Never heard Heard
I saw on Facebook this morning, that many were thanking the VK0EK expedition for the ATNO and were thanking them, in general, for a wonderful DXpedition. I would suspect they have gone QRT.
And I would guess I'm in the minority as I'm not in any of their logs. In fact, I never even heard them decently well enough to work them. There were a couple of times that I could tell they were on a given frequency, but they never loud enough that I would be able to hear my own call come back to me, on the off-chance that they would have heard me. It didn't seem right to just add to the QRM.
Am I disappointed? You're darn tootin' I am! Working VK0EK would have been an ATNO for me and I sure as heck would love to have them in my DXCC tally. But I'm not depressed about it.
It all goes back to that post a few weeks ago about balance. Yes, I do not have Heard Island as an entity worked. However, the sun is still shining, the birds are still chirping, our solar system is still plowing its way throughout the galaxy. I still have to go to work tomorrow and earn a living.
And while I didn't work them, and life goes on, I still applaud their effort. It's not easy to go to a remote island near Antarctica, and brave the elements and hardships to provide the rest of us Amateur Radio ops with a bunch of excitement and fun.
Thank you Team VK0EK - even though I'm not in your log - thank you for a job very well done, indeed!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].And I would guess I'm in the minority as I'm not in any of their logs. In fact, I never even heard them decently well enough to work them. There were a couple of times that I could tell they were on a given frequency, but they never loud enough that I would be able to hear my own call come back to me, on the off-chance that they would have heard me. It didn't seem right to just add to the QRM.
Am I disappointed? You're darn tootin' I am! Working VK0EK would have been an ATNO for me and I sure as heck would love to have them in my DXCC tally. But I'm not depressed about it.
It all goes back to that post a few weeks ago about balance. Yes, I do not have Heard Island as an entity worked. However, the sun is still shining, the birds are still chirping, our solar system is still plowing its way throughout the galaxy. I still have to go to work tomorrow and earn a living.
And while I didn't work them, and life goes on, I still applaud their effort. It's not easy to go to a remote island near Antarctica, and brave the elements and hardships to provide the rest of us Amateur Radio ops with a bunch of excitement and fun.
Thank you Team VK0EK - even though I'm not in your log - thank you for a job very well done, indeed!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!