Agosto 2022 – W.A.P.

Sunrise at Concordia

On: 30 Agosto 202230 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

The 12-member crew of Concordia Research Station (WAP MNB-Ø3) woke up to a most welcome sight in early August: sunrise, after four months of Antarctic darkness.

The return of the sun is a major milestone for the isolated and confined crew; they are three-quarters of the way through their Antarctic residency and will soon prepare to welcome the summer influx of researchers at the base.

ESA-sponsored medical doctor Hannes Hagson snapped this picture from the Station’s front door in early on 5 August. “Time here has the strange quality of both passing really quickly and very slowly at the same time,” he shared, “and in just two days we expect the return of the sun to grace us here at 75 degrees south! The returning daylight certainly has us all cheered up and starting to sense the beginning of the final part of this adventure.”

The winter months in Antarctica are tough, with temperatures dropping below −80C under a pitch black sky.

To combat winter blues, the crew keep busy, celebrating mid-winter (and the half-way point in their Antarctic stay) in June with their own traditions and taking part in the Antarctic Winter Games in July. Stations with a winter crew across Antarctica participate in a series of physical challenges and friendly competition.

With August comes not only sunlight, but production work for the Antarctic Film Festival, with each base submitting an original piece. Check out last year’s winning entry from Concordia in the Open category.

Of course, it’s not all fun and games. Hannes has been busy with biomedical research, as he continues to gather data from crew urine, stool and blood samples, as well as cognitive and psychological measures through questionnaires to study the effects of isolated, confined and extreme environments on the human body.

In October 2022 the crew will begin to prepare the base for the summer campaign. Rooms and tents must be prepared for the 40 or so incoming researchers.

Source: ESA – Winter, over

TNX Dr. Volker Strecke DL8JDX

KC4USY Ross Island Field Camp “New entry” in WAP-WADA Directory

On: 26 Agosto 202226 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

Anthony W Delprato, WA4JQS is an Antarctic veteran (WA4JQS – Callsign Lookup by QRZ Ham Radio ) and lots more … Thanks to his precious help, we are now in a position to add another piece to the Antarctic history listed in the pages of the WAP-WADA Directory.

Radio amateurs have been and currently are, a primary help since the birth of WAP. Thanks to them we have been able to put in the Directory, many Antarctic sites brought “On Air” by radio amateurs.

This is confirmed today by this new entry KC4USY Ross Island Field Camp (aka McMurdo Sound) at 77°50’North, 166°40’East.

On the rear side of KC4USY’s QSL, we can read a note reported by Richard F Przywitowski WAØSHZ , Ski (WAØSHZ) was the operator of KC4USY:

KC4USY, on Ross Island, was active from March to October 1968.

Near this QTH is McMurdo Station and Mt. Erebus, one of the few active volcanoes in Antarctica. Adelie and Emperor penguins, seals and skua gulls are the only wildlife in the area. Temperatures range from plus 30° to minus 40° F. over the year; high winds being common to the QTH, our highest of the year was recorded at 101 knots.

The purpose of the site was to monitor and record geophysical phenomena which are associated with the upper atmosphere. Areas of interest were optical emissions of the sky, aurora study, ultra-low frequency recording and Doppler shift detection of known RF sources.

Antarctica being an unique location for these studies, thus our being there. Only 469 contacts were made by KC4USY, power generally being less 75 watts.

Mny tnx to all who gave a shout, 73.

Rickard F. PrzywilownSKI” WAØSZH, ex – KC4USN ’66.

And here, is the comment from Tony (WA4JQS)

They were on Ross Island some distance (about 3 to 6 miles) from McMurdo Station (77°50’53” North,166°40’06” East). They were only there for a short time, back then they would go out and set up summer camps for a month or two. Then break them down.

I was in a QSO with Willy Field one night when a crew member came into the shack and told the op to come outside. A penguin had walking into camp and Willy Field was 200 miles from the water. They backtracked his tracks and found another set of tracks just outside the camp that went around the camp. They followed them and found the lone penguin . Both were put on a C 54 and flown out to the coast later that week. 73 Tony WA4JQS

At the light of these evidences, we are entering Ross Island Field Camp (aka McMurdo Sound) at 77°50’North, 166°40’East on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP USA-48.

