Update August 14, 2021: Interesting video presentation from the CADXA program entitled  "3Y0Z – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" by Glenn Johnson, W0GJ.

Update March 22, 2021: A video of the 2018 attempt of 3Y0Z to land and operate from Bouvet island, by EY8MM, is available.

Update June 15: "The deadline  for  requesting  a  partial  48%  refund  of  your financial contribution to 3Y0Z has now passed (March 15, 2019)",  Bob, K4UEE 3Y0Z  Co-leader  and  Chief Financial Officer) posted  to  the  DXpedition's qrz.com page on 11 June.  "A large number  of you reponded favorably to  the refund option and either requested a refund, donated their refund to  either the 3Y0Z team, NCDXF, INDEXA or GDXF (German DX Foundation). The process was orderly and I thank you  for  your  cooperation.  These  were  very  unusual circumstances. Any plans for the 3Y0Z team to attempt a return to Bouvet are currently 'on hold' as we want the  Rebel DX Group  to be free  to  complete their efforts to  activate  Bouvet.  We wish  them  good luck  and  a  safe, successful mission".

Update Jan,7: Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, the AB5K's AR Clusters Network and K4UEE for the following DX information. Press Release 2019-1 Bouvet DXpedition (3Y0Z) January 7, 2019 Subject: Options/Instructions for REFUNDS of Unused DXpedition Funds Let me take this opportunity to thank you again for your financial support. The DXpedition team members are all extremely disappointed that we were not able to complete our mission. We were offshore Bouvet for three days and encountered extreme weather conditions. While fighting hurricane force winds, one of our vessel’s engines was over-stressed and a critical coupling failed. The ship’s Captain had no choice but to abort the DX- pedition for safety reasons. It was the correct decision, but a huge disappointment after almost three years of planning. We now have returned our sea container to the US, paid our final bills, and sold equipment to raise funds. After all this, I am happy to report we have a balance in our accounts. I am able to offer you a 48% refund of your original contribution to 3Y0Z. All supporters of our DXpedition are offered the same percentage regardless of whether they are a DX Foun- dation, DX Club, Individual DXer or DXpedition team member. This is the only fair way to do this! Many of you have contacted me and indicated that you DO NOT want any refund. So, I want to give everyone several options: Option 1: I want the refund. Please use my PayPal email address. (No checks or wire transfers please). I respectfully ask that you do not take a refund IF your contribution was $30 USD or less. Option 2: I do not want the refund; please donate my refund to the 3Y0Z team. Each member of the DXpedition team has invested consider- able money, time and effort to try to make this DXpedition a success. Option 3: I do not want the refund; please donate it to the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) in my name. This will help fund future DXpeditions worldwide. Option 4: I do not want the refund; please donate it to the International DX Foundation (INDEXA) in my name. This will help fund future DXpeditions worldwide. DEFAULT OPTION…..If you do not respond, we will divide your refund pro-rata (proportional) between the 3Y0Z team, NCDXF, INDEXA and German DX Foundation (GDXF). (These are our largest financial supporters.) Our DEADLINE for requesting Option 1-4 is March 15, 2019. PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary to contact me. If I do not hear from you by the deadline, I will assume the DEFAULT OPTION. The contact email address is dxped@comcast.net Again, we very much appreciate your support for this project. The final outcome of this ambitious project is not as we planned or hoped for, but the DXpedition team is home and is safe. We are thankful for that! Vy 73, Bob-K4UEE 3Y0Z Co-leader and Chief Financial Officer

Update Dec,17: We are pleased that we can now offer refunds to ALL those that helped support the 2018 Bouvet DXpedition (3YØZ). This will begin early in January 2019. Please QRX for the official press release with details, your options and instructions. ALL contributors (DX Foundations, DX Clubs, the DXpedition Team and Individual DXers) will be treated equally with the same percentage (%) of their contribution available to them. For those of you that do NOT want any money back, you will have other options. We believe you will be pleased as between 45-50% refund will be available. 73 and thanks for your patience ! Bob-K4UEE

