification at Oct. 3, 1990 it was decided later that the further German Antarctic research activities would have been focused at Neumayer II Base and its surroundings. So in the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 the entire Georg Forster Station had been dismantled and disposed of.

A commemorative plaque was left at this place. The former Georg Forster base was included into the ATS  list of historic sites in Antarctica with No. 87.

List of all Antarctic historic sites: https://documents.ats.aq/recatt/att596_e.pdf

Volker concludes his report saying: «Andreas, DL3LRM is completely right with his comments based on his experience. As he was op. at DPØGVN in Neumaye III and operator at DP0POL/MM on the icebreaker Polarstern, He is the real expert and one of the few persons who were in the Antarctic and in the Arctic in the same year (2020)».

Thanks to Volker, DL8JDX, (WAP Ambassador) and operator in several Antarctic Overwintering Expeditions:

1988-1989  Y88POL  Georg Forster

1990-1992  Y88POL  Georg Forster

1992-1994  DPØGVN  Neumayer II

And thanks to Andreas DL3LRM another great operator for years in Antarctica

Photo 1 aside: Georg Forster base in March 1991  (Photo: Volker Strecke, DL8JDX)

Photo 2 below : Georg Forster Historic Site Plaque in December 2018 (Photo: Andreas Mueller, DL3LRM)

Photo 3 here at the right: Georg Forster First Day cover with special stamp for the opening of the postal office at May 1, 1988  (Volker Strecke)

Documents say: The site of the former Georg Forster  station is marked by a bronze plaque. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 87), following a proposal by Germany to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

At the light of this new evidences, a new WAP reference number WAP DDR-Ø2 has been issued to:
GDR Base Laboratory near Novolazarevskaya,  

71° South, 12° East

Location: Schirmacher Oasis

Callsign Y83ANT

Year of activity 1983

 

WAP DDR-Ø1 (from Oct 5, 1987, till Oct. 5, 1990) remains issued for Y88POL and Y90ANT.

The applicants who have submitted Y83ANT as DDR-Ø1, will be automatically credited DDR-Ø2  to it, and they eventually have to submit one of the two calls Y88POL or Y90ANT for DDR-Ø1.

Once again, thanks to DL8JDX and DL3LRM for their evaluable help and support.

The British established Base W on Detaille Island in 1956, intending to use it to launch dog-sledding expeditions across the ice to the Antarctic Peninsula, and conduct geologic and meteorologic research.

Antarctic explorers unearthed a “spooky” abandoned British Refuge Base on the icy continent after its last occupants are said to have fled more than 50 years ago.
Speaking during his Amazon Prime documentary “Terra Antarctica” Award-winning filmmaker and author Jon Bowermaster,  did  reveal a  forgotten building on Detaille Island.: «I went ashore to have a look at an old British refuge hut, this one is known simply as Camp W, untouched since its last occupants ran out more than 50 years before»,  he said.

Jon Bowermaster  talks about an old British supply depot on Detaille Island (WAP GBR-26), that hasn’t been occupied for more than half-a-century.

VP8CC was active on HF from Base W long ago (1958-59) and nobody else put this rare spot on the air since then. Thanks the great efforts by Mehdi F5PFP,  who did activate this “spooky” site 10 years ago (6 march 2011) today we are aware to have made a contact with something very, very rare.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the national operation running in the frozen desert and is part of the Natural Environmental Research Council. With over 400 staff, BAS takes an active role in Antarctic affairs, operating five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in both polar regions, as well as addressing key global and regional issues. This involves joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and more than 120 national and international collaborations since a small expedition established a permanently occupied base on the continent during World War 2.

Read more at: 
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1352301/antarctica-abandoned-british-base-detaille-island-camp-w-world-war-2-research-station-spt

and also at:

https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/about-bas/history/british-research-stations-and-refuges/detaille-island-w/

At the end of last november  a  nontraditional ceremony was held at the Lyttelton Port in Christchurch, New Zealand, to welcome the docking of Chinese research Icebreaker Xuelong 2, or (Snow Dragon 2),  which carries members of the 37th Chinese Antarctic scientific expedition, arrived in Christchurch after a 17-day voyage.

