Go get them!

Yuri’s message is loud and clear: “Work us now or wait another twenty or so years for the next expedition”.

And you are running out of time: KL7RRC operating from St. Paul Island, Alaska, is closing the operation in a couple of days.

Getting into the log was a real struggle. I’ve heard and called them on a number of bands – even on 80m – with no luck, since the start of the expedition. Finally, I got them on 30m around midnight. Yes, it was the dreaded FT8 but hey, the goal is to obtain that trophy QSL card from a rare island, not to argue which mode is ‘better’.

KL7RRC is a callsign that belongs to the Robinson Crusoe Club – a group of adventurous DXers who visit and operate from remote and hard to reach islands in Alaska. A healthy mix of cheerful Russian and American amateurs – something hard to find in real life, yet still so common amongst radio amateurs, who strive to spread the ham spirit in its purity, away from discrimination and political, racial and religious burdens.

Robinson Crusoe, a novel written by Defoe, has a central message, defined in one word: survival. Not only does Crusoe have to physically survive on the island by securing food, water and shelter, but he also has to develop his self-confidence to survive, so he doesn’t give up hope of a rescue. And so do our modern DXpeditioners. A bird watching an expedition to a remote Alaskan island is tough enough; imagine erecting antennas and making thousands of contacts, in December.

It is noticeable that our friends on St. Paul Island are struggling to both hear, and be heard. Their path to Europe is almost non-existent, and only the largest European chasers equipped with monster antennas would be able to hear and work them. For us, the path is somehow easier, but still, this one will challenge you – and you are running out of time. Go get them!

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KL7RRC: Setup consisting of a pair of 1.2KW amplifiers, power supply, voltage regulator, NUC PC, and low/high power filters with triplexer, allows simultaneous operation with one antenna.