425 DX News #1795

[I1JQJ]

27 September 2025                                         A.R.I. DX Bulletin

                                   No 1795

                         ===========================
                         *** 4 2 5  D X  N E W S ***
                         ****  DX  INFORMATION  ****
                         ===========================
                          Edited by  I1JQJ & IK1ADH
                        Direttore Responsabile  I2VGW

5H     - Maurizio, IK2GZU will be active again as 5H3MB  from Tanzania  from
         16 October to 20 November,  while doing volunteer work  at a  local
         school. In his spare time he will operate SSB, CW and digital modes
         on 80-10 metres.  QSL via Club Log's OQRS,  LoTW, and eQSL, or  via
         IK2GZU (direct or bureau).
5R     - Eric, F6ICX will be active again as 5R8IC from  Sainte-Marie Island
         (AF-090),  Madagascar  from October until  late December  or  early
         January.  He will operate CW  with some FT8 (F/H) and SSB  on 40-10
         metres;  during the last two weeks of December  and maybe the first
         week of January he will also be QRV via QO-100. QSL via LoTW, Club
         Log's OQRS, or via home call (direct or bureau).
9A     - 9A10SOTA  is the  special callsign  celebrating  ten years of  SOTA
         Croatia.  Look for activity between 1 October 2025 and 30 September
         2026.  A certificate will be available for contacts made between  1
         October and 31 December 2025,  see https://9aff.wordpress.com/  for
         information. QSL via LoTW.
A5     - Gerben, PG5M now expects to be QRV as A52G from Bhutan on 1-8 Octo-
         ber (local dates). The DXpedition was originally scheduled for  3-9
         October [425DXN 1791].  He will operate CW  and some FT8 (MSHV)  on
         40-10 metres, and maybe "some 6m". See https://dx.to/a52g/ for more
         information. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS; full LoTW upload after 6 months.
C2     - Phill, C21TS now expects to remain on  Nauru (OC-031)  until 30 No-
         vember.  After a 2-month leave,  "I'll probably be back  for a  few
         months from February 2026 with  minimal gear", he says.  He will be
         QRT for good no later than June 2026.  QSL via LoTW, or via M0OXO's
         OQRS.
CE0X   - Felipe, XQ7IR has announced  that progress is being made on his San
         Ambrosio project [425DXN 1777]  after participating  "in two impor-
         tant meetings with the authorities responsible for granting permits
         and authorisations for this expedition".  The new dates are between
         12 January and 15 February 2026, "which represents at least 25 days
         of operation on the island." Plans are still for two stations - one
         operated locally  (mainly SSB)  and  one operated remotely  (CW and
         FT8) - to be active on 160-6 metres. QSL via M0URX's OQRS.
         This DXCC Entity (San Felix & San Ambrosio) is the  #3 Most Wanted,
         and  has been silent  since the XR0X DXpedition  in 2002.  Bookmark
         https://www.sanambrosio-project.com for updates.
DL     - Look for team DD4U  (namely DB1RUL,  DJ1JB,  DJ4EL,  DJ5TM,  DJ6MC,
         DK2BK, DL7ACN and DM1SV) to be active 160-10 metres SSB. CW and FT8
         from  Ummanz Island (EU-057)  on  1-5 October.  QSL via the bureau;
         QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log.
HK     - 5J4W is the callsign that Renato, PY8WW has requested for his 12-16
         November IOTA DXpedition to  Playa Blanca Island  (SA-084)  [425DXN
         1789].  If he cannot get it,  he will be active as  HK4/PY8WW.  The
         island is located within the Utria National Natural Park. "Securing
         authorization  from the Park  has been one of  the most challenging
         aspects of this project", he says,  "but I'm pleased to report that
         we're finally moving forward".
I      - Luca, IK5AEQ will be active as  IH9/IK5AEQ from  Pantelleria Island
         (AF-018) from 24 September to 3 October.  He will operate SSB, FT8/
         FT4 and RTTY on 80-6 metres;  during the CQ WW DX RTTY Contest (27-
         28 September) he will be signing IH9/IP5A.  QSL via LoTW, eQSL,  or
         via home call (direct and bureau).
I      - Members of  ARI Gorizia (IQ3GO)  will be active as  II3GONG  from 1
         October to 29 December.  The special callsign's  suffix  stands for
         Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia),  the first cross-border
         European Capital of Culture.  QSL via the bureau  and eQSL.  A cer-
         tificate will be available,  see https://www.qrz.com/db/II3GONG for
         information.
I      - Team II9ICP (namely IT9BZW, IT9HTV, IT9JKT, IT9JTN, IT9KQV, IT9NVA,
         IT9VPE and IT9ZEC)  will be active from  Isola di Capo Passero (EU-
         166) on 4 October.  They will operate SSB, CW and FT8/FT4 on  40-10
         metres. QSL via the bureau.
J3     - Eric, GM5RDX and Graham, 2M0IJU will be active as  J38DX and J38LD,
         respectively, from Grenada (NA-024) on 8-15 October.  They will op-
         erate mainly SSB, with some FT8, on 80-6 metres. QSL for both call-
         signs via M0OXO's OQRS.
JW     - Look for  JW7XK  (QSL via LA7XK,  Club Log's OQRS and LoTW),  JW9DL
         (QSL via LA9DL, Club Log's OQRS and LoTW) and JW6VM (QSL via LA6VM)
         to be active  from  the  Svalbard Amatorradioklubb in  Longyearbyen
         (EU-026), Svalbard on 8-13 October. They will  participate  in  the
         Scandinavian Activity Contest  (SSB)  as  JW5X  (QSL via Club Log's
         OQRS, LoTW, or via LA5X). Outside the contest, JW9DL will be mostly
         active on FT8 and FT4, JW6VM on CW, and JW7XK via satellite (RS-44)
         on CW, SSB and FT4.
KH0    - Harry, JG7PSJ will be active again as  WH0RU  from Saipan (OC-086),
         Northern Mariana Islands on  3-12 October.  Usually he operates  CW
         and SSB on 40-10 metres. QSL via LoTW or direct to JG7PSJ.
ON     - Special callsign OT5IDPD will be active from 4 November to 3 Decem-
         ber for the  International Day of Persons with Disabilities,  whose
         annual observance (3 December) was proclaimed by the United Nations
         General Assembly in 1992.  All operators  will be hams  with a dis-
         Ability.  The logs will be uploaded to LoTW, Club Log and eQSL; all
         QSOs will  be confirmed  automatically via the bureau. [TNX ON4AAC]
S2     - Team S21DX  will be active from  Kutubdia Island (AS-127)  on 21-27
         December.  They will try  and be QRV  for at least  18 hours a day,
         Depending  on generator,  fuel and  number of  available operators.
         Plans are to operate SSB and FT8 on 160-10 metres, plus QO-100. All

