Categoria: News & Information

HI Folks,
WAP Antarctic Bulletin nr. 304/2024 is on line.
Readers can download it or simply read it at:  WAP-Bull_304
Antarctic season has just started. Stay tuned … in spite of several FT4 & FT8 opeations, there are still some conventional  CW & SSB, done by the so called “Old Fashion” operators.
By reading the daily news here at WAP, you will be updated of scientific activities, remote scientific camps and seasonals operation from the Icy Continent.

The pic on this Bull 304’s issue,  is dedicated to  Oleg Sakharov UA1O who is in just arrived  Antarctica and who showed up already on 20 & 17 mts CW as ZS7ANF from Whichaway Camp WAP MNB-11!
LT Danilo Collino IZ1KHY/IAØ should be shotly active (SSB) from Little Dome C- Beyond Epica camp (WAP MNB-15)
David Brunet is espected to be active from the traverse Concordia-DDU as FT4YM/M. Keep an eye at Polar DX Group on Facebook and at Packet Cluster…
The 2024’s Russian Traverse to Vostok Base (WAP RUS-13), which unfortunately has no Hams to put it “On Air” is on the road!

TNX Oleg UA6GG@DX Trophy for the attached pics.

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Enjoy Antarctica as much as we do!

 

 

A Convoy of Antarctica New Zealand,  (PistenBully and polar vehicles) with the first of the Team departing Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1) on their extreme polar road trip, 15 days across the Ross Ice Shelf is officially underway to open the SWAIS2C’s 2024 on-ice season.
Watch a Video (TNX  Joe McDougal (from the Ross Ice Shelf!) at:
https://www.facebook.com/Antarctica.New.Zealand/videos/7949292535170862

Convoy is towing sleds laden with fuel, equipment, and provisions to sustain the deep-field research camp for the approximately 8-week season.

Once they complete their 1128 km journey and arrive at KIS3 they’ll create a runway on the ice, so the drillers and science team can fly into the camp.

See more at: https://www.swais2c.aq/…/international-team-launch…

SWAIS2C, acronym for “Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheets to 2 degrees Celsius of warming”, is a Multinational program  that aims to determine whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has advanced and retreated during the Holocene. This was a period of relatively stable climate that has characterised the last 10,000 years prior to the industrial revolution and the onset of the Anthropocene. In addition, to determine how marine-based ice sheets respond to a world that is 1.5°–2°C and >2°C warmer than pre-industrial times and understand the local, regional, and global impacts and consequences of the response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to this warming.

West Antarctica is largely covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, but there have been signs that climate change is having some effect and that this ice sheet may have started to shrink slightly. Over the past 50 years, the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula has been – and still is – one of the most rapidly warming parts of the planet. and the coasts of the Peninsula are the only parts of West Antarctica that become (in summer) ice-free. 

The SWAIS2C Team is made up of more than 120 people including 25 young researchers from 35 institutions of New Zealand, the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, Japan, Spain, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Italy is well involved in this task with  several universities and research institutions participating in the project, including the Geological Sciences at the Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences – DISTAV of the University of Genoa, the INGV – National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (contracting body and national leader), the University of Siena, the University of Trieste and the OGS – National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics. Italian researchers are also supported by  PNRA – National Antarctic Research Program with the “Italy for SWAIS-2C Project”.

SWAIS2C drill sites are:

Kamb Ice Stream Site 3 or KIS-3 for short located at 82° 37’ 42” South, 156° 18’ 16” West. (pic on the Right).
Over there, researchers need to drill through floating ice about 590m thick, with an ocean cavity of about 30m and tidal range of 2 m.

Crary Ice Rise Site 1 or CIR for short  is  at 83° 01’ 48” South, 172° 40’ 04” West.  (pic to the Left)
In this site, the ice is grounded and about 516m thick with no ocean cavity, so no tidal compensation is required.

 

These two remote Camps: Kamb Ice Stream Site 3 (KIS-3) and (CIR) will be add on WAP-WADA Directory, under MNB-NEW

What do the researchers study in the most remote scientific corner of Ukraine, at the Antarctic Station “Academic Vernadsky” WAP UKR-Ø1?
How do the researchers live and work on the frozen Continent?
You can learn about it live on November 10, on the World Science Day.

Start: 16:00 Kiev time (14,00 GMT)

Polar scientists of the 29th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition will conduct an online tour of the “Academic Vernadsky Station”, telling about their research and maybe even show residents around. After the meeting, scientists will be able to ask questions.

How to join?
Via Zoom, pre-register at: https://forms.gle/XaG8SepGs2q4Kn1m9

Registration open until 12:00 on November 10.  The link to connect will be sent on November 9-10.
On YouTube channel of the : www.youtube.com/@antarcticcenterua  there will be a live broadcast from Zoom.
Antarctica is approaching, we are waiting for you!

The airfields of the Russian Stations Novolazarevskaya (WAP RUS-Ø9 & WAP MNB-Ø6) and Progress  (WAP-RUS-11) in Antarctica successfully hosted the first intercontinental flights of 76TD-90VD aircraft in the 2024-2025 season. The aircraft arrived from Cape Town, delivering a total of about 100 polar explorers and more than 10 tons of cargo to the Icy Continent.

Specialists of the Russian Antarctic Expedition of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute have confirmed their readiness to ensure the reception and dispatch of international aircraft under the DROMLAN program.

The Dronning Maud Land Air Network (DROMLAN) is an air network supported by a consortium of the eleven national programmes that have stations or operations in Dronning Maud Land. Dromland purpose is to create a coordinated logistics service to reduce costs. The participating countries are: Belgium, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and United Kingdom.

 

The largest number of flights this season is planned at the airfield of the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station, which is a key center of aviation communication and one of the largest transport and logistics hubs in Antarctica.

“The program of intercontinental flights under the DROMLAN program will be expanded this season. Russian specialists will provide conditions for safe landing on ice and snow runways for about 20 flights of the IL-76 aircraft giant, whose take-off weight exceeds 200 tons. The Zenit airfield at Progress station is the only site in the world that allows heavy aircraft on wheeled landing gear to be taken to the snow strip. Six flights are expected there this season, with scientists from Russia, China and India arriving. The first flight to Progress Base has already delivered a team of Russian builders and materials for equipping a new wintering complex at the Vostok intercontinental station. The sledge-crawler trek will go deep into the continent in just a few days” said Alexander Makarov, director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute

TNX Oleg UA6GG DX Design-DX Trophy & Oleg ZS1ANF

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On the mean time, Oleg Sakharov ZS1ANF  who is at Cape Town at the moment, has just called   to inform that he is preparing for the next season in Antarctica, where he will be at Wolf’s Fang  Runway (WAP MNB-12) as ZS7ANF. (Pic to the left: Oleg’s tent at WFR)

We  really hope that Oleg will be able to activate the new sites such  as Union Glacier Camp (WAP MNB-NEW), Fuel Depot 83-South Pole Camp (WAP MNB-Ø9)!

David FT4YM (pic to the Right) is  also on the way to Antarctica. Possible activity for him is scheduled by the beginning of November.

Lt. Danilo Collino (pic to the Left) has departed this morning at 03:00UTC from Milan-Airport heading Antarctica, Danilo will sign IZ1KHY/IAØ from few different locations; Concordia (WAP MNB-Ø3), maybe Little Dome C-Epica (WAP MNB-15)  and  MZS (WAP ITA-Ø1) unless different plans on the way on. …
Stay Tuned… 
Follow us, and follow Polar DX Group on Facebook

Brabant Island, 64°27’ South, 62°14’ West is nearly 561m long and 24km wide and is the second largest island in the Palmer Archipelago. At one time it was one of the largest still to be explored in the world. It lies 400km south of the Antarctic convergence and east of Grahamland, sitting in a rather weather-beaten zone where winds are regularly above force 12.

Brabant Island has been activated from 1983 through 1985 by a British Joint Service Antarctic Expedition which overwintered in tents and carried out multidisciplinary works.

The British Joint Services Expedition was organized in three phases and included a total of 35 men. The first summer leg was organized from January to March 1984, the winter leg then lasted until the 29th of December and finally, the second and last summer leg took place from December 1984 to March 1985. Most of the members of the expeditions weren’t university-level scientists but rather experienced mountaineers. This gap was however filled by the support of numerous research institutions including, among many others, the Belgian Antarctic Committee. An impressive total of 60 scientific projects were carried out, covering topics ranging from natural sciences to sociology and human physiology. “This diversity of aim is, we believe, only possible in a Service expedition such as this free from the constraints of publication, academic rivalry and the need for immediate results.

Base Camp was right in the middle of a colony and the smell took some getting used to. The expeditionners set about unpacking and organising their 15 tonnes of kit. Farewells were brief and the 12 man team had started its big adventure. The first few weeks flew by as we erected a small tri-wall hut for use as a laboratory and a meeting place, and carefully worked out the stores and food area. This had to be marked and carefully recorded for soon it would be buried in snow. With a ready stock of most small things in the hut annex, the stores system worked very well, and only occasionally they have to dig in to find a some of the items

At that tine VP8BDG did operate HF from there, so a WAP reference number WAP GBR-2Ø has been given. (TNX GM3ITN for QSL)  
See: Joint Services Expedition to Brabant Island, Antarctica by John Kimbrey
AJ 1986 139-144 Kimbrey Brabant.pdf (alpinejournal.org.uk)

Almost 40 years after the expedition, the island has not yet finished unveiling all of its stores and camps, but the positive actions undertaken in recent years offer a glimpse of the possibility that it could, one day, be cleaned up completely. A victory that is however somewhat tinged with bitterness, as it is global warming that is freeing the waste from their frozen embrace.

While waiting  another HF operation at Brabant Island, which remains a wanted “New One” for most of the Antarctic hunters, see the article pubblished about  here on WAP website on last march 2024, where you can see also a 47′ video of the operation

Brabant Island;  when  a Hamradio operation from there? – W.A.P. (waponline.it)

The barely known history of an Argentine Antarctic shelter, the Teniente Luis Oscar Ventimiglia Hut, installed by the Argentine Antarctic Institute on Peter I Øy (Peter I Island) in March 1971 has been reported on some dedicated articles from which, WAP has taken an abstract.

In examining the history of the only Argentine Antarctic facility outside of the Argentine Antarctic Sector, this article describes the reasons behind the establishment of the Hut and the scientific work that took place there as well as previous Argentine expeditions to Peter 1st.

On 3 March 1971 a group of scientists from the IAA inaugurated   the   Teniente   (Lieutenant) Luis Oscar Ventimiglia Hut on Peter I Øy (Peter I Island). This became  the  most  remote  Argentine shelter  in Antarctica.  Peter I Øy is to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula, whereas the majority of Argentine stations are located on the western coast of the peninsula and islands located to its west: Carlini WAP ARG-2Ø (at the time known as Jubany), San Martín WAP ARG-Ø8, Melchior WAP ARG-13, Cámara WAP ARG-16, Brown WAP ARG-Ø2 and Decepción WAP ARG-12.

