Author - Tim Beaumont

Jan. 1, 2024  TX5S Clipperton Island DXpedition  (NA-011)  January 18 – February 1, 2024
This will be the last Press Release before we depart from San Diego on January 11, 2024. We will release periodic updates from the island.
The DXpedition equipment is packed and ready for the voyage to Clipperton Island, the team will begin assembling in San Diego on January 8th. Weather permitting, we expect a 6 day voyage each way, camp setup will take approximately 1.5 – 2 days.

Follow the Shogun
We expect to have a Garmin in Reach transmitting Shogun’s position at regular intervals. You may follow the ship at: https://share.garmin.com/TX5S Also reachable from the website: TX5S.net

Log Uploads
There will be two Starlink terminals on the island. Logs will be uploaded at least once a day to both Clublog and to M0URX.com ClubLog Live Stream will be available at: https://clublog.org/livestream/TX5S
Shortly after we leave the island, confirmation requests (OQRS) will be processed only at M0URX.com
Early donors that work us will receive their LoTW while we are on the island.

Not in Log and busted calls will be investigated by submitting the form at M0URX.com.
Please, no emails about Not in Log or busted calls. You must use the reporting form on the OQRS system.

K6TU Propagation Tools
Stu K6TU has again made his personalized propagation tools available at no charge during TX5S. You can click on the logo displayed at: https://clip.pdxg.net/k6tu-propagation-tools/
DR2W Propagation Tool
Another package of free to use propagation tools are available by clicking the link at:
https://clip.pdxg.net/dr2w-propagation-tool/

Groups.io Forum
The pilot team will use Groups.io to collect input from the DX community. A Groups.io account is required to post to the group. You may subscribe to the forum by sending an e-mail to: [email protected] You may also e-mail the pilots with your reports, although Groups.io is the preferred method.

Fundraising:
TX5S donations are only at ~53% of the goal. While adding a donation to your OQRS request is always appreciated, the cash flow challenge is real, the bills must be paid before we sail.
Since the last press release the following organizations have joined the project as sponsors:
– Liga Amadores Bras de Rádio Emissão (Brazil)
League of Brazilian Amateur Radio Broadcasters
– Motherlode DX Club (significant donation)
– The Carolina DX Association

We wish to thank the organizations and individuals who have already pledged their support to TX5S and ask those of you who have not yet processed a donation to consider supporting the project before we sail on January 11, 2024.
FT8 Operation: Unless otherwise noted, we will use WSJT-X in Fox/Hound mode. You must transmit above 1,000hz.

Special Thanks to Our Suppliers:
Equipment support from our suppliers was welcomed.
DX Engineering, Elecraft, RadioSport, ON5UR QSL Print Service, The DX Store, M0URX.com, The Daily DX , LBS, RigExpert, Spiderbeam and SQ1K Bart’s Shop (for providing the team clothing). Additionally, John N7CQQ provided the 240V amplifier power grid, and other items, from previous Clipperton DXpeditions.
Good luck in the pileups.
73,
Clipperton 2024 Team
Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tx5s2024
Website: TX5S.net
Groups.IO: Clipperton-2024
Questions to: [email protected]

The work from the November DXpedition H44WA to the Solomon Islands has continued and we are now pleased to report the QSL card has been designed by ON5UR Max and the QSL is now in the print room. We expect to be able to post cards out later in January. You can request your QSL on OQRS.

TX5S Clipperton Island DXpedition (NA-011) January 18 – February 1, 2024

Equipment Week: During the first week of December several team members will meet in Northern California to prepare the campsite and radio equipment for shipment to our boat Shogun which is docked at San Diego. We will inventory the tents and review their installation procedures, the Elecraft transceivers will be integrated with the computers, amplifiers, and the island’s WIFI environment will be configured and integrated with Starlink. The EME and satellite stations are separate turnkey packages. Shogun will provide meals on the island; we will provide the necessary campsite logistics and management.

Clipperton Island ATNO Day Planned Clipperton remains #26 most wanted in Europe and #37 most wanted globally. It will have been 11 years since the last major DXpedition to Clipperton we know there are many people that need it for an All Time New One and band fills.

Log Uploads We plan to upload the logs at least once a day to both Clublog and to M0URX.com

Shortly after we leave the island confirmation requests (OQRS) will be processed only at M0URX.com

Not in Log and busted calls will be investigated by submitting the form at M0URX.com. Please, no emails about Not in Log or busted calls, you must use the reporting form on the OQRS system.

FT8 Operation The team will use WSJT-X exclusively for all FT8 operation. We plan to use Fox / Hound on non-standard frequencies. Occasionally, we might start up on a standard frequency in normal mode, then QSY. See the website for the band plan.

Groups.io Forum The pilot team will be using Groups.io to collect input from the DX community. The process worked so well at VP8PJ we will again use it again. A Groups.io account is required to post to the group. You may subscribe to the forum by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]

Fundraising: The long-standing DX-pedition funding model is to split the DX-pedition cost equally between the expedition team and the DX community, i.e., organizations and individuals. TX5S donations are only at ~45% of the goal. While adding a donation to your OQRS request is always appreciated, the cash flow challenge is real, we must pay the bills before we sail, we need your help.

