No 1771
425 DX NEWS - DX INFORMATION
Edited by I1JQJ & IK1ADH
Direttore Responsabile I2VGW
3DA - Ο David, PC4K, είναι ένας μηχανικός που εργάζεται στο shortwave transmitter site του Trans World Radio στο Manzini (Ζουαζιλάνδη ή eSwatini, που είναι ένα περίκλειστο κράτος ανάμεσα στη Νότια Αφρική και τη Μοζαμβίκη). Πήρε την άδειά του στις 10 Απριλίου 2025 και θα είναι QRV ως 3DA0PA στις HF μπάντες (βραχέα). QSL via LoTW.
C5 - Οι Luc, F5RAV (C5LT), Lui, YT3PL/YU5R (C5R) και Fabio, IK8HJC, θα είναι ενεργοί (active) από το θέρετρο Kololi, στη Gambia (στη ΒΔ Αφρική), από 19 Απριλίου έως και 2 Μαΐου 2025. Θα εκπέμπουν σε CW, SSB και FT8/FT4 στις HF bands, στα 6 μέτρα και via satellite. QSL C5LT via F5RAV (direct); QSL C5R via YU5R (Τα QSOs θα ανέβουν (uploaded) στο Club Log); Βλ. https://www.facebook.com/61572930010269.
CT - Γιορτάζοντας την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ραδιοερασιτεχνισμού (World Amateur Radio Day), στις 18 Απριλίου, την εκατονταετηρίδα της IARU και την 75η επέτειο της IARU Region 1, μέλη του Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (Ένωση ή Δίκτυο των Ραδιοερασιτεχνών της Πορτογαλίας) θα λειτουργήσουν τρία special callsigns από 18-24 Απριλίου 2025: CR1IARU από τις Azores (EU-175), CR3IARU από τη Madeira (AF-014) και CR5IARU από την ενδοχώρα της Πορτογαλίας. QSLs via CT1REP. Τα Πιστοποιητικά (Certificates) θα είναι διαθέσιμα για τις επαφές που θα γίνουν μ' ένα από τα παραπάνω special callsigns. Βλ. https://www.rep.pt/ για περισσότερες πληροφορίες.
EI - Ο Andy, G7SQW, θα είναι ενεργός (active) ως EJ/G7SQW από το Arranmore Island (EU-121), στη Β. Ιρλανδία, από 19-20 Απριλίου 2025. Θα εκπέμπει σε SSB και σε digital modes στις HF bands. QSL via home call; Τα QSOs θα ανέβουν (uploaded) στο Club Log και στο QRZ Logbook. [TNX The Daily DX]
F - Dom, F5SJB, will operate CW only as TM5RDL on 16-30 April 2025. The special callsign commemorates Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, who on the night of 25-26 April 1792 composed the words and music of the "Chant de guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin", later known as "La Marseillaise" and adopted as France's national anthem. QSL via F5SJB. [TNX F6AJA and Les Nouvelles DX]
FP - The Radio Club de Provins (F6KOP) will be active as FP5KE from Ile aux Marins, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon (NA-032) for a couple of weeks next autumn. A team of 16 operators will be QRV on 160-6 metres with 8 stations, and via EME with two stations (2m and 23cm). The DXpedition aims to make more than 100,000 QSOs, and has already financial support from the Northern California DX Foundation. Further details, including specific dates and a website, will be provided in due course.
HL - 6K2CFI (CW), 6K2GRX (FT8) and DS4NYE (SSB and RTTY) will be active as D84C from Chuja Island (AS-084) on 1-6 May. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or direct to DS4NYE.
HL - Look for DS1TUW to be active as DS1TUW/2 from Sungbong Island (AS-090) starting around 6 UTC on 3 May until around 23.59 UTC on 5 May. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on various HF bands, with a focus on 20-15 metres. QSL via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, or direct to home call.
JD1_mt - Take, JG8NQJ/JD1, expects to be back to the weather station on Minami Torishima (OC-073) for another couple of months starting on 17 April, his QSL manager reports. Take is QRV in his limited spare time. He operates CW and FT8 (please note that he wants you to call with your signal report, not your grid square). QSL via JA8CJY (direct), JG8NQJ (bureau) and LoTW.
OH0 - Ari, OH3KAV, will be active as OH0KA from Kokar, Aland Islands (EU-002) on 18-22 April. He will operate mainly FT8 and CW on various HF bands. QSL via OH3KAV (direct or bureau); QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW and Club Log.
PA - Celebrating the 80th anniversary since the end of the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, Peter, PD1RP is QRV as PD80FREE until 30 June. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau.