Update Sep,11: We are happy to announce that our 3YØZ Bouvet sea container is on its way home. It should arrive in Chicago on September 26 then be moved to K9CT’s QTH shortly thereafter. All associated costs have been paid. Craig K9CT says he will get all the loaned items/equipment back to our sponsors quickly and those shipping costs will then be paid. From my perspective, we will then have all the expenses paid and can determine the amount of refund available to DX Clubs, DX Foundations, Individual supporters and our Team. As previously mentioned, there will be several options available for everyone to consider when deciding what to do with their refund. PLS QRX! 73, Bob-K4UEE

Update Jun,23: Narrated PowerPoint presentation recently presented at the DX Forum at Dayton Hamvention and W5DXCC/HamCom. Includes a summary of the 3Y0Z DXpedition with stunning pictures, our Vessel vetting process, what we learned, planned refund of remaining funds, another attempt, and some personal observations of K4UEE.

Update Apr,27: "There have been several important milestones reached and decisions made in the last few weeks", the ill-fated 3Y0Z team posted to qzr.com on 26 April. "We have received a partial reimbursement on our payments made to DAP, our transportation contractor. In our view, this it is a fair settlement with them. Our vessel, Betanzos is now back in Punta Arenas and we believe the container with our personal gear and equipment are intact. We will be arranging to transport the container back to the US, arriving in a few months. Originally, we felt if we could organize a return trip to Bouvet quickly, we could redeploy the balance of our bank account along with some additional funds to cover costs. Virtually none of our investors (DX Foundations, DX Clubs of Individual contributors) had asked for a pro-rata return of their contribution. They wanted to get Bouvet on the air, as did we. However in recent weeks, it has become apparent that the chance of finding a suitable and affordable vessel for the 2018-19 Austral season is becoming less and less likely. It appears that the very earliest that we could mount a second attempt to activate Bouvet would be the 2019-20 season or possibly beyond. Thus, we have made the decision to offer a pro-rata return of the remaining 3Y0Z DXpedition funds in our account. This will occur only after the container has arrived here and we have paid all our bills. Only then, will we know the net balance to be distributed. As you may have concluded, this is going to be an enormous task with 137 DX Clubs and Foundations and 3700 individual DXers. The process will take some time. We ask that you be patient as we complete this. After the return of the funds is completed, we will close the accounting books and bank account of 3Y0Z. This is always our procedure as each DXpedition must stand on its own. We all are unhappy and extremely disappointed that the project was not completed due to the mechanical failure of our vessel. This left the Captain no choice but to abort the mission for safety reasons. We believe this is the proper way to wrap up the DXpedition. Thanks for your understanding!" "There have been several important milestones reached and decisions made in the last few weeks", the ill-fated 3Y0Z team posted to qzr.com on 26 April. "We have received a partial reimbursement on our payments made to DAP, our transportation contractor. In our view, this it is a fair settlement with them. Our vessel, Betanzos is now back in Punta Arenas and we believe the container with our personal gear and equipment are intact. We will be arranging to transport the container back to the US, arriving in a few months. Originally, we felt if we could organize a return trip to Bouvet quickly, we could redeploy the balance of our bank account along with some additional funds to cover costs. Virtually none of our investors (DX Foundations, DX Clubs of Individual contributors) had asked for a pro-rata return of their contribution. They wanted to get Bouvet on the air, as did we. However in recent weeks, it has become apparent that the chance of finding a suitable and affordable vessel for the 2018-19 Austral season is becoming less and less likely. It appears that the very earliest that we could mount a second attempt to activate Bouvet would be the 2019-20 season or possibly beyond. Thus, we have made the decision to offer a pro-rata return of the remaining 3Y0Z DXpedition funds in our account. This will occur only after the container has arrived here and we have paid all our bills. Only then, will we know the net balance to be distributed. As you may have concluded, this is going to be an enormous task with 137 DX Clubs and Foundations and 3700 individual DXers. The process will take some time. We ask that you be patient as we complete this. After the return of the funds is completed, we will close the accounting books and bank account of 3Y0Z. This is always our procedure as each DXpedition must stand on its own. We all are unhappy and extremely disappointed that the project was not completed due to the mechanical failure of our vessel. This left the Captain no choice but to abort the mission for safety reasons. We believe this is the proper way to wrap up the DXpedition. Thanks for your understanding!"

