Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 26, 2024 Contact: Gregg Marco W6IZT gregg.w6izt@gmail.com | Katie Campbell, KE8LQR pr@youthontheair.org
In partnership with YOTA, we have assembled a multi-national team to participate in the upcoming 3D2Y DXpedition.
These future DXpeditioners will have the thrill of experiencing the DXpedition pileups for the first time.
We can accommodate a few more young operators, if you are interested, please contact Kees W0AAE at arrl.kvan@gmail.com It will be great to have you onboard!
Fund raising for this exciting adventure continues, please visit our website at rotuma2024.com 73, and hope to see you in the pile-ups. The 3D2Y team.
CLICK HERE TO MEET THE 3D2Y OFF-ISLAND YOUTH TEAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 16, 2024
Contact: Gregg Marco W6IZT gregg.w6izt@gmail.com
Fundraising continues for 3D2Y – Please consider supporting us!
Gregg W6IZT reports that fundraising continues for the upcoming 3D2Y DXpedition to Rotuma Island. “With continued support from our sponsors and donors we are on target to meet our funding goals, but we still have a way to go.”
The shipment of most of our equipment has arrived in Fiji, cleared Customs, and is in storage awaiting transfer to the boat that will transport our gear to Rotuma. To minimize the cost of air freight the team is carrying 2 Elecraft K3s and 3 KPA500s. Baggage constraints on the flight to Rotuma are strictly enforced, limiting what we can carry with us.
The operation runs from November 15th to December 4th.
Donations can be made through our website at https://rotuma2024.com using PayPal or debit/credit card. Alternatively, donations can be made by check payable to:
PACIFIC ISLANDS DXPEDITION GROUP
P.O. BOX 73
ELMWOOD, IL 61529
USA
The PACIFIC ISLANDS DXPEDITION GROUP is a 501c3 foundation. Your donation may be tax deductible. Check with your tax professional.
“Thank you for your generosity and we hope to see you in the pile-ups 73!”
The 3D2Y team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 10, 2024
Contact: Gregg Marco W6IZT gregg.w6izt@gmail.com
Over the next few weeks, we’ll introduce the 3D2Y on-island and off island teams.
Gregg Marco W6IZT
First licensed in 1968, Gregg is an avid DXer, DXpeditioner and occasional contester. A veteran of numerous DXPeditions, He is #1 DXCC Honor Roll with 349 DXCC entities confirmed and achieved 10 band DXCC. Over the past 30 years Gregg has operated as BV/W6IZT, TI/W6IZT, K5D, FS/W6IZT, HK0NA, PJ2T, C6AGU, C6AZT, KH6/W6IZT, PJ6A, PJ6/W6IZT, K1N, 3Y0Z, VP6R, VP6A, JW0A, and 9X4X. Gregg has been on 4 teams that have received the prestigious SWODXA DXpedition of the Year award.
Most recently, Gregg has been focused on development of the NexGenRiB, a self-contained Radio in a Box that supports both local and remote DXpedition operations. The NexGen RiB is the cornerstone of a new mindset for DXpeditioning focused on reducing the escalating costs of DXpeditioning, while expanding the user experience without compromising the overall effectiveness of the DXpedition.
Funding raising efforts continue for the November DXpedition. Please consider supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition. Visit our website for details: rotuma2024.com
We hope to see you on the bands, the op on the other end may be a young ham experiencing the thrill of a DXpedition pile up for the first time!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 3, 2024
Contact: Gregg Marco W6IZT gregg.w6izt@gmail.com
Our shipment arrives in Fiji
At about 0900z this morning the tracking devices attached to our shipment came on-line in Nadi, Fiji. The 330 Kg shipment left Atlanta by truck for LAX on August 24 and departed LAX on August 31 on Quantas Airfreight for Fiji via Auckland NZ, and Sydney AU.
Shipment by air freight is expensive shares Gregg W6IZT. To minimize shipping costs, the team will be carrying 2 ea. K3s, 3 ea. KPA500s, laptops, the StarLink terminal, and other gear as checked or carry-on baggage.
Our equipment will be picked up from customs in Nadi and placed in storage by our agent in Fiji in preparation for the trip by boat to Rotuma. The boat runs between Suva, Fiji and Rotuma about once per month. Our shipment will be picked up in Rotuma by our on-island representative for storage at our operating location. The team arrives November 15.