On 29 April 1964, the Antarctic Naval Group conducted a study to investigate the possibilities for establishing a Weather Sation on Peter I. In 1964 a complete survey of the island was undertaken and in early February 1965, the icebreaker ARA General San Martín headed towards Peter I Øy. Instructions were to conduct a general reconnaissance of the area and to determine the limits of the sea ice, anchoring areas, disembarkation points as well as potential helicopter and DHC-2 Beaver airplane landing sites.
By mid-February 1971 the icebreaker ARA General San Martín, left Ushuaia for the fourth stage of its annual voyages, with nine people on board specifically for the mission to Peter I Øy. On March 2nd  at 16:00, a first flight was performer with a Navy Aviation Alouette III S-31 helicopter with the director on the IAA, Guillermo Mackinlay, and the Antarctic commander, Captain Roberto Ulloa, on board. During that dangerous flight, under whiteout conditions, landing at Evaodden (Eva Cape) was made possible by the use of coloured smoke grenades to visualize  the  ground.  Once  on  land,  Mackinlay expressed his profound happiness, claiming to have been waiting 18 years for that moment since the first conceived plan onboard the ARA Bahía Buen Suceso in 1953.
The same day, three hours after of the first flight,  an Argentine Air Force UH-1H Huey helicopter transported scientists and logistics personnel, camp equipment and the prefabricated shelter. The group undertook several scientific studies and established a camp (marked with a red spot in the map below), in the vicinity of Evaodden (Eva Camp WAP NOR-Ø8), some 500 m from the coast, south-east of Tvistein Pillars. The men began to assemble the shelter and, the following day, the seven members from the DNA-IAA and the two from the SMN were taken to the site, where they carried out a series of scientific measurements. Among the activities was the exact determination of the coordinates of the island, possibly motivated by a report by the IAA glaciologist César A. Lisignoli dated 31 August 1970, in which he stated that its geographical position was not well determined on account of different positions given by previous expeditions (Lisignoli 1970). A few metres from the camp that had been established, upon a visit from Mackinlay and Ulloa, the shelter was inaugurated with the name Teniente Luis Oscar Ventimiglia at 68°42’South, 90° 36’East.
The Hut was a prefabricated model similar to others set up in the 1970s by Argentina in Antarctica. Its rectangular base was nearly square (2.36 × 2.46 m), with the front and back panels slightly longer than the sides. There was a door at the front, which faced east, and each of its shorter sides had a small window. Because of the difficulties encountered, including  challenging weather and terrain conditions, the original idea of maintaining a regular summer crew at Ventimiglia Hut was discarded. Additionally, the particular meteorological conditions of the island proved that a Station established there would not improve weather forecasting for the Antarctic Peninsula area, so the main purpose for the establishment of the hut was considered no longer valid. For these reasons the final report of the Antarctic Naval Force recommended not returning to Peter I Øy and to abandon the Hut

Thanks and Cedit to: Pablo Gabriel Fontana and  Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires.

Read the full article at: View of A hut too far: history of the Argentine Ventimiglia shelter on Peter I Øy (polarresearch.net)

Later attempts to find the hut failed, but given the conditions at the site where it was established, it is assumed that the hut became buried in the snow, collapsed and was lost to the sea. (Report dated 2018).

As far as we know,  no HF amateur radio activities have ever been carried out from  Teniente Luis Ventimiglia Hut at that time and considering the fact that no more signs of the hut has remained on the site, WAP is still evaluating if adding it on the WAP-WADA Directory or not.

Last season a number of construction milestones including making the new science and operations facility, the Discovery Building, weathertight and the runway replacement lighting becoming operational has been completed.  The upgrades completed to the runway lighting and operational equipment ensure resilience and maintain safe flying operations at Rothera Station (WAP GBR-12). The Discovery Building is a new two-storey scientific support and operations facility to replace older buildings that have reached the end of their life – some of which are up to 50 years old. The programme aims to replace old buildings that have reached the end of their life with modern and energy-efficient infrastructure that should need less maintenance. Automated back-up support features mean should a fault occur, the system can be returned to operation quickly reducing any disruption to life on station. The building has been designed with a focus on sustainable and environmental design and will house both the science and operations teams at the UKs largest Antarctic Research Station.

 

This season has been focussing on the internal fit-out of the new building and resurfacing the runway. 

The runway is an important international gateway for Antarctic science and recent works ensure we can continue to offer aircraft facilities to ferry cargo, scientists and support staff to research stations in the polar regions. 

 

More at: The Discovery Building | Research Station Modernization by NORR

TNX and credit to: BAS (British Antarctic Survey) Modernising our stations: news from Rothera – British Antarctic Survey (bas.ac.uk)

The Antarctica shown at the Liguria DX meeting by one of the most experienced veterans of the Italian expeditions in the White Continent, has received appreciable approval from the participants at the Meeting organized by the ARI (Italian Radioamateurs Association) of Sanremo in the wonderful Riviera, not too far away the French border.

The location chosen this year was a conference room  at the beautiful park of Villa Ormond, home to Floriseum (Flower Museum), one of the Liguria city’s many attractive historic buildings.
More than 50 radio amateurs coming from some Italian regions did join this event that took place on last October 5th. Guest  of the day, was Lt. Danilo Collino IZ1KHY, expert alpine Scout and mountain guide of the Italian Army,  who told us with breathtaking images and detailed descriptions, the past expeditions to Antarctica in which he took part,  in support of the Italian scientific missions from 2018 and ahead.

Congrats to Gianni I1UWF President of ARI Sanremo, to Gabry IK1NEG a keen Antarctic chaser and to the whole Sanremo Hamradio staff  for having set such a nice meeting; wishing them to repeat it  in the following years maybe with some more invited Antarcticans!

 

TNX to Danilo IZ1KHY  which has reserved us such a beautiful Antarctic parenthesis.

By the end of October Danilo will be involved once again down in Antartica; our pleasure will be to work him on HF (SSB) from some possible “New field camp” where he will be involved.

 

(Pics above and below show Danilo IZ1KHY during his presentation,  Danilo IZ1KHY and Gianni I1HYW, Gabry IK1NEG and Danilo IZ1KHY)

TNX IK1NEG

 

Blaiklock Island Refuge located on the North side of Blaiklock Island at 67°32’South, 67°12’West, was established in 1957 and used intermittently from 1957 to 1958 as a refuge and satellite base for survey and geological parties from nearby bases.

Blaiklock Hut (WAP GBR-NEW), designated as Historic Site No. 63 under the Antarctic Treaty, 19 May 1995 (included with Horseshoe Island Station “Y”, WAP GBR-14), has been managed by UKAHT since Oct 2014 under a Memorandum of Understanding with BAS.

UKAHT’s work, centres on six historic bases along the Antarctic Peninsula, each site telling a unique story of discovery and scientific exploration. UKART  preserve historic buildings and artefacts in Antarctica to help current and future generations discover, understand, value and protect this precious wilderness.
At Port Lockroy, Base “A” (WAP GBR-Ø1) UKAHT welcome visitors throughout the Austral summer to explore the museum, visit the world’s southernmost post office, observe the penguin colony and share the wonders of the white continent’s history. Along with their ambitious arts, education and events programme, UKAHT bring together people from around the world to learn about Antarctica’s past, present and future.

Find out more at: https://www.ukaht.org/heritage/

TNX UKAHT UKAHT – Home

As far as WAP knows, no one has never operate HamRadio from Blaiklock Refuge. Ham radio Community as well as the WW Antarctic Ham radio chasers,  send an appeal  to UKAHT who manage some of the most wanted sites, to arrange some HamRadio activity from those rare ones … it will be a clever way to attract founds and interest on the remarkable work done by UKHAT in Antarctica!

Next Saturday, October 5th, in the wonderful and famous setting of the city of Sanremo, Liguria Region on the Italian Riviera, the local Amateur Radio Club has organized a DX Meeting where,  in addition to various technical topics relating to the world of radio, a special section is dedicated to Antarctica.

The guest of the Meeting will be Lt. Danilo Collino IZ1KHY,  expert alpine Scout and mountain guide of the Italian Army. (see pics above and below)
At 15:00 local, Danilo will talk about his 3 Antarctic campaigns in support of the Italian-French Antarctic scientific missions.

WAP has reported about the previous Danilo’s  work in Antarctica, the last of which was in the year 2022.

See: http://www.waponline.it/iao-iz1khy-at-mario-zucchelli-station-wap-ita-o1/

Another guy will  also joining there, but it will be a surprise … in any case, another additional chance to love Antarctica  a bit more!

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This year,  is quite possible that Danilo IAØ/IZ1KHY will work again in tandem with his friend David  Brunet FT4YM who will be in Antarctica as well in the same period.
(Picture aside shows Danilo IAØ/IZ1KHY to the left and David FT4YM to the right)

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TNX Gabry IK1NEG, one of the promoter of the Sanremo’s DX Meeting 2024.

 Within the framework of the Argentine-German satellite photo-interpretation and climatology project “Perito Moreno”, the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands participated for the first time in 1995. In this scientific activity in Antarctica, local scientists such as Dr. Jorge Strelin, from CADIC, were incorporated into the program and a chain of Refuges was established in the area of ​​the glaciers of the San Martín Base (WAP ARG-Ø8).

The objective was to support the actions aimed at crossing the Antarctic below the Antarctic Circle, at the height of the Argentine Base San Martin, and also to annually install a scientific shelter so that it could be used by the members of that Polar exploration. A snowmobile provided by Tierra del Fuego (WAP ARG-23) would also be added to the project to facilitate the mobility of the Research Team. Thus, from the incipient provincial Antarctic organization, the construction of a shelter specially conceived for the area was designed, tendered and supervised.

Its main characteristic was its ability to be transported by helicopter, in two modules and with great ease of installation. It consisted of two cubes of fiberglass and resin, prepared to be hooked from the air and then placed on sleds and secured in the ground. The first of these shelters was named “Ona” in homage to one of the best-known communities of the native peoples who inhabited the South of Tierra del Fuego. In the following years, the construction of new shelters in homage to other native peoples of Tierra del Fuego would continue. (Picture aside, shows three Ona Indians in furs, one with a child, encountered in Patagonia at the end of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition)

The “Ona Refuge Hut” (68° 06’ South,   67° 01′ 32” West) was finally placed in 1995 on the  glacier near the Argentine Base San Martin, was transported to Margarita Bay by the Icebreaker Almirante Irizar and landed and placed by Sea King helicopters equipped with the Q-5. In its design, the need to accommodate at least a group of four scientists was particularly important, allowing for work facilities with a field laboratory, rationing and rest with four bunk beds. It also had a bathroom.

Ona Refuge was opened in 1995 and it is located 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) from  San Martín Base on the glaciers of the Fallières Coast. The shelter has a capacity for four people, food for 30 days, fuel, gas and first aid kit and it’s still active.

TNX to Alejandro Bertotto, Antarctic specialist

As far as WAP knows, no one has never operate Ham Radio from Ona Refuge (pic above) so it remains unnumbered on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP ARG-NEW

This week,  our friend and WAP Ambassador Dr. Volker Strecke DL8JDX , did participate at the International Polar Conference in Rauris, Austria.
(See:  https://polarforschung.de/events/29-intl-polartagung-rauris-2024/?lang=en)

Many interesting science topics are presented here -said Volker- which informed us that at the conference, the announcement of the date of  next 5th International Polar Year that after the edition of 1882, 1932, 1958, 2008 will take place on 2032-2033. Currently, respective preparations are going on.  (See:  https://iasc.info/cooperations/international-polar-year-2032-33)

Why an International Polar Year in 2032–33?
This is a critical decade for people and the planet. Extreme weather, rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and devastating events such as droughts, floods, wildfires, marine warming, ocean acidification, and record lows in sea ice extent are becoming ever more prevalent, affecting ecosystems, economies, and human wellbeing around the world. Many changes are taking shape faster than previously predicted, and as the IPCC 6th Assessment Report made clear, many of the most serious consequences are linked to unprecedented changes in the Arctic and Antarctic. The urgency of understanding the consequences of such rapid change in the polar regions for global climate, biodiversity and human societies is now clear and has never been greater. A 5th International Polar Year (IPY) will provide a vital opportunity to close outstanding major knowledge gaps through targeted attention and globally-coordinated action enabling polar researchers, knowledge holders, rights holders and stakeholders to achieve major breakthroughs in the knowledge required to protect the global environment, develop effective national and local strategies to mitigate and adapt to environmental changes, and accelerate progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) are pleased to confirm that preparatory work has started for a 5th International Polar Year (IPY) in 2032-33.  Organizing the 5th IPY 25 years after the last IPY in 2007-08 reflects the urgent need for coordinated international research to tackle the biggest challenges of polar research, for both the Polar Regions themselves and for the world as a whole.