At the “contactless” welcome ceremony, a drone of the University of Canterbury (UC) delivered a Christchurch gift – a Maori element souvenir – to the deck of the ship, where about 100 crew of Xuelong 2 waved hands or small Chinese national flags to local officials standing on shore.

Click the red button for a short video
Since it departed on Nov. 10 from Shanghai,  I/B Xuelong 2 has sailed about 5,112 nautical miles. The ship is actually moored  the China’s Zhongshan Station (WAP CHN-Ø2)in Antarctica.
More info link:  http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-11/28/content_76958334.htm

WAP-WACA & WAP-WADA Awards Directories are  online, ready to download.

Release 036 of the IK6CAC program to manage WAP Awards is also available to download .

WAP Antarctic Bulletin nr. 288 issued Jan. 11-2021  is also on WAP website  as well as for those interested in Antarctic & Sub-Antarctic Lighthouses, the Directory is now online.

Check from the home page of WAP website, select the window of what you wish to see and that’s it, or simply click on the item you wish to open, directly from this page and go!

Enjoy Antarctica … we are always on!

73 from IK1QFM Betty, IK1GPG Max, I1HYW Gianni

40 ISEA (Indian  Scientific Expedition to Antarctica)  sailed off from Mormugao Port with 43 Indian members on board.

Vessel, M/V Vasiliy Golovnin  is scheduled to travel about 25,000 km through Arabian Sea, Indian and Southern Oceans until mid of April 2021.

Thanks and credit to: Ministry of Earth Sciences Government of India

Pic aside show  the Team of 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica in a group photo at Mormugao Port in Goa. Expedition Vessel, M/V Vasiliy Golovnin in the background

Whatch two short Videos at: https://www.facebook.com/100012140287322/videos/pcb.1173631973051468/1173641353050530/ and

https://www.facebook.com/100012140287322/videos/pcb.1173631973051468/1173641389717193/

Too bad there’s no Ham operator on board, nor at Maitri or Bharati Stations this year… it’s a shame

Several traverses (aka Russian Antarctic Convoy) have been made in the recent past time by Russian Teams, especially in the East Antarctic. Often, studies were carried out on the scientific traverse as for example the 1978–1984 Mirny–Komsomolskaya–Ridge B, Denman Glacier and Dome Concordia, or the 1999-2000  Mirny-Vostok traverse with intermediate stops at Pionerskaya (WAP RUS-1Ø), and Konsomolskaya (WAP RUS-Ø5) as well as the so called Vostok I (WAP RUS-14) and more specifically the stopping sites on the way to the North and South of Vostok I Base as  reported on several QSL cards.

So for example: Ham radio did operate from there so for example R1ANB/A at 70° 14’ South-95° 44’ East (3 dec.1999), 71° 55’ Sout-96° 28’ East (11.dec.1999), 75° 12’ South-97°02’ East (14 dec.1999), R1ANC did operate  at 69° 24’ South-95° 11’ East (27 dec.1999), where most of the ground Radio Echo Soundings inspections have been done.

From 25 dec.2002 through 15 jan.2003, on the 48^th Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) R1ANC/P did operate at 78°18’ South, 106°32’ East  as well reported by the operator (UA1PAC Alex Kuz’menko) itself:

Austral summer field season of 48 RAE (2002/03)

Ground based radio-echo sounding (RES) were carried out in the area of subglacial Lake Vostok during the last five years by Polar Marine Geological Research Expedition in the framework of Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE). These investigations goal to collect information about the geomorphology of the lake bottom and surrounding slopes providing some understanding of the geomorphologic features in this area of East Antarctica. During the austral summer season of 48 RAE (2002/03) we collected sub-ice relief and ice sheet information along profiles of radio-echo sounding survey. The ice thickness over the water-table of the subglacial Lake Vostok is app. 4,000 m (13120 ft). The average temperature which’ were observed during the field season was app. -35C (-31F). The RES routs was about 550 km long (342 miles).

