Update June 8, 2023:  The CY0S QSL cards have arrived from the printing company and K5DHY and WA4DAN are hard at work processing the QSL requests. Hundreds of CY0S QSL cards are being mailed everyday through the US Post Office. This process will continue seven days a week until all QSL requests are answered. We anticipate having all OQRS and direct requests completed by the end of June. We started with over 7000 QSL requests with more arriving everyday. Please be patient as we work through the backlog. We are working quite a few hours a day to get this completed. The CY0S card has six panels with two folds with a wonderful Sable Island horse on the front. You will see others throughout the card, enjoy! At the time of the CY0S DXpedition, there were 550 wild horses on the island.

73, Murray WA4DAN

Update May 19, 2023: The CY0S QSL cards are currently being printed. The QSL card consists of six panels with two folds. We expect to receive the cards from the printer in approximately two weeks. Bill K5DHY will be handling the OQRS and bureau cards while Murray WA4DAN will be handling the direct cards. Both Bill and Murray are prepared to start QSLing the day we receive the cards. We estimate this process to take 3-4 weeks once the CY0S cards are delivered from the print company. If all goes well we hope to complete the QSL process by late June.

Update April 4, 2023: The CYØS DXpedition concluded just after 1000Z on Friday, March 31 with 84,517 contacts in the log.  DXCC was achieved on six bands, 30-10 meters, with 40 meters just missing the 100 mark with 98 countries.  A total of 155 DXCC were worked by CYØS.  Full results and breakdowns are available on Clublog.
This was not an easy DXpedition to pull off.  Our initial application to Parks Canada was dated December 19, 2016!  Our team leader flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia in October 2019 to meet with the Parks Canada - Sable Island manager to work out the details for this DXpedition.  The team leader also flew to Sable Island the day before that meeting to talk with the Parks Canada staff on Sable Island.  Both meetings were very productive and an agreement was reached to proceed with the DXpedition.  A few months later, Covid-19 hit and we were postponed two years.  In October 2022, a Parks Canada project delayed our DXpedition until March 2023.

Arriving on Sable Island on Monday, March 20, we were greeted with temperatures of 32 degrees and winds of 35-40 MPH.  These were not favorable weather conditions to accomplish much antenna work.  We did get two antennas up covering three bands by nightfall on March 20.  As much antenna assembly work as possible was done that evening in the Visitor Quarters.  Tuesday, March 21 was a much more productive day with all antennas being assembled and erected by nightfall.

On days 4-5, a major geomagnetic disturbance occurred which played havoc on the bands.  The CYØS team worked the bands that were most productive during this 36-hour period.

On days 5 and 6, very strong winds effected Sable.  Amazingly, no antennas were lost or damaged and operations continued as usual.  Antenna mast guy lines were tightened and reinforced.

Snow occurred almost every day during our stay on the island.  Sometimes it snowed four or five times during the day.  With the strong winds, the snow was usually driven horizontally.

Sable is a very tough environment in the winter with the wind, snow, cold and the corrosive salt spray.   The CYØS team was prepared for these conditions and never faltered during their stay on the island.  Because of the very tight weight restrictions on the two aircraft, the team ate freeze-dried meals over the entire stay on the island.  We could not take all of the gear we usually take on a DXpedition.  We had to downsize some of the Yagi antennas used.  Each operator was limited to 45 lbs of personal gear including food, winter clothing, sleeping bags and any other personal items.

Our number one goal of the CYØS DXpedition was for it to be fun for every DXer around the world and provide an ATNO for as many as possible.  Secondarily, we wanted DXers to fill as many band slots as possible.  It is extremely difficult to mount a major DXpedition to Sable with the weight restrictions but we did the best we could.  Each of the eight ops gave it his all to make this DXpedition possible.

Update April 1, 2023: Team arrived safely in Halifax yesterday afternoon.  Those driving hit the road and overnighted in Maine.  The others jetted back to Long Island NY. DONE!