TNX  Volker, DL8JDX 

East Base,  WAP USA-4Ø,  at 68° 11’  02” South, 66° 59’ 53” West on Stonington Island is the oldest American research Station in Antarctica, having been commissioned by Franklin D. Rosevelt in 1939.

Once the wintering site of two US expeditions from 1939 to 1948, the abandoned US East Base became an Antarctic Historic Site or Monument No. 55 in 2004. East Base is located near the British Station “E” (WAP GBR-Ø5)  

East Base was established in 1939 by the U.S. Antarctic Service Expedition, constructed in 1940 and occupied by them from 1940 to 1941. Later it was reoccupied in 1947-48 by the private Finn Ronne Antarctic Expedition.  This marked a period of cooperation between the American and British stations, according to the history told by the British. 

 

The base covers 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) from North to South and 500 metres (1,600 feet) from East to West. The buildings and artifacts here are now protected as a monument as the base was accorded the status of one of the Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica on 7 May 2004.

The Antarctic Service Expedition was the first government-funded expedition of Admiral Richard E. Byrd (his first two expeditions in 1928–1930 and 1933–1935 were privately funded).  East Base was built using Army knockdown buildings and a crew of 23 led by Richard Black, after Admiral Byrd had to return to Washington on the USS Bear.

The war time pressures and pack-ice in the bay which prevented ship movement led to the evacuation of the base in 1941 by air. Admiral Richard Byrd’s USAS Expedition built America’s earliest remaining Antarctic camp in March 1940; 4 prefabricated structures  were built on: Main Building, Science Building, Machine Shop, and Outpost Hut ,  from which they explored and mapped Alexander Island, George VI Sound, and hundreds of miles of coastline.

A private expedition led by Finn Ronne (second in command in the 1941 expedition) in 1947 ended with the participants’ evacuation in 1948; the expedition crew included Jackie Ronne and Jennie Darlington, who became the first women to spend a winter in Antarctica.  

The base and all its equipment have since not been utilized, even though the British Antarctic Survey developed Base “E” in the vicinity of US East Base.  The British also occupied and modified the East Base during the construction of their Base “E”.  As of 2017, the base is frequented by tourists arriving on the continent.”

US East Base  did operate on Stonington island before the U.S. entry into World War II, from 1940 to 1941. 

The British Research Station, so called, “Base E”,  was established by the UK in 1946 100 mts from the US East Base. Closed in 1950 as sea ice conditions prevented access, it reopened in 1960 as the centre for field work in the south Antarctic Peninsula, and a new steel-framed, two story plywood hut was erected in 1961. British Base “E” was intermittently occupied until the early 1970s. The original UK Base ‘E’ was burnt down by accident in 1972 and only fragmentary remains mark the site. The station closed down in February 1975.

Stonington is a small island in Neny Fjord at the southern end of Marguerite Bay. It is approximately 750 metres long and 250 metres wide.

The island has areas of relatively flat boulder or gravel between rocky outcrops. It was until recently connected to the Antarctic mainland by North East Glacier.

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The only callsign on WAP-WACA database for USA-4Ø is KC4/FT5YK operating by Mehdi (F5PFP-FT5YK-FT5YJ) for a brief activity on March 5, 2011.

Brno University of Technology and Masaryk University present a proposal for a new research station module on Nelson Island in Antarctica. The station will be used by the Czech Antarctic Research Program based at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University.

It also creates the conditions for research into structural solutions, energy sources, technologies and materials that are friendly to nature and resistant to the effects of extreme conditions, which is supported by the faculties and institutes of the Technical University in Brno, a technological partner of the Czech Antarctic Research Program.

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This module is used for testing architectural and technical solutions proposed by the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University and for the presentation of Czech Antarctic Research.

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The implementation of the building, the production documentation of which was created within the FA BUT project “Housing system in the extreme world (not only) of Antarctica”, project no. FA-S-20-6498, is financed by ČANF, Czech Antarctic Foundation.

WAP has recently listed as WAP MNB-NEW,   the remains of Wilson Stone Hut (Rock Hut) at 77°30’ South, 169°16’ East, at Cape Crozier, Ross Island, constructed in July 1911 by Edward Wilson’s party, of the British Antarctic Expedition (1910-13) during the winter journey to collect Emperor penguin eggs.

Cape Crozier is an ice-free area on the lower eastern slopes of Mount Terror, at the eastern extremity of Ross Island. Lichens and algal crusts are found adjacent to the stone hut site. It is a remote and isolated site with few visitors. Adelie and Emperor penguin colonies are nearby.

New Zealand and United Kingdom are the parties undertaking the management if this Historic Site and Monument  (HSM) #21

The Rock Hut formed critical shelter for Wilson, Cherry-Garrard and Bowers during their winter journey from Evans to Cape Crozier. The collection of emperor eggs containing embryos was thought to be of huge significance to understanding of evolution. Testing a range of sledging diets was another goal. Enduring temperatures as low as -60C, the team came close to death but eventually returned to Cape Evans without loss of life.

Reference: APA Database | Antarctic Treaty (ats.aq)

Read more at: Cape Crozier: The Winter Journey — Sarah Airriess (twirlynoodle.com)

and also at:  https://www.google.it/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjy1OKC19aHAxUH1wIHHWp6GQEQFnoECDIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.ats.aq%2Frecatt%2FAtt543_e.pdf&usg=AOvVaw37GbQ6qWIV9R5ylEkOM3qS&opi=89978449

Inside a square of stones piled one on the other, a bank of drifted snow has been trapped, where it has compacted into ice, and has swallowed up a crate containing some historical detritus.  There are at least two pieces of penguin skin, and some green fabric, perished; something grey and knit which may be a scarf or socks, and other less identifiable things. These were left behind in July 1911 when Wilson, Bowers, and Cherry-Garrard reduced their two sledge loads to one to return to Cape Evans.

Maximilian Maria Kolbe, born Rajmund Kolbe (Zduńska Wola, January 8, 1894 – Auschwitz, August 14, 1941), was a Polish priest and Franciscan friar who offered to take the place of a father destined for the hunger bunker in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Maximilian Maria Kolbe was beatified in 1971 by Pope Paul VI, who called him “martyr of love”, and then proclaimed a Saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

On August 14, Father Massimiliano Kolbe  Ham Radio callsign SP3RN  is remembered as the Saint Patron of Radio Amateurs.

To recall the day of his martyrdom (Auschwitz, August 14, 1941),  a special radio callsign for the Aniversary of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Patron of Hamradio operators, Radioclub Islas Canarias has been awarded a special callsign EG8HKT , Hermano Kolbe Tenerife to be on air during the week of August 14th to 18th.

Thanks to the Radio Club, the  local Hamradio operators remark  the existance of an image of the Saint in the island of Tenerife. The image is located in the Hermitage of Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe, Casas de la Cumbre, in the area of Anaga, in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

More info at: http://goo.gl/maps/v0t20
The one-contact diploma will be available for download, once the activity is over and all requests have been processed.   
Requests has to be sent to:  https://concursos.urvag.com/contest/.
The download will be available from September 1st, 2024.

 

The US Cape Crozier hut  at 77° 27′ 41″ South,  169° 11′ 13″ East, is situated on the NW side of a low peak (675 m) NW of Post Office Hill. A message post from Scott’s National Antarctic Expedition (1901-04) is situated in West Colony (169° 14′ 37.5″ E, 77° 27′ 16.7″ S) and was designated as Historic Site and Monument (HSM) No.69 through Measure 4 (1995). The area is Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 124.

An Automatic Weather Station (AWS) named Laurie II is istalled at Cape Crozier, situated on the Ross Ice Shelf 35 km east of Cape Crozier.  Air temperatures recorded at Laurie II between 2009-13 showed December as the warmest month over this period, with a mean temperature of -5.8º C, and August as the coolest with a mean temperature of -33.1º C.

 Location of other protected areas within close proximity of the Area
The nearest protected areas to Cape Crozier are on Ross Island: Lewis Bay (ASPA No.156), the site of the 1979 DC-10 passenger aircraft crash is the closest and 45 km west; Tramway Ridge (ASPA No.130) near the summit of Mt. Erebus is 55 km west; Discovery Hut on the Hut Point Peninsula (ASPA No.158 and HSM No.18); Arrival Heights (ASPA No.122) is 70 km to the SW adjacent to McMurdo Station; Cape Royds (ASPA No.121), Backdoor Bay (ASPA No.157 and HSM No.15) and Cape Evans (ASPA No.155) are 75 km west; and New College Valley (ASPA No.116) are 75 km NW at Cape Bird.

The primary helicopter landing site preferred for most access to the Area, is located at 169° 11.19′ E, 77° 27.64′ S (elevation 240 m). This landing site is below and 150 m northwest of the US Cape Crozier Field Hut, and outside of the Area approximately 430 m west of the western ASPA boundary (Map 2). The site is marked by a circle of bright orange painted rocks. An alternative, secondary, landing site may be used when necessary, located at 169° 11.28′ E, 77° 27.72′ S. The landing site is 150 m above the Hut and approximately 450 m west of the ASPA boundary.

Read more about the US Field Hut at Cape Crozier at:
Cape Crozier: 5th Largest Adelie Colony | A Southern Migration (wordpress.com)

Cape Crozier Field Hut is listed on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP USA-NEW. On next article we’ll see another historical one at Cape Crozier; the Rock Hut (aka Wilson Stone Hut) , HSM 21, which will enter on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP MNB-NEW

WAP is happy to report an abstract of what  Neville Copeland ZL2AKV did write  on “Break in” of New Zealand‘s National Radio Society  journal   of October 1974  and forwarded us by our great friend F6EPN Olivier Dymala,  the founder of  “Spratley Woody” Facebook page and deep connoisseur of Bases, Remote sites, QSLs and everything  related to the Hams in Antarctica.  

In the 17 years of scientific research at Scott Base (this was written in 1974.) there have been numerous amateur operators who,  no doubt , will be recorded in the history of wintering-over when an official version is published at some later date. The two original foundation members of the fraternity were Peter Mulgrew, ZL2SP, and Ted Gawn, ZL2US (both now SK).

Neville Copeland ZL2AKV, wrote:
I was thrust into the hurly burly of Base routine prior to Christmas 1972 as a rush replacement for t w e appointed postmaster who was repatriated. A hurried week of medicals, x-rays, a dental check up, and a brush up on Post Office procedures, plus settling of my private affairs, was a prelude to the trip South.
Busy Season The summer season is an extremely busy one for the P.O. staff as you can well imagine. There is a fluctuating population of some 1500 at the American McMurdo Station, two miles away, as well as the 30-40 on Scott Base, who all want stamps and toll calls at the same time( I). In addition, the different ships are visited in port, when this is opened by the icebreakers. to sell stamps and the PRO’s books. My official job as postmaster was shared until early February with Lester Price, ZL5AP. From then on I was alone with my technician, Allan Dawrant, to sort out the communication problems. Perhaps I may go down in history as the last full-time Morse operator working an “inland” station, as Olivetti teleprinters have now been installed for telegraph traffic. After Les  ZL5AP returned to New Zealand, I was saddled with three daily CW schedules with the International Telegraph Office in Wellington, where I had been previously employed. I also had daily afternoon radio telephone schedules with Island Services Wellington and three evening R/T skeds, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays….

