Update September 11, 2024:  Bill, K5DHY, reports that OQRS is now open for CY9C. If possible, please be generous with donations. This was the first CY9 DXpedition that cost $100K+. The CY9C team utilized two helicopters as well as a boat to transport gear and team members to the island. Special thanks to Air Dolan and Breton Air Services for the helicopter support as well as Greg Lawrence for the boat transportation. Over four tons of gear, materials and supplies were transported to St Paul Island. As of today, the total Q count stands at 114,842! Thanks to all who were in the pileups. We experienced very interesting propagation during the DXpedition. Disturbed geomagnetic conditions were experienced for 3-4 days during the 10.5 days on the island. This reduced the number of Q's during those days. The team rotated operating shifts for the duration of the DXpedition. Overall, the weather was reasonably good during the time on the island with strong winds and occasional rain at times. St Paul is very exposed to the wind but the team's new tents held up very well during the wind events.

Any and all log questions should be emailed directly to: cy9dxpd@gmail.com

Once again, the team plans for a beautiful, double folded, six panel QSL card.

Thanks again to all of the foundations, clubs and individuals who supported the CY9C DXpedition. We could not have done it without your help and support!

73, Murray WA4DAN / Glenn W0GJ     

Update September 5, 2024: As of 1916Z on September 4, the CY9C DXpedition Team had 108,687 contacts in the log. The team plans to QRT on September 5 at approximately 1000Z. The taking down of the antennas will commence shortly after that. The Breton Air helicopter will be onsite at 1400Z to begin slinging all of the gear to Dingwall, Nova Scotia. 

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update September 4, 2024: As of 1000Z on Tuesday, CY9C has 91,828 contacts in the log. There is a 40-meter log which will be uploaded to Clublog. Those with missing contacts on 40 please be patient as that log will be uploaded soon. The wind on the island is strong today,  but so far, no issues have been encountered. Another load of non-essential gear was sent back to Dingwall, Nova Scotia this morning. The team continues to prepare for a Thursday departure from St Paul. 

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update September 3, 2024: As of 1400Z on Monday, the CY9C team had a total of 81,637.contacts. Band conditions were much improved on Monday and the team took advantage with all six FlexRadio's in operation. The team will continue to operate non-stop until Wednesday evening local time. If you still need CY9C, please work us in the next two days. The team plans more SSB activity during that time. 

73, MurrayWA4DAN.

Update September 2, 2024: As of 1100Z, the CY9C DXpedition Team had 74,133 contacts in the log. Because of the condition of the bands, the team had to make some antenna strategy adjustments. The team will also put on the air a sixth FlexRadio. The sixth FlexRadio will be used for CW/SSB operations. We will also take one of the FT8 stations and have it running RTTY for a somewhat limited time. All three stations currently running regular FT8 are down to 1-2 slots because of the poor band conditions. Please be patient as we work through the challenging band conditions. Our departure from St Paul Island is still scheduled for Thursday, September 5. Some extra gear was taken back to Dingwall on a helicopter flight this morning.

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update September 1, 2024: As of 1900Z on Saturday, the CY9C team had 66,400 QSO in the log. The Leaderboard was opened on Clublog. Band conditions continue to be a challenge, especially on 10 and 12 meters. The team installed a 60 meter antenna on Saturday and is active on that band. There will be a little more SSB activity in the coming days. All FT8 activity continues on the regular Fox/Hound mode. All team members are well and will be working hard to get everyone in the log.

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update August 31, 2024: The CY9C DXpedition Team has switched from SuperFox FT8 to the regular Fox Hound on FT8. The team is trying to work the weaker stations, especially JA and VK/ZL. This strategy has worked as many weaker stations are making it into the CY9C log. At this point, we will assess the situation and be flexible and adapt to changing band conditions. On Friday, the team moved the 12 meter monoband Yagi to a much more favorable location 400 feet away from the camp. A fuel supply run was made on Friday and another fuel supply run will be made on Saturday while the weather is favorable. 

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update August 28, 2024: ClubLog has been updated as of 1440z today, 28 Aug. Missing CW contacts from prior days have been accounted for. We inadvertently duplicated some entries and will fix that in a future upload. We are not doing LiveStream.

