DX-World

92 Responses to “ZL9HR aftermath..”

1. Aadu, ES1TU says:

   December 24, 2012 at 10:03

   Mixed feelings about all this. It seems that few guys organized this trip in order to get some profit out of it. Would I be happier if there were no expedition to Campbell isl – hello no! Is it fair towards team members – hell no!

   Bottom line for me is very simple – never, and I repeat – never have any monetary relations with greeks. They are very nice people, but keep your wallets separated. Telling lies seems to be normal even on Greek government level.

   Other than that – thank you for the ZL9HR!
2. Hector says:

   December 24, 2012 at 17:00

   ES1TU, you don’t only have mixed feelings, but seems you want also to mixed unrelated facts.

   Don’t try to blame the ZL9 organizers because they are greeks. Most of greeks are very serious operators and nice people. Bad leadership and specially bad accounting and management skills can append in any team of any countries.

   ES1TU we are all waiting the first multinational dxpedition to a MW organised by a Estonian team !! so you can show us how better you are compared to the greeks.

   73
3. Dave Lloyd (K3EL) says:

   December 24, 2012 at 18:23

   The content of this posting was jointly crafted by ZL9HR operators:
   Jacky Calvo, ZL3CW
   Pista Gaspar, HA5AO
   Les Kalmus, W2LK
   Dave Lloyd, K3EL
   Glenn Petri, KE4KY
   John Plenderleith, 9M6XRO
   Gene Spinelli, K5GS
   Don Studney, VE7DS

   We acknowledge and welcome John, VK3YP’s announcement that full accounts of the ZL9HR DX-pedition will be made publicly available.

   Clarity and transparency around the finances was a principal concern and we are happy to learn this may be achieved. However, we wish to reiterate that a detailed analysis of DX-pedition income and expenditure should include the primary expedition costs – the boat charter, freight, government fees, hardware purchases, equipment repairs/replacement, shipping, etc. complete with appropriate receipts for expenses and income (donation) statements. We believe all “investors” deserve this degree of transparency.

   John is quite correct in stating that amounts for boat/government fees/freight costs were provided to us, and we all paid before the boat sailed. Each team member paid a total of approximately $8,700(USD) not including personal travel, living and/or medical-evacuation insurance. However, it was always in the broader context that when donations came in they would pay down these expenses. This was communicated to us in April 2012 in e-mails from the team leaders to prospective team members, such as that posted on DX-world by Jacky, ZL3CW.

   Please be clear, we don’t wish anyone to be unfairly out of pocket, and certainly not John, Tommy or HARAOA. Without their initiative and hard work up-front ZL9HR would not have been on the air in 2012. We fully expect that their legitimate expenses incurred in organizing this DX-pedition be reimbursed, but also that remaining funds from donations given to support ZL9HR be used for that purpose and distributed amongst the ten expedition members who all bore the major expedition costs such as boat charter, landing permit fees, etc. Given that these costs can easily be estimated to be in excess of $100k (greatly in excess of donations, as always expected), and that it will understandably take time before a full financial accounting is forthcoming, the recent announcement of reimbursement to NCDXF of “excess” donations to ZL9HR is puzzling, to say the least.

   Finally, to close on positive notes, we are all delighted to see the LoTW upload was completed in warp speed. Whatever our disagreements may be, we all wish to see post-expedition commitments honored in quick and efficient manner. The team was gratified whenever a QSO ended with “Thanks for the All Time New One” which was a key objective of the DX-pedition.

   73, Dave, K3EL
4. RUSS GUIDRY SR says:

   December 24, 2012 at 19:45

   Please just let the team work it out and my personal thanks to one and all. Every trip must have its issues and who best to handle then the team.n By the way, my donation was for team uploading to LoTW so early. Great Operation for sure.

   Thanks for a great effort one and all!

   73, Russ K5OA
5. Wes EA5/GW3RIH says:

   December 24, 2012 at 20:00

   Dave’s (K3EL) post on behalf of the ZL9HR covers everything so well that any further comments will be superfluous. Let us all now wait for the financial statement and consolidation.

   Until then my (our) thanks again to ALL those involved in putting the Dxepedition together, the operators, and to the vast majority of those in the pile-up who showed patience and courtesy whilst waiting to “get in the log”.

   A Merry Xmas and a peaceful 2013 to all.
6. WD4ELG says:

   December 24, 2012 at 23:41

   THANKS FOR ATNO, ZL9HR TEAM!! AND THANKS FOR POSTING TO LOTW!
7. Paul vk2hv says:

   December 25, 2012 at 22:19

   RUSS GUIDRY SR says:
   December 24, 2012 at 19:45

   Please just let the team work it out and my personal thanks to one and all. Every trip must have its issues and who best to handle then the team.n By the way, my donation was for team uploading to LoTW so early. Great Operation for sure.

   Thanks for a great effort one and all!

   73, Russ K5OA

   I agree and stop bagging
8. John VK3YP says:

   January 16, 2013 at 00:23

   As of today we have still not paid our final bills and our equipment has only just left NZ.

   Each ZL9HR team member has been asked to contribute to the $5,000 Customs bond which I have paid out of my own pocket (as there was not enough donations funds to cover this bond payment).

   Each team member owes HARAOA $500 AUD which they will receive back once Customs returns the money after the equipment arrives in Australia.

   I have made a request for each team members to pay their $500 contribution a few weeks ago and no payment has been received as yet.

   Let’s be very clear that any potential surplus we are talking about would be in the vicinity of only a few hundred dollars per team member.
9. Brian 5B4AIZ. says:

   January 17, 2013 at 07:52

   John,
   Please do not insult our intelligence.

   Are you honestly surprised that those eight guys have declined to throw good money after bad? In any event the only call on ‘your pocket’ thus far, in respect of this Bond has been the fee charged by your Bamk to put up the Bond.

   As for this…..

   Let’s be very clear that any potential surplus we are talking about would be in the vicinity of only a few hundred dollars per team member.

   It doesn’t stack up….back of the ‘fag packet’ calculations show that there is some US$30k + to be accounted for, which may include eqp’t purchased and needing to be solid. This assumes that there were ten contributions of US$8,700 by members. However, we suspect that there may have only been eight contriibuters, but that full circa US$30k needs to be accounted for.

   Your conduct wrt this issue thus far has been disgraceful and, by association, has brought ridicule and suspicion upon the HARAOA club. Until such time as you release full details of your income and expenditure that impression will remain.

   There remains the question of how the surplus will be dealt with , the contributing dx world have expressed their opinions and will be watching.
10. Bob GM0DEQ says:

    February 5, 2013 at 08:41

    Chaps

    Time to move on. Picking an eternal scab after a divorce is never a good idea – trust me.

    Due to the nature of our great hobby of communication all misdemeanours are public and the main protaganists (whoever they may be) will eventually become ostracized from the world of amateur radio. A foolish act.

    I would like to thank all the team for a remarkable expedition and encourage mediation from an impartial observer.

    73

    Bob
11. Donovan/ZS2DL says:

    February 5, 2013 at 21:14

    All I want is a QSL card!

    Hi Hi
    73
    Donovan, ZS2DL
12. Antony G4CUS says:

    February 18, 2013 at 23:19

    Many thanks for the very nice/interesting QSL card received today and for a NEW ONE!