PJ4 - Chris, WA7RAR, will be active as PJ4CB from Bonaire (SA-006) on 17-27 April. He will operate SSB and CW on 20-10 metres, often from POTA sites. QSL via LoTW, QRZ Logbook, or direct to home call.
PZ - Renato, PY8WW, announced plans for "a solo" PZ5IP operation to take place from Papegaaien Island (SA-092) on 11-13 April, "depending on conditions". This will be a low-profile activation, with a "quick-deploy vertical antenna and a 45 Ah battery". His plan is "to operate during low tide, and leave the island once the tide starts to rise".
T8 - Ichy, JH7IPR, will be active again as T88UW from Koror (OC-009), Palau on 16-23 April. He will operate mainly FT8, with some CW and SSB. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, LoTW, or via home call (direct or bureau).
TR - Roland, F8EN, has extended his stay in Gabon [425DXN 1763], and now expects to be QRV as TR8CR until mid-June. He operates CW only. QSL via F6AJA; logsearch on http://LesNouvellesDX.fr/voirlogs.php. [TNX F6AJA]
V4 - Once again John, W5JON will be active as V47JA from St. Kitts (NA-104) on 20-26 April. He will operate SSB and FT8 on 160-6 metres. QSL via LoTW, or direct only to W5JON.
VE - Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again holding a "Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day" special event in which it encourages as many amateurs as possible to contact as many RAC stations as possible. Operating across Canada from 00.00 UTC to 23.59 UTC on 18 April, the RAC official stations will be VA2RAC, VA3RAC, VE1RAC, VE3RHQ, VE4RAC, VE5RAC, VE6RAC, VE7RAC, VE8RAC, VE9RAC, VO1RAC, VO2RAC, VY0RAC, VY1RAC and VY2RAC. QSL via LoTW or via the bureau. Those contacting one or more RAC stations, on any band and mode, will be eligible for a certificate: https://www.rac.ca/certificates
VP9 - Look for Paul, VP9KF to be active again from Bermuda (NA-005) on 14-28 April. He will operate CW only on various HF bands. QSL direct to Paul Evans, 15 Watch Knob Lane, Swannanoa NC 28778, USA. He does not use LoTW or Club Log. See https://vp9kf.com for more information. [TNX NG3K]
IARU 100 --- > More special event stations/callsigns from IARU societies
celebrating the 100th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union include:
* 4A100IARU by the Federacion Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores (FMRE). QRV
on 8-30 April; QSL via LoTW, direct to XE1SY, and via the bureau. A digi-
tal diploma will be available, see https://www.qrz.com/db/4A100IARU for
the details.
* 7Z100IARU, 8Z100IARU and HZ100IARU by the Saudi Amateur Radio Society
(HZ1SAR). QRV on 8-30 April.
* OC100IARU by the Radio Club Peruano (RCP). QRV on 14-20 April; eQSL on
https://www.oa4o.pe.
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*** 4 2 5 D X N E W S ***
**** GOOD TO KNOW ... ****
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Edited by I1JQJ & IK1ADH
Direttore Responsabile I2VGW
Access to the main functions of www.425dxn.org is provided by the 425DXN App
for Android. It is available on Google Play - free of charge, no ads. Enjoy!
CQMM DX CONTEST ---> The CQ MM DX Contest, organized by the Juiz de Fora CW
Group, will be held on 19-20 April. It will run from 9 UTC on Saturday through 23.59 UTC on Sunday, on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres CW. Complete details, including the results of the 2024 edition, can be found at https://www.cqmmdx.com/.
IOTA NEWS: CHANGE TO QUALIFYING ISLANDS FOR AS-178P ---> The IOTA Directory currently lists Pillar Rock as the only island qualifying for the Andhra Pradesh State North group (AS-178P). Recently a close investigation of the rock based on drone photos and videos has raised serious concerns about the safety of an IOTA radio operation. The central rock has a serious overhang, caused by erosion heavily carved in on the side facing away from the mainland.
Advice from local fishermen is that the rock would be unsafe to climb, not because of the level of difficulty involved but because of the risk that a part of the upper half of the rock could give way and break without warning from any significant weight placed on it, simply because of its shape and the relatively brittle material it is made of. Listing of the rock as a qualifying island in the Directory revision of 2000 was based on nothing more than its appearance as a spot on a marine chart, so nothing was known about the rock's condition.
Management has decided that any attempt to establish a radio operation from Pillar Rock would be too dangerous, and is removing it with immediate effect as an AS-178P qualifier. In its place it has added Hope Island at 16º58N. This is a recognised island but with a long tail of sandbar/shingle at the southern end stretching at least 11 km to the "Tail of Hope", and even beyond into the extensive Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, a 100 sq km mangrove forest straddled by canals and swamp.