It was the time when skilled Radio operators spent their free breack to log Hams worldwide and it was the time (which probably will never came back) when for us, young Hams  (now Old Timers), was always an emotion to log Antarctic Station and later getting QSLs

This is just and abstract  but I’m wondering how many of us, in the last 10-15 years, have got a chance to work New Zealand’s Scott Base  (WAP NZL-Ø1)

TNX Spratley Woody (F6EPN) and credit to NZART

WAP have retracked the evolution of Wilkes Station from its founding through its 1969’s closure.
Information has been catched from a document of the AAD (see pdf doc at the bottom of this page) while Ham Callsigns are from the WAP QSL archive 

Here a bit of rebuilted story:

On 1^st February 1957, US Navy unloading in Newcomb Bay and the building of the US Wilkes station (WAP USA-26) begun.

KC4VK and  KC4USK (17-3-1957, 7-2-1958 & 1-9-1958) were active from US Wilkes Station from 1957 through 1958

On 7 february 1959 while officially Australia took over operational command, the  remaining US personnel at Wilkes did not take kindly to being under Australian control. Consequently there was a compromise until 1961 when the Station came under exclusive Australian National Antarctic Expedition (ANARE) control.

Ham radio operations in the frame time febr.1959-1961 when both USA & AUS personnel did occupied it, and which for that period was a Multinational entity (WAP MNB-17)  has been KC4USK, VHØHA (1959-60) and VKØAB (1960).

From 1961 through 1969  Wilkes Station was officially belonging to Australia (WAP AUS-Ø5).
Hamradio stations active have been:

VKØDS (1962 exact date unknown)
VKØVK (14-3-1963 & 10-4-1963)
KC4AAC (10-11-1963)
VKØTO (16-3-1967)
VKØJW (29-2-68 & 1-6-1968)
In 1969 Wilkes (WAP AUS-Ø5) was abandoned as a Base for research and replaced by Casey station (WAP AUS-Ø2), built on the nearby Bailey Peninsula.

1956-1957-Wilkes from the beginning to the end

Prof. PhD Julius Fabbri IV3CCT  , a science teacher in Italy , was in Antarctica in 2003  and from that time, he’s fighting to achieve a very specific goal: that of obtaining the recognition of Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) to what remains (ruins) of the Italian Giacomo Bove base at Italia Valley in the South Shetlands-Antarctica.

The pic aside shows Prof. PhD Julius Fabbri and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani who holds the model (scale 1:50) of the Giacomo Bove station (WAP ITA-Ø2)

Here a brief summary of the facts:

The largest and only independent Italian Antarctic expedition was led by Renato Cepparo in 1976-77 to the South Shetland lslands by the Norwegian ship Rig Mare. It was privately funded and fully self-suffícient. and had the aim of carrying out scientific measurements and leaving a pemanent refuge on the Antarctic Peninsula. Fifteen men, among whom were the deputy leader Flavio Barbiero, a medicai doctor, two divers and four mountaineers who climbed seven peaks on King George Island, were put ashore at King George Island. The geologists Gian Camillo Cortemiglia and Remo Terranova were in charge of the scientific part. Cepparo and his companions landed on King George Island and erected a small building that they named after Giacomo Bove. Today the only remains are the abandoned walls of the station and a wooden table. inscribed by Ing. Admiral Flavio Barbiero. The area stili keeps the name Italia Valley.

In 2018 in Cervignano del Friuli (Italy), thank to the  inexhaustible commitment of Prof. Julius Fabbri (IV3CCT) an “Italia Valley Antarctic Memorial” has been made to celebrate this expedition. With the help of the students a  1:1 scale replica of building, the wooden table and the ruins of the Renato Cepparo/Giacomo Bove Station as open-air part of an indoor permanent Museum of Italia Valley, an example of ex situ conservation.

In addition a  1:50 scale model of the “Giacomo Bove” Base (WAP ITA-Ø2) has been sent to the Maritime Museum of Ushuaia with a note adressed to Carlos Pedro Vairo,  director of  the Maritime Antartic Museum named after Josè Maria Sobral, Museum of marine Art in Ushuaia- Argentina:
Dear  director,
the model of the base which is now yours, was in the hands of the Italian Foreign Minister. Even the stones of the foundation in Italia Valley are from Argentina: the Italian Government donated that stone wall to Argentina!

So, the worldwide pressing of Prof. PhD Julius Fabbri IV3CCT-II3BOVE continue to achieve an objective: that of the designation of ASPA to a site which, for Italy (joining the Antarctic Treaty in 1981), represents an important part of its history in Antarctica.
Prof. Julius Fabbri IV3CCT will be grateful to who would like to subscribe is new Facebook page at: Worldwide Antarctic Delegates Parliamentarians & friends 4peace Unofficial | Facebook

TNX Julius IV3CCT-II3BOVE

COMNAP is an International association, established in 1988, that brings together National Antarctic Programmes, which are the national agencies responsible for planning and conducting Antarctic operations in support of science. COMNAP’s purpose is to “Develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in Antarctica”.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs  Annual General Meeting (AGM) 36 will take place at the San Martín Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 14 to 16 August 2024. Registration is open to COMNAP Members, Observers and invited Experts and will close on 10 July. 

COMNAP is one of the three permanent Observer Organisations to the annual ATCM, along the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The past two  Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM), the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) have been held in Finland (2023) and in India (2024).
46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting – Twenty-sixth Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection.   Kochi, India – 20 May 2024 – 30 May 2024.
The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held with an overarching theme of Tasudhaiva Kutumbakam a Sanskrit phrase which means one Earth, one Family, one Future. This resonates deeply with the Antarctic Treaty System, promoting peace, scientific cooperation. and preservation of Antarctica for mankind.
ATCM 46 – CEP 26 (ats.aq)

45th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting – Twenty-fifth Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection. Helsinki, Finland – 29 May 2023 – 8 Jun 2023
ATCM XLV – CEP XXV (ats.aq)

The next ATCM (ATCM 47) will be hosted by Italy in 2025.

We succeded, W8IJK/KC4 is WAP USA-51!

Decisive has been the help of Scott WA4TTK who did provide his QSL of the contact with Jim Collinson W8IJK/KC4.

We sent a mail to Scott, since as far as we know, he was one of the few Hams who have worked W8IJK/KC4 from Shackleton Field Camp, Antarctica,  long ago.
We explained Scott that, Shackleton Field Camp was in the process to get a new WAP reference number (which is normally  issued after completing the investigation; one of the item is to get a date of activity which qualifies  the authenticity of the operation).
By a quick return, we get a kind reply from Scott WA4TTK who wrote:

Hello Gianni,
Yes, I certainly remember that QSL card.  It is a fantastic photograph of the Queen Maud mountain range and I have admired it since the day I received it. 
The QSO was made on December 4, 1978 at 0743 UTC on 14.311 MHz.  A scan of my QSL card is attached to this email. 
I hope this helps in getting your new WAP reference number.  Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
73, Scott  Craig, WA4TTK — Nashville, TN — USA

At the light of this evidence, a brand new WAP reference  WAP USA-51 has been issued to Shackleton Field Camp (aka Shackleton Glacier Camp SHG).
Lat and Long: 85°05’24” South, 175°19’48” West
Location: Queen Maud Range, Transantarctic mountains, Western Antarctica.

 

We would like to express our gratitude to Olivier F6EPN, to Bob K4MZU  and to  Scott  Craig WA4TTK   for their invaluable help without of which, we would have struggled a lot to have the evidence we were looking for,  to issue the reference!
TNX F6EPN, K4MZU, WA4TTK

Shackleton Field Camp (aka Shackleton Glacier Camp SHG) is located at  85°05’24” South, 175°19’48” West and lists on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP USA-NEW.

Recently Olivier FEPN-Spratley Woody has found a rare and old QSL of W8IJK/KC4 operating from Shackleton Field Camp, on Queen Maud Range on the Transantarctic mountains.

Shackleton Field Camp is a small research camp on a glacier in Western Antarctica.

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A Youtube video (Jan 2017)  shows Shackleton Field Camp on western Antarctica in  the area of  Queen Maud Range, a beautiful place surrounded by epic mountains and endless blue sky.

The QSL of W8IJK/KC4 has captured our curiosity since it could be included among the references assigned in the WAP Directory.

In light of the facts, it seems difficult to get in touch with the operator W8IJK  PhD James Collinson to get more details on the activity carried out, apparently several years ago.
We asked Bob, K4MZU, one of the world’s leading Antarctic Hunters, for help.
Bob wrote:
In my effort to discover additional information about W8IJK/KC4 resulted in limited answers. While in Antarctic, operator James W. Collinson worked with the Institute of Polar Studies and Department of Geology and Mineralogy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio in 1986-1991.
Go to americanpolar.org/about/leadership/james-collinson/ for more info.
No e-mail is listed on QRZ.com and there is no listing as to any cell/telephone registered. I will try to send snail mail to him. however, it has been a long time since the operation took place.

We hope some of our readers might be able to help us  to get more info about this rare one!
It remains the fact that W8IJK/KC4 seems to have really operated sometimes in the past from Shackleton Field Camp.
So, the Field Camp exists, a QSL exist, W8IJK exist, what is missed is the date of operation and the number of contacts made. From WAP stand point, while pubblishing this spot on WAP website, we intent  to highlight the possibility to have a new WAP reference for Shackleton Field Camp which for the moment remains WAP USA-Unnumbered.

When more details will come up it will take a moment to issue a reference number.

TNX Olivier F6EPN who found this QSL, and TNX Bob K4MZU who works to get more info about!

A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130H Hercules crew has, carried out a rare medical evacuation of a patient from Antarctica, taking advantage of a narrowing gap in the weather to fly the challenging night-time mission. On Tuesday 25th 2024, the New Zealand Hercules flew from Auckland to Christchurch, taking off at 02:00 local time and arriving at Phoenix Airfield (WAP USA-42) in Antarctica at 08:50.

According to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Hercules landed using night vision goggles. The eight-hour return flight required the Hercules to be “hot fueled” on the ice (meaning the engines were kept running during refueling). The engines were kept running to protect them from the extreme cold – the temperature was -33C or -27-4F and -40C or -40F with the wind chill.
The patient was an American from the large McMurdo Station (WAP USA-22) near New Zealand’s smaller Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1). The patient is reported to be in a stable and non-life-threatening condition. The manner of the problem the patient was facing is unclear, but they required medical treatment that was not available on the base in Antarctica.

Read more at: https://simpleflying.com/royal-new-zealand-air-force-flies-c-130h-hercules-for-rare-mid-winter-medical-evacuation-in-antarctica/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0aKIn6UmAdoiOwCdFizjyCDwe-WGlZkLv_WsGOeKWJjz5MIrI2mWj-Wos_aem_gfxsiwCKyqVzAoYXZ4xPgg

Thanks and credit to:  Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)

Concordia Station (WAP MNB-Ø3)

The photo was taken at 2pm (DMC) Temperature -70.5 °C (Windchill -83.2 °C) Wind 3.6 km Greetings from the 13 winterovers involved in the DC20 winter campaign.
Gabriele Carugati (pic aside), Licensed HamRadio IU2LXS , 43 years old, has been selected as station leader of the XX Winter Campaign of the National Research Program in Antarctica: with his team, 13 people in total, he will spend nine months in complete isolation due to the extreme temperatures. Gabriele will stay at Concordia Station untill November 2024.
Of course, we hope to hear him On Air someday…

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 Also from  the Ukrainian     Vernadsky Station (WAP UKR-Ø1)   the Antarctic winterover Team send Greetings from Midwinter!

 WAP wish the best for everyone for this particular days down    South!

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Happy Midwinter time

On the  occasion of  this year’s Midwinter Day,  UKAHT (UK Antarctic Heritage Trust) wrote:
Christmas celebrations may be far from our minds at this time of year but 21 June has always been a red letter day in the Antarctic calendar as those South mark the shortest and darkest day of the year.