The radio-echo sounding team was composed by:

Sergey V. Popov-leader of the group, Yury B. Chemoglazov-radio engineer, Alan V. Kuz’menko-radio engineer, Victor V. Kharitonov-radio engineer, Anton V. Senatorov-geodesist, Anatoly G. Tsyvarev-mechanical engineer and  Vlad A. Pisklov-mechanical engineer.

At the light of this evidence, WAP has issued a new reference WAP RUS-16 to R1ANB/A, R1ANC (operation from  dec 1999 trough Jan 2000) and R1ANC/P (operation from 25 dec.2002 through 15 jan.2003) respectively from Ground based radio-echo sounding (RES) at Subglacial Lake Vostok’s area (coordinates from 69°-77°South, 95°-98° East)

R1ANB/A  and R1ANC did operate outside of the main stations Mirny (WAP RUS-Ø7),  Pionerskaya (WAP RUS-1Ø), Konsomolskaya (WAP RUS-Ø5), Vostok I (WAP RUS-14) and Vostok (WAP RUS-13) from December 1999 through January 2000).

R1ANC/P (operation from 25 dec.2002 through 15 jan.2003)

Some addition about RES:
Since 1995, Polar Marine Geological Research Expedition has performed the geophysical investigations of Lake Vostok, Central East Antarctica. The study of this phenomenon is carried out by means of radio-echo sounding (RES) and reflection seismic. In total, 3250 km of RES profiles and 194 seismic measurements have been made. The motivation for resuming the Russian scientific traverses was the discovery of Lake Vostok in the 1990s. Because the location of Lake Vostok is very close to Vostok Station it opened widespread possibilities.

Ground-based RES and reflection seismic soundings were finished in 2008 with a total of 5190 km of RES profiles and 318 reflection seismic measurements were carried out Besides, allowing for better understanding of the Earth’s crustal structure, passive seismic investigations have also been carried out on the profile across the Lake Vostok near Vostok Station

Read more about RES at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339273179_Fifty-five_years_of_Russian_radio-echo_sounding_investigations_in_Antarctica/fulltext/5e46f5cfa6fdccd965a5ca8c/Fifty-five-years-of-Russian-radio-echo-sounding-investigations-in-Antarctica.pdf?origin=publication_detail

The chartered ice-class vessel M/V Vasiliy Golovnin will make this journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days.
After leaving behind a team of 40 members, it would return to India in April 2021. On return, it will also bring back the winter team of the preceding trip.

The scientific and logistic activities of the 40^thIndian Antarctic Expedition are limited due to the existing challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is to support the ongoing scientific projects on climate change, geology, ocean observations, electric and magnetic flux measurements, environmental monitoring; resupplying of food, fuel, provisions and spare; and accomplishing the return of the winter crew. India is committed to maintaining the continent of Antarctica free of COVID-19. The expedition will duly follow all protocols for the deployment of men and material as per Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs(COMNAP). Extra precautions of sanitizing the cargo, mandatory fourteen days of quarantine (pre, and post-expedition), and RT-PCR testing before boarding the ice-class vessel is also being conducted.

The Indian Antarctic Expeditions began in 1981. The first trip comprised of a team of 21 scientists and support staff led by Dr. SZ Qasim. After a humble beginning, the Indian Antarctic program has now credited to have built three permanent research base stations in Antarctica named:  Dakshin Gangotri WAP IND-Ø1), Maitri (WAP IND-Ø3), and Bharati (WAP IND-Ø4). Indian Bay Camp (WA IND-Ø2) is the site where normally the vessels are mooring while loading and unloading cargos.

As of today, India has two operational research stations active in Antarctica named Maitri and Bharati. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, manages the entire Indian Antarctic Program.

Thanks and credit: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1685978

Ice-class vessel M/V VASILIY GOLOVNIN has been sailing in the Arctic & Antarctic . She’s currently located at WCI – West Coast India at position 15° 24′ 30.96″ N, 73° 48′ 14.868″ E as reported by MarineTraffic Terrestrial Automatic Identification System on 2021-01-05 14:00 UTC

The wind in this area at that time blows from Northwest direction at force 3 Beaufort.