ARLA/CLUSTER: DXpedition às Ilhas de Pitcairn

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

As Ilhas Pitcairn ou Ilhas Picárnia, (Pitcairn Island em inglês;
Pitkern Ailen em pitkern), oficialmente Ilhas Pitcairn, Henderson,
Ducie e Oeno, são Territórios britânicos ultramarinos na Polinésia que
têm como único vizinho a Polinésia Francesa, a oeste.

Pitcairn é uma ilha vulcânica, com cerca de 4,6 km². É conhecida como
a ilha "inabitada". Os amotinados do HMS Bounty a escolheram como
refúgio porque de fato era desabitada na época (1790) em que eram
procurados pela marinha inglesa. Eles encontraram na ilha templos,
petróglifos e instrumentos de pedra que comprovavam que Pitcairn fora
habitada por uma antiga população polinésia.

Ainda mais remotas são as ilhas Henderson e Ducie. Pitcairn, Henderson
e Ducie estão entre as ilhas mais isoladas do mundo. Os descendentes
dos amotinados do Bounty, mais a população polinésia de Pitcairn -
oriundos de Mangareva, somam hoje cerca de 50 pessoas apenas. Quando
somavam 194 pessoas (1856) - população acima do potencial agrícola da
ilha, grande parte foi evacuada pelo governo inglês para uma outra
ilha muito distante dali - Norfolk.

Mangareva, Pitcairn e Henderson estão localizadas na área conhecida
como sudeste da Polinésia. As três ilhas foram colonizadas por volta
de 800 d.C. - como parte da expansão polinésia para leste: as
principais ilhas da Polinésia Oriental foram povoadas entre 600 - 800
d.C.

Fonte: Para mais informações http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilhas_Pitcairn

Pitcairn Island DXpedition

The Braveheart anchored just off Pitcairn Island at dawn, Thursday,
October 17th. After customs & immigration, the team was transported to
the home of Andy Christian where all of the equipment was waiting for
us. This equipment arrived about 6 weeks prior to our arrival.

The steep dirt roads were very muddy from lots of recent rains and had
our equipment not been prepositioned, we would have been delayed by
several days getting all stations on the air.

By the end of the first day we had antennas up and four stations QRV
at Andy?s house.

The next morning (Friday) everyone moved to the old Radio Site to set
up more antennas and stations. This is our primary low band site. The
DX Engineering 160M falling derrick vertical is almost full-size and
generated huge pileups that night, with 700 stations in the 160M log!

Saturday morning left just a couple more antenna projects to finish
and by late morning everything was set up and we settled into our
operating routine.

Pitcairn has power from 8 am until 10 pm. After 10 pm we switch to
generators until morning. The Radio Site is 100% generator powered.

As of about 2400Z Sunday, we have over 16,000 Q?s in the logs,
including several 6M EME contacts.

We are down to 12 operators today. One of the team members fell,
suffering several fractures. A supply ship was leaving today and he is
being evacuated to Mangareva and on to Papeete. Naturally we are all
disappointed with this situation, but medically it is in everyone?s
best interest. DXpeditions to remote places are not without risk and
medical care is quite limited at best.

The weather has been very cooperative with pleasant temperatures. When
it rains, which is often, the dirt roads become ?the world?s
friendliest mud,? as the residents call it, making travel between the
two sites some- what treacherous.

We will have a station on 20M continuously, often with more than one
mode, with the goal of giving Pitcairn Island a new one to everyone.

The Flex Radios are working extremely well. With good conditions, at
times we have been able to sustain nearly 400 Q?s/hr with FT8 Fox &
Hound mode, working five stations simultaneously!

Logs are periodically uploaded to ClubLog during the times we have
?commercial? power on the island.

Please check our website often for the latest updates: www.pitcairndx.com

73, Glenn W0GJ