Update Mar,5: The 3YØZ team members are safely home. We have been home about two weeks now, after 31 days aboard our vessel M/V Betanzos. We have been to Bouvet Island, and as a result, we have a better appreciation for the challenges we face. It is a dark, dismal and dangerous place. Yet, when the sun shines, it is magnificent. The most difficult thing to reflect upon is the final day offshore, when we saw the island, crystal clear in calm winds, less than a mile away. The conditions were perfect for our first reconnaissance flight and possible landing of men and camp infrastructure. But, during the violent night before, the Captain had made the decision to abort. In retrospect, his call was clairvoyant. The mechanical, propulsion failure on the ship that occurred would have brought disaster, if it resulted in some of our men being stranded ashore. We are sure you are wondering what happens now? Well, we are not the kind of people to give up. The same thing happened when we were trying to activate Peter I in 2005. We came back the following year and with DAP’s (the vessel owner) help, we got it done. We are optimistic about a fair settlement and a resulting refund of some of our money paid to DAP for this recent attempt to activate Bouvet. That money, and what we still have in the bank will allow us to begin making plans to try again. We have begun the difficult task of looking for a suitable vessel, and would hope to go back to Bouvet in the next year or two. Obviously, we will keep you informed. Thank you for the hundreds of favorable and encouraging comments from our financial supporters and sponsors. No one has asked for any of their contributions back, and, in fact, many have offered additional support for the next chapter in this book. We are hopeful that those of you who have invested in this project will see fit to “roll over” your financial support to the next attempt. So, if we can pull all the moving parts together, we are going to try it again. Hopefully, this time, with a different outcome. 73, Bob, K4UEE

Update Feb,5: Our captain has decided that it is in the best interest of safety and expediency to proceed directly to Cape Town, South Africa rather than Punta Arenas, Chile. We are currently heading north to avoid the possibility of encountering ice. Currently there is no ice in sight or on radar. In due time we will head easterly toward Cape Town. Our entire team is safe. Most are resting in their bunks and in good spirits. We will keep the amateur radio community and our families informed as we continue our journey. 14:45z: Position: 53 degrees 42 minutes South, 0.41 degrees West. Heading 58 degrees. Speed 7 knots. The wind is from 165 degrees and pushing us along in moderate following seas. Our ride is now considerably smoother than earlier, today. We did pass through some ice between 1200 and 1300 UTC. The sea is clear now. We are headed for Cape Town, South Africa. This is the safest and most expedient course for us. We thank those who have expressed concern and good wishes. We are, of course, very, very disappointed. We are slowed, but safe. [KØIR]

Update Feb,3 2130z: Operation cancelled. During the last 72 hours we continued to experience the high winds, low clouds, fog, and rough seas that have prevented helicopter operations since our arrival at Bouvet. No improvement was predicted in the weather forecast for the next four days. Then, last night an issue developed in one of the ship’s engines. This morning the captain of the vessel declared it unsafe to continue with our project and aborted the expedition. We are now on our long voyage back to Punta Arenas. As you might imagine the team is deeply disappointed, but safe. There is already talk about rescheduling the DXpedition. [Co-leaders K0IR, K4UEE, LA6VM]

Update Feb,1 1300z: Latest news from the Bouvet crew: Our ship is still at anchor off the east side of Bouvet. Winds are 35 to 40 knots, and the ship is pitching and rolling up to 30 degrees. This makes flying and a landing attempt impossible today. The temperature is hovering at around 0 degrees C. Visibility has improved. Ralph, KØIR It looks like weather will improve tomorrow, Febr. 2, so we hope for possible EME activity during the weekend...... GL, Chris PA2CHR

