S21DX IOTA, 13-19 December 2024


S21DX Islands on the air

To celebrate the Victory Day of Bangladesh (16th December), we are planning to activate another IOTA in this December.

Our main goal this year is to focus on hands on training and capacity building for the local HAMs (youths) to understand different types of HF antenna, Propagation and Pileup handling. We hope in coming days we will see more HF station doing DXing from S2.

After checking all the islands in the two groups, considering Logistics, Transport and Cost we have decided to do the IOTA from the same island as before (Dhal Char, AS-140). The other nearby island is not suitable due to antenna orientation problem and also drinking water is not available in all of them, some are not inhabited.

We will try to operate the stations at least 20 hours a day (Depends on Generator Fuel fund and number of operators)

We will operate FT8 Super Fox mode (except 160/80/60/40). You need to use WSJT-x 2.7.0 RC7 or later version. In advance TAB select “Special operating activity”, select SuperFox mode and “Hound”. NOTE: We are running FT8 barefoot, so superfox gave us some edge, but as many reported problem we are moving to normal F/H in most bands.

Band Plan:

BANDSSB FT8 SUPERFOX MODE
160M1,836 (F/H)
80M3,7503,567 (F/H)
60M5,357 (F/H)
40M7,1507,065 (F/H)
30M10,131
20M14,190 / 14,22514,090 14,085
17M18,15018,095
15M21,26021,090 21,085
12M24,96024,910 (SF/H)
10M28,37028,090 28,085

Antenna firm and Rigs:

Stations

  • Station 1: SSB Phone/FT8 SF
  • Station 2: SSB Phone/FT8 SF
  • Station 3: FT8 SF
  • Station 4: FT8 SF /RTTY

Antennas

  • 160m capacitive hat loaded TX vertical.
  • 80m 1/4 GP vertical.
  • 60m Inverted L
  • 40m 4 Square Vertical Array
  • 6 band Hex beam
  • 20/15/10m Spiderbeam
  • 20/15/10m Spiderbeam
  • 17m VDA
  • 12m VDA
  • 30/20/17/15/12/10 1/4 FAN GP vertical.
  • K9AY directional Loop RX

* 6m and 4 meter HAM Band is not permitted in Bangladesh.

Power

  • 5KW gasoline Gen
  • 3KW gasoline Gen
  • 1KW gasoline Gen
  • 1KW gasoline Gen

OPERATORS

  • S21YLJ
  • S21AM
  • S21RC
  • S21TQ
  • S21BK
  • S21ARK
  • S21ALT

YOUTH OPERATORS:

  • S21MOB
  • S21ACP
  • S21FIA
  • S21OD
  • S21DW
  • S21RED
  • S21OM
  • S21R

Budget and support methods:

Budget:
Food and local transportation will be covered by the operators [approximately 15,000 BD Taka each].
Remaining expenditure would be for the following:
1. Boat Charter
2. Generator Fuel
3. Wires and ropes for antennas.

QSL Policy:

Like all our past expeditions. we have decided NOT to fund this IOTA through rapid QSL confirmation mechanism (OQRS or similar). Online LOG will be uploaded to LoTW and Clublog within few days of coming back to city.

Paper QSL card will be available through our QSL manager and long time good friend David EB7DX.

Support us to activate s21dX


With your support we can operate more days and more QSO with better antennas. Please consider making a small donation to fund the expedition through paypal or card. (JA station can paypal to fazlay.rabby-at-gmail.com)

2024 Team

Raka
S21YLJ
QRZ
Zubayer
S21BK
QRZ
Omi
S21OM
QRZ
Samiul
S21TQ
QRZ
Rakib
S21RED
ARK Reepon
S21ARK
Jihad
S21MOB
Manjurul
S21AM
QRZ
Sabbir
S21ACP
QRZ
Rabby
S21RC
QRZ
Parvez
S21DW
QRZ
Zaved
S21ALT
Shawon
S21OD
QRZ
Maruf
S21FIA
QRZ

