I haven’t been chasing the CY9C operation this time around. I already had St. Paul Island in the log on 40 CW from a previous operation. Perhaps a little indifference is a secret weapon because I heard them making noise on 30 meters last night with good signals running F/H and decided to give them a call. It would be a new one on digital and on 30 meters. The operation is drawing to a close, plus I keep seeing rumors that this might be the final DXpedition to the protected area so why not call?

As of 1000Z on Tuesday, CY9C had 91,828 contacts in the log and being practically a chip shot from here, I wasn’t surprised to get them in the log, though I was pleased it took only two calls.

Equipment is already being carried off the island as the operation is scheduled to conclude on September 5th.

White Whale...

I was in the shack a couple of hours before sunrise this morning and got to enjoy 20 meters in the pre-dawn darkness. Good signals from the South Pacific were observed and I quickly worked Eric, FK8HM on New Caledonia. We last swapped RF a few months ago and overall he’s in the log eight times.

And then I got stuck chasing an elusive wisp of RF being generated by ZL/VE6TC. According to his QRZ details, Michael began working on Stewart Island (IOTA OC-203) a couple days ago. I saw him calling CQ several times and even experienced the agony of watching him work a couple other US stations, without acknowledging my replies.

I became obsessed with working him and spent the rest of the pre-dawn morning trying to get his attention, but it was not to be. At least not this morning. His details indicate he operates “mainly from around sunrise in Eastern Europe to sunrise on the East coast of North America”. I’ll be listening again tomorrow morning and hope the aether will be a little more generous…