This year the day takes on special significance as it marks eight decades since the establishment of Base A at Port Lockroy (WAP GBR-Ø1) when Britain’s research on the continent began. Today is an opportunity not only to celebrate but to reflect on the remarkable strides that have been made in polar science at this time.  The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust works to advance the preservation, enhancement and promotion of Antarctic heritage and to engage, inform and inspire a global audience.

We care for six important Historic sites on the Antarctic Peninsula, including Port Lockroy, as well as supporting other organisations with grants to ensure our Antarctic history is safeguarded and shared with a new generation keen to learn about Antarctica. We also support other organisations to look after British Antarctic heritage sites in other parts of Antarctica. It is active in the promotion of Antarctic public engagement and supports institutions who have a connection to Antarctic heritage through their collections or education and outreach.

TNX and credit to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT).
Readers can subscribe through the mailing list at:   info@ukaht.org

 

WAP has collected few post card messages from Stations in Antarctica and we are pleased to share them with all the Antarctic chasers and followers. Thanks to eveyone sharing happyness with us on the Midwinter 2024 by sending us greetings and wishes.

Happy Midwinter to all those involved involved in various capacities to the Scientific Bases in the  Icy Continent …  adding a prayer: the World of Radioamateurs, always hopes for a Radio contact … don’t be lazy, challenge propagation and give us the joy of contacts, as often happened in past years! CW or SSB, it doesn’t matter, but come on air!

After suffering from a progressive illness that had recently kept him away from amateur radio, Cosme Alfonso “Pupi” Averna died last june 19 2024 in Ushuaia  (WAP ARG-23) at the age of 76. He was an important collaborator of the Radio Club Ushuaia where he held different positions including Vice President and Secretary.
Now “Pupi” also runs around in the sky chasing our CQ DXs together with the many friends who keep him company in heaven. We down here remember him fondly, mindful of the QSOs we enjoyed together.

He was born in Bahía Blanca on July 3, 1948 and at a very young age, he joined the Argentine Navy. In 1984 he was assigned to the Ushuaia Naval Base where he worked in the Weapons Workshop, specializing in ammunition and explosives, retiring after reaching the hierarchy. of Senior Warrant Officer.

Pupi chose Ushuaia as his place in the world, being from Fuegian by adoption after four decades living there. He had entered the world of amateur radio in 1990 with the LU8XPA license which he changed in 1998 to LU8XP.

A lover of DXism and international competitions, Pupi obtained outstanding positions, due to his geographical location and he did join several 20-meter wheels, meeting numerous colleagues from different provinces.

Once he retired from his work activity, he bought a motor home with which he traveled thousands of kilometers throughout Argentina for years, visiting colleagues with whom he had made friends through the radio.

In 2011, together with Viki Balmaceda LU5DUZ , Pupi LU8XP attended the most important amateur radio fair and exhibition in Europe in Friedrichshasen, Germany. In the photo he appears in the center with Viki on the left and Tony DF2RY on the right.

Pupi Averna was a well-known and beloved figure who discovered amateur radio at the “End of the World”, becoming in a short time a true ambassador of communications on the big island of Tierra del Fuego.

On the pic to the right, we see Orlando Perez PT2OP in Ushuaia (Mar-2014), Tierra del Fuego, operating as LU/PT2OP at Pupi’s station, LU8XP, which is also in the photo. 

A good recall of “Pupi” was sent by Volker DL8JDX, a well known Antarctic veteran; Volker said: « I am very sorry about Pupi LU8XP sk. I had the luck to make acquaintance with him in Ushuaia Jan. 28, 2023 …»
On the picture aside: DL8JDX, LU1XU and LU8XP

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Pupi, Hamradio World will miss you but surely, we’ll keep you on a corner of our hearth. R.I.P.
Condolences to his family and to the Ushuaia Ham friends.

Plateau Station was the highest and most remote scientific station established by the United States. Construction of the site, started on December 13, 1965, and the first Traverse Team  (named  SPQML II) arrived in early 1966. The station was located at 79° 15’ South, 40° 30’ East in the far interior of the Antarctic ice cap, 11,890 feet above sea level.
Plateau Station  was operated and staffed by the National Science Foundation and US Navy.
A select Team of four scientists and four navy personnel were on constant duty at the station, which was under the command of a naval medical doctor. Originally designed for two years of service, the Base was in continuous use for three years until January 29, 1969, when it was closed but mothballed for future use. Plateau Station  was also the coldest of any United States Stations on the Continent and the site for the world’s coldest measured average temperature for a month at that time, recorded in July 1968, at −99.8 °F (−73.2 °C).
Plateau Station closed permanently in January, 1969.

Actually Plateau Station  is an inactive American research and  support Base on the central Antarctic Plateau.

On 22 December 2007, the Norwegian-US Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica visited the Base and entered the buildings, finding that it was mostly intact.

In 2017, the CoFi-Expedition made a stop at  Plateau Station. They entered the Station through a hatch at the top of highest building, the watch tower. The Bse is completely snowbound nowadays. The only visible building at the base is the meteorological tower. The expedition left the base with the same general impression as the expedition in 2007 did.
Researcher Sepp Kipfstuhl said: «If someone should visit the base in 10 or even 20 years, it’ll have barely changed. The meteorological tower should be visible for the next 500 years».

To get something more about Plateau Station, go to:
Memoirs & Diaries — The Antarctican Society

To read a recollection of the U.S. Navy person in charge of mothballing the station, Electronics Technician John Wright, click the red link below:
  John+Wright+Recollection

Ham radio Callsign issued at the time for Plateau Station was KC4USJ.
The  QSL of KC4USJ here aside,  prove the Hamradio activity 1968-69 from Plateau Station (WAP USA-13).

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TNX Bob Hines K4MZU for having shared this very rare QSL with us!

Lion Island  66° 39′ 32″ South, 140° 00′ 53″ East  is  small rocky island 0.2 mi NNE of Petrel Island in the Geologie Archipelago. It was surveyed and named by the French Antarctic Expedition of  1949-51 under André Liotard. The name derives from the rock summit of the island which has the shape of a lion’s head.
As for the Lion Runway, it is an artificial creation undertaken in the 1980s, which saw the destruction and the subsequent leveling of several islets in the Pointe-Géologie archipelago with dynamite,  to connect them together and create an airstrip, at a time when environmental standards were not the same as today.

Cuvier Island and  Lion Island  which were only 250 mts and 150 mts respectively to the North, the Pollux and Zeus islets as well as the Buffon Islands (two rocky islands 150 mts  to the East), disappeared under the earthworks of the Lion track.
Pollux Islet a rocky islet in the Pointe-Géologie archipelago (Adelie Land) and Zeus were themselves two rocky islets in the same site;  Zeus islet had the bad idea of ​​being located in the axis of this track, between the Pollux islet, 100 mts to the Northwest, and the smallest of the Buffon islands, 100 mts to the southeast. Lamarck Island,  a rocky island located 250 mts away to the southeast of Pétrels Island in the fateful  NW-SE alignment of Cuvier, Lion and Buffon in the central part of the Pointe-Géologie archipelago, was spared by the construction of the Lion trail.
The first work began in January 1983. A committee of wise people responsible for studying the ecological impact of the track recommended to the French government to stop the work at the beginning of 1984. This same committee recommended resuming construction of the track, considering that the project would only have a slight impact on the animal species living on site, resulting in only a 10% drop in fertility. Work resumed in November 1987 was completed on February 12, 1993. The excavations made it possible to create a dike connecting these islets separated by shallow arms of the sea, the whole constituting a track 1,100 mts long. A volume of 700,000 m³ of rocks were torn up during the operation.
In 1993, a huge heavy storm caused irreparable damage to the roadway, and the airfield was never operational but the site still has structures and buildings that serve  as depot, simply due to the fact that it’s quite close to DDU

At that time, the TAAF wishes to entrust the operation of the runway to the airport services company Sofrévia, but the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) which sent technicians on site at the end of the work, issues a report unfavorable to the opening of the airfield. In question, the quality of the aggregates whose diameter is likely to constitute a danger for the reactors and propellers of large aircraft. Furthermore, the Air Force cannot makes iys planes available for qualification tests due to its participation in the Gulf was which monopolizes its resources. On January 26 and 27, 1994, a storm hit Pointe-Géologie. Giant waves break over the islands, the wind blows at 160 km/h with peaks of 200 km/h. This storm directly affects the runway, creating a breach 300 mts   long and 15 mts wide, which makes the runway unusable. The head of the TAAF research mission, Bernard Morlet, states that this damage is not attributable to a fault in the construction of the runway but to a lack of maintenance work, postponed as a cost-saving measure.

On September 21, 1994, the Minister of the Environment Michel Barnier formalized in the Council of Ministers the abandonment of the Adélie land trail.

Now, it will be quite possible that a couple of days operation by David Brunet FT4YM  could take place from what currently is the Lions Airfield on Lion Island, sometimes during the 2024-2025 summer campaign.
Stating the over reported evidences, maps, pictures and description,  Lion Airfield at 66° 39′ 32″ South, 140° 00′ 53″ East  on Lion Island, on Pointe-Géologie archipelago (Adelie Land), will enter on WAP-WADA Directory as  WAP FRA-NEW.
If/when David FT4YM will operate from there, a WAP reference number will be given.

Finger crossed though and GL to David for a possible activation of this “New One”!
TNX Mehdi F5PFP and David F4FKT/FT4YM

HI Folks,

WAP Antarctic Bulletin nr. 3Ø3 of June 6th 2024 edited by Max IK1GPG and Betty IK1QFM is online here on WAP website.

Chasers car read it directly from this spot (Click on 3Ø3 above) or go to the “Antarctic Bulletin” dedicated page  at http://www.waponline.it/wap-antarctic-bulletins/  where you can get all the WAP Bulletins pubblished so far. The 1st WAP Antarctic Bulletin was pubblished 23 years ago,  exactly on 10 febr. 1991!
Thanks for following us, thanks for loving Antarctica as much as we do.

Not too much to report from Antarctica at this time of the year  The White Continent is actually in the deep winter,  waiting the 2024-2025 Summer Antarctic Campaign.

QSLs from the still active Russian Bases have been printed and are now coming to the chasers, while at Concordia Dome C (WAP MNB-Ø3) the chief of the Base, Gabriele Carugati IU2LXS must be very busy as no one has ever heard him on air.
Since there is no news of  “On Air” activity from Radio Amateurs overwintering in the various all year round Stations , let’s console ourselves with some interesting photographs sent us by our friend David Brunet F4FKT/FT4YM who will be operational again from Antarctica during the next coming summer campaign 2024-2025.

David is now learning CW and I’m sure he will get a chance to operate Morse code as well, even if SSB will remain his best operative mode.

Here below the sites where David did operate from:
Antarctic Campaign 2022-23
FT4YM/P: Base Concordia
FT4YM: Base Dumont d’Urville
FT4YM: Base Robert Guillard – Cap Prud’homme
FT4YM/Mobile: Raid#3-ICORDA 2023

Antarctic Campaign 2021-22
FT4YM/P: Base Concordia , Antarctica
FT4YM/P: Base Little Dome C , Antarctica
VK0/FT4YM/P: Base Casey , Antarctica
IA0/FT4YM/P: Base Mario Zucchelli , Antarctica

While waiting the good time, WAP thanks David for joining us;  we are really pleased to share the good recalls.
TNX David FT4YM

The “Capitán Estivariz Aeronaval Refuge”,  is located on Watkins Island in the Mikkelsen islands group (see a note below)  within the Argentine Antarctic Sector.  In the 1955-1956 Antartic Campaign, an intense hydrographic activity on the South Shetland Islands was achieved. To support the scientific activities (mainly aerial photographic survey of the entire western coastal area of the Antarctic Peninsula above 65º South, was carried out).
A Shelter located at 66°23′ South, 67°13′ West was built on a small islet between the southwest coast of Watkins Island and Belding Island, and opened on February 29, 1956. The Icebreaker ARA General San Martín did participate in its construction during the 1955-1956 Antarctic campaign.