Update March 31, 2023: Departure day for the CY0S team is Friday, March 31. The Vision Air Services Sikorsky helicopter will arrive at 1200Z for five of the team members. The other three team members will be departing around 1500Z on the Sable Aviation fixed wing aircraft. One station will continue to be operational until final verification of the flights is determined. The latest count of contacts at 0100Z was 84,295. The final tally will be a little higher.

73,Murray WA4DAN

Update March 30, 2023:  As of 0730Z, the CY0S DXpedition team had 78,089 Q's in the log. Because of the uncertainty of the weather and departing the island on Friday, the team will not take down any antennas today. The team will await word this evening from Parks Canada,  Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services. All three of our Sable partners are absolutely the best to work with and their assistance has greatly contributed to our success.

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update March 30, 2023: Both flights scheduled for a Thursday departure off Sable Island have been canceled. Weather in Halifax, Nova Scotia is the issue. Friday's departure from Sable Island is entirely dependent on the weather and the condition of the beach landing area. The CY0S team continues to operate with a full complement of antennas. Packing for departure had begun but was suspended. As of this afternoon the CY0S team had over 76,000 Q's in the log. We will send updates as we receive new information.

73,Murray WA4DAN

Update March 29, 2023: Weather permitting the plan is leave Thursday (March 31 [??]). We will be packing up some antennas on Wednesday but will be QRV as long as possible. We are well over 70K QSOs and have greatly appreciated your commitment to the DX Code of Conduct. Courtesy is still a part of Ham Radio!
Lou, N2TU 

Update March 28, 2023: As of 0600Z the CY0S team had 63,338 Q's. We had a very productive first night on 60 meters with all areas of the world being worked.15 and 17 meters were simply incredible on Monday. Japan was still being worked at 10 PM local time (0100Z) on 15 meters. The team has been talking with Parks Canada about the departure which is scheduled for Thursday morning. Weather will dictate the departure, so the team needs to be ready on short notice. Some antennas will be taken down later Wednesday afternoon and evening. All four stations remain operational, and all antennas are working very well.

Update March 25, 2023: The CYØS team has reached the half way point of their Sable Island DXpedition.  The large geomagnetic event certainly made it more challenging but the team continues with four stations as much as possible.  The anticipated high winds hit the island on Friday making it extremely difficult to do any work outside.  The team has two stations dedicated to the WPX SSB contest this weekend.  The team will concentrate the two contest stations in the US General band.  Team member W2GD reports the pileups on CW rival any DXpedition he has participated in.

Update March 24, 2023: CY0S is partipating in the CQ WW WPX contest this weekend, in the MO category.

Update March 23, 2023: With much disappointment, the CY0S team had to abandon the real time logging updates. The internet on Sable is not stable enough and drops out fairly regularly.que l This caused many issues. We also had an issue with one laptop which has been replaced. All logs will be sent to Bill K5DHY about every six hours. We apologize that we were not able to do what we wanted to do with the logs. Hopefully we won't have any more interuptions taking down our computers. 

We have four HF stations set up as well as a Six meter, Satellite and a 2 meter EME station. We spent all day Tuesday assembling and installing antennas. All were completed by late afternoon. The team settled into their operating schedule at 0000Z on Wednesday. 

While the weather has been good the last three days, high winds are forecast for Friday and Friday evening. We have begun to take the necessary precautions to the antennas and antenna masts. All guy lines have been tightened and the 42-inch anchor posts driven deeper into the sand.

Another update will be posted on Friday. 73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update March 22, 2023: F/H frequencies may vary due to multiple DXpeditions using the usual F/H and MSHV spectrums. Team know FT8 times are drifting and is working to fix the issue. Antenna work continues.

Team are aware of the FT8 issue regarding time synch. It appears one of the laptops refuses to keep time so they will swap it over soon.  First log is uploaded to Clublog. 

Update March 21, 2023: WW2DX is operating 2m EME on 144.144 in Q65-60A NA VHF contest mode. More information about the EME operation.

After a late arrival on Sable Island, the CY0S team was welcomed to the island with 40 Knot winds. The wind and blowing sand were so strong, the Britten Norman Islander aircraft could not depart the island until the sand was shoveled away from its tires. The strong winds made it very difficult doing antenna assembly and installation. The team was able to install a 30-meter inverted L and a Cushcraft A3WS for 12/17. On Tuesday, the team hopes to install four or five additional antennas, depending on the wind. Please be patient while we work through the cold and windy conditions.