TNX Tony WA4JQS (https://www.qrz.com/db/WA4JQS) & Ski WAØSHZ (11619 Billings Ave, Lafayette, CO 80026-9647, USA)

David FT4YM will join the 2022-2023 French Antarctic campaign in Antarctica

On: 23 Agosto 202223 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

David FT4YM (FT4YM) will be QRV again from Antarctica during the next summer campaign (December 2022 to March 2023).
Pic aside show David FT4YM and Danilo IZ1KHY, last season at Concordia Station

Although it’s too early to know his exact calendar, David is on the list as driver-mechanic for one of the three convoys that will connect Cap Prud’homme (WAP MNB-NEW) to Little Dome C (WAP MNB-15) via Concordia (WAP MNB-Ø3) on both ways.

During the period, activity is forseen from the following bases:

FT4YM: Base Dumont d’Urville, Petrels island. (WAP FRA-Ø1)

FT4YM/P: Base Concordia.

FT4YM/P: Base Little Dome C.

FT4YM/P: Robert Guillard Station at Cap Prud’homme (aka Base Cape Prud’homme).

As soon as David FT4YM/P will be on air from this brand new Base, a new WAP reference will be issue.

The French radio amateur Polar Team, provides a complete station to take part in the Odyssey on the air. It comprises a Huttenberg HT2000 generator, a Yaesu FT891 transceiver, an Alinco DM330 power supplì. This year, an Icom IC2KL amplifier, a fibr glass mast, a 20/40m wire vertical antenna and other supplies, will be part of David’s set up in Antarctica.

TNX Mehdi, F5PFP

Cape Prud’homme (Cape Prud’Homme WAP MNB-NEW – W.A.P. (waponline.it)) is a French-Italian Station managed by the (French Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV) and the Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA). Cape Prud’homme is acually WAP MNB-NEW on WAP-WADA Directory. Located on the Antarctic coast, Cap Prud’Homme houses the small Robert Guillard Station, capable of accommodating up to a maximum of 18 people, the tunnels where the tractors and machinery necessary for the traverse are housed and, of course, the material destined for Concordia, which arrives in Antarctica with the Polar French ship Astrolabe, near the French station Dumont D’Urville, which is just 5 km away.

More about Cap Prud’homme

On the mainland, 5 km from the Island of Petrels, DDU (Dumont D’Urville) is articulated to a third place, Robert Guillard (Cap Prud’homme), the basic element of a system whose main objective is to organize, depending on the year, in addition to scientific expeditions, two or three raids to supply fuel and equipment to the Franco-Italian station Concordia.

Prud’homme is a small unit, from 10 to 20 people depending on the moment, and which is defined as “a village”, administered by an “elder”, named with a touch of humor, the “mayor”. An unelected mayor, without specific status, but simply considered, thanks to his experience, as responsible for the coordination of a team of men and women.

The village is composed mainly of mechanics in charge of preparing and accompanying the raid, a real physical feat, 20 days of crossing round trip across the icy continent, in tractors pulling containers mounted on skis, loaded with tanks of fuel and equipment. It is a real umbilical cord without which Concordia built at 3,200 meters above sea level and 1,200 km from the coast could not live.

TM6ØANT & TM19AAW by F8DVD

On: 20 Agosto 202230 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

François Bergez F8DVD informs WAP that his last activity’s QSLs have been printed and now are ready to confirm all the QSOs made.

While sending the preview of both cards, François wrote :
Just received print of QSLs for my last two activations.

TM6ØANT (WAP-318) in commemoration of the 6Øth Anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty.

TM19AAW (WAP-344) for the 19th Antarctic Activity Week.

The picture shows the elevated dormitories used as housing for summer and winter personnel at the US Amundsen Scott – South Pole Station (WAP USA-21). The structure is raised on stilts to allow drifting snow to blow under it.

Thanks to Alfio IT9EJW for printing. Direct QSL are posted to day

TNX F8DVD, congrats for such a geat job!