Since the last press release the following organizations have joined the project as sponsors:

– Northern California DX Club
– Fort Wayne DX Association

Sponsor logos appear on our website and will appear on the TX5S QSL card. We wish to thank the organizations and individuals who have already pledged their support to TX5S and ask those of you who have not yet processed a donation to consider supporting the project before we sail on January 11, 2024. After the books close, all sponsoring clubs / foundations will receive a TX5S financial summary.

Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tx5s2024 Website: TX5S.net

Groups.IO: Clipperton-2024 Questions to: [email protected] 73, Clipperton 2024 Team

With another 2,500 Incoming Bureau cards received yesterday, I am finding it very hard to understand why so many people find it so difficult to follow QSL information?

My QSL information on QRZ.com and on my website is very clear:

BUREAU QSL – OQRS IS ONLY BUREAU ROUTE
Request your QSL. Please don’t send it. Use OQRS only. (Online QSL Request System)
NO OTHER ROUTE – ONLY OQRS

“QSL Via” is not permitted by the RSGB and most of these call signs are not RSGB members. The cost to receive these cards is not viable. Please READ  the QSL information for the station you need the card from. The biggest problem is the culture of the German and Japanese sending every QSO a QSL Via the Bureau. These days are long gone. The year is 2023, please get a grip!

There is clearly a need for the DARC and JARL to re-educate their members in how to initiate a Bureau QSL response.

You DO NOT just flood the Bureaus with QSL cards from every QSO in your log.
Go to QRZ.com – Check QSL Policy
If you need the QSL for a new band slot or Mode, or you would just like to receive the QSL, then USE OQRS to request the QSL for either DIRECT or BUREAU.

Welcome to VK8MC / VK8D formerly VK8VWA Philip Brennan. QSL cards are in the print room to be available very soon.

W1DED Kevin, has interviewed TX5S co-leader K3EL, Dave Lloyd, about the upcoming Clipperton Island Dxpedition. TX5S is planned for January, 2024 by the “Perseverance DX Group.”  Dave talks about all things DXpedition in this interview. You can find out more about this DXpedition on the website link TX5S.

For Immediate Release Press Release #5 August 8, 2023
TX5S Clipperton Island DXpedition (NA-011) January 18 – February 1, 2024

Camp Site Design: Detailed planning is underway.
Our current plan consists of two operating camps: CW/Digital/Satellite/EME and SSB/Digital.

The camps will be separated by about 500 meters, with CW located at the main campsite and SSB being the distant camp. The combination of distance, bandpass filters, horizontal and vertically polarized antennas at both camps will enable simultaneous operation on the same band. WiFi networking will link the camps.

The main encampment consists of ten sleeping tents (two people per tent) the CW tent, kitchen / dining tent and a HQ/networking tent. The power grid will consist of six Generac GP6500 generators. Five units will be on-line 24X7 and one spare.

TX5S Team: The nineteen person team consists of sixteen radio operators, one scientist each from the University of French Polynesia and the University of Orleans, and one environmentalist from the Association la Passion-Clipperton (France). The radio operators are each experienced DXpedition operators and/or contest operators.

Internet Availability: Confirmed (in writing) from Space X, Clipperton is within the Starlink footprint. We will have at least one Starlink terminal online 24/7. Logs will be uploaded to M0URX.com at least once per day.

Corporate Sponsors:- Elecraft has been a long time partner of PDXG projects, and the tradition continues. Elecraft will provide several K4D transceivers and KPA-1500 amplifiers to augment our lineup of K3 transceivers and KPA-500 amplifiers.

– SSB-Electronic GmbH (Germany) offered to supply equipment for the project.

Fundraising: Our goal is always to split the expedition funding approximately equally between the expedition operators and the DX community – organizations and individuals. At the moment we still have a long way to go to reach that goal, and if you need Clipperton for an ATNO or will work us for the DX Marathon or a club competition or similar, or just for the fun of competing in the pileups, we would appreciate your help. Most bills must be paid before we sail, and we wish to thank those organizations and individuals who have already pledged their support to TX5S.”

Since the last press release the following organizations have joined the project as sponsors:

– Eastern Iowa DX Association
– West Virginia DX Association – significant donation to the project
– Lynx DX Group
– Northeast Wisconsin DX Association
Sponsor logos appear on our website and will appear on the TX5S QSL card.

Ham Radio Events: We met many DXers at the Dayton (Xenia) Hamvention and at Ham Radio, Friedrichshafen (Germany).
Next stop will be Tokyo Ham Fair in August where we will attend a DX Seminar / Dinner on Saturday, August 19th. Additional details: http://ict-kuwa.net/tokyodxseminar/TX5S was featured at the July Ham Radio Festival, Kansai, Japan

Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tx5s2024 Website: https://TX5S.net Additional details will be released as they develop. Questions to: [email protected]

73, Clipperton 2024 Team

Argentina QSL Bureau has given us many problems with mail being returned since 2015, this package sent last July was returned in October, re-posted in October and returned in July 2023.

Sadly I am no longer able to continue sending Bureau cards to Argentina!

In an email from Argentina QSL Bureau i am informed that there is no communication from the PO that the package is ready for collection when it gets handed from customs to Argentina Post. As this is a long term issue I have asked the team to discuss with the mail center manager, because we  are just not able to get QSL cards to the Bureau in Argentina. 

Welcome to Gary, VK8AW from the Northern Territory, Australia to the UR QSL Management. QSL cards will be available soon. OQRS Open!