The Refuge Hut was named in honor of Captain (C) Eduardo Aníbal Estivariz, of the Argentine Navy, who did contribute to the success of the Argentine revolution of 1955 and who was killed in an aircraft accident. The Argentine Captain Estivariz Air-Naval Refuge in Antarctica, is managed by the Argentine Navy.  In the early 1960s the Shelter, consisted of a wooden building was occupied in the summers of 1955-1956 and 1956-1957, with provisions for three people for three months.

Note:
Watkins Island    is a low lying, ice-covered island 5 miles (8 km) long, lying 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Lovoisier Island, one of the Briscoe Islands. The island was first mapped by the French Antarctic Expedidition under Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1903–05 and 1908–10), but remained unnamed until resighted in 1934–1937 by the  Rymill, who gave the name Mikkelsen Island in honor  of the Danish Arctic explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen,. In applying the name, Rymill was unaware of the existence of Mikkelsen island, 75 miles (121 km) southwestward, named in 1908–1910 by Charcot. To avoid confusion of the two, the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) recommended in 1952 that the Rymill naming be amended. The new name, Watkins Island, commemorates Gino Watkins, leader of the British AntarcticAir Route Expedition(1930–1931).

WAP is still in search of a picture of Refugio Aeronaval “Capitán Estivariz”  and will be grateful to anyone who can find one and send it for our archive. Thanks a lot in advance!

The Base “Y” at Horseshoe Island  (WAP GBR-14) was established by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1955. Its position,  Latitude 67° 48′ South, Longitude 67° 17′ West,   located on Sally Cove, Horseshoe Island, Bourgeois Fjord, Marguerite Bay This was part of the push to increase UK scientific activity ahead of International Geophysical Year, 1957-58, with a number of bases opened during this period.

Horseshoe Island Base “Y”  did open on 11 March 1955 and closed 21 August 1960 when personnel were transferred to Stonington Island  Station  “E”  (WAP GBR-Ø5). Reopened briefly from 7 March 1969  through  11 July 1969  to complete local survey work.

VP8DLM operated by Mehdi F5PFP  was active from this rare site on March 2011, giving many of the Antarctic hunters a real “New One”!

Now Horseshoe Island Base “Y” stands almost fully equipped from the time it was in service and is the destination of polar cruises as it’s often included in the programs of polar tourism as it has been open as a museum for tourists and scientists.
Base Y is visited by over 2,500 visitors every year despite its remote location away from the main travel routes. The site was used occasionally by BAS personnel on field trips from Rothera (Station “R”, WAP GBR-12). It was cleaned up by BAS in 1995 and designated Historic Site and Monument no. 63. Managed by UKAHT since 2014.

Thanks and credit to: UKAHT – Horseshoe

Read more on: Base Y from the 1950s turns into museum | Polarjournal

 

Polish Demay Refuge  provide limited accommodation capacity for  4 people with field medical kit available during summer for emergency use. The scientific use, is subject to the permission of the appropriate authority. The refuge (wood hut) is situated on a flat marine gravel terrace in Paradise Cove between Demay Point and Uchatka Point, ca 10 km from Arctowski Station (WAP POL-Ø1) . The refuge can be reached both by Zodiac and by foot. It is located within the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA No.128) 

Demay Refuge (Poland) WAP POL-NEW, Paradise Cove, Admiralty Bay, King George Island Lat: 62°13’South,   Long: 58°26’30” West  

Lions Rump Refuge  
Accommodation capacity for  4 people with field medical kit available during summer for emergency use. The refuge (wood hut) is situated on a flat marine gravel terrace on the western shore of King George Bay near Lions Rump (ca 35 km from Arctowski Station). The refuge can be reached only by Zodiac. It is located near the boundry of the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA  No 151)

Lions Rump Refuge (Poland) WAP POL-NEW, Lions Rump, Martello Tower, King George Bay,  King George Island. Lat: 62°06´South   Long: 58°05´West  

Both Refuges are visited yearly by Polish researchers… We always hope one day or another someone can be “On Air” from one or both this two rare spots, as they seems not so difficult to activate!

Probably,  the old days, those in which CW and SSB were the best expression of the world of Amateur Radio will never come back, but fortunately, there are still young people that, to the most modern digital transmission/reception techniques (such as FT4/FT8, in which is the PC that makes QSOs), those youngs prefere the traditional ways, those that truly have the charm that takes you inside!

Well, David Brunet F4FKT-FT4YM, despite being relatively young,  must be one of the old fashioned Hams; we met him “On Air” during his past two seasons in Antarctica where he gave many radioamateurs the pleasure of several QSOs including a couple of “New Ones”.

WAP has recently received  a mail from David  on which he express his appreciation for our Antarctic website: “I relive good memories as I read her lines, emotions arise and fingers frozen too” was his comment!
David said he should go back to Antarctica this year  with a little better equipment: “Yes it is a chance to go, quite hard to transmit after work; I have the pleasure to give pleasure to the OM who have the chance to hear me and especially to answer me. I would not fail to inform you via Mehdi F5FPF”

Wonderful to know that David  will be again in Antarctica and for sure, Hams worldwide  will be pleased to log FT4YM again, perhaps from some “New Ones”.  For now, while waiting the season to come,  WAP and the thousand  of Antarctic chasers wish David a great time  on the Ice!

TNX and good luck  to David Brunet F4FKT/FT4YM

Petrel Base opened in 1967 but has been used as a temporary summer base since 1976, after a fire destroyed its main accommodation building. Petrel Base (WAP ARG-17) is one of the Argentine research stations located  on the Antarctic Peninsula. Established as a permanent research station in 1967, it has been a temporary base since 1978, housing scientists only part of the year. Petrel Base is found on Dundee island, among Graham Land’s Joinville island group.

The project that involve the build of a totally renewed structure on Petrel Base was conceived by the Tandanor shipyard,  a building with several modules, with a total of 800 square meters covered, and weighing 300 tons, The material arrived at the Petrel Base aboard the Icebreaker Almirante Irízar  last February 2024.

A team of engineers from the Argentine Army was deployed this summer to Antarctica to assemble the new habitable house of Petrel Base, a set of thousands of pieces, bolts, nuts and washers of 300 tons of steel , which was designed and built by the Tandanor state shipyard to tolerate the climatic challenges of the white continent.
The project is a multi-module building of which the foundations were installed during last year’s Antarctic campaign, while this year progress is being made on the first habitable structures.

José Luis Oca, the naval and mechanical engineer, head of the infrastructure sector of the Infrastructure and Construction Directorate of Tandanor did sail to Petrel Base, to coordinate the first stage of construction last January.

Oca said that, what they are developing in Petrel is the habitable house that will be occupied by the scientists and the personnel who provide service in each campaign- Iit’s a structure of six modules of which the foundations were placed and, this summer, the first is planned to be built: a construction of 800 square meters covered.

The New Petrel structure took into account all the technological innovations of recent decades and all the scientific knowledge about the climatic and geographical conditions of Antarctica that was produced at this time. We also studied the projects of Countries that built Antarctic bases in recent years.

The head of the Joint Antarctic Command, Brigadier General Edgar Calandín, told Télam that the tasks of supporting science and technological developments carried out in our bases and in collaboration with Antarctic programs of other Countries are an exercise of sovereignty; The progress in the recovery of  Base Petrel materializes a new gateway to the Argentine Antarctic Sector, which is much more than a logistics point because, in addition to being able to operate with planes and ships, it will have the most modern infrastructure to function at the same time.

“We are also building new physical foundations for the presence in Antarctica, while the construction of the new buildings at the Petrel Base progresses, an initiative to develop the new infrastructure of Carlini  (WAP ARG-2Ø) and Brown (WAP ARG-Ø2) Bases  “University’ in Antarctica” through agreements so that the young people who winter at the Esperanza Base (WAP ARG-Ø4) can study there, taking some content in person and others remotely, and that this mechanism of study can also be used by the crews of other bases in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula,” he highlighted.

“Today Argentina is redesigning its Antarctic policy and that will materialize shortly with a new Antarctic policy directive, which has research, development and evolution as its center of gravity, this will allow us to finalize a new master plan of evolution with a search for cooperative integration of all state agencies as an expression of sovereignty” concluded Calandín.

TNX and credit to: Argentina builds its most modern Antarctic base in Petrel – (agendamalvinas.com.ar)

 

Ranui Station (aka North Hut-Ranui lookout hut) located at Port Ross on  Auckland Island at 50°32’3Ø” South, 166°15’4Ø” East was maintained by a Team of 4-5 men from 1941 until 3 June, 1945. The first recruits came from the NZ Post & Telegraph Service, but from 1942 scientists were included. Various scientific work took place from wildlife research to detailed meteorological observations. During 1944-45, a survey party led by Flight Commander Allan Eden undertook the first full topographical survey of the Auckland Island group. The complex, included a base hut, ancillary huts, long drops, radio masts, landing areas, and tracks hidden in the rata forest, out of sight from the sea. The hut itself is located just below the ridge above the base and provides a clear view of all the entrances to Port Ross. At first, private messages were restricted to bereavement or other urgent matters, but later each man was allowed to send and receive two personal messages annually. The only news of the outside world was that heard over standard domestic radio, and other morse code transmissions picked up by the radio operators.

The remains of the Old Ranui Station is located on the outer reaches of Port Ross, hidden in the back of a small cove.

ZL9/K8VIR  &  ZL9DX did operate from Ranui Cove (WAP NZL-Ø9)  in the year 1997 …. Maybe it’s time for some others DX-peditionners to try again, isn’t it?

Thanks and credit to:  Second World War lookout huts (doc.govt.nz)

A bit more of history;
During the Second World War, the New Zealand War Cabinet were concerned enemy ships might anchor in the subantarctic islands where each harbour could have been a potential refuge for enemy vessels,  and actioned the “Cape Expedition”.
The Cape Expedition program was to build three Stations to keep watch for enemy vessels; two on Auckland Island and one on Campbell Island. The coastwatchers were stationed at each for 12 months at a time and were to contact New Zealand by radio if any vessels were seen.  Prefabricated 3m square huts of weatherboard construction with bitumen roofs were shipped to the Auckland Island in 1941. One was built at Port Ross in the North and the other at Carnley Harbour on the South end of the island.
Radio contact was kept to a minimum to avoid detection, and transmissions were largely in morse code. Contact was made with the other stations and the Awarua mainland radio station every 24 hours. This was increased to two plus a weather schedule in 1942, and then four from 1943. If enemy ships were sighted personnel were to alert the mainland by radio, and retreat to emergency huts.

Radio amateur’s passion is often linked to “Philately”, especially that which recalls the Arctic and Antarctica but also,  always in terms of radio contacts, also to the Space as in the case of the International Space Station RSØISS.
The soul and creator of this particular passion is Valery Ivanovich Sushkov RMØL who has been pursuing for years this important initiative with determination.
A hobby or a passion?
One thing is certain: collectors from all over the world are attracted by this trend, which contains cultural and scientific implications  .

On April 18, 2024 at the Ryazan Museum of Travelers  in Ryazan city,  a special cancellation solemn ceremony of postal issues in the “Great Russian Travelers” line took place. Under the press of philaturism was attended by signatories: outstanding Russian traveler, Honorary polar explorer, Mikhail Georgievich Malakhov Hero of Russia, Alexander Nikolaevich Kapitanov Director of the Ryazan Travelers Museum, author and director of the project “Great Russian Travelers”,  travel researcher, postal historian, winner of the “Geographical Oscar”, author of the term “philaturism” presented by “Bottle Mail”, “Traveller’s Mail” and “Polar Mail“, which include postcards, vignette stamps and a special postmark,  Valery Ivanovich Sushkov RMØL and students at one of the secondary schools in Ryazan.

