05-Nov-2001: Video tape of the DXpedition available -> order page
05-Nov-2001: CD-ROM of the DXpedition available for 15$ US -> order page

Here you can find the latest bulletin in different languages. Depending on the font you might have to download a file.
Last update novembre 5, 2001

12-July-2001:

We wish to present to you in a short narrative, the long history of an expedition,
THE AGALEGA EXPEDITION

Thursday 07. 06. 2001

The final logfile has been uploaded to the server tonight. From now on the QSL Manager North America or the head QSL Manager will be in charge to answer any E-mail regarding the Logfile. Please adress any correspondence regarding the log to them.

The crew has arrived back home.

Thirstday 17.05.2001

The crew arrived safe and all still healthy in Male. Tomorrow at 14.00 UTC they will take a plane to the Seichelles.

Thuesday 15th may

This morning at 05.00 we made the last QSO. The Log was transmitted to our Headpilot Sigi. In 7.5 days we acheived around 64000 QSO.

If there are any mistakes in the log, like wrong band, wrong mode please contact imediately our co Pilot, HB9ZFL. After the crew retourned to Switzerland, we will have a close look to the log and modify it. We wish the crew a safe journey home.

Monday 14th may

Currently, we still have 2 SSB and 2 CW stations operating. The others have been dismantled and we are busy packing up. Tomorrow morning at 05.00 UTC we shall close down these 4 stations so that we can leave Agalega as early as possible with the boat to Coetivy.

This evening, after exactly 8 days, we have 60'000 QSOs in the log. We shall be celebrating this with a bottle of wine tonight.

73 de HB9BXE

Sunday 13th may

Lowband:
Last night we managed about 200 QSOs on 160m and 80m. Propagation conditions were good for the first time.

QSO statistics:
As per 12.00 UTC today (the 7th day of operation), we have clocked up a total of 53'000 contacts.

As previously advised, we shall be closing down operations finally on Tuesday 15th May. The trip home will be by the same round about route used to get here, i.e.: Coetivy-Seychelles-Mauritius-Zurich. An added factor is a cyclone further
south from us here and this forces us to leave Agalega by the 16th May at the latest.

Current programme:
Monday, 14.5.01
04.00, QRT Low-Band
08.00, QRT Satellite
08.00, QRT 6m
08.00, QRT 10m FM

Tuesday, 15.5.01
04.00, QRT SSB
08.00, QRT CW. Final QSO from HB9BXE using a 'fist' keyer (real telegraphy)

Wednesday, 16.5.01
Morning departure by boat to Coetivy; trip lasts about 24 hours

Thursday, 17.5.01
Coetivy - Seychelles with small aircraft

Friday, 18.5.01
Seychelles - Mauritius flight with Air Seychelles

Saturday, 19.5.01
10.00 departure from Mauritius to Zurich.
Arrival in Zurich scheduled for 20.00h

Saturday 12 th may

We have photo time today between 10.00 and 11.00 and during this period no stations will be on the air. We need the photos for the QSL cards.
It has been another hot day but fortunately no rain has fallen. We are also having an open door day for the local inhabitants of Agalega. They watch us in amazement at all our activities!

Friday, 11th may 2001

Following important message received from Hans-Peter HB9BXE, via Inmarsat:

Very unfortunately, the Agalega Dxpedition must close down on Monday, 14th May at short notice, due to a hurricane warning which has been issued for
the region.

We have already carried out some improvements, so for the 40m LP path to the USA.)
160m:
Unfortunately, we only managed 4 QSOs on this band last night. Today we improved the Rx antenna for 160m and we intend to install two selective pre-amplifiers in cascade. As a further measure, we hope to try out a 'Snake-antenna' with preamplifier tonight.

15m:
It is interesting to note this band is open for traffic the whole time.

SSTV:
As already announced, we shall be looking for Ueli on 21.345kHz from 07.00 UTC tomorrow, (12.5). Initially, Stefan/SP9RTI will be available for traffic until 14.00 UTC in standard SSTV mode.

6m:
We are happy to report that we have already had 276 successful QSOs on this 'magic' band.

Satellite:
The score to date is 71 QSOs.

Overall activity:
From the outset until today, we have had almost 40'000 QSOs.

Many thanks for all the inputs we have received via our pilots. We take all suggestions and advice seriously and try to improve on ourselves! We have to point out however, that we are working under conditions of considerable stress. The daily temperatures exceed 35 deg. and during the night it only drops marginally to abour 28 deg. A very high humidity prevails the whole time.

Over half of the team members are participating in an expedition of this sort for the first time in their lives and consequently, have little experience. We are all living in our own camp and must attend to the daily chores involved as well as operate the stations. On average, 3 team members are continuously occupied with camp work.

Inspite of the strain, everybody remains top motivated and the daily routine has now become well established.

We are currently celebrating Luis/CT1AGF's birthday.

Thursday, 10th May 2001

General News from 3B6RF on Agalega.
Low band propagation appears to be very poor at present. We can only hear few stations but hope conditions will pick up very soon.
From tonight and for the next few days we shall be concentrating of 40/80/160m.
SSTV
Also today, we made our first SSTV QSO. We anticipate being QRV once more on the 12th May from 07.00 until 14.00 UTC on 21.345kHz.
RTTY/PSK31
We are now QRV in RTTY as from today also. During the next few days we shall be alternating between PSK31 and RTTY modes.

09th may

Today we activated satellite, 6m and 10m FM. 6m opens around 6.00. In the first tree days we have more than 22000 QSO ca 24% of it USA. Tomorrow we will be QRV as planed in SSTV.

