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DXpedition
Will we soon be operating DXpeditions remotely?
This is a guest post from Bill, WC3B, one of my fellow “presenters” on the ICQPodcast……Dan
I posted this on Twitter the other day:
ok, I’m going to call it “first” – @RemoteHamRadio
+ @SpaceXStarlink
+ Solar Power with cold wx batteries + some custom @stepp_ir
verticals + Mars Rover drone like frame = remote droppable portable DXpediation to the most hostile places… Dan @kb6nu
– Feels like a blog post.
Two things brought this on:
- Remote Ham Radio is a “thing” now via Internet connected Flex Radios with a custom web interface. I’ve been watching a few live stream videos of the folks over at Remote Ham Radio, which offers a subscription service to rent airtime on a HF station. It is very impressive, and a real possibility for folks who can’t build their own HF stations due to HOA issues or folks in retirement homes that don’t allow antennas.
- Someone I know on twitter is starting to post SpeedTest stats from SpaceX’s Starlink service that they are beta testing. Bandwidth seems sufficient for today’s needs and the latency is way lower than I expected. Low enough that it has been reported by multiple folks they can do WebEx/Zoom like video conference calls over their StarLink connections.
Which leads me to my “not so original” idea—remote DXpediations using a Mars Rover like device. I say “not so original” idea” because a few folks on Twitter pointed out that other folks are already discussing this idea, including some seasoned DXpeditioners.
OK, now that you’re finished getting a chuckle, follow me on this one. A very small team delivers the rover to a really wanted DX entity. I say rover, because it could be a remote control (think drone) vehicle that could be driven to the proper location. Once it’s on location, a remote operator would press a button to activate the station.
Within seconds, the rover would auto level itself, deploy a StarLink antenna, local WiFi antenna for local team, GPS antenna (for time and ‘proof’ the radio is at a specific location), solar panels, and an HF vertical antenna. I envision the antenna to be something like a custom SteppIR vertical antenna. There may even be more than one of them. It seems logical that the DXpedition would want tuned antennas, and that thing will definitely be resonant as you remotely tune it.
Once the antenna is deployed, the onboard computer checks in with whoever will be controlling it via the Internet. Once checks are good, it starts to power up the radios and HF amps. At this point, radios are remotely configured to pick the proper amplifier, and pick the proper band pass filters, and the station is on the air! The startup time dould be a matter of minutes!
The remote operators could be located anywhere in the world and the station operated 24 x 7. Operators change as the sun changes, and band changes and choices are coordinated remotely via a web platform built specifically for this DXpedition. The DXpedition might want a small local team that might be on a boat, or a safe location to remotely operate from. QSOs start flowing in.
The team will monitor power usage to achieve the proper balance between charging the batteries and draining them. Because this device is self contained, it could be left on site for a much longer than most DXpeditions are on site. A local team could make sure the station is working OK for a few days, leave, and then return 12 months later, or at other times when travel is safer.
Imagine a DXpedition lasting a whole year! Imagine running FT8 in fox/hound mode for months on end, making hundreds of thousands QSOs. Imagine hundreds of remote operators making hundreds of thousands of CW contacts, and because these operators are operating from the comfort of their own homes, they’ll avoid DXpedition fatigue. Imagine hundreds of thousands of SSB contacts made by hundreds of different remote operators, catching the best band openings over a few months.
This does sound kind of crazy, but all the pieces exist today. And, it would cost a lot less than transporting equipment, supplies, and fuel, plus a dozen or more people, to a remote location. That being the case, I don’t think this is as far fetched as it might have been a few years ago.
Makes me wonder, and makes me ponder what other possibilities exist with ubiquitous high speed / low latency Internet access world wide and the newer radios that allow remote operation over the Internet.
I will find it interesting to see if any DXpedition picks up on this and attempts it at some point as the solar cycle improves. I also wonder how such a remote DXpedition will be received by the general ham community.
73, de Bill, WC3B
Help the Tokelau DXpedition to help locals get on the air
The ZK3A Tokelau Island (IOTA OC-048) DXpedition 2019 will be on the air from October 1, 2019 through October 11, 2019. One of the DXpedition crew is Lee, VK3GK. Not only is he an experienced radio amateur, he is also a member of the Cranbourne Rotary Club.
He just posted this to the Rotarians on Amateur Radio (ROAR) Facebook page:
I am one of the team members heading to Tokelau as ZK3A in early October 2019.
While on the island we will be installing an “Emergency HF inter island communications system. ” Each station will consist of a Kenwood TS590S, power supply, Headset, laptop and antenna (either triband HF yagi, HF trapped vertical or possibly an 80-10m End Fed Half Wave)
We will provide training and basic technical skills to the locals and expect to have three ZK3 licences issued for the local operators to use.
Budget has been set at AU$5000 (approx US$3500) total for all three set ups, one on each island and i have approached my local Cranbourne Rotary Club with a proposal for some possible sponsorship funding of this international goodwill project for the remote Tokelau island communities.
If any ROAR members would also like to contribute to help offset the cost, any funds donated to this worthy project would be most welcomed.
It is an opportunity to be part of supporting the ongoing on air operation of the rare DXCC of Tokelau, ZK3.
https://tokelau2019.com/
Regards
Lee VK3GK / NE3M
This sounds like a great project to me. In true Rotary spirit, the DXpedition plans to give something back, not just sweep in, make a bunch of contacts, and leave. I’m planning to make a small donation. Please consider doing so as well.