Fun is continued.
14 December 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Recently we announced a DXpedition to Bouvet Island from 25 March 2013
to 5 April 2013.  

It has since come to our attention there is a risk of a volcanic
eruption on the Island.  We would like to advise all DX operators that
we will not let threats to our personal safety stop you from working us
since, as we noted in our first press release, Dxpeditions are all about
you.  Therefore rest assured we won’t let something as trifling as
volcanic rocks raining down on us or molten lava stop you from getting
this elusive entity in the log.    

We have however made provision to take big silver flame retardant suits
to wear (see picture attached) since although we are putting you ahead
of our personal safety, we won’t be much good to you if we are dead.
 Saying that the SSB operators have recognised that QSOs with them will
be near impossible while wearing the flame retardant headgear so they
will operate without it on to ensure you can talk to them.  To protect
themselves they will simply cower under their operating tables.  We are
also investigating a new line in eruption proof ham radio gear and
antennas as we know it’s our fault if you cannot contact us due to our
gear melting or being hit by flying rocks.  The one concern this new
threat does raise is that the health and safety manual for the team now
weighs more than the radio gear we are planning to take (and that
includes the 80m EME dish). 

As you will know finance is always a big issue for any DXpedition. The
cost of going to Bouvet will be in the region of US $400,000 therefore we
will be reliant on financial assistance to get there.  As they regularly
do, we have managed to obtain generous support from many commercial
organizations, DX clubs, other amateur radio associations and some
individuals but that still leaves a substantial shortfall.  To bridge
this gap we and a number of our associates are busy buying tickets in
lotteries all around the world as we know winning one of those is more
likely than many of you contributing to the cost of the trip.  After all
we are only providing you with approximately ten days entertainment so
we have no right to expect anything in return (although, if everyone
contributed the cost of a movie ticket, we would meet much of the cost).

We did investigate making QSOs on a quota basis according to
support/contributions.  The problem was historically this would have
meant 80% of all QSOs being allocated to the USA, 5% to Canada, 1.6% to
England, 1.5% to Germany, 1.3% to Japan and so forth which of course no
where near reflects the numbers in each region wishing to work us.
 Don’t worry though, we have come to our senses since, as we have said
before, this DXpedition is all about you and therefore we cannot let
something as trivial as a lack of a contribution stop you from working
us.  If by chance we can’t afford to put Bouvet on the air, we know it's
our fault. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and may Santa
bring us a big lottery win!

The 3Y0IOF Team

RELEASE ENDS