Special QSLs could be requested Direct to:

F8DVD François BERGEZ
6, rue de la Liberte. 71000 MACON, France

Why planes don’t fly over Antarctica?

On: 17 Agosto 202217 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

Something interesting has been publish recently on the web. Here an abstract:

Among the places over which we must not fly we find, for example, Antarctica. It is forbidden to fly over Antarctica because, due to the strong winds and storms.

First, the pilot would not have good visibility; furthermore, in the event of an emergency landing, passengers would be exposed to almost certain freezing. Furthermore, Antarctica is made up of mountains which does not make it a suitable territory for landing a plane.

The North Pole is surrounded by magnetic fields whose radius and direction can change for kilometers even every year: if the magnetic field moves, the pilot cannot orient himself precisely to the north and would not be able to keep the course and land. In fact, the runways in airports are oriented by calculating the distance from the North Pole: a strong magnetic field such as that of the North Pole, therefore, would cause a loss of alignment and the impossibility of reaching the landing strip. This is why pilots must avoid flying over poles and magnetic fields in general.

Source: Perché gli aerei non sorvolano l’Antartide? Pochi conoscono la risposta | Impensabile (nanopress.it)

TNX IZ1GJK Maury

Argentina will build three new multidisciplinary laboratories and two Refuges in Antarctica

On: 15 Agosto 202215 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

Three new multidisciplinary laboratories for the Esperanza, San Martín and Orcadas bases, together with new shelters on the Vega and Cerro Nevado islands, near the Marambio Base will be built during 2023 by Argentina in its Antarctic territory, based on an agreement signed last wee by the Ministers of Science, Daniel Filmus, of Defense, Jorge Taiana, and Foreign Affairs, Santiago Cafiero.

The initiative was presented at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, where officials confirmed that the buildings were designed by engineers of the Argentine Army who hope to complete their construction during the next Antarctic summer campaign in 2023. The Ministry of Science will finance them with 200 million pesos within the framework of the Federal Program Build Science program.

These three new laboratories and the two refuges are part of the first stage of the “Multidisciplinary Antarctic Laboratories” project, promoted by the Ministry of Science, the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA), the Joint Antarctic Command (Cocoantar) and the General Manuel N. Savio Foundation.

These three laboratories of 120 square meters and the two shelters of 20 square meters represent a great advance of the scientific capacities of Argentina since it allows to improve the scientific-technological work in Argentine Antarctic bases that until now concentrated much of their scientific activity in the summer months, it was officially reported.

TNX IK1NEG Gabry

As soon as these new sites will be open, and a name for each one will be given (probaly the refuges will be called the Vega Island Refuge and Cerro Nevado Island Refuge, they will be incuded in the list of WAP-WADA Directory as WAP ARG-NEW.

WAP remains in stand by for the Laboratories at Esperanza (WAP ARG-Ø4), San Martín (WAP ARG-Ø8) and Orcadas (WAP ARG-15) Bases, to see if they will be part of the Bases or if they will be located away of them.

Polympics, the annual Antarctic Games among the overwinterings

On: 12 Agosto 202212 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

The Polies have just join the now-annual Polympics, that have involved the other Antarctic stations in the 2022 Antarctic Games.

The friends form Arctowsky Polish Antarctic Station (WAP POL-Ø1) did join the 2022 edition as well!
Winter is the time when Antarctic stations of different countries undertake various forms of cooperation and competition among themselves. Contrary to the intensive summer period, there is a little more time for this in winter. In July, the crew of the Henry Arctowski Station took part in the “Antarctic Games” sports competition organized by the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (WAP USA-21 and/or WAP USA-36). The joint initiative provided sports emotions, joy and the feeling that we are not alone in Antarctica.

Hope the WAP followers have already seen the previous post, the one regarding the WIFFA (Winter International Film Festival of Antarctica) pubblished few days ago. Well, Arctowsky is one of the several Stations that intended to partecipate.

Still follow film festival website https://www.wiffa.aq and enjoy it! It’s a nice oportunity to see how is the life in Antarctica on winter time!