         QSOs will be uploaded to  LoTW and Club Log;  paper QSL  direct  to

         EB7DX. See https://s21dx.org/ for more information.
SV     - Look for Nicolas, SV8/F1RAF to be active from Poros Island (EU-075)
         on 24-30 September. He operates SSB on 40-10 metres.  QSL via LoTW,
         Club Log's OQRS, and QRZ Logbook.
T8     - Nobu, JA0JHQ  will be active again as  T88PB  from  Koror (OC-009),
         Palau on 3-5 October, with main activity during the SSB leg  of the
         Oceania DX Contest. QSL via LoTW (preferred), or direct to JA0JHQ.
TG     - Dwight, VE7BV will be active again as TG9BBV from Guatemala on 5-25
         October.  He will operate CW, SSB and possibly FT8 on  40-6 metres.
         QSL via LoTW, or via home call. [TNX The Daily DX]
W      - Special event callsign WW0WWV will be in use on on  2-5 October  to
         mark the 106th anniversary  of the time and frequency standard sta-
         tion WWV, one of the oldest  continuously-operating  radio stations
         in the world.  See https://wwvarc.org/WWV_106th_SES for more infor-
         mation. QSL via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, or direct to WWV ARC, PO Box
         273226, Fort Collins CO 80527, USA.
W      - Special event stations N0F, N1F, N2F, N3F, N4F, N5F, N6F, N7F,  N8F
         and N9F, plus KF2IRE  and VE3FIRE (Canada)  will be active on  5-11
         October for the Fire Prevention Week 2025. QSL cards for any of the
         FPW stations should be sent direct to  Fire Prevention Week Special
         Event,  c/o Siemens Fire Safety USA,  2 Gatehall Drive,  Parsippany
         NJ 07054, USA. See https://hamfire.com/ for more information on the
         event.
XT     - Harald, DF2WO will be active again as XT2AW from Burkina Faso on 4-
         27 October.  Usually  he operates  CW, SSB and FT8/FT4  on  various
         bands, 6 metres included, and via QO-100.  QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and
         LoTW.
YJ     - Bob, ZL1RS  will be active  again as  YJ0RS  from  Efate  (OC-035),
         Vanuatu on 1-10 October.  He will be QRV primarily on 6 metres (EME
         included), with some activity on 10m.  More information and updates
         on https://www.qrz.com/db/YJ0RS. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or direct
         to home call.

