Ducie Island 2018 DXpedition Plans Coming Together for this Fall

The Perseverance DX Group (PDXG) reports that its plans to activate the protected marine area of Ducie Island from October 20 to November 3, 2018 are starting to jell. The last Ducie Island DXpedition was VP6DX in 2008. Ducie is currently the 21st most-wanted DXCC entity according to Club Log. The 2018 DXpedition would operate as VP6D. A team of 15 operators will be on the island for up to 14 days, departing from Mangareva, French Polynesia, aboard the expedition ship Braveheart. Seven operating positions are planned for 160 to 10 meters, SSB/CW/digital, including FT8. VP6D has added 6-meter Earth-moon-Earth to the mix and hopes to make the first ever 6-meter moonbounce contacts from Ducie Island.

“The logistics plan is coming together,” the team announced on February 8. “Our equipment will be consolidated in Fremont, California, for testing, packaging, and shipment to the Braveheart in New Zealand.”

The team reported that its antenna plans are coming together, with 2-element vertical dipole arrays on the high bands backed up by a couple of horizontal beams; 4-squares on 30 and 40 meters, and verticals on 80 and 160. Top Band receive antennas are still under development.

A grant from the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) as well as contributions from other DX organizations, are helping to fund the adventure’s clubs and foundations.

It’s believed that this would be the fourth DXpedition to Ducie Island. An uninhabited atoll, Ducie Island is a British Overseas Territory in the Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific

Direct questions to Team Ducie.

Source:ARRL