Marion Island off the air

Marion Island off the air

Marion Island becomes rarer DX

Comments made regarding the amount of operation from 6O6O show that many hams do not consider the purpose of the visit to the country.

Of course, the sole purpose of a dxpedition is to make qsos that give other hams contacts that help towards awards.

However, many rare dx operations are by hams who are working in that ‘needed’ location – and giving contacts is secondary to the reason the operator is in some far-flung spot. So, operation is limited.

It is very rare that an operator had to go QRT because he or she is in a life-threatening situation. One in which fuel and food are in short supply happened recently on Marion Island.

With fuel restricted to essential purposes, ham operation ceased in November. There is doubt whether ZS8Z will be on the air before the South African ship arrives in April 2018 for the changeover.

The South African Sunday Times highlighted the incompetence of the responsible government department that allowed this life-threatening situation to occur. The department had told the 20-plus scientific team they had to soldier on and that the government could not afford to send a supply ship!

The newspaper article reports an incident when one team member attacked another with a frying pan! The victim had to be patched up by the medic. Subsequently, the report claims the attacker took a fire axe and trashed the victim’s living quarters. It was reported that team members feared for their lives!

Fortunately, an Indian relief ship was found that was able to take supplies and is on passage with food and fuel. The fuel is for the one remaining operational generator – two are in need of maintenance and repair.

The Department of Environment & Tourism played down the seriousness of the situation claiming one team member was ‘suffering strain’ and the provisioning calamity was an error because of ‘out of date tins’.

Tom Morgan ZT1T ZS1AFS G0CAJ

(Source Southgate )

NOTE:

Please make sure you give me a signal report and make sure that I have received

it, for JT65 and FT8 QSO's make sure you receive either the RRR and 73 messages,

or you will NOT be in the logbook.