CY9C will primarily use FT8 SuperFox mode and switch to FT8 Fox/Hound mode as conditions warrant, particularly on the low bands and for marginal band conditions.

73, Bill Engel, K5DHY Off-island team 

Update August 28, 2024: Low band operations have started at CY9C.  Another log uploaded to Clublog.

Update August 27, 2024: More than 20,000 QSO in the log. First log uploaded to Clublog.

Update August 26, 2024: The CY9C Dxpedition is on the air a little ahead of schedule. Weather has been very good which allowed us to make excellent progress. Please be patient as our operations will be a little limited for the first day or so as we have more antennas to build.
The CY9C DXpedition will be operating the new Super Fox on FT8. Later in the DXpedition, we will be on RTTY as well. 

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update August 25, 2024:  Expected HF frequencies

* Recommended 3khz bandwidth to comply with US allocation. 

Update August 25, 2024:  Helicopter operations concluded at 1930Z with five of the eleven team members on the island. Those on the island have been extremely busy sorting through all the gear and erecting tents. Those on the island are W0GJ, W0PR, NE9U, N2TU and W4DKS. It has been a very long day, and everyone is exhausted. The Air Dolan helicopter should arrive in Dingwall, Nova Scotia by 2100Z. Helicopter operations are scheduled to begin again on Sunday at 1200Z. The first priority on Sunday morning is to transport all of the FlexRadio equipment to the island. All team members except for Adrian KO8SCA should be on the island by 1700Z. Adrian will be arriving at St Paul on Wednesday, August 28 by 2200Z.

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update August 24, 2024:  Here is the latest CY9C DXpedition update

The St Paul CY9C DXpedition helicopter operations have begun. Team members W0GJ, W0PR and NE9U were on the first trip to the Northeast Island around 1245 Z. The slinging of gear began at 1345Z with 800 lbs of gear on the first sling. The weather is very favorable today. Matt with Breton Air is an awesome pilot, so we are very fortunate to have his services. We are using both baskets and netting to sling gear. The second helicopter (Air Dolan) will be arriving later this afternoon. Will continue to send updates.

73, Murray WA4DAN

Update August 23, 2024:  WA4DAN and W4DKS arrived in Dingwall, Nova Scotia on Thursday afternoon. Four more team members will arrive in Dingwall by early evening on Friday. The remaining team members will arrive on Saturday. Breton Air helicopter operations will begin at 1200Z on Saturday, August 24. The first flight to St Paul Island will be with several team members on board. The first priority will be sending the tents and other infrastructure gear to the island. The airlift of gear will take all day on the 24th. Please be patient as there is a lot of work that must be completed to build the camp. There is very little soil (ground) on the Northeast Island as it is essentially a large rock. We may have to drill anchors into the rock to secure our tents and antenna masts. At this point, the weather looks favorable for the airlift of gear and team members. The CY9C team will continue to provide updates on our progress through our website

73,

Murray WA4DAN 

Update August 16, 2024:  Everything still looks good for the August 26 - September 5, 2024 St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition. The first load of gear was successfully delivered to Dingwall, Nova Scotia on August 6th. Ironically, the DXpedition gear is safely stored at the St Paul Lighthouse Museum in Dingwall! Museum staff members helped with the unloading of the gear. Since all gear will be transported to the Northeast Island at St Paul by helicopter, all gear must be weighed. This process was completed yesterday and the total weight of the CY9C gear is 7500 lbs. The Breton Air heavy lift helicopter will be slinging the fuel, water, tents, tables, chairs, coax and all other gear needed to build the camp. Air Dolan will be transporting the team members along with their personal gear. The first team members will arrive in Dingwall on August 22nd. The estimated cost of this DXpedition has now approached $100,000, by far the most expensive CY9 DXpedition. By contrast, the boat transportation cost for the 1995 CY9 DXpedition with team leader WA4DAN was only $300! Please note that the main island at St Paul is no longer available for DXpeditions. The Northeast Island is almost impossible to land on by boat, especially with tons of gear. As always, the schedule may shift a little depending on weather and flying conditions. Donations are very much welcomed and appreciated. Donations can be made through our website

 73, Murray WA4DAN

Update August 7, 2024: WA4DAN delivered the first load of gear to northern Nova Scotia yesterday. The St Paul Island lighthouse museum graciously offered to store the gear in the basement of their building in Dingwall. WA4DAN toured the lighthouse that was once on St Paul Island and has been beautifully restored by Hamilton Carter. Hamilton gave a personal tour and detailed the history, and the work required to repair and reassemble the lighthouse in Dingwall. 