Update March 20, 2023: Five members of the CY0S team departed Halifax, Nova Scotia at 1300Z. The Sable Aviation flight with three team members and all gear will be delayed by a few hours due to the condition of the beach landing area. Parks Canada is optimistic that the condition of the landing area will improve in a few hours with a favorable wind direcion. The Sable Aviation flight hopes to depart Halifax by 1700Z. 

The delay with the Sable Aviation flight will push back the start of the radio operation by a few hours. The CY0S team hopes to get 2-3 stations on the air by dark. Most of the antenna work will occur tomorrow. Please be patient as there are a lot of antennas to install.

The winds remain around 30 Knots.

More later....73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update March 19, 2023: Our air transport from New York to Halifax has been delayed. Four of us will be on our way tomorrow at 8am...EDT....I doubt this will impact our overall schedule...we will just have to work harder!

Update March 19, 2023: Four members of the CY0S DXpedition team arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon. The remaining four team members will arrive on Sunday morning. On Sunday, the CY0S team will be briefed on the weather forecast for Monday. Currently, the wind forecast looks challenging. The team was also notified that the all-important weigh-in will happen on Sunday afternoon. This weigh-in will determine how much gear can be transported to the island. Another update will be available later Sunday afternoon or evening.
73, Murray WA4DAN

Update March 11, 2023: Everything remains on schedule for the Sable Island CY0S DXpedition from March 20-30, 2023. All radio gear, antennas and personal gear has been packed and is ready for transport to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team continues to work on the extremely tight weight restrictions. Our goal is to have five HF stations operational. This remains a huge weight challenge as we are right at the maximum allowable limit. If we are over the weight limit we may have to leave one of the five stations behind in Halifax. This has not be an easy process. Each operator is extremely limited in the amount of personal gear that can be taken to the island. This is made even more challenging because of the cold winds on Sable in March. To further reduce weight, all meals will be of the freeze dried variety.

Sable Aviation was able to fly to the island this morning on a supply run. This is very good news as it means there was enough usable beach to land the vintage Britten Norman Islander aircraft. We all hope the beach landing area remains dry and that there are no storms in the next ten days. Any storm has the potential to flood the landing area.

The team is approaching 95% of its fundraising goal. Check out all of the foundations, club and individual supporters on our website at cy0s.com. Let us know if you need any particular band slots. Donations are still very much appreciated to offset the high cost of this DXpedition.

Update March 9, 2023: Lee, WW2DX, reports via DX-World that after some repacking of equipment the satellite operation is likely to happen.

Update March 8, 2023: Unfortunately, we will not be able to bring satellite gear and we will not have a dedicated six meter station. We will have to use one of the HF radios for six meters. We are still bringing the donated InnoV Six-meter Yagi. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made. We are hard against a very strict weight limit and had no choice unless we wanted to reduce the HF operation. Our primary mission remains…Supply as many All Time New Ones (ATNOs) and as many band fills as reasonably possible. Though disappointing for some, this decision had to be made.  EME operation is still planned.

Update March 2, 2023: All gear has been packed and is ready for transport to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The DXpedition team is working some last-minute details. All travel arrangements have been finalized. The team has now reached 90% of its fundraising goal. Many thanks to all of the new club and individual sponsors. Donations are still very much welcome and appreciated and can be made through our website at: cy0s.com 

The team is still managing the critical weight allowance on the two aircraft. It's going to be extremely tight! 

The team is working on their plans for arrival on Sable. The first day will see limited activity due to antenna construction. Weather always plays a big factor getting to the island and working on the island. The weather has been quite active in the Halifax area with a lot of snow and more snow forecast.  

73, Murray WA4DAN 

Update February 25, 2023: They will be QRV also on the 60m band.