UPDATES and NEWS

  • 10 Dec 2024: Team will start travel by public Motor Launch today afternoon.
  • 09 Dec 2024: Heavy items (Generator, antennas, tents etc.) has been loaded in a small pickup truck. It will go by the ferry tomorrow.
  • 04 Dec 2024: We have received our License to operate from the island with the callsign S21DX.
  • 02 Dec 2024: Bangladesh Red Crescent Society agreed to lend us 3 large tents for the duration of the expedition.
  • 30 Nov 2024: 18m mast check with accessories. 17m and 12m VDA elements prepared. More redials for 160m antenna prepared.
  • 29 Nov 2024: All BPF and Choke tested and packed. All feeder line prepared and packed.
  • 15 Nov 2024: A new 5KW genset procured and tested.
  • 5 Oct 2024: Homebrew K9AY RX loop tested and working well. S21MOB and S21FIA did some test QSO on 80m.
  • 16 Sep 2024: Homebrewing 60m Band Pass filter ready.
  • 14 Sep 2024: K9AY antenna ready, will be tested in coming weekends.
  • 30 July 2024: We are trying to make one K9AY receive antenna for low bands. Antenna will be tested end of August hopefully.
  • 14 July 2024: We have repaired and tested the 40m Four Square antenna, it has nice directivity.
  • In a meeting on 27th June Island has been selected as Dhal Char AS-140

SUPPORTED BY

Northern Illinois DX Association

Community support

W5ABQ  Jeff Padgett
– Edgar Callaway
W0PSY Marvin Ross
W5ABQ  Jeff Padgett
N9AEP Arthur Paton
KE9L Arthur Caswell
WB8BPU Dean Martin
WB6EWM richard clare
DL4FCJ Lutz Kinas
W3YQ Timothy Jellison
F4GVO Thierry Fricot
KF2DT David Van Dyke
SP9WZS Robert Cieślik
Raffaele Cerbone
W1SKU Frederick Holmes
LA7GIA Kenneth Opskar
Ronald McCollum
K9YY Ron Pomatto
KH6M Mitchell Wein
NH6Y Thomas Worthington
DL6GBM Peter Meier
I0BYR ALDO ROSSI
N5KO Trey Garlough
N6OI Frank Kibbish
W9LCQ Douglas Seyler
I4JEE Mauro Magnanini
N8OC David Witucki
OM2DX MICHAL HORECKY
OE8TTR Helmut Wurzer
WD4EGF Donald Newberry
KL0S Constantine Papas
N7QT Robert Fanfant
YO6OEK TOFALVI COLOMAN
OH6JD Raimo A Visti
HB9DVO Marcel Hobi
EA7ST Andres Garcia Jimenez
G5TV Brent Watson
G3YBO Roger Baines
LB5WB Helge Svendsmark
W4CHA Charles Barber
WO2T Alfonse Rossi
PA4X Frank van Lexmond
ON4WIY wim frederickx
NE1B William Barber
N6VR/W7YA Raymond Benny
K5RK Larry Burke
IC8TEM Costantino Cerrotta
DJ7YP Helmut Schiele
IK3ITB Paolo Giardini


K0YQ John Grimm
JN7FAH Kensuke Nakajima
W6SE Alan Martin
W5WS Robert May
W9EWZ Robert Urban
W0PE Fred H Osterman
5p1kz/oz1kzx Michael Möller
W9KM Andriy Rokhmanov
G0SKW Carl Walker
NA5C Steve Muenich
K0KT William Q Meeker
KK7L John Mitton
NI5L Warren Dean
KC2THY John Stockman
N6DD dennis dinga
KZ2I Stephen Sullivan
WC2K Richard Connor
KV7K Wayne White
WB6RJH Risto Sjogren
OG5O Keijo Koskela
SV8CKM Fotis Plessas
AC7P Creath Fletcher
G4IFX Chris Deacon
K4ESE Neill M. Singletary
W5CCP darrell boyer
K7PTC Anthony Partain
NN4U Chip Lohman
JL1CLJ 正一 花島
VK2IE Ian Eddy
JH7XPW kaoru waga
DJ4MM Günter Fassl
IU8SDA Informatica 2008 di Spanò Angelo
NW7US HFRadio.org
NR2C Charles Baker
NI0G Udo Heinze
安浩 松永
N9PGG Greg Gabry
DM5EE Ulrich Ann
EI7BA John Tait
LB2HG Harald Garberg-Gule
JH0GHZ Kazuo Hoshina
AD5A Mike Crownover
AC4TO Kenneth Reecy
N3NT Craig Lee
K9XD donna janiec
JA0EOK 卓治 肥後
IZ7NLJ fabio lorusso
UR4LTX Igor Beketov
IZ7NLJ fabio lorusso