08th may 2001

Today the thermometer registered almost 40 deg.C and the hottest we have had
so far.
We have now erected the most important antennas but the heat is making life difficult for us and we have to seek shade at frequent intervals. Tomorrow, (Wednesday 9th May) we shall be QRV on all bands and in all modes.
TITANEX vertical. Problems on the first night with local noise generated from the power inverter.
We hope to put up a penat (??) today for the receiver and be QRV for 2nd night. QRG: 1827.5kHz, QSX 1823 to 1824khz, (possible changes if necessary).

07th may 2001

We have had a major job on hand in erecting our antenna farm as all the materials had to be transported 6km across the island and with little transport medium available. As an added condiment to the soup' it rained practically the whole day with an intensity that only tropical regions
experience. Currently, two CW and two SSB stations are up and running. It is so hot during the day that work on the antenna erection sites is almost impossible. Tonight we intend putting up the 80m antenna by moonlight and so be QRV on 80m by midnight. By tomorrow morning we should be QRV with six stations. Today, the thermometer climbed to 35 deg.C and was the hottest day so far. The team members are all very tired and sleep overcomes some of them sometimes but nevertheless, the QSO pileups are huge and keep us all fully motivated to carry on!

06th may 2001

3B6RF is QRV since 15:00 UTC on several bands. They are always working split! Do not transmit on their transmission frequency.

05th may 2001

Important News.
Hello to everybody anxiously awaiting news from Agalega.

At 17.00 UTC today, we received a phone call via Inmarsat satellite. The team has safely arrived and landed on Agalega. It is night there and everybody is very tired after 34 hours on a boat riding heavy seas with 3m high waves. Tents will be erected and sleep is the first order.

Tomorrow, Sunday 6th May, all hands will be out to erect antennas and get 3B6RF on the air. Operation is planned to commence at about 15.00 UTC.
Please check the listed frequencies.

Good DXing, HB9DLE Headpilot.

03. may 2001

News received from Hans-Peter/HB9BXE, via SMS Thursday, 3rd May 2001:
The Team members are all OK and fully motivated.
Friday 4th May, they will fly to the southerly most island of the Seychelles and at approx. 17.00h embarque for the 17-19 hour sea trip to Agalega.
Upon arrival there, work will immediately begin to assemble the equipment and get the first station up and running. HB9DLE will announce QRV via Packet Radio, DX-Cluster and Internet.
Everything is running positively and the whole team will undertake all measures to satisfy the expected demands!

02th may 2001

Further news received this evening from Hans-Peter, HB9BXE:
Landing permission for the small plane has been refused. The Agalega team will now fly out from Mahe to the southern most Seychelle island and then by boat to Agalega. This means activity will not be possible before the 6th May.

01th may 2001

I received a phone call from teamleader, HB9BXE this morning Tuesday, 1st
May, 09.00UTC.
Hans-Peter informed me the team will fly to the Seychelles around midday
today and from there on to Agalega by small plane. Two flights will be
necessary for that leg; the first half should leave on the 2nd May and the
remainder on the 3rd. According to the latest weather forecast, a gale is expected the edge of which will affect the Seychelles and Agalega. This means winds must be expected which could hamper the timetable. However, we hope Hans-Peter will call again before the team leaves for Agalega.

Monday, 30th april 2001

Today's main event is the meeting for the whole team - general information about Agalega, licence, operating etc. In the afternoon we are going on a liitle trip to learn more about Mauritius.
The first photograph shows the whole 3B6-team, taken during the meeting.

Tomorrow we shall be told when exactly and how we are going to reach Agalega.
This will probably be the last E-Mail from us here as tomorrow is the 1st May and a public holiday.
Tomorrow we shall be leaving Mauritius on an Air Seychelles flight, departing at 17.00 local and arriving in Mahe the same day at about 19.00 local time.
What happens thereafter remains to be seen.

29. april 2001

All the team members have arrived safely in Mauritius. Following lunch in the hotel, we had our first general meeting and exchanged details on the current general situation. We shall find our tomorrow how and when we shall be departing for Agalega. The picture shows the whole 3B6RF team together for the first time.

Saturday, 28th April 2001.

For logistic reasons the earliest date for becoming QRV will be the 4th or 5th May. It is extremely difficult to get from the Seychelles to Agalega.

We have two options:
Either by plane from Seychelles to Agalega; we have aural permission to land there but still await the written confirmation. Alternatively, we can travel by boat. Written landing permission is in our hands but the journey takes 2 1/2 days. A gale warning is out and heavy seas prevail; this according to the weather forecast from Agalega. Should this really be the case, we shall
not be able to land in Agalega, consequently hampering progress. How long we can actually be QRV will depend upon these factors and so we shall only be able to provide further information when we have actually arrived on site.

This is the current timetable assuming we are flying to our destination:

Sunday, 29th April: Arrival of the remaining team members.
Monday, 30th April: Coordination meeting and training operation.
Tuesday, 1st May: The whole team flies to the Seychelles, Mahe.
Wednesday, 2nd May: Equipment and half of the team transfer from Mahe to Agalega.
Thursday, 3rd May: Remaining team members arrive in Agalega; commence station erection.
Friday, 4th May: Completion of station erection and begin operation of 3B6RF.

Friday, 27th April 2001.

Jack F6HMJ arrived in Mauritius today;
Over lunch we reported to Jack all that has meanwhile taken place.

We shall be buying in all the remaining food stores in preparation for transport to the Seychelles. Currently, we have lots to do here, primarily relating to the logistics of the operation. The weather has meanwhile cooled off somewhat, which makes life easier for us.