Copyright DK9KX
CONWAY REEF OCTOBER 2009
Twenty years after the first ever DXpedition to Conway Reef DJ9ON, Dieter and I, DK9KX did it again. Three of the original Team could not join us for CR2009. Harry, DL8CM had become a silent key some years ago and due to prior commitments, Anne DF3KX and Rolf DF9KH could not make the trip this time.
Dieter and I invited DJ7JC Norbert, DJ8NK Jan, DJ9HX Uwe, DJ9RR Heye, DL6JGN Hans and PA3EWP Ronald to join the 2009 Conway Reef team. Even though the DX operating experience by these fellows was usually from the other side of the " PileUp," in eight days of operation we managed to put 36k QSO's before dupes into our log. We want to apologize to those who did not make it into the log this time. We had to fight with mother nature often. Most of the time the wind was blowing at strengths 5 to 6, not only taking down the elevated radial system for 80 and 160m, but also blew down one mast with a Spiderbeam on top. One day the surf was so heavy that the 160m matching unit became filled with saltwater. The generators seemed to pick the middle of night to fail.
Due to the rough sea we had no hot meals for two days. Our skipper could not cross the reef. No injuries were sustained during the entire trip and everybody now is happy to be at home again.
A lot of things changed on the island since 1989. In '89 landing could only be performed during high tide. Today it's possible shortly after low tide as water is some 10" higher. Also, only a few bushes, not taller than 5 ft, could be found in '89. Today, those same bushes are taller than 10 ft and covering three quarters of the island. If this rate of growth continues, there will be no place to set up a temporary radio camp in 2019. The increase in the population of the birds is now significant. Tens of thousands of them are making noise all day and night. We saw toxic crabs and ticks, that we had not seen in '89. At least. Everything we brought to the Island was taken back to the boat and we cleaned the island of rubbish, washed ashore, and took it with us for disposal.
Hans, DK9KX