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update July 31, 2024: The CY9C DXpedition team confirmed with Breton Air on Tuesday that the airlift of infrastructure gear over to the Northeast Island of St Paul will take place on Saturday, August 24. Six airlifts are currently planned and the airlifts will be taking the tents, tables, chairs, generators, fuel, electrical cables, coaxial cables and all other necessary gear to build the CY9C camp. As with most DXpeditions, weather will play a factor in the schedule. Preparations for the airlift will commence on Monday, August 5, with the arrival of the first load of gear in Dingwall. The estimated cost of just the helicopter airlifts is $48,300 Canadian. Any support to help with this expense will be greatly appreciated. The CY9C team members are excited and have completed packing their personal gear for the trip. 

73, Murray WA4DAN  

Update July 28, 2024:  Update by Lou, N2TU [TNX OPDX]

1)  The St. Paul Team welcomes an additional member...Adrian KO8SCA. Most of you recognize him from the many DXpeditions he has been on. He is joining a Team of outstanding DXpeditioners and his expertise will only add to the fun! He will be joining us on St. Paul following his participation in the upcoming Jarvis Island DXpedition N5J. From one side of the world to another! Thanks Adrian...see you soon!

2)  The packing continues! Here is a portion of the gear getting ready for transport to Nova Scotia. Team Co-Leader Murray, WA4DAN, is arranging the loads for the helicopter 'slings'. All equipment and personnel will be transported to St. Paul via helicopter. Personnel will not ride in the slings!....(smile!) Only the equipment, thank goodness! Although riding in a 'sling' under an helicopter would be a first! This is a very expensive method of moving equipment and personnel from the mainland, but absolutely necessary as there is no viable water landing area.  As mentioned a few weeks ago, get your personal station ready. This will probably be the last St. Paul operation for a very, very long time.

3)  Weather permitting, St. Paul will be QRV in less than a month. TheTeam is finalizing their personal transportation and lodging arrangements. Equipment is being packed and staged. In other words, there is a lot of preparation going on! Part of this preparation is the paying of expenses! This is an expensive operation. All the material and personnel will be flown onto  St. Paul by multiple, costly helicopter trips. There are no alternatives as the island does not have water access due to the jagged cliffs.
 We need your help! The bills are rolling in and need to be paid! Please donate to the CY9C Dxpedition. Take a few minutes and personally participate in this operation by donating. For those who have already donated, a big thank you from the Team. For those who have not yet donated, become part of the operation, please help out! Thank you from the Team.

4)  Unfortunately, Jay, K4ZLE, will not be coming to St. Paul. In his place, a new Team member Scott, NE9U, has joined the St. Paul Team. Scott is an experienced DXpeditioner (recently on Temotu) and avid Contester. He participated in the 2022 WRTC. and has many, many contests under his belt. Welcome to Scott!

Update July 21, 2024:  The CY9C St. Paul Team welcomes an additional member…Adrian KO8SCA. Most of you recognize him from the many DXpeditions he has been on. He is joining a Team of outstanding DXpeditioners and his expertise will only add to the fun! He will be joining us on St. Paul following his participation in the upcoming Jarvis Island DXpedition N5J. From one side of the world to another! Thanks Adrian…see you soon!

In other news, Craig, K9CT is busily preparing the Flex Radios, laptops and Flex PGXL amplifiers. He is pre-loading the logging program, digital interfaces and assuring all the PCs are networked together. Craig is an expert and has done this for many DXpeditions. Once Craig finishes the operational part of the set-up, the gear will be packed in Pelican cases…one for each station. This immensely facilitates station set-up. Thank you Craig for your outstanding efforts!…..and another thanks to FlexRadio Systems for the use of the gear!

Update July 20, 2024:  CY9C will have an All-Time-New- One day, depending on the weather and propagation conditions. It will probably be in the second week of the operation. Please, please if you hear us asking for ATNO do not try to work us again! We want to get everyone in the log…at least once! 

