FO0 – Clipperton Island

http://dxccsleuth.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/fo0-clipperton-island/

FO0 – Clipperton Island

Clipperton Island is a French Possession and Coral Atoll that is 1280 km (795 miles) Southwest by West of Aculpulco, Mexico:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipperton_Island

It is being activated in March 2013 by a team led by KK6EK, Dr. Robert Schmieder and Cordell Expeditions:
http://www.cordell.org/CI/index.html

With Chris Janssen, DL1MGB heading up the radio operations portion of this expedition. You should see the handbooks written by Bob – for overall logistics / infrastructure, and all things radio – computers – networks – by Chris. Absolutely professional by all means – very impressive. I have had the privilege of working with several team members in person, and also communicate with K6K/MM – the maritime mobile station aboard the Shogun, and all I can say is that this team is one of the best going.

The project will incorporate environmental and biological science with ham radio, will be tied into many forms of “Social Media” (forums, blogs, Facebook, Twitter) and also feature a live logging system called DXA2 – the second version of DXA – which was successfully used for the K7C Kure DX-pedition.

Because TX5C activated Clipperton near the bottom of Cycle 23, there is still a big demand for it – mainly outside North America – and so TX5K aims to give Clipperton to everyone who still needs it. It is in the top 50 Most Wanted lists – world wide. This is a little surprising since TX5C made > 80K QSO’s. A nice web site that has several images listed of past DX-peditions:
http://lesnouvellesdx.fr/galerie/galerie2.php?page=fkfofwqsl&pfx=FO_C

The boat that has been used several times is the Shogun – berthed in San Diego:
http://www.shogunsportfishing.com/

Here is a list of activations over the years:
1938 – FC8AA
1954 – FO8AJ
1958 – FO8AT
1960 – FO8AN
1978 – FO8XA,B,C,D,E,F,G
1985 – FO0XX
1986 – FO0XA, FO0XX
1992 – FO0CI
2000 – FO0AAA
2005 – FO0/F8UFT (I completely missed this one – never knew it happened!)
2008 – TX5C
2013 – TX5K

Here is a recording of TX5K, where at the time of this writing, the Shogun is in the process of picking the second part of the team from Cabo San Lucas:
http://ky6r.com/2013/02/23/1000-cans-of-beer/