Also, Valery Sushkov, in that ceremony, awarded Mikhail Georgievich Malakhov with a table medal named after Admiral Peter Ricord, associate and friend of Ryazan Vasily Golovnin, for his outstanding contribution to the development of the Far East in the field of studying and developing the recreational potential, historical, geographical, natural and cultural heritage of the Far East and the Arctic Russian Federation, as well as a certificate of honor from the project “Great Russian Travelers.

The purpose of the historical-geographical, scientific-educational, film-publishing, tourism-local history and memorial Project “Great Russian Travelers” is the revival of the traditions of Russian travelers in research and discovery, the popularization and promotion of tourism and postal business, highlighting their contribution to the economy of Russian society and the development of ties between the peoples of different countries.

Read more at: В г. Рязани прошла церемония спецгашения почтовых выпусков «Великие русские путешественники. Под призмой филатуризма: В.М. Головнин, М.И. Венюков и М.Г. Малахов» | Русское географическое общество (rgo.ru)

We must say that the 1^st edition (2004) of the  Antarctic Activity Week  did see the participation of the first French station  TMØANT (WAP-ØØ8) a  Team operated by LYON DX GANG ASSOCIATION.

François Bergez F8DVD have never lost a single edition of the AAW since 2005 when he did sign TM8ANT (WAP-14)!  Now , the 21^th  edition  (2024) of the AAW was again a lot of fun fot  with 6272 contacts in 153 DXCC countries, was the comment by  François (TM21AAW)  , who have just shown his new QSL printed for the event.

The picture on TM21AAW’s card, shows the Ukranian Antarctic Akademic Vernadsky Station (WAP UKR-Ø1) located at 65˚14′ South, 64˚15′ West, Marina Point on GalindezIsland in the Argentine islands Archipelago.  The Faraday British Research base was established there in 1947 and transferred to Ukraine in 1996.

QSL for TM21AAW is actually on print with Alfio IT9EJW; as soon as the cards will be ready, direct and buro requests will be mailed.
TNX François  F8DVD

What say? WAP congratulates François for his continuous presence in the AAWs and always for the great score of QSOs and again for his wonderful card!

Antarctica shows often some interesting “secrets” which we are pleased to reveal. This time we are discovering Hovgaard Island which is sometimes visited by groups or particular hikers who appreciate its beauty. On those occasions, a “Field Camp” is installed and who knows… maybe one day even an expedition of radio amateurs will give us the pleasure of this “New One“.

is an island 6 km (3 nmi) long, lying at 65°07’ South, 64°04’ West, off the northwest coast of Kyiv Peninsula, 2.8 km (1.5 nmi) southwest of Booth island  in Antarctica. Hovgaard  island that forms the western side of the Lemaire Channel  is part of the Wilhelm Archipelago

It was discovered and named “Krogmann-Insel” (Krogmann Island) by the German 1873–74 expedition under Eduard Dallmann, but the name Hovgaard, after Polar explorer and officer of the Danish Navy Andreas Hovgaard applied by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897–99, under Gerlache, has overtaken the original name in usage. The name Krogmann Point has been given to the western extremity of Hovgaard Island.

Hovgaard Island is a popular location for camping in Antarctica among Expedition groups due to the presence of a relatively flat campsite along Penola Strait. Campers dig “snow graves” to sleep in. The holes offer protection from the wind.

The shoreline of Hovgaard can be a bit tough, but once on shore, the island is gently sloping smooth rock and snow.

 

On the island , there is  cache weighed down with heavy rocks and also anchored to the ground with cables. The cache is located up high on weathered stone where it is unlikely to be troubled by snow or ice during the winter. The cache contains emergency supplies  for trapped ship-wrecked expedition; inside will be timed food, fire supplies and  a tent.

For the meantime, Hovgaard Island Field  Camp , 65° 07’ South, 64° 04’ West,  Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctic Peninsula has been add to the   as WAP MNB-NEW

Gonzalo Island (56° 31’ 15” South, 68° 42’ 40” West), is a Sub-Antarctic island, uninhabited except for a Weather and Research Station (WAP CHL-21) operated by the Chilean Navy. With an area of 38 hectares (94 acres), Gonzalo is the second largest island of the Chilean Diego Ramirez Archipelago after Bartolomè island. The archipelago lies in the Drake Passage between the continents of South America and Antarctica.

The Diego Ramírez Archipelago is a group of small Chilean islands and islets, located about 100 km southwest of Cape Horn and 93 km SSW of the Ildefonso Islands, in the Drake Passage, about 790 km NNW of the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). They comprise about 8 km. from north to south, reaching latitude 56º32.2′ South and can be considered the southernmost point of the American Continent, the land closest to the Antarctic Territory.

Gonzalo Island was activated  from 15 through 17 January 2021 by  CE9/PA3EXX  and CE9/VE3LYC

 

Approaching to the Chilean Antarctic territory is the Gonzalo island  Lighthouse (ARLHS CHI 020, CHI-020, CHI 020 , aka Diego Ramírez Islands Lighthouse), after the end of the American continent in one of the most important areas stormy of the world, projecting Chile towards Antarctica.

The Chilean lighthouses are the most important constructions of the national network of national navigation aids, which have the purpose of allowing safe and expeditious navigation of ships along authorized national routes.

This network is basically made up of 960 lighthouses and beacons, 135 buoys and 133 electronic equipment, installed from the maritime limit leading to Concordia, to the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

For operational, logistical and administrative purposes, it is administered at the national level by the “Maritime Signaling and Navigation Aids Service”, dependent on the General Directorate of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Navy, DIRECTEMAR. In turn, this network is served by five Zonal Maritime Signaling Centers, located in the ports of Iquique, Valparaíso, Talcahuano, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas.

The important mission of the Diego Ramirez Island Lighthouse
Maritime signaling not only helps Chilean-flagged vessels, but also contributes to internationally navigated vessels being made by the endowment of lighthouse keepers who fulfill isolated periods of 6 months in those remote territories.
The Work of the lighthouse keepers is carried out in isolation and maintenance communication via satellite and radio, maintaining control tasks of maritime traffic and carrying out an important work of effective sovereignty in our national territory. 
Supporting Extreme temperatures, wind gusts of 200 kilometers per hour and a temporary constant, are part of the usual conditions, in which These men must perform their tasks between sea and solitude.
The Naval servers that fulfill these tasks have to be self-sufficient, highly prepared in state-of-the-art technology at the same time time they must learn to master cooking, maintenance and temperance, enduring the harsh isolation in that remote territory.
The Logistic support of the aforementioned distribution is organized from the Zonal Center of Maritime Signaling of Punta Arenas, where They prepare the elements and naval servers that are destined to the task, coordinating with surface and naval means of the Third Naval Zone for the development of refueling and relays of personnel.

TNX: Armada de Chile

April 5th 2024, INDIA’s NCPOR 24^th Foundation Day
India’s National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) did organize an engaging cultural program titled “From Labs to Stage.” This unique event showcased the diverse talents of NCPOR’s scientists and staff, bringing them together in a celebration of creativity and entertainment.

In this historic moment, as a part of the foundation day celebrations, the Indian Postal Services, in collaboration with NCPOR, inaugurated a new Branch Post Office at Bharati Station (WAP IND-Ø4) in Antarctica. April 5 was chosen because it marked the 24th Foundation Day of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

Dr. Shailendra Saini, group director (Antarctic Operations), said: “This is a symbolic yet milestone effort. Our scientists do have access to modern means of communication including WhatsApp, albeit at slow speeds, so they do keep in contact with their families. But the souvenir value of receiving a letter stamped ‘Antarctica’  in an era when people have stopped writing letters altogether — holds great importance. We will collect the letters once a year and despatch them to our headquarters in Goa from where they will be mailed to the scientists’ families.”

Chief Postmaster General Mumbai, Shri K.K. Sharma, officiated the opening, unveiling a special Picture Postcard of Bharati Station that was released on the occasion with the presence  of Shri. R. P. Patil, Director Postal Services, Goa Region, Dr. Thamban Meloth, Director NCPOR, Dr. Rahul Mohan, Group Director and Scientist at NCPOR and the Team leaders of Maitri and Bharati Stations.

K K Sharma said the new venture “underscores the commitment of the postal fraternity to serve even the most remote corners of the globe. The department had earlier installed a post office at Dakshin Gangotri Station in 1984 and another at Maitri Station in 1990. He commended the efforts of all the people involved in making this launch possible and expressed confidence in the postmaster stationed at the Bharati Branch Post Office to facilitate meaningful connections through the exchange of letters with loved ones.

India’s first post office in Antarctica was setup in 1984 at the Dakshin Gangotri Station, which was the country’s first scientific base there, according to a report by Indian Express. Around 10,000 letters and mails had been posted and cancelled at the icy continent’s post office. Significance of post office with Indian address in Antarctica The Antarctica has 2 research stations – Maitri and Bharati – both are a part of the Goa postal division. 
Apart from senior postal department officials, a number of scientists working in Antarctica and was followed by the defacing of the stamps on the postcards by the first Branch Postmaster of Bharati Post Office, Shri. Sudhanshu.
Dr. Thamban Meloth, Director of NCPOR, highlighted the significance of having an Indian Branch Post Office in the icy continent of Antarctica.
Dr. Anand Kumar Singh presided over the function.

In the list taken from the dedicated Indian philately history of Abhai Mishra’s book (see http://www.waponline.it/antarctic-philately-by-abhay-mishra/). Among the Honorary Post Masters of India’s Antarctic Post Office from the 7^th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) through the 32^nd ISEA, we found our good friend Bhagwati Prasad Semwal  (picture aside) Licensed Ham Radio operator , callsigns: VU3BPZ, Ex-AT10BP, VU3BPZ/P, ex-Antarctican participating the ISEAs XX, XXIV, XXIX and XXXII at Bharati as 8T2BH,  who was Post Master himself  at Maitri Station.

The first Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica was initiated in 1981.

In 1988-89, the Dakshin Gangotri Station (WAP IND-Ø1) was decommissioned as it was submerged in the continent’s ice and in January 26 1990, a new post office branch was built at the continent’s India Maitri Research Station (WAP IND-Ø3), according to the publication. For over 35 years since then, placed in blank envelopes, letters and postcards were sent to the Maitri station’s post office for cancellation. According to the publication, now, almost 40 years later, the letters which are to be sent to Antarctica, will now be having a new Pin Code – MH-1718.

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/significance-of-the-indian-post-office-in-antarctica-with-a-new-pin-code-for-letters-postcards-2968404

TNX and credit NCPOR

 

Let’s congratulate Igor Taranenko (RQ8K ), operator at the Russian Progress  Base in Antarctica; Igor has begun his journey at Progress signing RI1ANE on last december 14^th 2023 and is expected to be down there, till May 2025.

Igor is very active on all bands, Actually it’s easy to work him CW on 10 mts as conditions seems to be good on 28 MHz, but also 20 & 40 mts.

Progress is a Russian Research Station (WAP RUS-11) in Antarctica. It is located at the Larsemann Hills antarctic oasis on the shore of Prydz Bay. The station was established by the 33rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition on April 1, 1988 and was moved to another place on February 26, 1989 In 2000, work was temporarily halted but it reopened in 2003.
A landing field is located close to the station for air connection with other stations. From 1998-2001 works were performed to transfer transportation operations to Progress from the Mirny Station (WAP RUS-Ø7) and make it the main support base for Vostok Station (WAP RUS-13).

QSL for RI1ANE goes via RN3RQ, OQRS, direct, bureau, LOTW

It was a chance with profound symbolic value; losing it would have been a real shame.

March 30^th and 31^st, hours and hours of listening to look for at least one of the 8 active CW stations that would have given the possibility of receiving a dreamed certificate, that of the 97^th anniversary of the 1st telegraph connection between Antarctica and the Southern American Continent, more precisely, between the Argentine Orcadas Base (WAP ARG-15) and the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego (WAP ARG-23) in Argentina.