                         ===========================
                         *** 4 2 5  D X  N E W S ***
                         ****  GOOD TO KNOW ... ****
                         ===========================
                          Edited by  I1JQJ & IK1ADH
                        Direttore Responsabile  I2VGW

Access to the main functions of www.425dxn.org is provided by the 425DXN App
for Android. It is available on Google Play - free of charge, no ads. Enjoy!

3C2MD: CANCELLED ---> On 23 September,  the  Mediterraneo DX Club  announced
that their DXpedition to  Equatorial Guinea,  which was originally scheduled
to take place from  30 October to 10 November [425DXN 1773],  has been post-
poned indefinitely.  A couple of  weeks ago, the  Government  of  Equatorial
Guinea suspended all amateur radio licences [425DXN 1775] with a view to es-
tablishing a  new regulatory framework  and  revising the procedures for ob-
taining permission  to operate in the country.  The MDXC  is contacting  all
supporters - corporate, club and  individual - to offer them  a refund.  "We
regret the situation", they say,  "but we are confident that people will un-
derstand that we are not responsible for this unexpected outcome".

AT2AH ---> "We will board in Hyderabad, at 8 pm,  a night train for the  10-
hour trip to Rajahmundry,  from where we hired  a van to take us to the port
of Kakinada",  VE3LYC posted  to https://at2ah.weebly.com/  on 26 September.
"Most of the  equipment  has been shipped to  Kakinada  ahead of time,  from
where will be taken to  Hope Island (AS-178, new one for IOTA)  prior of our
arrival.
  The 2025 Indian monsoon has turned into a season of extremes.  The monsoon
started earlier than usual,  with unprecedented  rain and flooding.  The in-
tense evaporation  due to high temperatures  led to increased cloudiness and
heavy rainfalls.  Moreover, the rainy season is now expected to last  longer
than in any  of the last at least  50 years.  Here in Hyderabad,  it  rained
quasi-continuously over the last several days.  We anticipate that  the rain
will be heavier on the coast and on Hope Island.
  The forecast for Kakinada  over the coming days indicates  temperatures of
31 C (feeling like 38 C) at day and 26 C at night.  There is an orange alert
in place, which means that severe rainfalls are likely, accompanied by thun-
derstorms.  We hope for a bit of luck and a break in the rain  to be able to
setup the antennas, but we will temporarily shut down in thunderstorm condi-
tions".

BELARUS: 6 METRES ---> On 23 September, the Belarusian IARU national society
(BFRR) officially announced that the 50-52 MHz frequency range  has been al-
located to the  amateur  and  amateur satellite  services.  Operation on the
Magic Band is available for the Class A (top amateur license class)  license
holders, who can now apply for permission  to use the extra  50-52 MHz  fre-
quency range. [TNX EU1M]

INDEXA NEWSLETTER ---> The  Fall 2025 issue (#146)  of the  International DX
Association's Newsletter is now available for download on the INDEXA website
(https://indexa.org/newsletters.html). Highlights include  "Message from the
President" by Otis Vicens (NP4G), "Next Generation Fund Update" and "A Trib-
ute to Lou Dietrich, N2TU (SK)" by Hal Turley (W8HC),  "The 3B8FP Story" and
"ZD9BV Station Upgrade Project Update" by Bob Schenck (N2OO),  "ZS8W, Prince
Edward & Marion Island" by Juris Petersons (YL2GM).

OCEANIA DX CONTEST ---> The 82nd edition of the Oceania DX Contest will take
place on 4-5 October (SSB) and 11-12 October (CW). Both events will start at
06.00 UTC on Saturday, and end at 06:00 UTC on Sunday.  Complete details can
be found at  https://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/.

PIRATE ---> Please note that  AP2FLY  has been off the air  for nearly three
months,  and someone else  is using his callsign illegally.  The latest QSOs
for the genuine AP2FLY - as listed on QRZ Logbook, Club Log and HRDLOG.net -
date back to 30 June.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          3C3W AND 3C0W: THE STORY                          
                         by  Juris Petersons, YL2GM                        

