Now they are on their way back home. Online Log has been updated. More infos later this day.

Late yesterday, Feb 21, the Ducie Island expedition submitted over data for over seven thousand VP6DX contacts to the ARRL robot. These contacts were with over 900 stations whose owners made financial contributions of at least five US dollars to the expedition through Feb 24.

The submission has been accepted and processed by the robot, and these contacts are ready for matching by the donors.

Meanwhile, on Ducie Island, the operator team and crew of the Braveheart have begun the first phase of disassembly and off-loading. On today's schedule to be disassembled and removed from the island:

• All antennas for 20 through 6 meters at both east and west camps.
• The 30m antenna at the west camp, and the 40m 4-square at the east camp.
• Two operating positions and the shift supervisor workstation at the east camp.
• The technical workstation.
• A portion of the camp infrastructure for meals, cooking, washing, etc.

No on-air operating will occur during the daylight period today, as all hands are needed to complete the work of disassemble, packing, transfer to the ship, and storage for the sea journey.

Tonight (beginning as early as Feb 27 Wednesday 0300z) a more limited on-air operation is possible, if the operators have time and energy remaining. Five operating positions at two sites and transmit antennas for 160 through 30 meter bands will be available.

At Feb 27 Wednesday 1445z on-air operations will again shut down for a second day of deconstruction. At the end of Thursday local time the entire east camp will have been removed from the island. The west camp, with single element verticals for 160, 80/30 and 40m, and possible one beverage (045) will remain, along with three operating positions. This equipment will be staffed by a skeleton overnight crew, on-air from about Feb 28 Thursday 0330-1430z. Most operators will sleep on the "Braveheart", as there will be no camp facilities on the island.

Early Thursday morning (Ducie Island time), around 1400z, the ship's crew and operators will return to the island to pack and remove all remaining antennas, equipment, etc. The on-air phase of the Ducie Island expedition will end at that point.

This will be the last press release from Ducie Island. A log update was submitted to the website about one hour ago. A final log update, together with a press release containing final statistics, will be transmitted from the Braveheart once we have departed.

We would be delighted if DX editors would publish this information as widely as possible and DXers bring it to the attention of their clubs and fellow DXers.

[VP6DX WEB ]