DX-World

No Responses to “3W6C – Con Co Island: AS-185, Vietnam”

1. DX World says:

   September 15, 2009 at 18:50

   LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND, 15 September 2009 Scheduling their activities for April 2010, an international group of amateur radio operators plan to conduct a “DXpedition” (DX being ham-radio talk for “long distance”) to a remote island off the coast of Vietnam. During their 2-week stay, they will make radio contacts with as many ham radio operators as possible around the globe. Running four stations 24 hours a day, they hope to reach 60,000 hams in that period.

   In addition, the Vietnam telecom authorities have issued an official amateur radio license as required for any such activity; in this case, the call sign under which all radio communications will take place is 3W6C.

   The multinational project, being coordinated by Swiss ham-radio operators, consists of roughly 20 individuals including one woman with members not only from Switzerland but also from Vietnam, Germany, USA and Japan.

   The team members are starting to make the extensive preparations necessary for such a DXpedition. Con Co Island, with a land surface of just 2 square kilometers, is 32 km off the central coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The island has a population of approximately 400 people. For many years it was a restricted military zone, but today the Vietnamese government is working to turn this idyllic location into a tourist and vacation destination.

   What is of special interest to ham operators is that this island has rarely seen any radio activity. Because it belongs to the popular Islands of the Air program (designation: AS-185), and the fact that Vietnam itself is high in the list of most-wanted countries for radio contacts, the DXpedition expects very high interest from the amateur radio community around the world.

   The goal is to make contacts on as many different frequencies as possible, even in the 80 meter and 160 meter bands, which makes this DXpedition very special. But this goal also means that the group must transfer considerable amounts of equipment including radios, antennas, power generators, computers, and various ancillary supplies with them to the island.

   The need for sponsors

   In order to conduct such an extensive operation requires considerable financial resources. And while the team members are all making personal financial sacrifices to make this DXpedition possible, they are also dependent upon donations from many sources, whether individuals, ham-radio clubs or commercial sponsors. They would be most grateful for any financial support, in any amount; information for making donations is available on the DXpedition website at http://www.3w6c.qrv.ch.
2. DX World says:

   October 20, 2009 at 20:44

   LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND, 15 October 2009 In late September, Team Leader Hans-Peter HB9BXE flew to Vietnam and met with two of our Vietnamese crew members, Bac Ai XV2A and Eddy XV1X along with Eddy’s XYL Hang. Together they braved an oncoming typhoon and chartered a boat to travel to C?´n C?? Island to meet with local officials and perform a site survey in preparation for the big event in April. The result: there are no hurdles standing in the way of a successful operation.

   Con Co Island (IOTA AS-185), with a land surface of just 2 square kilometers, is 32 km off the central coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. Because of rapidly approaching Typhoon Ondoy which was strong enough to make it impossible for the recent Russian XV3RRC/XV7RRC DXpedition to land on any islands of the AS-185 group the weekly scheduled commercial ship to the island was cancelled. Thus it was necessary for our crew to charter a private boat to take them to Con Co. In fact, at one point the impending storm prompted the local military officials to tell the crew members to leave the island. They warned our scouting team that the typhoon would soon reach the mainland, and our crew members arrived safely back just a few hours before the full storm hit. Further, the Swiss crew members had to wait an extra three days before they could find another flight back home. The bright side of all this inconvenience is that we have all the approvals required for the DXpedition and have begun detailed work on the logistics.

   Comments Team Leader Hans-Peter, “It was a very good thing that we had the two native Vietnamese Hang and Bac Ai with us. Without their help, especially serving as translators and interpreters, we never would have been able to meet with the local officials and conduct a successful site survey. It’s quite difficult and complicated to get all the necessary approvals needed to even land on Con Co.”

   The scouting team also gained some invaluable knowledge. For instance, a 36 kW generator provides power on Con Co each day only from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This fact has advantages as well as disadvantages. On the down side, our DXpedition must rely solely on portable generators. On the positive side, there will be very little QRM, and so our scouting team is very encouraged about the prospects of making plenty of low-band QSOs.

   In addition, they found sites on the island that will be very suitable for the various operating shacks. For both the SSB and CW stations they have located unused concrete structures that will serve quite well in this capacity, and they are close to the shore where we will have plenty of room for large antennas. They also believe we can set up antennas that will enable the largest number of QSOs possible in the direction of Europe and the USA.

   The 3W6C DXpedition

   The international 3W6C DXpedition will be on the air from Con Co Island (IOTA AS-185) in Vietnam from 10 through 18 April 2010. They will operate four stations 24 / 7 with an emphasis on low-band operation and targeting the US and Europe. For full information about the DXpedition go to http://www.3w6c.qrv.ch. The team would be most grateful for any financial support, in any amount; information for making donations is also available on the web site.
3. DX World says:

   December 2, 2009 at 20:51

   The 3W6C DXpedition to Con Co Island in Vietnam taking place next April has an opening for one additional experienced CW operator.

   This DXpedition is being headed up by several members of the Helvetia Telegraphy Club, but we also have members from other countries including Vietnam. German language is NOT required to participate.
   Full details about the DXpedition are available at http://www.3w6c.qrv.ch.

   If you or any members of your organization would like to be considered a candidate for this open spot on our crew, please send details about your background and DXing experience to Hans-Peter, HB9BXE.

   He can likewise give you further details about expenses, travel, etc.

   73,

   Paul AA1MI / HB9DST