January 6, 2025
ARRL Awards Colvin Grant to Bouvet DXpedition
The ARRL (National Amateur Radio Association) has awarded a $5,000 grant (Colvin Award) to the Delta-Xray group, organizers of the 3YØK DX expedition to Bouvet Island, scheduled for February and March 2026. Bouvet is an isolated island in the Southern Ocean, inhabited only by seals and penguins, and known for its harsh weather and sea conditions. A Norwegian territory, it is almost entirely covered in glaciers. The last amateur radio operation conducted from Bouvet was the 3YØJ DX expedition in 2023, which caused the island to jump from 2nd to 10th place in Club Log's ranking of most sought-after destinations.
Two camps are planned, according to the team leaders, covering all HF bands. One of the tents will be dedicated to high-frequency propagation to North America when conditions permit. Each camp will consist of three tents serving as operational spaces, sleeping quarters, and communal living areas. These tents have already been used on Bouvet Island and, according to the team leaders, have proven their resilience to the expected extreme conditions.
The team is scheduled to depart for Bouvet from Cape Town, South Africa, on February 1st. Weather permitting, 3YØK plans to use helicopters to transport personnel and equipment between the ship and the island. The group plans to spend three weeks on and around the island and will attempt to contact as many amateur radio operators as possible worldwide, using up to eight stations operating in CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY, and via the QO-100 geostationary satellite.
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The 3YØK DX expedition is arguably the most expensive ever undertaken by amateur radio operators, with a budget of $1.7 million, the majority of which ($1.2 million) is dedicated to what the team describes as a "reliable commercial vessel for Arctic and Antarctic liaison." The team emphasizes that "the safety and reliability of maritime transport remain a challenge for expeditions to such remote islands, and costs continue to rise." Expedition leaders state that "the top priority of expedition 3YØK is the safety of the operational team, support staff, and the ship and helicopter crews."
The team consists of 24 operators from 14 countries. Among its members are two young amateur radio operators: Max Freedman, 21, N4ML, an ARRL staff member; and Alex Schengber, 26, DL2ALY, an aeronautical engineer currently working at a German research station in Antarctica.
Source: REF39