Our ‘power plant(s) are 8 Honda generators to power the rigs, amps, computers, lights, kitchen (Mess Tent), fans and anything else needing AC. CY9C is serious about getting everyone in the log!

Update July 18, 2024:  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has executed the license to access the Northeast Island of St Paul.  WA4DAN signed the agreement, paid the $500 fee on behalf of the team and returned it to the DFO. As part of the license, there was a 930 page "Environmental Site Assessment and Human Health Ecological Risk Assessment". In short, this assessment lists and explains all of the hazards with visiting St Paul Island. The CY9C team was required to obtain a $1 million dollar liability insurance policy. Both the license and the insurance are in force from August 21 - September 7, 2024. The actual dates of the DXpedition are August 26 - September 5. The team wanted a little buffer in the access time to get gear to and back from the island. Donations to help offset the high cost of the two helicopters and the boat are much appreciated and came be made through our website at CY9C.NET

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update July 3, 2024: latest St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition Update

The CY9C team is grateful to FlexRadio, Inc. for the loan of six complete FlexRadio station set-ups which include a FLEX-6600 transceiver, Maestro™ control head, and a Power Genius (PGXL) amplifier.   A seventh FLEX-6700 station will be used for VHF/UHF/EME and satellite. Each station will have its own Honda EU2200i generator.

There will be three operating teams whose schedule will slowly rotate through the gray line, so everyone experiences all the propagation. Half of the radios will be used for CW, SSB & DIGITAL modes.  At any given time, a minimum of three stations will be using the new SuperFox FT8 mode.

All antennas will be monobanders, with the exception of 12/17 meters, which will use a duoband beam with a diplexer.  Each antenna will have a high-power bandpass filter.

FLEX radios were chosen for the Maestro ergonomics and the ease of networking the radios, amplifiers and computers with simple CAT5 cables. The amplifiers will all be “remotely” located together in the operations tent. This will make setup quick and simple without the complexities of “all those wires” in wireless!  Craig, K9CT, has assembled, labeled and tested all the stations.

The first shipment of equipment will arrive in Dingwall, Nova Scotia, in just 4 weeks. The Team will assemble in Dingwall on August 24th. Radio operations will start August 26th (weather permitting) and end on September 5th (again, weather permitting). Two helicopters will transport all gear and operators to/from the island, making this the most expensive St. Paul Island operation ever.

It has been a challenge to get the needed permits, insurance and licensing. Getting permission for these sensitive areas is becoming increasingly more difficult each year. This could well be the last CY9 St. Paul Island operation for many years to come. Your financial contributions WILL make this all possible.

For more information visit our website or our Facebook page

FlexRadio: https://www.flexradio.com/

Update June 26, 2024: CY9C Announces VHF/UHF/EME/SAT Plans For The August 26 - September 5, 2024 St Paul Island DXpedition 

The CY9C team is pleased to announce the VHF/UHF/EME/SAT plans for the upcoming CY9C DXpedition. This DXpedition aims to provide excellent communication capabilities for amateur radio weak signal enthusiasts. Key components of the VHF/UHF setup include:

6 Meters: A six-element Yagi antenna with 500-1000 watts + LNA running primarily FT8 (EME skeds)

2 Meters: A 22-element CP SAT/EME antenna with 200-500 watts + LNA, satellite, FT8 terrestrial and EME (skeds)

70 Centimeter (432 MHz): A 42-element CP antenna with 200 watts + LNA, SAT (focus on IO-117 Greencube), FT8 terrestrial and EME (skeds)

23 Centimeter (1296 MHz): Potential EME operation, pending successful testing. 250 watts + LNA with a 2.4-meter sub-lunar folding dish

As with previous DXpeditions, you can follow along in real-time by joining the VHF-Chat Slack group.

The CY9C DXpedition is expected to be a significant event for the Amateur Radio community. To support this effort, the CY9C team would appreciate any donations. Contributions will help ensure the success of the DXpedition and the continued advancement of Amateur Radio operations.

