Update March 18, 2024: No doubt – T32 welcomed us with a difficult start. Two (out of ten) suitcases did not make it to T32 and critical equipment for some of our antennas and multi-stations was (and is) thus missing. This was the writing on the wall.

Upon arrival to our final destination, there was no electric power. Even though it came back after few hours, this shortfall has been staying with us since then. One of the three (public) power generators for the island had burnt down shortly before your arrival and the local government established a rotating scheme of “load shedding”, i.e. whole areas of the island are taken off power on a rotating basis. Repair is forecasted for next March at the earliest. For us this means that, once per day we experience a power shutdown for several hours – usually something between 8 and 12 hours in a row. Even though our immediate search for a back-up generator was successful, the (2.5kW) generator delivers very unstable output under varying load, which limits our usable transmit power drastically – anything above “barefoot 100W” quickly leads to shutdown of one or the other transceiver. Simultaneous CW or even SSB traffic proved particularly impossible. Not exactly the ideal situation that we had hoped for. Our search for a better generator is on, but folks – we are on Christmas Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Know what I mean?

To allow for reasonable QSO rates nevertheless, we decided using MSHV digi modes during load shedding. Their power need is more continuous, and we use two TRX simultaneously for the two alternating time slots, thus doubling our presence. Not ideal, but better than using barefoot CW or SSB with interruptions every 30 seconds or so. So, for the CW and SSB community: be patient with us – we are working on it.

Enough of bad news – what is the good news? Despite all the limitations that surprised us, we are in fact on the air since day #1. The majority of our QSOs so far went to the Americas and Asia, but next to 20% to Europe via the difficult polar path.

While I am sitting at my laptop to write this interim report, it is Monday morning, March 18 – i.e. evening of March 17 in UTC) I am heavily sweating, as we have been having no power and no air condition since 6 hours. But our QSO rate after four complete DXpedition days stands at something well above 13 000 (almost 50% in CW).

So folks, bear with us – we are doing what we can to put T32EU into your log – be it as a new band or even an ATNO.

For those few who feel pressed to leave inappropriate comments on the DX cluster – welcome to rush to Christmas Island to demonstrate to us your own superior performance under the circumstances. Always good to learn from more experienced DXers. But rush – flights to Christmas Island arrive only once per week, and your next opportunity will be in two days from now. We will greet you with a lukewarm beer.

Update March 14, 2024: On 13th March we arrived Kiritimai. Now we are QRV. We have lost 2 bags on the flight from San Francisco to Hawaii. Some equipment parts are not available for us. Today we have no power on the island for a lot of hours. We have built antennas for 80m, 30m and 20 to 10m and in the next days for 40m and 6m.

Update February 22, 2024: They will use MSHV, not Fox/Hound.  See their band plan and operating details below.

Update January 18, 2024: Operators wil be DF4GV, DK2AMM, DL4SVA, DJ7TO, DL1KWK and DL2AWG. 
QRV on 160-6m (CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8/4) with verticals, beams and amps.

QSL via DL2AWG (OQRS), LoTW, bureau. 

The same German group that is going to ve QRV as V6EU will also be active from Eastern Kiribati on March 12-27, 2024. They plant to run 24 x 7 with three stations simultaneously. They are missing a sixth operator. If you would like to join the team, contact Elmar DF4GV for full details (compans@t-online.de)

Callsign T32EU has been requestes but still not confirmed.