Update February 23, 2023: The CY0S DXpedition team is very pleased to announce that John W2GD has joined our on-island team. John is our second team member that is in the Contest Hall of Fame. John brings a wealth of contest and DXpedition experience to the team. Final preparations continue at a quickening pace as it is just three weeks before team members begin their journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team reports it has now reached 85% of its financial goal. It's not too late to support the CY0S DXpedition. Any support will be greatly appreciated and can be made through our website at: cy0s.com. Lou N2TU has the CY0S DXpedition Facebook page up and running. More photos were added with some of the gear and antennas.

73, Murray WA4DAN

Update February 21, 2023: CY0S now has a Facebook page.

Update February 12, 2023: Parks Canada – Sable Island has agreed to add one day to the length of stay on Sable Island for the CY0S DXpedition team. The start date is still March 20 and the end date is now March 30, 2023. The CY0S team would like to thank the Operations Manager for Sable Island in approving this extension. Parks Canada understands the scope of our plans and has been very cooperative in providing the CY0S team with specific details, as needed. As always is the case with Sable Island, weather conditions will be the determining factor in the length of stay on the island. We may have our stay shortened, our stay to remain as noted or our stay even extended beyond the departure date of March 30. The team is preparing, as best we can, for very strong winds. March can be very turbulent around Sable Island. Both Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services have approved the new length of stay plans. Travel plans to Halifax, Nova Scotia have been finalized for the team members.

Fundraising is ongoing, and all donations, which will be matched, can be made through the CY0S website 

Update February 8, 2023: Lee WW2DX provided an update to the Six meter, 2M and satellite operations during the CY0S DXpedition.

6 Meters:
50.313 MHz FT8 (With three element InnoV Yagi + 500 watts)

2 Meters:
EME: 144.144 JT65B (1st priority when moon is up) 2 X 9 element Yagi's by Dual + 1 KW + IC-9700 + LNA
FT8: 144.174 MHz
SSB/CW: 144.205 MHz

Satellite:
Will attempt between moon passes and try to post at hams.at if internet is up and available
Updates and chat will be announced soon
This update has also been posted on the CY0S website: cy0s.com and click on the "CY0S Frequencies" page

Fundraising is ongoing and donations, which will be matched, can be made via the CY0S website

The weather on Sable has been quite active with sustained winds often over 30 knots with wind gusts between 40-50 knots just as it was today.

73, Murray WA4DAN - 2023 Sable Island CY0S DXpedition Team Leader 

Update February 3, 2023: The CY0S DXpedition received great news on Tuesday. Parks Canada - Sable Island has approved the 2M EME operation from the island. It has been many years since any EME activity has taken place from CY0. Lee WW2DX is the team's EME op and he is ecstatic about the approval and being able to give so many EME DX'ers a new one. Parks Canada conducted a frequency study and concluded that the high power levels on 2M EME shouldn't create a problem. The CY0S team also provided Parks Canada with every frequency from 1.8 MHz to Six meters that the team will use and these were all approved as well. Obviously, if interference issues arise, the team will work to correct the interference problem. Because of the very strict weight limits on the two aircraft, Lee has been very busy retooling the EME antenna array to lessen the overall weight. The CY0S team has been managing the weight issue, and according to our calculations, we are now under the weight limit.

Fundraising continues to go well with the Matching program in place. Any donations made to the CY0S DXpedition will automatically be matched. The team is now at 65% of their fundraising goal of $37,500. Donations can be made from the website at cy0s.com 

Update January 29, 2023: Work continues at a fast pace for the March 20-29, 2023 CY0S DXpedition. This week the team completed the fabrication of the 42-inch long anchor posts, each with galvanized eye bolts, for securing the antenna masts and the Spiderbeams. The Spiderbeams will be used for supporting the low band antennas. Four additional antenna masts will be erected for the three Hygain monoband Yagi's, as well as a Cushcraft A3WS for 12/17 meters. Sable is comprised entirely of sand so extra long supports are needed in the loose sand. Sable Island has no trees to block or dampen the strong winds the island experiences in the winter. Winds of 40 Knots or more are common in the winter. The team reports it has reached 60% of its fundraising goal. Contributors are reminded that the CY0S DXpedition has a unique Matching program for donations. Any donations made to the CY0S Dxpedition are matched, effectively doubling the initial donation. Thanks to a very generous DX'er for making this possible!

