Update December 14: There is another great article (with pictures) online of Cezar's, VE3LYC, DXpedition to Tatakoto Atoll as TX0T on the Clipperton DX Club Web site

Update November 24: This operation was timely accepted toward OC-298 credits, and QSL cards were shipped from Sicily on Friday Nov 20. Huge thanks to Alfio (IT9EJW) for his sustained effort to design, print, plasticize, and have the cards shipped to me in record time. He was strongly committed to have it done even earlier, but I was very busy during the week following my return back home, so that additional delay was entirely on me.

Direct QSL cards will be mailed shortly after they’ll arrive here from the printing house. Meanwhile, all QSOs made by those stations that requested direct QSL cards or provided support for this project and made the log will be uploaded to LoTW on Dec 5, and enabled for QSO matching. Keep checking this website for future updates.

Update November 7: Travel in times of covid-19 can be full of surprises. During my stay on the island, Air Canada seemed to have cancelled my connection flight from San Francisco to Toronto, which was supposed to take-off 3 hours after my arrival in San Francisco. As such, in their amazing wisdom, they decided to book me on a flight that was supposed to leave San Francisco half an hour earlier than our landing from Papeete! They must have gambled on the fact that Air Canada must be always late, hi. In any case, the United agent in Papeete was not allowed to issue me a boarding pass for a flight that couldn’t have been physically taken had the plane was on time! It took them about 1.5 hours of collaboration with the United representative in the States to reroute me to Ottawa through Newark (NY) and Montreal. The only drag is that I have to wait for 14 hours in San Francisco, take a red flight to Newark, and everything else will be fine. However, they did allow me to check in very early, so at least I’m not hauling those large and heavy suitcases with me anymore.

I received all the support from the locals on Tatakoto, except being allowed to use the internet. I made several attempts, but neither one of the local whom I leaned that had internet or the mayor’s secretary didn’t allow me access to it. The locals were generally pretty concerned with this pandemic, because they didn’t have any infection on the island so far and are aiming to keep it this way. My extension cord caught fire upon plugging it into the outlet, despite displaying a clear mark indicated that it was rated well above it. It took me a while to fix in a way so that I can use it for my North American plugs. The space for the antenna wasn’t ideal, but it worked. Unfortunately, the first morning on the island, just after sunrise, one of the dogs in the neighbourhood which was roaming around entangled itself in one of the antenna’s radials. In the effort to free itself, the animal brushed hard the thin rope holding the radial to an anchor rock against it and broke the rope. As a result, the fiberglass mast fell onto a steel gate and and got damaged. I had a spare mast with me, but given all hazards around, I decided to attempt repairing it. It took a while, but I was pretty happy with the job I did, hi.

I’m reading now quite a few messages from chasers who were convinced that I had had internet access, despite the fact that I had clearly mentioned that I won’t have internet access at my residence, and it was uncertain that I will be allowed to use it at the mayor’s office. In any case, it is a little surprising to see that many chasers continue to mistrust my knowledge of the propagation conditions, and the ability to make reasonably good decisions. The use of the 30m band at sunrise or sunset was very time limited, because either 20 or 40m band, respectively, would take over quickly. This being said, it is worth reminding everyone that each of the bands behaved a little differently each day, with variable results from one day to another. Not only that I experienced the same situation when I operated previously from that general region of the Pacific (e.g., E51LYC, TX0A, TX0M), but I always prepare carefully propagation tables for all the areas of the worked, keeping them on the table next to the station at all times, not to mention that I also constantly compare them during an operation with the actual propagation results.

Update November 6: He made QRT yesterday: I made it to Papeete in time, and I’m waiting for my flight to San Francisco to be open for check-in in a few minutes. The log is now available at Club Log. However, I won’t be able to attend to any inquiries until I’ll return back home and have a good sleep, hi. I know that some chasers couldn’t make the log, and I am truly sorry for it. This being said, I hope that those I was able to copy and log have lived this adventure just as intensely as I did. Thank you all for the pileups!

Update October 30: QRV since yesterday. He has been reported on 20, 30 and 40m CW, with good signals in Europe.

Update October 28: I am now at the guesthouse in Papeete. The arrival in Tahiti was uneventful, except that the passengers found themselves under a torrential rain pouring in just as they put foot on the tarmack. I managed to sleep for four hours during the flight, which allowed me to get here a bit refreshed. The covid-19 test clinics open at 8 am, and I’ll have to find the closest one to go to right away.

Update October 28: I arrived in time at the Air Tahiti check-in desk on the Los Angeles airport. Upon verification that I do have the correct and valid covid-19 type test, Air Tahiti issued me a new ticket from LA to Papeete. I am currently waiting for boarding, which will start momentarily. I haven’t eaten much today, so I’m waiting for the ‘dinner on the plane’, hi. I don’t know what other adventure awaits me in French Polynesia, but I hope that I left all mishap here in North America. I will arrive in Papeete at 05:05 am local time, after which I will go straight to the hotel. At 8 am I need to be at one of the local covid-19 test centers to take another test required for the travel to Tatakoto.

Update October 26: I made it to Washington DC, along with all the bags. I’ll spend the night here and depart very early tomorrow morning.

Update October 24: Good news: the result of the covid-19 test I undertook yesterday was posted today on the specialize website and it is negative!

Update October 22: In order to comply with current entry requirements of French Polynesia, I need to take a covid-19 test on Friday, three days in advance of my departure flight. I am scheduled for it at 9:50 am. There is no such thing here as a ‘rapid’ test, so the results are not guaranteed to be available by Monday morning, but I was told that most of them come within 24 to 48 hours. Fingers crossed!

Update October 19: Cezar posted the following on his TX0T Web page:

"October 10th -- The operation will be conducted from CH02SP grid square (~17.3428 S, 138.4500 W), which you should use when checking the forecast for propagation conditions at your location.

October 11th -- Accommodation in Washington DC and Papeete was booked and paid for. All components for the CW/SSB activity were tested and found to operate as designed.

October 14th -- All equipment has been tested and performed as designed. While I do not intend to operate FT8 if propagation conditions allow for CW/SSB contacts, I have included a contin- gency for it, in case of unforeseen major solar disturbance that would seriously affect communication using these modes."

QSL via VE3LYC direct, ClubLog's OQRS or LoTW. QSL VIA DIRECT (Use ONLY ONE of the options below):

(a) PREFERRED: OQRS from ClubLog, no need to mail cards and/or SAE.

(b) Mail QSO data for each callsign separately, with SAE and sufficient return postage (min USD 3) to: Cezar Trifu, 4986 Bath Rd., Bath, Ontario K0H 1G0, Canada.

Direct requests which do not comply with this policy will be replied via the bureau. QSL VIA BUREAU (Use ONLY ONE of the options below):

(a) PREFERRED: Request card using bureau option from ClubLog.

(b) Mail your card through the bureau to VE3LYC. Cards will be sent out based on 'first received, first replied' service. PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST A QSL VIA THE BUREAU IF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE IT DIRECTLY!

Cezar (VE3LYC) will operate as TX0T from Tatakoto Atoll (OC-298NEW), French Polynesia, between October 29 and November 5, 2020. He will use an ICOM IC-7000 with KMA500 amplifier into a multi-band vertical. Cezar will focus on 17, 20, 30, and 40m, operating CW and SSB.