Update March 4, 2025:  VK9XU is now QRT. Last QSO was on March 4th at 02:57z with VR2CO in FT8. Christmas Island was great! We achieved around 58000 QSOs, which is well above our expectation. Thanks to everybody on the other end of the pile up, and in particular thanks for the exceptionally good discipline in the pile-ups. We already disassembled all antennas and we are currently packing all our stuff for the flight to Cocos (Keeling) Island. As we will arrive well after sunset, we will only start with a limited activity in the first night and set up all antennas after sunrise next day.

Update March 3, 2025:  One of the three amplifiers in use blew up this morning. We are going to run the FT8 station barefoot for the remaining 20 hours.

Bands: We were active all nights on low bands either CW or ft8, either 80 or 160m. Strong demand. High bands deliver busy pile ups most of the time.

Antennas: A storm broke our 12/17m rhombic antenna today. We were able to fix it.

Status: All ops tired. We are now somewhere at 55k QSOs. Tuesday morning we will pack to relocate to Cocos. Till then full operation.

Update February 27, 2025: We were on 80m CW and FT8 for the whole night. Our signal went out well into NA and later into EU. However, reception suffered a lot from QRN. Today, we will prepare the lowband RX ant and hope for improvement. The first 6m QSOs are rushing in! (FT8) We will exceed 40K QSOs today.

Update February 21, 2025: I just returned from the airport. Our masts did not arrive with today’s plane. Sh… Next plane in 4 days. This means: no low bands for another 4 days. Very disappointing performance of the airline(s).

DF4GV.

Update February 20, 2025: Steve VK6SJ seems to be a magician. He managed to lend aluminum lattice elements from a company on the island and we set up our hex beam same day. We also found a reasonable workaround for our 30m monobander, which is now also available.

The main remaining shortfall is the missing mast for our low-band vertical. But there is new hope: we got a call from the airline that the bag was found and will be sent to Xmas soon (whatever soon means). We are getting closer....

ClubLog Livestream does not work on the CW station for unknown reason. We are working on it.

See you on the bands!"

Update February 19, 2025: Antenna situation: no news on the missing masts yet. However, there is a little hardware store on the island where we found some material for setting up a second antenna, i.e. we are now QRV with two stations. Not yet with the beam, though.

Software problem: this morning from 5:08z our log software for a while incorrectly sent the call VK9CU instead of VK9XU. This was possibly due to an installation problem. In our log, however, our QSOs were correctly logged as VK9XU. This went undetected for a while, but was then corrected. We are in fact on Christmas Island, we use the call VK9XU and will LoTW and QSL as VK9XU. We suggest correcting our error in your log. In case of doubt please work us again.

Update February 18, 2025: oh boy... we made it to Christmas Island, but our most important piece of luggage did NOT make it: the oversize bag with most of the rods for the antenna masts. We will therefore have to start with only a subset of our planned antenna farm.
First thing tomorrow, we will try to find a temporary replacement, in particular for the mast for the beam.
The next flight to Xmas will only arrive on Friday. Therefore, please keep fingers crossed that the missing bag will then be delivered.
We have, however, begun initial operation today Feb 18 at 11:53z. First QSO was with VR2KW on 15m FT-8. Guys, see you on the bands!

Update January 25, 2025:  our DXpedition team has only three weeks to departure and a lot of preparation work is still ongoing. Always surprising how much preparation work such a DXpedition needs…

Equipment update: FlexRadios 6600 and 8600, Yaesu FTDX10, Icom IC7300; amplifiers: 4x FlexRadio PGXL, roWaves PA1000+, SPE Expert 1.3K; antennas: Hexbeam 20-6m; DX-Commander 40-10m; Rhombic 17/12m; vertical 160/80m; J-Pole 30m

73, Elmar DF4GV

Update January 18, 2025:

Operating Plan:
They will operate three stations 24/7 with 400w on 160-6 meters (no 60m allowed), using CW, SSB, FT8/FT4 ( F/H mode, or Super Fox) and RTTY. QSL both operations to DL2AWG.

Operating Frequencies
Please always listen to the instructions of the operator!

Band     CW         SSB         RTTY     FT8
160m   1826.4      -               -         1836
80m     3533      3670           -         3570
40m     7002  7092/7192  7043   7056
30m     10102     -             10143   10133
20m     14033   14210     14095   14095
17m     18085   18130     18106   18095
15m     21033   21275     21095   21095
12m     24905   24955     24925   24911
10m     28033   28465     28110   28095
6m       50105    50125         -        50313

These planned frequencies are subject to change, depending on QRM and condx.

Please do not call us on our transmit frequency. We will always work split. Please avoid dupes.

We will only operate one station per band.

For FT8, we will use WSJTX on the announced frequencies. We may possibly test SuperFox-WSJT-X.

All hunters can call us in normal mode with locator/grid and stay on their frequency even for answering.

All FT8 stations are manned. We will strive to give weak stations a fair chance. Digital QSOs will only be logged after having sent RR73 or 73.

If internet availability allows, we will upload our log daily. Only if in doubt, work us again. No log corrections during the expedition.

Remark: Australia does not allow use of 60m.

Logsearch & OQRS
Please avoid dupes on the same band and mode.
Check our online log, available on ClubLog. Our log will be uploaded at least daily (provided internet connectivity is available).

Should internet connectivity be good enough, then we might possibly use LiveStream on ClubLog.

Please wait with OQRS until the end of the (VK9CU) DXpedition.

The German & Australian team are planning a DXpedition to Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 2025. Operators are Elmar/DF4GV, Heye/DJ9RR, Rainer/DL2AMD, Steve/VK6SJ and Guenter/DL2AWG (Team leader). Their planned schechule is as follows:
   Christmas Island     -- between February 18th and March 4, 2025
   Cocos Keeling Island -- between March 4-12, 2025

The callsign mentioned for Christmas Island is VK9XU. No word on the callsign for Cocos Keeling Island (it may be pending).  

Activity will be on 160-6 meters (60m is not allowed), using CW, SSB,  RTTY, FT4 and FT8 (F/H). They will be on air 24/7 with 3 stations.

Equipment mentioned: FlexRadios 6600 and 8600, Yaesu FTDX10, Icom IC7300; amplifiers: 4x FlexRadio PGXL, roWaves PA1000+, SPE Expert 1.3K; antennas: Hexbeam 20-6m; DX-Commander 40-10m; Rhombic 17/12m; vertical 160/80m; J-Pole 30m

QSL via ClubLog, by the Bureau or direct to DL2AWG.
LoTW will be uploaded 3 months after the end of expedition.