DX

In the current reality of COVID-19, DXpeditions have all but stopped. We can probably expect this “pause” to last a while longer. In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to look back at some past DXpeditions so that we can all appreciate how DXpeditioning has evolved over time. This month, I will be looking back at the 1981 KP2A/D DXpedition to Desecheo. This was my third (ever) DXpedition, and my first “mega” DXpedition. If any of you faithful DXpeditioners would like to write up anything similar, let me know!

Here is a little history on Desecheo. The island lies about 13 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico and has a land area of approximately 360 acres, with a maximum elevation of 683 feet above sea level and no permanent supply of fresh water, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the island as a national wildlife refuge (for more info, see <https://tinyurl.com/y9rhchc2>). In the past, it has been used for a variety of purposes, including military bombing practice. It is currently closed to the public due to the presence of unexploded ordnance and visits may be made only by arrangement with the Fish and Wildlife Service. It is currently considered a separate DX entity under the ARRL’s DXCC program, although this was not always the case.

The first DXpedition to the island was KV4KV/D in 1978. The operators were John Ackley, KV4KV (KP2A), and Bob Denniston, WØDX. Unfortunately, this operation only counted for Puerto Rico since Desecheo did not become a separate DX entity until March 1, 1979. The first DXpedition that counted would be the KP4AM/D operation in March 1979. Operators were N4EA, KP4Q, N4ZC, KP4DSD, KV4KV (KP2A), and KP4AM