W4PID Richard Hattaway
W6DX Barrie Britton
W3KX John Ference 
S21IT Tahsin Abir
KD5R Alan Riley
K2RB Richard Bressler
W7FN David Schaller
OZ8ABA Henrik zangenberg
W5PF J. Paul Frantz
N4EFS Rebecca Milligan
K3FRK Frederick Kepner
OZ1AXG Flemming Larsen
DL8AAB Peter Hentig
W7LRD Robert Johnson
K7GM Frederick Niswander
W1EL Eric Lowell
ON3UA Jurgen Vertommen
DM2HK Hartmut Kordus
G4UZG Gordon Price
N3VA CHESTER HOGUE
YO2LBV EMIL SORIN BALOG
K4PI Thomas Greenway
bruce yih
W7GES George Skoubis
DB4RG Gerd Reitzner
DS4AOW Geumdong Han
N4HU Rick Boulis
OE7BFT Franco Ball
IC8TEM Costantino Cerrotta
K7TM Robert Hallock
W0LS Harry Williams
OK1AMF Frantisek Schmid
DL1RNW Ronny Lau
DL5NDH Gerhard Wiche
W5ZN Joel Harrison
W5XNA Thomas Northfell
W7ZB MARK WARD
N4RWG Richard Griest
DL5BCQ Volkhard Koch
K4NNX James Humelsine
JO3MXH MOTOI FURUTA
N4EFS Rebecca Milligan
N7LRA Scott McCarron
JA3EOP Yoh-ichi Murakami
JA1DDZ 国夫 山口
WB0TEV Victor Paul
DK1MAX Max Wild
OZ1BUR Ryan Andersen
UR4LTX Igor Beketov

Associated with

40 thoughts on “IOTA 2024”

  1. 160 CW desperately needed. I have 314 countries confirmed from a small subdivision lot on 160 CW, but no S21. A bunch of us still working on CW DXCC’s. Regardless, here’s wishing you all a great DX-pedition and a fun, safe operation.

      1. this is PATHETIC ! NO CW OPS

        what is wrong with you? it is the original MODE
        requires skill = ONE brain talks to another brain
        Not computer to computer
        Or SSB which requires minimal skills

        You are missing the boat ! Josh n7xm

  2. Please remember to use your SR and SS for best propagation on low bands. Eastern US looking for you then as well as our SR and SS on 160, 80, 40. Thanks. Safe travels.
    73 Rick N4HU

  3. Hearing nothing so far east coast US. Spots from Europe, Asia and west coast US only. Listening all freqs all times of day. Need just one contact for #311 ATNO. Good luck and enjoy.

  4. Congrats to you. Doing good job but having normal dxpedition problems to deal with. Hoping to see you on 40 FT8 more during times for east coast US.
    Have fun.
    Thanks

  5. Thank you for LOTW confirmations and several QSO’S.
    I have several QSO’s on 40 and 80 meters that No RRR’s were received but I copied both signal reports.
    Will these QSO’s be looked at after your operation?
    73

  6. I’ve been looking for you on 80m from South Texas. Best times are 1130-1330z and 2330-0030z. Thanks for new band on 30m!!

    Mike AD5A

  7. Thanks for coming up on 80m at our best opportunity. I logged you @23:53 on 12-17-24. Thanks for 2 new bands from S21, nice job!!

    Mike AD5A

  8. Tnx for the qso’s so I gave you some support via paypal and hope to get the qsl.
    Is qsl going via oqrs ? in the past send direct to your manager via direct but never received a card back…..
    Best regards enjoy the pile up cu 73 on4wiy Wim.

  9. Thank you for the QSO earlier today ! Took a lot of patience and a bit of luck to complete a QSO today on 17m FT8 with a barefoot FT450D into long wire. Being a north (JO28) means short daylight periods compared to stations in EU south of here and long nights where auroral dispersion frequently affects propagation… Thank you for picking me up and enjoy the operation,

  10. Bernd Ahlgrimm (Ali)

    Hello, nice that you are also on the QO 100 qrv. It’s just that your YL was overwhelmed by the situation, which is a shame. Many OMs were very annoying. Maybe try again with an experienced operator. 73, de Ali DL5NON

  11. Was listening all week but never heard once in S Florida on any band. Next time please direct more toward east coast US, since mostly Europe, Asia and some west coast US was spotting you all week. Just one contact any band would have made my day. Safe travels and hope to catch you on the air for ATNO.

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