MARKET REEF, OJ0B STILL ON HOLD IN ALAND ISLANDS

The planned DXpedition for the past weekend's Scandinavian Activity Contest got stuck due to bad weather and is still stranded at the westernmost end of Aland Islands. Also, the two people visiting the lighthouse are stuck there with no communication since September 14. The Aland Islands Sea Rescue Service tried to get them off Sunday but landing was impossible:
http://www.lighthousesociety.fi/eng/market/market_diary/diary_140907/

The next landing attempt will be made Tuesday (September 18) early in the morning (05.00 UTC) when the weather is expected to calm down for a day, yet leaving rough seas behind. You can follow the Market Reef weather station (22) for real-time weather reporting by an automated weather station on the reef:
http://www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/saa/paikalli_4.html

If the wind at Station 22 (first column) is from direction "pohjoinen" (North) (third column) and exceeds 22.4 mph or 19.4 knots (fourth column) a landing attempt will not be considered. This will be their only announced real-time log.

Keep them in your prayers as they try to approach the reef during this bad weather season. If they succeed they plan to operate until the 24th of September.

--

DX IS !
-- 73 de Jarmo, OH2BN

(First article posted on 2007-09-14): 

The August 2007 outing to Market Reef (EU-053, ARHLS MAR-001, TWLHD WLH 0J0-001, WLOTA LH-0542, WW Loc. JP90NH), OJ0B was designed to decorate the lighthouse with powerful antennas that can only be hoisted in good weather conditions. The group was successful, and in addition to making more than 13,000 QSOs, a SteppIR beam plus an assortment of wire antennas were mounted at the light.
The newly composed group of OH0RJ, OH2BH, OH2MM, OH2PM, OH7EA and OH8NC are at it again and they plan to be operational from September 15 until September 24, including both Scandinavian Activity Contests, with three stations. Now they have more flexibility since they have a resident helicopter at their disposal. Outside of the contest their frequencies are as follows - CW: 3523, 7023, 10113, 14033, 18083, 21033, 24903 and 28033 KHz; SSB: 3775, 7075, 14175, 18135, 21275, 24960 and 28475 KHz. Once again, if you are a stamp collector or wish to receive your QSL card with unique Market Reef stamps, you may send an SASE with 7 Euros (10 USD) as your postage/donation to the Finnish Lighthouse Society via QSL manager OH2BH.
If you wish to tour the Reef in the spirit of adventure, you may follow in the footsteps of the August 2007 and November 2005 OJ0B activities: sm0w.com and www.kolumbus.fi/oh2bn/pagemarket.htm
The Finnish Lighthouse Society has been active repairing the lighthouse this summer, and you may wish to follow their activities which include daily reporting and interesting general details (www.lighthousesociety.fi/eng/).
See the report from Market Reef as of September 4, 2007: www.lighthousesociety.fi/eng/market/market_diary/diary_040907/.Two photos are attached. Photo captions:
1: Pertti, OH2PM on top of the Market Reef fog horn with a 2-L SteppIR beam. Rick, SM6U is advising from the comfort zone - "...can you get it any higher"?
2: The OJ0B DXpedition staging arena...when the sea is calm.

[OH2BN]