DXPEDITION TO DESECHEO GETS READY TO ROLL

Six members of the February 2009 KP5 Desecheo DXpedition team
http://www.kp5.us/ met in Puerto Rico the week of December 17-21.
According to team co-leader Bob Allphin, K4UEE, the team visited US Fish
and Wildlife Headquarters in Boqueron and met with the Chief Refuge
Manager and law enforcement personnel in preparation for the DXpedition,
set to start February 12.

Desecheo currently sits at number 7 on DX Magazine's Most Wanted list;
the island is the second most-wanted DXCC entity in Asia and third
most-wanted in Europe. Desecheo is a small uninhabited island in the
Mona Passage, 14 miles off the western coast of Puerto Rico. It is part
of the USFWS's national wildlife refuge system administered by the
Caribbean National Wildlife Refuge Complex (CNWR)
http://www.fws.gov/caribbean/.

"After an evening with local DXers and members of the Puerto Rico
Amateur Radio League for dinner and a night of fellowship, DXpedition
team members underwent UXO (unexploded ordnance) training," Allphin
said. "On December 19, we accompanied US Fish and Wildlife law
enforcement and UXO personnel to Desecheo Island. In the three hours we
were there, the campsite and antenna fields were thoroughly swept for
UXO and several areas were found suspicious. These areas were clearly
marked, mapped by GPS and declared off limits for the DXpedition."

Allphin said that the USFWS will allow antennas on the ridge above the
helicopter pad, providing a clear shot to Europe, North America and
Japan. Other antennas will be located on the beach below the helicopter
pad. While on Desecheo, the team conducted a test for the 2 meter link
to Puerto Rico.

"Logistics and staging of equipment is ongoing and will be complete
before the team arrives in Puerto Rico on February 7." Allphin said.
"The team will transit to Desecheo on February 12 to begin the two week
operation. Eight HF stations, plus 6 meters, will be operational. We
have planned an incredible array of antennas. Transportation and
logistics have been arranged for a fast deployment and quick appearance
on the air. As soon as we land on Desecheo, two stations will be
immediately activated. Stations will continue to operate until the final
moments of departure on February 26."

Per USFWS rules, only 15 operators will be allowed on the island at one
time. "We have arranged with USFWS to allow a shift change about half
way through the DXpedition," Allphin told the ARRL. "This has allowed a
number of hams on our waiting list an opportunity to participate in this
DXpedition."

DXpedition co-leader Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, said the team will be running
CW, SSB and RTTY on 160-6 meters. "We've had tremendous support from DX
organizations all over the world and from numerous equipment and antenna
manufacturers," he told the ARRL. "We are diligently working on the
propagation studies to reach our hard-to-work areas of Asia and Europe.
This plus our planned antennas, we should knock Desecheo off of the Most
Wanted List for a long time to come."

--
Mike
NØODK
73