The stations that would give radio amateurs the opportunity to obtain the certificate were: LU3IA, LU5WE, LU6EWR, LU8DAR, LU9MAH, LW1DPS, LW2DCJ and LW5DD.

A single contact to one of these stations was enough to get the certificate.

LW5DD finally came on 10 meters CW, the 31st of march 2024 on 28.026 at 16:18 GMT, with  loud signal so we exchanged a good 599 x 599.

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Getting the certificate was easy, by accessing the  site QSLOG.AR – Bienvenidos!!! al Sitio Integrado de QSLOG.AR from where, smoothly I  downloaded the confirmation.

Thanks to the friends of the Servicio Auxiliar de Radioaficionados de la Armada (SARA) for having set this interesting venture!

March 30, 1927 is an historical date, when the sounds of the Morse alphabet were heard for the first time in Antarctica; fundamental step in the development of communications at those latitudes, That day at the Meteorological Observatory of the South Orkney Islands, the Orkney Station (LRT) was officially inaugurated.
The Argentine Navy radio officer Emilio Baldoni first established contact from Antarctica  with the LIK station in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world and through it, with Buenos Aires.

In the eleven nights preceding this event, from Laurie Island, where the Orcadas Base is located, the head of the expedition José Manuel Moneta, together with Miguel Ángel Jaramillo, Pedro Martín Casariego, Luis Falico and Conrado Becker, encouraged the radio operator Emilio Baldoni , who, pushing the key with his firm fist, repeatedly broadcast into the ether: “CQ… CQ…CQ… de LRT… LRT… LRT… Orcadas, Orcadas, Orcadas” , which in clear text, means “General call from South Orkney Islands… from Orkney Islands…”, followed by the text: “Answer very long calls to tune in… calling from South Orkney Islands….”

When on that historic day, March 30, 1927, the Morse sounds of the letters were heard and repeated at rhythmic intervals: “LRT… LRT…”, everyone shouted in unison “We… We… Finally …Finally…”, the question was: Who is calling us? and immediately you could hear “LRT… LRT… de LIK… LIK… LIK…”; exclaiming all together “They’re calling us from Ushuaia.”

Well, the rest of the extraordinary event, is history!

To celebrate the historical event, next March 30^th  from 00,00 UTC through March 31^st at 23:59 (UTC international time) LU2CN, SERVICIO AUXILIAR DE RADIOAFICIONADOS DE LA ARMADA S.A.R.A. will carry out a CW activity to recall this historic event for Argentina.

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A special certificate is available and will be issued for free to those who can make a contact.

WAP and Hams WW will be on air, for sure… we just hope the LUs operator can pay attention also to the Hams outside South America!

TNX: | SARA | QSL 97 años del primer enlace radiotelegráfico con la Antártida – QSLOG.AR

Ham Radio is something of incredibile!
Being a radio amateur is certainly a privilege; Radio gives us the opportunity to travel the air, make connections all over the world, meet extraordinary people with whom growing lifelong friendships.

It’s the case of a friendship born more than 40 years ago, when for us, young Radioamateurs, looking for DX meant working the islands in the Arctic, the Antarctic bases, and proudly showing the QSLs confirming these contacts.
Well one of these friends, always active in the most remote places both in the Arctic and in Antarctica was and still is Valery Sushkov RW3GW, now RMØL!

Valery Sushkov RMØL (ex RW3GW)  is a travel researcher, postal historian, travel marketer, documentarian, chief postmaster of the International Philaturism Society, author of the new concept of “philaturism” in the history of world tourism practice, curator of the World Postal Mail Museum. Head of the Project “POSTVENTURE & Postal Adventure”. Visited more than 50 countries of the world, participant and organizer of more than 100 different expeditions on 6 continents, conqueror of the South Pole and the highest peak in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro, member of the Russian Geographical Society – Society for the Study of the Amur Region, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia, laureate and winner of the National Awards of the Russian Geographical Society “Crystal Compass”.

Philaturism  is educational and adventure tourism and the study of territories through the prism of philately and postal history, something new born from the fervent mondo f Valery!.

For the development of philaturism, the project “POSTVENTURE & Postal Adventure” and the International Philaturism Community were created. Valery Sushkov RMØL (ex RW3GW) defines the project and community as a postal radio-telegraph historical adventure experiment. Together with like-minded people and partners, Valery Sushkov is implementing a project in the form of historical and postal reconstructions, special cancellation ceremonies, philaturist flash mobs, installation of postal monuments, the creation of postal routes and expeditions, philanthropic guides and philatelic products.

See: RM0M – Callsign Lookup by QRZ Ham Radio and https://www.rgo.ru/ru/article/master-klass-s-valeriem-sushkovym-filaturizm-novoe-ponyatie-v-mirovoy-praktike-turizma

It’s a real shame! Six  people visited Platcha Hut, a brand “New One” for many Antarctic Hunters, and nobody brought an HF Radio, to operate a little while from there, and living us  the pleasure to log a rare spot in Antarctica!
We just read the info posted today on FB page: «That’s one way to get to work! Expeditioners from Davis Research Station flew out to check in on the isolated Platcha Hut last week. The team of six got a lift from a helicopter that is currently at the station and had one of the most unique morning commutes in the AAP! »
There are a number of features close to Davis Station (WAP AUS-Ø3) which are the subject of regular recreational visits. These include Lake Dingle and Lake Stinear, the lakes nearest to the Station, Tarbuck Crag as the nearest high point, Weddell Arm for viewing Weddell Seals when appropriate, Ellis Rapids  and Brookes Hut. Other field huts within the area, which are regularly used for recreational as well as scientific purposes are Platcha, Bandits, and Watts Lake Huts.

Platcha Hut  68° 30′ 47″ South, 78° 30′ 36″ East is situated in an extemely handy spot at the base of the plateau just to the south of Breid Basin a few metres above the shoreline. The locale is easy to reach by helicopter in the summer and is a decent walk over rough terrain from Davis Station for the keen. In the winter, Platcha Hut is one of the first to be visited once the sea ice forms and is thick enough. From Davis quads or Hägglunds, head along a waypointed route that follows Long Fjord to Breid Basin. The Hut itself sleeps four in bunk beds with room for two in the recently renovated (2011) Met Hut (the original Platcha) at the back.

In the early 60s the original Hut was manned continuously by teams of two for a few weeks at a time. They were tasked with making meteorological observations.

The present Platcha Hut was built in 1982. On the 9th of September the internal fit-out was transported to Platcha and by the 16th of September the hut was completed and ready for occupation which was a mammoth effort by the wintering team of 1982.
Thanks and credit to: Field huts around Davis – Australian Antarctic Program (antarctica.gov.au)

There are lots of Antarctic Hunters all over the world, who would love to work for the fist time on air Platcha Hut and for sure the other Huts scattered around the main Scientific bases in Antarctica.
From these pages, we, Radioamateurs launch an appeal to those responsible for scientific activities in Antarctica: Bringing a radio, setting up a couple of dipoles and doing a few hours of activity on HF is not just fun or recreation, but the study of radioionospheric propagation which  could be part of the list of scientific experiments. Thank you

Luis Risopatrón Refuge is an Antarctic Chilean refuge,  located at 60°22’17” South, 59°42’53” West on the north shore of Coppermine Cove, Robert Island in Nelson Strait on South Shetland Islands

The refuge lies 100 metres from the Antarctic Specially Protected Area  ASPA No.112​

Originally, it was called Coppermine Naval shelter and  was inaugurated on March 20, 1949 by the Chilean Navy during the commission of Commodore Leopoldo Fontaine. By law No. 19087, enacted on September 24, 1991, the “shelter” was renamed Base Luis Risopatrón, although, due to its characteristics it was  known for quite a bit of time,  as  Luis Risopatrón Refuge. The shelter is located 40 m above sea level, on a solid rock surface, 150 m from the coast. 20 km from the closest base, Captain Arturo Prat, (WAP CHL-Ø1).

The Base installation is made up of 5 modules. Scientific activities concerning terrestrial biology (since 1975) and geology and geophysics (since 1980) have been carried out there. The Base  site, has a capacity for a staff of 12 people.

We must say that Risopatron Refuge should not be confused with the Luis Risopatrón Scientific Antarctic Base, which did  participate in the activities of the International Geophysical Year on March 3, 1957. This Base  was set 60 meters from the O’Higgins Base (WAP CHL-Ø2) with civil resources belonging to the Catholic University of Chile.

It was destroyed by fire on March 10, 1958, just a year after its opening.

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WAP has no evidence of any recent Ham Radio operation from the Base or Refuge, whatever you want, while CE9AE seems to be (so far) the only one who did operate from the Base in 1957.

Last march 10^th 2024, the marathon  for the “120^th Anniversary”  of Argentina’s presence in Antarctica has ended.

It was not easy for EU to work the station active from the several LU Bases in Antarctica, as well as other callsign and Polar Ship involved, due to the operating GMT time non favorable for EU,  but in spite of that, quite a few Hams did manage to work some!

Congrats to Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armada,  Comando Conjunto Antártico for the wonderful initiative. The marathon continue until the Antarctic campaign 2023-2024 will end; certificates are still available.

Not everybody has worked Icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar yet, so our attention will now pointed on LU2AIB/MM, hoping to have this “new one” on the log as well, other than the pleasure to discharge the related certificate.
Look also for LU2ARM operating time to time, from the Joint Antarctic Command (EJERCITO ARGENTINO, DIRECCION ANTARTICA, in Buenos Aires, Capital Federal)

All Digital Certificates, available to those who did work the Argentina’s Bases in Antartica and other official LU station which work  within the event, could download their own confirmation by entering the QSLOG.AR website at:

QSLOG.AR – Bienvenidos!!! al Sitio Integrado de QSLOG.AR

TNX : Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armada,  Comando Conjunto Antártico
and
LU3IA Alfredo Arcangel Amaro  (pic on the right) for his envaluable help and timely information on the activities of the various LU’s  Antarctic stations.

Brabant Island, lying off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula at 64°15’South, 62°20’West, is the second largest Island of the Palmer Archipelago within the British Antarctic Territory. Brabant Island, 59 km (37 mi) long north-south, 30 km (19 mi) wide, is lying between Anvers Island and Liège island. It had only been visited on six very brief occasions since its discovery in 1898, although a 1/200 000 topographic map had been produced in 1963 from FIDASE aerial photography.

Joint Services Expedition explored the island in three phases over a 15-month period, from January 1984 to March 1985; each phase was landed and recovered by HMS Endurance.  The aims of the expedition were primarily scientific and secondarily adventurous.
HMS Protector returned recently to Brabant Island for the first time since 2017 to continue work to remove abandoned equipment from  the 1980’s expedition.

Royal Navy sailors have helped preserve the natural beauty of Antarctica by removing three tons of waste that  had frozen into position but subsequent thaw and freeze cycles meant it could now be removed seven years on. Twenty-nine members of HMS Protector’s expedition headed ashore on the ship’s Zodiac boats.  “It was quite shocking seeing all the mess left behind at first. But once we got together to gather up all the rubbish, we could instantly see the benefits of our work, quite a bitter-sweet”

HMS Protector is the Royal Navy’s Polar Research ship and is currently deployed in the Antarctic region promoting British interests and enforcing the Antarctic Treaty by working with partners including the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and the governments of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

TNX and credit: HMS Protector removes waste from Brabant Island next to Antarctica Peninsula — MercoPress

Well, maybe someone from the nearby Argentine Base Melchior (WAP ARG-13)  can try to visit Brabant  for a brief stay, or someone of the BAS can operate from there on one of the next visit!

Watch the Brabant Island Expedition Film 1983-85 here below