This DXpedition is a partnership with Youth on the Air (YOTA) encouraging youth participation and will feature three young operators who will be active on the Island while there will also be 60 or more hams operating remotely using W6IZT’s NexGenRiBs over Starlink.
We will be signing 3D2Y, not 3D2Z as previously planned.
Funding raising efforts continue for the November DXpedition.
Please consider supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition. Visit our website for details: rotuma2024.com
We hope to see you on the bands, the op on the other end is likely a young ham experiencing the thrill of a DXpedition pile up for the first time!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Aug 26, 2024
Contact: Gregg Marco W6IZT gregg.w6izt@gmail.com
Elecraft is Major Sponsor of the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition.
We are pleased to announce that our good friends at Elecraft are a major sponsor of the 3D2Z Rotuma DxPedition scheduled for November 2024.
Elecraft has now joined DX Engineering, and the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) as a “Premier” sponsor supporting this unique DXpedition.
This DXpedition is a partnership with Youth on the Air (YOTA) encouraging youth participation and will feature 3 young operators who will be active from 3D2Z on the Island while there will also be 60 or more hams operating 3D2Z remotely using W6IZT’s NexGenRiBs over Starlink.
Elecraft co-founders Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, and Wayne Burdick, N6KR, have once again demonstrated their commitment to DXPeditioning and support of youth involvement in our hobby.
The K4 provided by Elecraft has been incorporated into a NexGenRiB and will showcase the K4s remote capabilities.
We are extremely thankful for the support from Elecraft.
In addition, we are grateful to the following DX clubs and associations for their generous support of the 3D2Z project enabling DXPeditioning for the next generation of amateur radio operators:
- Southeastern DX Club
- Southwest Ohio DX Association
- Long Island DX Association
- Twin City DX Association
- HamJam – North Fulton Amateur Radio League
- RSGB
- Western Washington DX Club
- Oklahoma DX Association
- EUDXF
- Madison DX Club
- CDXC The UK DX Foundation
- Lone Star DX Association
- Eastern Iowa DX Association
- German DX Foundation
- INDEXA
- North Alabama DX Club
- West Virginia DX Association
- Northern Ohio DX association Inc.
- Swiss DX Foundation
Funding efforts continue for the November DXpedition.
Please consider supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition by visiting our website for details: rotuma2024.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 16, 2024
Contact: Gregg Marco email: gregg.w6izt@gmail.com
3D2Z announces team member change; Dean Chapman W2FQ joins the DXpedition team!
The 3D2Z team is pleased to announce that Dean W2FQ has joined our on-island team. A resident of Seekonk MA, Dean has been licensed since 1972 , and is a retired Special Forces Airborne RANGER. He currently works in management for the Dairy Farmers of America, and also operates his own business in the firearms industry.
Dean shares “My military service includes Combat Engineer, Infantry, and Special Forces branches in multiple assignments. I was fortunate to finish a 20+ year career as a Special Forces Airborne RANGER. The lessons learned from my service were teamwork, accomplish the mission, and never quit with always valuing the input from your men. This is my first DXPedition and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the 3D2Z team”.
We are pleased to have Dean join our team. Dean’s skills, leadership and experience compliment our team nicely. His primary role over the next few months will be to lead our fund-raising efforts.
Hal W8HC has stepped down from the team due to personal reasons. We would like to thank Hal W8HC for his contributions.
Funding efforts continue for the November DXpedition.
Please consider supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition by visiting our website for details: https://rotuma2024.com/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 26, 2024
DX Engineering (DXE) is Major Sponsor of the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition.
We are pleased to announce that our good friends at DX Engineering (DXE) are a major sponsor of the 3D2Z Rotuma Dxpedition scheduled for late November.
DXE has now joined the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) as a “Premier” sponsor supporting this unique DXpedition.
This DXpedition is a partnership with Youth on the Air (YOTA) encouraging youth participation and will feature 3 young operators who will be active from 3D2Z on the Island while there will also be 30 or more YOTA operators operating 3D2Z remotely using W6IZT Radio in a Box stations (RiBs) over Starlink.
DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR has once again demonstrated his commitment and support of youth involvement in our hobby not only with this, DXE’s 3D2Z sponsorship, but is once again opening up his world-class K3LR Contest station to the young operators of the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure as they participate this weekend as K3Y in the RSGB IOTA Contest.