Update Jan,31: Bouvet Island came into view at about 0600 UTC today. We dropped anchor at 0810 UTC in approximately 25 meters of water off the east side of the island between Kapp Meteor and Swarthamaren. The temperature is 2 degrees Centigrade. Thirty five knot winds are blowing out of the northeast with a driving rain. Visibility and ceiling are estimated at 1 mile and 500 feet, respectively. We are poised and ready when our weather window arrives. Our first “strike” team selecting and securing a site will be EY8MM, KØIR and Alejo Contreras (Chilean Antarctic explorer, guide and mountaineer).

Update Jan,19: From DX-World: With the aid of tugboats, the team have now departed port and the long voyage to Bouvet begins. Follow their 3G9A/MM voyage here or here. Good luck !

Update Jan,17: Team is boarding MV Betanzos

Update Jan,16: From DX-World: Heavy sea ice east and north of King George Island has made navigation between King George Island and Bouvet slow and of increased Preparation for our departure continues, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than we had hoped. However, the vessel is now fully fueled and all our DXpedition gear, food, and medical and survival gear is aboard. And, you have likely read that team members completed their cold water survival, CPR, and fire-fighting training. Two team leaders and our merchant marine captain team member (W7IV) have been aboard the vessel. They observed the crew and contractors working hard to complete their projects. We are awaiting final clearance to sail which will be issued by the Chilean Navy, the regulatory authority for maritime safety. We remain confident in our success and are anxiously waiting to get underway. Whatever delay we encounter will not impact our results on the island.

risk. We will therefore depart from Punta Arenas and sail directly to Bouvet. This has necessitated changes to preparations. That process is underway and moving as fast as possible. Our sailing time to Bouvet is now estimated at 14 days. We estimate that our sailing date and QRV date will move back 24 to 36 hours. Our QRT date will be extended as necessary to provide everyone with the best possible chance of working Bouvet.

Update Jan,9: DX-World reveals that the team will be signing 3G9A/MM en route to Bouvet aboard the MV Betanzos. It’s a long voyage from King George Island, South Shetlands to Bouvet, so give the team a call. Find out how they are and pass any traffic/news you may hear. Follow the voyage 3G9A/MM via N2OO.

Update Jan,5: Update about the team traveling to Bouvet: Team members will gather in Punta Arenas, Chile, by January 10, attend a marine safety course, purchase last-minute supplies, and then fly across the Drake Passage to King George Island in the South Shetlands, where they will board the newly refurbished Betanzos on January 13, for an approximately 10-day voyage to Bouvet. This means they can be QRV via EME around Jan. 25 if weather permits.....for a stay of about 14 days. GL and 73's, Chris, PA2CHR

