The MV Braveheart is at sea again, this time transporting the VP8PJ South Orkney DXpedition team to Signy Island. Track the vessel’s progress on the VP8PJ website. The Perseverance DX Group is sponsoring the DXpedition. Team members have been operating as ZL1NA/mm during their voyage, generating heavy pileups.

VP8PJ is expected to commence operation on February 21 and continue until March 5. Operation will be on CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8 (always fox/hound mode except on 60 meters). Stations in Africa and Oceania may call at any time, regardless of operators’ directional instructions.

The VP8PJ DXpedition is the recipient of an ARRL Colvin Award grant, funded by an endowment established by Lloyd D. Colvin, W6KG (SK). Heading the 14-member DXpedition team are Dave Lloyd, K3EL, and Les Kalmus, W2LK. 

South Orkney Islands is the 16th most-wanted DXCC entity, according to Club Log.

The DXpedition offers several tips to help operators to work VP8PJ. These note, among other things, that the team will not have email access, nor do the DXpedition pilots have access to the logs. The DXpedition team advises that operators wait until propagation and conditions favor their location. VP8PJ will always operate split, and the operator will indicate where he is listening, such as “up 5” or “listening on 7155.” Be patient, use common phonetics on SSB, and listen for your call sign when VP8PJ comes back. Also, heed the operators’ instructions, such as “EU only” or “QRP only.” Resist making “insurance QSOs,” only working the DXpedition again if a log check shows that you are not in the log. Log check will not be available until shortly after the DXpedition begins operation. Whenever possible, VP8PJ operators will try to listen in the General-class portions of the bands.

QSL via OQRS for direct or bureau, or direct via QSL Manager Tim Beaumont, M0URX; log search will also be available.