Update May 4, 2024:  The last station went QRT 0500Z this morning, and the operation is now over. At the time of writing this we are driving off the ferry from Åland to Sweden, and all team members are exhausted but happy with the days spent on Market Reef. An update along with pictures coming up soon.

Update May 3, 2024:  We are now pretty much QRT except for Kristoffer, LB0VG, who chained himself to the chair, refusing to stop before the boat leaves. This is your last chance to work OJ0T – he will try 60m FT8 before we come running with the bolt cutters. Approximately 25,000 contacts are in the log, despite having difficult conditions. Our goal was to activate the higher bands, but unfortunately 10m and 12m openings were miniscule and mainly worked using FT8. Big thanks to everyone who supported us and called in underway.

Update May 2, 2024:  Approaching 20k in the log total, including dupes. However, we had some problems with our Clublog stream but about 95% should have been uploaded. This means: if you can’t find your call in the Clublog search function, you may still be on our local logs. We will upload our logs as soon as we get home, and then – and only then – you will know if you have been logged incorrectly, or not at all.

Please have patience and bear with us. We are trying our best out here. Contacts made on FT4/FT8 will not be modified or changed, they are final.

If you can’t hear us on a certain band it’s because it’s not good propagation from OJ0. We have tried 10m and 12m FT8 multiple times, but despite our best efforts only a very few could hear us. We will keep trying until we are QRT. Skeds are still welcome, but keep your expectations low.

Update May 1, 2024: We are closing in on 13,000 QSOs in the log. Kristoffer (LB0VG) moved his antenna farther away from the antenna park to reduce interference from other stations, with excellent results. It’s extremely difficult to log weak stations with impatient operators calling on top, regardless of mode. We encourage you to have patience and listen operators calling. Let’s say, hypothetically, we’re working a weak 2E0 station, then IU2 need not reply. Such interruption slows down the logging dramatically – in worst case we simply have to QRT and QSY to another band/mode.

Update April 29, 2024: First off, let’s start with a status update: We have deployed most antennas and all four stations are on the air most of the time. About 4000 contacts so far. We’re trying our best to focus on the upper bands, such as 10-12-15-17, but conditions are not optimal at all times. More activity on 160m, 60m, 30m will follow the next few days.

Second, we kindly ask callers to please listen to the operator! We truly appreciate everyone calling in, and we kindly ask everyone to follow some sort of etiquette when it comes to pileups. Do not interrupt an ongoing QSO, and do not respond when we’re calling someone else. Even if a letter in the suffix happens to match one in your prefix, or the numbers are similar. This means fewer QSOs per minute for us, which decreases everyone’s chance of ending up in the log – and this includes you, too.

Update April 26, 2024: We are on the air, one day prior to expected DXpedition start. Day one has consisted mainly of testing, equipment setup, etc. If you hear us, somewhat sporadically, that’s why. We only got a few bands resonant in our antenna park before the daylight vanished and we had to go back inside the lighthouse. Tomorrow we will do some minor adjustments, and then we go all-in.

Update April 10, 2024: 16 days left until we leave! Tor, LA3WAA, has finished his vertical. It’s now awaits the final fine-tuning that we will do on Market Reef. It supports 40-10 meters, with an additional inverted-L for 80 meters. Bjørn, LA1UW, has finished his 6m/4m beam and apparently satisfied with the result. Kristoffer, LB0VG, is nearly finished building his homebrew power amplifier. Test bench measurements are looking very promising!

Update April 5, 2024: A quick informal meeting was held yesterday, where the team discussed the final bits and pieces for this DXpedition. Now the ferry tickets are booked and most of the equipment settled. We are now working on gathering enough coaxial cable. Turns out it accumulates quite a lot of RG213 with four radios, and at least one antenna on each – who would’ve thunk, eh?

Bjørn, LA1UW, is building a new 6m/4m yagi for this expedition. While it might be a bit early for any good 4m openings, we’ll give it a try anyway, just in case. We will announce any 4m activity on DX clusters, so keep an eye open if OJØ on 4m is of interest.

Stian, LB5SH, will mainly focus on SSB and FT8, but is also practising CW and might give it a go, hoping it won’t end in carnage. If you catch us calling and the op seems a bit, oh shall we say, “slow,” then please show some mercy for this rookie CW op.

Tor, LA3WAA, also plans to work more CW and SSB this time. He is also constructing a new vertical antenna for this trip, 40-10m, coupled with an optional inv-L for 80m.

Kristoffer, LB0VG, is working on his homebrew 1.2kW PA which has entered the test phase. He’s also considering bringing his SAT kit, so if you’re into that: this is your cue.

LA1UW, LA3WAA, LB5SH and LB0VG will be QRV on 160-6m (CW, SSB and Digital) from Market Reef from April 27 to May 4, 2024.
They will operate on 160 - 6m, CW, SSB, Digital Modes.
On CW and SSB wthey will use the call OJ0T.
On FT8 they will use OJ0/LA1UW, OJ0/LA3WAA, OJ0/LB5SH, OJ0/LB0VG.

QSL via EA5GL and LoTW