Update Dec,29: Press Release # 10 We recently reached yet another milestone in our quest to activate Bouvet Island. DAP, the Chilean company that owns and operates the M/V Betanzos and the helicopters has satisfied the last contractual requirements, prior to departure. We submitted to them a “fit for purpose” checklist with 120 items as part of our contract. They have satisfied all the checklist items, and we will be transferring almost ½ million US dollars to them in the next few days. So, we are happy to report that we are on schedule for a January 13, 2018 departure to Bouvet Island, the World’s most isolated island and the number two most wanted DX entity. All team members will meet in Punta Arenas, Chile no later than January 10, 2018. We will attend a one and one-half day marine safety course, purchase last minute supplies and then fly across the Drake Passage to King George Island in the South Shetlands. There, we will board the newly refurbished Chilean vessel M/V Betanzos, and begin our 9 to 11-day voyage to Bouvet. The team feels confident knowing that the ship’s captain and many of the crew have been with the vessel for eight years, and have extensive Southern Ocean experience. The Captain reports he has previously been to Bouvet. Sea ice has been reported along a direct route to Bouvet, and that may dictate we take a more northerly course, before turning East to approach Bouvet. That may add day or two to our transit time. Our two helicopters have completed their 100-hour inspections, and are ready for service. There has been a thorough review of landing procedures and shelter and antenna layouts. We have three alternative anchoring systems to secure the shelters and antennas to the ice on the surface of Bouvet. So, the plan remains unchanged. We will have two stations on every open band whenever humanly possible, gain and directional antennas where possible, high power stations and a propagation-driven operation. The primary modes will be CW, SSB and RTTY. FT8 will be utilized if it is the only productive mode. Anyone preparing to utilize FT8 must read the 3YØZ FT8 protocol on the Band Plan page of the DXpedition website. Complete information on band plans and frequencies, propagation predictions and QSL procedures are available on the DXpedition website: www.bouvetdx.org. You will find strategically placed “donate” buttons if you want to help with our substantial costs. I hope you share in the excitement of this great undertaking. We anxious to get underway! 73, Bob-K4UEE Ralph-KØIR Erling-LA6VM

Update Dec,18: The Bouvet Island DXpedition team has been very busy. In the last week, we’ve had Skype conference calls with the CEO of our transportation company and with the captain of our ship. We can report that everything we can control is under control. Our sea container is in Punta Arenas, and should be moving out of customs bond or may have already done so. We are gathering some additional last minute supplies to take as extra baggage, including ice screws, should we find ourselves camping on re-frozen melt areas on the glacier. We have finalized our shelter layouts, fuel calculations, maritime mobile antenna plans, and have assigned some duties relating to flight and cargo staging. The team members will all be taking a formal marine safety course before embarking. Neither our transportation company nor the ship’s captain expressed any worries or concerns over the recent siesmic activity near Bouvet. And, yes, we are still struggling with he helicopter flying hours issue.

Update Dec,11: The Propagation Page on our website http://www.bouvetdx.org/propagation has been updated and now includes a button visitors can click, enter their call and grid square and get a propagation forecast specific for their QTH -- all bands over a 24 hour period. These helpful propagation predictions were created using the work of Stu, K6TU, and are based on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s estimate of average sunspot numbers for February of 2018. We hope you will find this information helpful in your upcoming quest to work 3Y0Z!

Update Nov,22: Our sea container should now be between the ports of San Antonio, Chile and its destination, Punta Arenas, Chile. The logistics have at times been confounding, but we are actually ahead of schedule with our shipping. We have our license and callsign for our maritime mobile operation on the way to Bouvet. One of the problems with shipboard operation is static charge build up on antennas from the winds and precipitation. This is a particular problem with antennas that are not at DC ground. Having a transceiver exposed to this hazard can be disastrous for the radio. We are aware of the issue, and are instituting ways of dealing with this threat.

Update Oct,17: Press Release #9 After over 10 years of dreaming and 2 years of rigorous planning, we have turned a page. Our team is intact and ready. We have 17,000 pounds of equipment. It has been tested, sorted, inventoried and packed into our 40-foot sea container. We have discussed all conceivable contingencies, including rough seas, clouds and fog, high winds and emergencies at sea and on shore. We have studied propagation, maximized our location on the island, selected the best radio equipment, and have thought first and foremost of safety. All of this culminated when we sealed our sea container on October 9th , entered it into customs bond, placed it on a truck and watched it begin its journey to Punta Arenas, Chile. Our die has been cast. Now, a new chapter begins: one of reflection, waiting anxiously and hoping (praying) that all will go well from this point on. We have been blessed by the worldwide support of individual amateur radio operators, clubs and foundations. They have backed us, overwhelmingly. We are inspired by the support we have received, both financially and in spirit. We want to live up to all that is expected of us on this “generational” DXpedition, which is likely the largest and most challenging DXpedition — ever. Indeed, there may never be another like it. We now have time to appreciate the responsibility that this project thrusts upon us. We feel it, and we will do our utmost to meet the DX world’s expectations from Bouvet – the number 2 “most wanted” entity. You will start seeing band plans, more detailed propagation information, QSL information and more on our website. Our Facebook and Twitter social media outlets will keep their conversational tone, but shift their focus to how you can best work us, plus current events and news of interest. Our updated propagation forecasts continue to validate our predictions, as visualized on our website propagation page. Our team now has a singular focal point, King George Island, where the next chapter begins. We will meet our ship there on January 13th, and sail 2,200 miles to Bouvet. By departing from King George Island rather than Punta Arenas, we save about 400 miles of sea travel. This essentially gives us one or two more days on the air from Bouvet. We will savor those days, because they will give us QSOs that otherwise would not have been made. We have asked more from our team members than for any previous DXpedition. This includes their time, effort and money. We thank all of you who are helping to defray some of their costs. We continue to welcome new and additional support to help with these expenses. We are counting the days.. Bob-K4UEE Ralph-KØIR Erling-LA6VM