Update January 23, 2023: A very busy time for the CY0S DXpedition team. DX Engineering, one of our major sponsors, was able to locate and ship a Cushcraft A3WS 12-17 meter Yagi. We received the A3WS this past week and assembly and testing will begin this week. After a period of testing, the Hygain LJ- 203-BA, Hygain LJ-153-BA and the Hygain LJ-105 CA monoband Yagi's were disassembled and placed in their respective ski bags. The Yagi antennas were only disassembled enough to be able to fit in the long bags. Once the Cushcraft A3WS is assembled and checked out, it too will be placed in its own ski bag.

The CY0S team has been working closely with both Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services on the plans for the flights to Sable Island on the morning of March 20. The team member assignments were made for each aircraft. Five of the team members will fly to Sable on the Sable Aviation Britten Norman Islander and three team members will fly on the Vision Air Services Sikorsky helicopter. The team lost some of its payload capacity due to requirement of wearing immersion suits and the need to add one extra bench seat to the Islander. We now have an absolute payload capacity limit of 2930 lbs (this includes the weight of the operators) and we are over that weight limitation. We are identifying areas where we can reduce weight. The team had previously committed to eating lightweight freeze dried meals for the duration of the DXpedition.
The CY0S team has now reached the 60% level of our fundraising goal of $37,500. The total cost of the DXpedition is estimated at $75,000. Both Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services added fuel surcharges due to the continued high cost of fuel. Donations are very much appreciated

Update December 11, 2022: DXpedition leader, WA4DAN, and the CY0S team now confirm the dates of their upcoming DXpedition to Sable Island DXpedition… March 20-29, 2023.

Sable Island is ranked #50 on the DXCC “most wanted” list and needed by many DXers for filling in “band slots”! We are planning four stations to be QRV 24/7 during our stay on the island.

Each station will use ICOM radio transceivers and 500-watt amplifiers. Modes will be CW, SSB, Digital and EME.

The CY0S team has monoband Yagis for 20, 15 and 10m and a duo-band Cushcraft A3WS Yagi for 12 and 17m. The Team will erect dedicated verticals for 160, 80, 40 and 30m and are planning to lay out 4,000 ft. of radials.

We have chartered a BN-2a Britten Norman Islander from Sable Aviation and a Helicopter from Vision Air Services to facilitate transporting equipment, antennas, eight operators, food and personal gear including warm clothing.

Flights to Sable are often delayed due to poor weather or unfavorable beach conditions. But we have successfully negotiated overnight stays and a 2-3 day extension on our permit.

We are extremely limited in the total weight allowed by both our transportation charters to only 3,000 pounds. This is due to weight and balance considerations. And both charter companies have promised a yet-undetermined rate increase due to higher fuel costs. This is in addition to other expense challenges. The current budget is $75,000 and is likely to go higher.

We have always subscribed to the DXpedition funding model used by DX Expeditions, Inc. The Team will put up 50% of the total costs and the DX community will be asked to fund the other 50%. In that regard, we are very pleased to announce that an anonymous “well-known DXer and DXpeditioner,” has offered to match any donations between now and the beginning of the operation.

This is obviously huge and very generous!

Why should you, your DX Club or DX Foundation help us?

This is the largest Sable Island DXpedition Team ever.
The Team has very experienced DXpeditioners including two DX Hall of Fame members.
Right time of Sunspot Cycle.
First ever FT8 operation from Sable Island.
Very good LB antennas
Indications are that it may be “a while” before a Ham Radio permit will be issued again.

Because of the “matching offer”, this is an excellent opportunity to help us fund the CY0S DXpedition.

Those individual DXers, DX Clubs and DX Foundations that have already agreed to support us may decide on additional support. And of course, those in the DX community who have waited for our plans to be finalized, or who have not been asked for support, this is a way to double your contribution.

To help support us, you may contact Bill, K5DHY or go to: https://t-rexsoftware.com/cy0s/donate

The team would like recognize three important Sponsors: the Anonymous Matching Donor, Vibroplex/ & Spiderbeam companies — and especially DX Engineering who has been very generous!