  The expedition had originally been planned for April,  but since an oppor-
tunity arose for ZS8W,  it had to be postponed.  The license was issued  for
one month only, so a new one had to be arranged.
  On August 29, we flew to Malabo.  There was no clarity about transport  to
Annobon Island.  We had planned to wait for the ferry,  but its schedule was
not available.  However,  it turned out that  air service  had been restored
once a week,  so we bought tickets for September 6th outbound and  September
29th return.  We spent a week at Hotel Kolytero.
  On the morning of September 6th,  we went to the airport and paid an extra
fee for 4 pieces of luggage. The plane departed on time, and by 1 PM we were
already in Annobon. According to the license conditions ,  our equipment and
antennas had to be inspected by an ORTEL representative before transmission,
and a fee for this was included.  We had planned to set up the antennas  and
equipment,  and then  the representative would fly in  the following Friday,
inspect everything  within  two hours,  and return  to Malabo  the same day.
There were no facilities for him to stay overnight,  and there are no hotels
on the island.
  At the airport, we were met by Ernesto,  who took us to the house where we
planned  to set up the station.  It was the same house used  in our previous
expeditions  in 2017 and 2018.  In the meantime, a beautiful hotel  had been
built on the island,  but it has not been opened  for operation  and  cannot
accommodate guests.
  Afterwards, we went to the  police station  to register.  We presented our
licenses, visas, and all documents.  Then the police commissioner Silvestre,
ordered us to bring all our luggage and display everything openly in detail.
After lengthy discussions, he said that we did not have an entry permit from
the Ministry of Security,  and all our luggage  had to remain  at the police
station.  They  had  to verify  whether we were  even allowed  to be  on the
island.
  The next day was Sunday, so naturally, nothing happened, and we could only
wait. The following days were the same - no answers. By Tuesday, we realized
that  nothing  would be resolved,  so we rescheduled  our return  flight  to
Malabo for Friday, September 12th.
  On Wednesday morning, the commissioner informed us that there was a flight
to Malabo that day, and we would be sent back.
  The plane departed in the afternoon  and arrived in Malabo in the evening.
Our escorting policeman told us  that a hotel had been arranged for us,  and
we  would  be taken there.  However, we  were  escorted out  of the  airport
grounds and handed over to another police unit, which brought us to the main
gendarmerie station in Malabo.
  We spent the night in this "hotel".  The next afternoon,  the ORTEL repre-
sentative arrived with documents - our licenses  and the equipment list.  In
the presence of the police,  the equipment was  checked  and  found to be in
order.
  Afterwards, in the main commissioner's office, our violation was reviewed.
Only one issue was mentioned:  we had arrived in Annobon  without  the ORTEL
representative,  who was supposed  to check our equipment.  Our explanations
were not taken into account.  Any attempt to clarify  or prove otherwise was
pointless.
  At 6 PM that evening,  we were told that  we could fly out  that day  with
Lufthansa, but we had tickets with Air France,  which departed the next day.
We were allowed to spend the night at Hotel Kolytero.
  This was my fourth trip to Equatorial Guinea. There will not be a fifth.
  Thank God, we have returned home safe and sound.
[Source: https://lral.lv/3c0w_3c3w_2025/story.html]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

+ SILENT KEY + Flavio Precisvalle, IK1SPR  passed away on 21 September, aged
just 58. First licensed as IW1BWR in the mid-Eighties, he had been a driving
force behind ARI Bra (IQ1RY) for nearly forty years. Since 1992, he had been
an "all mode" contester  (CW, SSB and RTTY),  achieving  several victories -
e.g. with the  CN3A Multi-Multi team (CQ WW DX SSB 2024)  and  more recently
with the IP1X team in this year's IOTA Contest.  He also served as a referee
in two World Radiosport Team Championships (Russia 2010 and Italy 2022).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
QSLs received direct  or  through managers: 3B9SP, 4U1A,  6K2CFI/4 (AS-060),
A2NEW, A32DX,  CO2XN, CO8ZZ,  CU7MD, D2ACE,  E51KEE, ER4KAA,  FK8HM,  FR8TZ,
FS5GL, G4OSY/VP9, H40GJ, HC2GRC, J45E, JW0V,  K6VHF/HR9 (NA-057), K9HEI/KH9,
KI6LT/ZD8,  LU7YZ, OD5VB, OJ0JR,  OJ0L, PJ2ND,  SX9G (EU-187), T77C,  TF1PA,
TI1RRC,  TX9A, V31GT,  VP6MW, XE2SSB,  XE3E,  YS3PY (NA-190), Z68TT,  Z68ZZ,
Z81D, ZM1A, ZX9X.

****************************************************************************

               425 DX NEWS HOME PAGE: https://www.425dxn.org/

****************************************************************************

               425 DX News is a free of charge weekly bulletin
      edited by Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ and Valeria Pregliasco, IK1ADH

            Its contents may be used, reproduced and distributed
                        in part or full provided that
               "425 DX News" or "425DXN" receive proper credit

          Contributors are invited to send their DX information to
              Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ  (i1jqj...@gmail.com)    
                      The deadline is 12 UTC on Fridays

****************************************************************************

                           Direttore Responsabile
                            Gabriele Villa, I2VGW
               Giornalista Professionista - Tessera n. 071675
                      Ordine Nazionale dei Giornalisti
                                Roma, Italia

****************************************************************************