It’s a great time to be a DXer! While the pandemic put the brakes on most DXpeditions, 2023/2024 has opened the floodgates on activations that are happening daily from every corner of the globe. As always, the amateur radio operators at DX Engineering are right in the thick of the excitement, whether providing coaxial cables, antennas, and tool kits or simply joining the pileups to capture ATNOs and fill bands.
Ready to make some QSOs? Here’s a rundown of active and upcoming DXpeditions sponsored by DX Engineering:
Swains Island October 2023 W8S
The rare activation of this 27th most-wanted DXCC entity is scheduled to wrap up October 17. For the latest information, be sure to visit the W8S website and Facebook page. DX Engineering provided RG-213U and 400MAX coax cable assemblies, ferrite RFI suppression snap-on beads, and more for the activation of Swains Island—an uninhabited, privately-owned U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean that has only been on the air a handful of times since being added to the DXCC program in 2006.
Watch Tim, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, interview Swains Island operators Adrian, KO8SCA, and Johannes, PA5X, via Starlink. This historic video marks the first-ever live transmission from Swains Island. OnAllBands will provide a wrap-up of this highly successful DXpedition later this month.
Temotu Province October/November 2023 H40WA
The Temotu Province—the easternmost province of the Solomon Islands—was scheduled to be activated by the Intrepid DX Group from October 26 to November 9, but this has been postponed due to unexpected delays in transporting equipment. A tentative date for the DXpedition has been set for February 22 through March 7, 2024.
For up-to-date details of this CW/SSB/FT8 multi-operator activation of the 43rd most-wanted DXCC entity, visit the H40WA Facebook page. The H40WA team plans to use DX Engineering coaxial cable, balun and mount kits, Next Generation Crimp/Solder 8X PL-259 and 8U PL-259 Connectors, and more.
Timor-Leste November 2023 4W8X
Twenty hams from Germany, Austria, and Poland plan to operate two sites on Timor-Leste in November, including activity during the CQ WW DX CW Contest, November 25-26. Per the 4W8X website, the first of the team’s operators are scheduled to arrive on November 5 and be on the air (a few hours a day) on or around November 6. This will include Multi/Single participation in the WAEDC RTTY Contest, November 11-12.
The full team is expected to arrive by November 12, when 24/7 shifts on CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT4/FT8 will begin. They have also planned EME operation on 50 MHz, 144 MHz, 432 MHz, and 1296 MHz, including participation in the ARRL International EME Contest on November 25-26. Get complete and up-to-date details at the 4W8X website. Timor-Leste is the 112th most-wanted DXCC entity per Clublog as of October.
DX Engineering equipment that will be deployed for 4W8X includes TFS4 Series B Transmit Four-Square Hybrid Controller Systems for 80 and 40 meters, COMTEK ACB-4 Hybrid Four-Square System, and Phased Array Quarter Wave Tuned Cables.
Solomon Islands November 2023 H44WA
The six-operator H44WA DXpedition from Guadalcanal (the largest of the Solomon Islands based on area) is scheduled for November 15-29. The Solomon Islands ranked as the 76th most-wanted DXCC entity per Clublog as of October. The H44WA team plans to operate three stations on 160-10M in CW, SSB, and FT8. Get up-to-date information on the DXpedition from H44WA’s website.
In addition to deploying a DX Commander antenna, available exclusively to hams in North America from DX Engineering, H44WA will be relying on a range of DX Engineering gear, including RG-8X bulk coaxial cable, RG-6U 75-ohm flooded quad-shield coaxial cable, F-connector RG-6 coax cable tool kit, Maxi-Core 20 1:1 Current Choke, and crimp connector tool kit.
Clipperton Island January 2024 TX5S
Clipperton Island, an uninhabited French territory in the eastern Pacific Ocean (#28 most-wanted DXCC entity in Europe and #37 globally as of October), will be on the air for the first time in more than a decade thanks to the TX5S team of experienced operators, January 18 to February 1. TX5S plans to operate two campsites on Clipperton (CW/Satellite/EME/Digital from the main campsite and SSB/Digital from a distant campsite). This will mark the first FT8 operation from Clipperton, so the pileups are expected to be “deep and energetic,” per the TX5S team. Visit the TX5S website for current details.
DX Engineering has provided a boatload of gear for this rare activation, including its premier telescoping carbon fiber mast, high-visibility antenna wire, COMTEK vertical feedpoint connection kits, premium antenna wire, COMTEK 30VA 30 Meter and 40VA 40 Meter Vertical Antennas,and more.
Juan Fernandez Islands February 2024 CB0ZA
Mark your calendars and get ready for this international, multi-operator DXpedition of the Robinson Crusoe Club scheduled for February 13-20, 2024. The CB0ZA team plans to operate four stations on 160-6M in SSB, CW, and RTTY (including 60M and EME on 6M), plus stations for FT8 and VHF. You can find up-to-date details ab0ut CB0ZA on its Facebook page and official website.
Operators will be transmitting from Robinson Crusoe Island—one of three volcanic islands that make up the Juan Fernandez Islands archipelago located about 400 miles off the coast of Chile. The island group (IOTA SA-005) ranked as the 58th most-wanted DXCC entity per Clublog as of October. The CB0ZA team will be using mission-critical gear from DX Engineering, including RG-8X and RG-8U coax assemblies, pre-assembled 65-foot and 120-foot radial wire kits, DX Engineering’s patented radial plate, and EZ-Build UWA8X Center-T and End Insulator Kit.
Best of luck in the pileups from all of us at OnAllBands and DX Engineering!
