The Daily DX is reporting that the 7O6T Yemen DXpedition will start 2100 UTC Monday, April 30 and will continue through 2100 UTC May 15. Yemen currently sits at #5 on DX Magazine’s most wanted list,
behind North Korea, Navassa, Bouvet and Heard Island. The ARRL DXCC
Desk will review the 7O6T DXpedition’s documentation before granting
approval for the operation to count for DXCC credit.
The DXpedition will be on Socotra Island -- the largest island in the
four-island Socotra archipelago located in the Indian Ocean -- about
353 kilometers south of the Yemen mainland. Socotra Island (AF-028) is also ranked #1 on the RSGB’s Islands on the Air (IOTA)
list, with only .3 percent of IOTA participants claiming it. Due to
Socotra’s location, Yemen is one of the few DXCC entities that cross
continental borders (Asia and Africa). Socotra also counts for one of
the three Diamond DXCC Entities that make up today’s Yemen (including Aden City and Yemen itself) from the 1937 DXCC List.
The DXpedition is led by Dmitri Zhikharev, RA9USU, and assisted by
Harry Booklan RA3AUU, and Dave Collingham, K3LP. Currently, there are 11
operators on Socotra, with a rotation planned later in the operation.
Operators plan
to be on 160-10 meters on six stations using CW, SSB and RTTY. Five of
the stations are equipped with an Elecraft K3 and ACOM 1010 amplifier;
the sixth station has a Kenwood TS-590 and THP-400 amplifier. There will
be various beams, verticals and vertical arrays, as well as Beverages
and other receiving antennas.
Look for 7O6T on the following
frequencies:
160 CW 1.824 MHz SSB 1.845 MHz RTTY 0000
80 CW 3.504 MHz SSB 3.780 MHz RTTY 0000
40 CW 7.004 MHz SSB 7.065/7.180 MHz RTTY 7.035 MHz
30 CW 10.104 MHz RTTY 10.140 MHz
20 CW 14.024 MHz SSB 14.145 MHz RTTY 14.080 MHz
17 CW 18.074 MHz SSB 18.145 MHz RTTY 18.100 MHz
15 CW 21.024 MHz SSB 21.295 MHz RTTY 21.080 MHz
12 CW 24.894 MHz SSB 24.945 MHz RTTY 24.920 MHz
10 CW 28.024 MHz SSB 28.495 MHz RTTY 28.080 MHz
80 CW 3.504 MHz SSB 3.780 MHz RTTY 0000
40 CW 7.004 MHz SSB 7.065/7.180 MHz RTTY 7.035 MHz
30 CW 10.104 MHz RTTY 10.140 MHz
20 CW 14.024 MHz SSB 14.145 MHz RTTY 14.080 MHz
17 CW 18.074 MHz SSB 18.145 MHz RTTY 18.100 MHz
15 CW 21.024 MHz SSB 21.295 MHz RTTY 21.080 MHz
12 CW 24.894 MHz SSB 24.945 MHz RTTY 24.920 MHz
10 CW 28.024 MHz SSB 28.495 MHz RTTY 28.080 MHz
Logs, photos and propagation forecasts
will be posted to the 7O6T website as the DXpedition continues. QSL via
Nick Averyanov, UA3DX. Updates regarding OQRS, direct, bureau and LoTW
QSLing will also be posted to the website.
Only one Amateur Radio operation has taken place from Socotra Island: VS9SJF (VS9 Socotra Joint Forces), operated by John Farrar, G3UCQ (ex 5B4JF) during a Royal Air Force/Army expedition. At that time, Socotra was under British rule. “The
Expedition was on the island for two months (December 1964-February
1965) and I contacted over 100 countries with my little 75 W rig,
including, many from USA,” Farrar recounted.
“The Heathkit DX-40U transmitter gave 74 W input on CQ and 60 W input
controlled carrier modulation (AM). The receiver was an RCA AR88D. No
electronic keyers in those days, so a good wrist was needed! The
antennas comprised a W3DZZ trap dipole (80-10 meters) and a V-beam was
later erected, aimed at USA, with the legs about 200 feet long and 30
feet high.”
Except for two brief periods, Socotra Island belonged to the sultans
of Mahra. During the early 16th century, it was occupied by the
Portuguese. In 1886, it became part of Britain’s Aden Protectorate
until 1967, when it was joined with the People’s Democratic Republic of
Yemen (South Yemen), which became the Republic of Yemen in 1990.Thanks to The Daily DX and the K8CX Ham Gallery for some information