Management takes the view that, given its isolation from anything constituting mainland, it can reasonably qualify as a counter. However, in fairness to all activators who might consider activating this new one, it has felt it necessary to insert a delay in implementation of the decision, and will only consider operations that take place from Hope Island on or after 1 September 2025. [G3KMA and the OTA Team, 10 April 2025]
NCDXF NEWSLETTER ---> The Spring 2025 issue of the Northern California DX
Foundation's Newsletter is now available for download on the NCDXF website:
https://ncdxf.org/newsletters/2025-SPRING.pdf. Highlights include:
* "S9Z. My First DXpedition" by Angus Alexander, KJ7KOJ
* "3D2Y. Rotuma Island" by Gregg Marco, W6IZT
* "C21MM: Activating the Pleasant Island" by Werner Hasemann, DJ9KH
* 9L5A. Sierra Leone 2024" by Patrick Bittiger, F2DX
QSL KP2M ---> Steve, KU9C, has taken over from NZ4DX as QSL manager for KP2M.
QSL direct to Steven M. Wheatley, PO Box 529, Mount Freedom NJ 07970-0529,
USA, or via LoTW.
SV1GA/A: ARRL DXCC STATEMENT ---> The following was posted to the ARRL's
website on 4 April: "The ARRL DXCC Desk has determined that the operation by
a DXpedition team from Mount Athos meets the DXCC award program's accredita-
tion criteria. Contacts with the team, which operated in January 2025 using
the call sign SV1GA/A, will therefore count toward DXCC. Additionally, due
to actions taken by local authorities that resulted in the early termination
of the operation, any future operations by this team from Mt. Athos will
require additional documentation for securing accreditation for DXCC
credit".
SV1GA/A: COMMENT BY THE TEAM ---> The following was posted to qrz.com on 5
April: "On April 4, 2025, ARRL has validated the January 2025 SV1GA/A activation of Mt. Athos. ARRL did their due diligence and took their time to analyze our paperwork,
including the amateur radio license, the diamonitirion (entry visas) and the our written, stamped and signed Mt. Athos 10-day permit for an amateur radio operation.
Also, during our stay on Mt. Athos, the local police has opened an investigation of our operation based on a complaint regarding the alleged unauthorized presence of amateur radio group in Mt. Athos. We were told to cease the operation immediately and we were invited at the local police station to give statements and to present our paperwork. The local police concluded that indeed our paperwork, including the amateur radio license, the 'Diamonitirion' (entry visas) and our written, stamped and signed Mt. Athos 10-day permit for an amateur radio operation are all in order.
The Mt. Athos police forwarded the case file to the Thessaloniki Prosecutor's Office, who found that there were no legal violations and that there was no breach of the law. As such, the case was dismissed. All these prove beyond any doubt that our January 2025 operation was legit and is therefore valid.
We thank all the hams around the world who supported us, and we are sorry
for not being able to make more QSOs. Our project for the next few weeks is to write our side of the story - a narrative that unfolds over several days of upheaval in a place of profound spirituality and awe-inspiring history. This extraordinary location, known to the locals as Agio Oros, carries a legacy as deep and sacred as its name suggests".
The whole SV1GA/A log has been uploaded to LoTW, and the OQRS on Club Log is open for those who would like to have a paper QSL card for this activation. The QSL manager is Martti, OH2BH. All OQRS proceeds will go to the Grace Charitable Foundation for the support of Mt. Athos.
WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY 2025 ---> Every 18 April, radio amateurs worldwide
take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on
this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris. IARU has announced that the theme for this year's World Amateur Radio Day will be "Entering the Next Century of Amateur Radio Communications & Innovation". Announced special callsigns participating in WARD 2025 include, among others, stations from Denmark (5P0WARD), Dominican Republic (HI0DMRA), Germany (DA25WARD), India (AT9WAR), Morocco (CN100HR), Netherlands (PA25WARD), Spain (EG5DMR and EG7DMR), Turkey (TC3WRD), UAE (A60WARD).
WORLDWIDE HOLYLAND DX CONTEST (WWHC) ---> The traditional Holyland Contest has become the Worldwide Holyland DX Contest since 2023. Any station any-
where can work any other station for points; contacts with 4X/4Z stations will attract more points. The contest will take place on 18-19 April, from 21.00 UTC on Friday until 20.59 UTC on Saturday (24 hours). See https://tools.iarc.org/wwhc/#/ for complete information.