For more information about the CY9C DXpedition, to make a donation, or to learn more about CY9C, please visit our website at: https://t-rexsoftware.com/cy9c or contact WA4DAN at: WA4DAN@geeksnet.com  

73, Lee WW2DX

Update June 21, 2024:   Final preparations are being made for the August 26 - September 5, 2024 CY9C DXpedition. One of the requirements for a DXpedition to St Paul is to have in place a one million dollar liability insurance policy. After several months of searching for a company to write the necessary policy, an insurance underwriter stepped forward with a suitable policy for the DXpedition team. The team would like to thank the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans for working with us in this endeavor. The team would also like to thank DX Engineering for providing so many items needed for a large DXpedition. Lee WW2DX has set up and tested a six element Yagi for Six meters. Lee is also testing the EME gear and antennas. Packing of all the DXpedition gear has commenced. All antennas are in their respective ski bags. The team will utilize two 12 X 12 heavy duty tents and two 10 X 10 tents. These tents are packed and ready for transport to Nova Scotia. Eight new Honda EU-2200i generators have been tested and are ready for transport. Final preparations are being made for a couple of back-up antennas. Lou N2TU has done a great job with the CY9C Facebook page. A lot of photos have been posted of the final preparations. There is a link to the Facebook page on the CY9C website. This week each operator on the team made the first of two financial commitments to the DXpedition. This will be the most expensive CY9 DXpedition ever. Donations are always welcome to help off-set this cost and can be made through our website

73, Murray WA4DAN   

Update June 1, 2024:  W0GJ, W0PR and WA4DAN had a very productive work session this week preparing for the CY9C DXpedition. We unboxed and tested all seven of the new Honda EU-2200i generators. We ran the generators with a substantial load and checked the voltage on each generator. All seven generators were right at specifications. We then inventoried and organized the guy ropes for the Spider Poles. We inventoried the low band antennas and hardware needed for those. Next, we inventoried all of the bandpass filters. During the afternoon work session, we installed one of the new operating tents. This was exciting as we were very impressed with these new tents. We were so impressed, we will order a fourth tent for the DXpedition. We tested the new operating tables and chairs inside the tent for the optimum configuration. 

The second work day was spent cleaning and working with the Yagi antennas. Each antenna was washed and thoroughly cleaned as these Yagi antennas were used on our CY0S DXpedition. During the afternoon session, we assembled and erected each antenna for testing. Each antenna exhibited a VSWR of under 1.5 to 1.

The CY9C team continues to seek financial support for the DXpedition. Contributions can be made on our website

That's all for now. 73, Murray WA4DAN

Update May 15, 2024:  The 2024 St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition team is pleased to announce that the ARRL has pre-approved the CY9C DXpedition for DXCC credit.

The CY9C team is very busy with executing the plans for the DXpedition. A 24-foot vehicle has been rented and reserved for early August to transport a lot of the gear to Dingwall, Nove Scotia. Dingwall will be the base for all pre_DXpedition activities. Greg Lawrence and Hamilton Carter are assisting the team in Dingwall.

The team would like to thank NCDXF, INDEXA, EUDXF, GDXF, Clipperton DXC, Southeastern DXC and many other fine foundations and clubs who have recently pledged support for the CY9C DXpedition! The team is very grateful for all of the clubs and individuals who have joined our effort. These are all listed on our Sponsor page on our DXpedition website. Additional support is encouraged and can be made through our website

73, Murray WA4DAN

Update May 11, 2024:  On May 16, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will execute the formal written permit for the CY9C St Paul Island DXpedition. This permit will be for the small Northeast island of St Paul. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans has jurisdiction over the small Northeast island. The Canadian Wildlife Service now has jurisdiction over the main island at St Paul. Our team has also submitted an application for the main island but has not heard back from the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Beginning the week of May 26, a week long work session for CY9C will take place in North Carolina. Team members W0GJ, W0PR and WA4DAN will meet up and go through and inventory all of the DXpedition gear. The plan is to erect the new operating tents, test and run the seven new Honda EU-2200i generators, assemble and test antennas and inventory all of the coaxial cables. 

The St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition team will utilize two helicopters to transport gear and team members to the island. The team recently reached an agreement with a boat and its crew to also help transport gear for the DXpedition team.   

With his vast DXpedition experience, Glenn Johnson W0GJ, has been appointed co-leader of the CY9C DXpedition team. Glenn brings a wealth of knowledge to our 2024 DXpedition effort and was such a key member of our 2023 CY0S DXpedition team. Thank you, Glenn!   

That's all for now. 73, Murray WA4DAN