Update November 23, 2022: Several sources are reporting the following:

CY0S Sable Island 22 November 2022 -- On Monday, November 21, SharonTaratula with the ARRL pre-approved the March 2023 Sable Island CY0S DXpedition for DXCC. The CY0S team submitted to the ARRL the official letter from the Parks Canada-Sable Island manager authorizing the DXpedition. Sable Aviation provided the necessary landing permission, and the team provided the CY0S license permit. One note, due to the always uncertain nature of the weather on and around Sable Island, the team was approved for the dates of March 20-April 5th in case of delays. The scheduled dates for the DXpedition are still March 20-29, 2023, as has been previously advertised. The team has the CY0S QRZ page up and operational. Updates to the QRZ page will be made in the coming weeks.

The overall cost of this DXpedition is now $70,000 US dollars. Both Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services have advised there will be a price increase in 2023 for the flights to the island. We hope to have those new cost figures in December. Please remember that any contributions to the CY0S DXpedition will be matched by an anonymous DX'er. A $100 donation is automatically doubled for a total of $200! This donation match is good up until our departure for Sable Island on Monday, March 20, 2023.

Last week, K4UEE and WA4DAN met up in Columbia, SC to transfer the low band antenna materials. Bob and Murray also discussed the plan for arrival day on the island. WX is almost always an issue on Sable. The average high temperature on the island in March is 3 degrees C with winds of 25 to 30 knots or 55 KM. The METAR on Sable today indicated 28 knot winds with gusts to 38 knots. Winds can gust much higher than that so extra care must be taken with the installation of the antennas and antenna mast.
Safety first! 

Update October 22, 2022: "The 2023 Sable Island CY0S DXpedition team is very pleased to announce a very generous offer from a well known DX'er and DXpeditioner. This DX'er has offered to match any donations to the CY0S DXpedition from this point forward until arrival on the Island on March 20, 2023. For example, if a contributor donates 100 USDs to the DXpedition, this 100 USDs will then be matched for a total of 200 USDs.! The DX'er making the match offer wishes to remain anonymous but wanted to support this DXpedition in a unique and special way. The CY0S team is very grateful and thankful for this tremendous show of support for our DXpedition effort.

  The CY0S team is hard at work on the antennas for the DXpedition. Yagi antennas will be used for 10-20 meters. A Hygain LJ-105CA, ten meter mono-bander has been assembled and checked out. A Hygain LJ-153BA, 15 meter monobander has been assembled and checked out. This week, a Hygain 203-BA, 20 meter monobander will be assembled and checked out. The Cushcraft A3WS 12/17 duobander has been back ordered but is expected to be shipped to us in January from our major sponsor DX Engineering. Bob, K4UEE, will be building our low band antenna system, again with major support from DX Engineering.

  The team is continuing to manage and fine tune gear based on the very strict weight limitations for the DXpedition. The team is limited to a total of 2965 lbs, which includes the weight of the operators, radio gear, antennas, antenna mast, long mast stakes for the loose sand, coaxial cables, food (freeze dried/MRE's) and personal gear. Every pound of weight counts and this is a huge challenge.

  Repair work has begun on Sable Island from the damage from intense hurricane Fiona. Sable Aviation, one of our partners, is busy flying siding, roofing materials and construction personnel to the island. Repairs are expected to be completed this Fall."

  73, Murray WA4DAN 
  March 20-29, 2023 Sable Island CY0S DXpedition Team Leader 

Update October 16, 2022: "A lot of DXers have inquired about Sable Island after Hurricane Fiona made an almost direct hit on the island. Hurricane Fiona had the lowest barometric pressure (931 MB) ever recorded in Canada during any previous hurricane. Fortunately, the news is better than expected on Sable Island. Parks Canada personnel on the island report some of the buildings lost sections of siding and some roof damage. The Parks Canada personnel described the damage as superficial. The NavCan METAR (Meteorological Terminal Air Report) system was inoperative for 5-6 days until technicians could travel to the island to restore the system. The hurricane caused some erosion and reshaped part of the island. A researcher who has been on the island for almost 50 years reported it was the worst storm she has ever experienced on the island."