TNX Arctowski Station

Winter International Film Festival of Antarctic

On: 9 Agosto 20229 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

Winter International Film Festival of Antarctica (WIFFA) is an annual film festival open exclusively to those who spend the entire winter in Antarctica or in Subantarctic areas.
The festival was held for the first time in McMurdo (WAP USA-22) & Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1) in 2006 and 2007 where is started the competition for the 48hr films locally at the two bases.
In 2008 eight stations participated, and for every year since then, both interest in the festival and the number of participants has grown.
The festival is for short movies, within 5 minutes of duration, and has two categories:

48-hour filming – usually takes place in the first week of August; on the day of the start of the competition the participating stations receive a list of the five elements that must be included; the film must be ready to be screened within the following 48 hours.

The five topics of the 48 Hrs are usually represented by a sound, an object, a character, an action and a quote. Five bases then choose within each of these general topics a specific element which will be communicated to all stations and which must be represented in the film (for example the sound could be the sound of an animal, the object a bottle, etc.).
Once the short films have been shot, they are sent and viewed by all the participating bases, which give a vote, thus deciding the best film for both categories, the best actor / actress, the best soundtrack, the best costumes and so on.

Watch the festival website and enjoy the past and recent films at: https://www.wiffa.aq

While waiting to see which one will be the best of the 2022 edition, WAP wish all the stations’s partecipants, a wonderful game!

SQ1SGB Sebastian Gleich, ready for the new Halley season 2022-2023

On: 6 Agosto 20227 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

In a recent contact, Seba SQ1SGB has confirmed that his 4th season at Halley VI-a (WAP GBR-4Ø) is coming.

Seba wants to prepare himself to this season and he’s looking for some light Digital converter fitting to his FT857 RTX, to be on Digi other than the usual SSB.

For this Antarctic season, Seba has finally got permission (after 3 years) to use the station’s antenna, which he had already used for a short time last year. With that large multiband , the signal will certainly perform better, as no amplifier is allowed down there!

We have also talked about callsign; Seba said that probably he can apply for VPØHAL, if not VP8/SQ1SGB.

In particular, about VPØHAL callsign, Seba said: “I’ve not heard anything, but have been meaning to contact them. I have just send an email to the BAT government to ask if there is any new info.

“Response from BAT government: “I’m afraid we still aren’t yet in a position to be able to issue BAT amateur radio licences. We received a number of responses to the consultation which raised several issues that we need to consider for the new legislation and the process for issuing of licences.

We hope to make progress this year and to be in a position to be able to issue licences soon.”

So VPØHAL seems to be still possible and again, if not, VP8/SQ1SGB will be the call.

TNX Sebastian Gleich SQ1SGB
76-039 Biesiekierz 65
Biesiekierz 76-039, Poland

60 years of the Antarctic Treaty. History and celebration in radio waves

On: 3 Agosto 20223 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

A very interesting pubblication, signed by Dr. Volker Strecke, DL8JDX, Antarctic veteran has been recentry pubblished on the german journal “Polarforschung“.
(The journal “Polarforschung” (Polar Research) is being published jointly by the DGP and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Contributions of all disciplines of polar research are published).

The newest scientific article by Dr. Volker Strecke, retrace the evolution history of the Antarctic Treaty, its impact on the scientific activities in Antarctica since its born till today, with particular reference to the Hamadio activities carried out in 60 years, up to the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary, which involved radio amateurs from all over the world.

The whole article, can be downloaded at: https://polf.copernicus.org/articles/90/13/2022/.

Congrats to Volker DL8JDX and thanks for having shared his research and his long experience with WAP.

Chat Live with Scientists in Antarctica

On: 1 Agosto 20223 Agosto 2022 By: Gianni Varetto

Live from Palmer Station

August 11, 2022 7:00 PM to
August 11, 2022 8:00 PM
Zoom

On August 11 at 7pm EST, join ecologist Kim Bernard and her team live from Palmer Station (WAP USA-23), Antarctica for an event in honor of the first ever World Krill Day. In this live Zoom event, learn how researchers study krill, small crustaceans that play an important role in the marine food web, and why they are so important to the health of the ocean.

You can also learn more about Dr. Bernard and her research on the lab website.