Update Oct,10: "OUR SEA CONTAINER IS PACKED!! After weeks of inventorying, packing, padding and weighing supplies and equipment, we have sealed our container and loaded it aboard a truck bound for the port of Savannah. The container will go by sea to Manzanillo, Mexico; by rail to Balboa, Panama; then by sea to San Antonio, Chile; Copihue, Chile and finally Punta Arenas, Chile. The contents will be taken aboard our ship in Punta Arenas, and meet our team at King George Island in the South Shetlands on January 13, 2018." Check the Web page for pictures at: http://www.bouvetdx.org/news-and-updates

Update Sep,22: Our team meeting in Atlanta, GA from Sept. 7th through the 10th was a great success. Eighteen of our 20 operators were present, coming from as far away as Japan and representing 7 of the 8 home countries of our team members. Our meetings began with a review of our goals, the challenges we have met, and those we have yet to encounter. We had a Skype conference with the CEO of our transportation company in Punta Arenas, Chile, and then discussed safety, our shelter deployment plans, antennas, transceivers and amplifiers, propagation, medical and emergency issues, operating practices, scheduling, and propagation. We spent many hours unpacking and then staging our equipment. We inventoried everything and then began moving it from temporary storage to our 40-foot sea container. We also prepared our customs documentation which included the 6,000 items on our inventory. We ran a tank of gas through each of our eight 6.5 KW generators, drained the oil from them, and readied them for shipment. There were many of trips to local stores for more shipping cases, duct tape, nuts and bolts, electrical supplies, fuel cans, etc. Our EME team needed to be certain there were no problems with their complex station and antenna system. They worked until 4:30 AM assembling their 2-meter station and antenna array and were rewarded by completing a QSO off the moon with PA2CHR, our EME pilot station. The station works! Our sea container leaves Atlanta the first few days of October. It will be placed aboard a ship bound for Punta Arenas, Chile. We are hopeful that it will there no later than December 1st. Our team members have all purchased their airline tickets to Punta Arenas for a couple days of meetings and orientation. Then we will fly across the Drake Passage on the morning of January 13th to board our ship at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. We plan to sail for Bouvet that same afternoon. We will arrive at Bouvet sometime between January 23rd and 25th. Our actual landing date is weather dependent. We will be lucky to be on the air within a few days. Every detail of our landing sequence, shelter construction, antenna layout, equipment setup and radio operations is well thought out. Also, our emergency evacuation routes and plans have been identified. We are humbled by the support of the DX community. Over 100 clubs and foundations and over 1550 individuals have supported us financially. If you have already supported us, we thank you. But, please ask your fellow DXers to join you. If you have yet to contribute, we ask for your consideration. While our operators are prepared to dig deeper into their pockets to make this DXpedition happen, your continued support would make our faces, as well as our antennas…beam. Counting the days, 73, Bob-K4UEE Ralph-KØIR Erling-LA6VM