“Thank you” to DX Engineering and “Very 73 es GL” to the K3Y Contest Team!!
In addition to the NCDXF, we are grateful to the following DX clubs and associations for their generous support of the 3D2Z project enabling DXpeditioning for the next generation of amateur radio operators:
- Southeastern DX Club
- Southwest Ohio DX Association
- Long Island DX Association
- Twin City DX Association
- Lone Star DX Association
- RSGB
- Western Washington DX Club
- Oklahoma DX Association
- EUDXF
- CDXC The UK DX Foundation
- North Alabama DX Club
- Eastern Iowa DX Association
Funding efforts continue for the November DXpedition. Please consider
supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition by visiting our website for details: rotuma2024.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 27 2024
Contact: Hal Turley, W8HC email: w8hc@aol.com
3D2Z announces team member change; Lukas Bartkus, LY7J joins DXpedition team
We are sad to report that due to unexpected circumstances, Mike, WØVTT has had to drop off of the 3D2Z on-island team.
In our continued efforts to bring more “Next Generation” amateur radio operators into DXpeditioning, the 3D2Z team is pleased to announce that our new 6th member replacing Mike is Lukas Bartkus, LY7J, a 22-year young ham from Lithuania. He joins Connor, KD9LSV and Jamie, MØSDV as our 3rd young ham making this a multi-national “Next Generation” DXpedition.
According to Lukas, he is a young ham “with 7 years of ham radio love.” He is a second-year electrical engineering student and a full time professional events photographer.
Meanwhile, Mike will remain a valued member of our off-island DXpedition team serving as one of the remote operators of the
2 NexGenRiBs which will be accompanying the DXpedition.
Funding efforts continue for the November DXpedition.
Please consider supporting the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition by visiting our website for details: <https://rotuma2024.com/>
NCDXF PRESS RELEASE – 14 June 2024
NCDXF is pleased to announce its financial support for the November-December 2024 DXpedition to Rotuma. This DXpedition is lead by Gregg, W6IZT and Hal, W8HC and features two important NCDXF interests, youth in DXpeditions and the RIB, Rib in a Box concept.
The NCDXF board has funded the DXpeditions’ request and added additional support for the two young operators joining the team on island. On the 3D2Z website, https://rotuma2024.com/ , they state “Enabling DXpeditioning for the Next Generation of Amateur Radio Operators”. The NCDXF applauds this with their unanimous support.
Remote operations will feature the RIB concept that the NCDXF has financially supported and will be led and coordinated by another young operator.
The mission of NCDXF is to provide necessary financial support for well-organized DXpeditions to desirable DXCC entities and to support advances in DXpeditioning skills, technology, and infrastructure. Those funds come from the contributions of our supporters in the DX community. Your contribution will help make DX happen. Visit our website: www.ncdxf.org.
Respectfully submitted.
Craig Thompson, K9CT
NCDXF Vice President
PRESS RELEASE – June 11, 2024
Team Adds 6th Member – Connor Dickey, KD9LSV
In the continued effort to bring more “Next Generation” amateur radio operators into DXpeditioning, the 3D2Z team is happy to announce the 6th member to join their team– Connor, KD9LSV, a 23-year old electrical engineer and graduate of Bradley University.
Connor, who obtained the rank of Eagle Scout, holds his Extra Class license and recently completed the CWops Level 1 Academy Class. He enjoys operating CW Contests and is a member of Society of Midwest Contesters. He attributes operating in the 2019 CQ WPX SSB Contest at Craig, K9CT’s contest station as having a major influence on him and giving him more appreciation of, “How big the amateur radio community actually is.”
Connor becomes the 2nd 23-year old on the team joining Jamie, MØSDV . Jamie is an avid DXer and Contest op who brings quite a bit of DXpedition experience with him– including the recent successful 8R7X Youth DXpedition.
Rotuma2024 Project Announces Website
In additional 3D2Z news, team member Nathan, K4NHW activated the DXpedition’s website early Tuesday morning @:
Here you will find more information about the 3D2Z DXpedition, the team, the operating plans or Rotuma Island itself… and how you can support 3D2Z.
PRESS RELEASE – May 21, 2024
November 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition to Partner with Youth on the Air (YOTA) Americas; Young Amateur Operators to Participate in DXpedition via Remote Radio
In the interest of bringing more young amateur radio operators into DXpeditioning, the Pacific Islands DXpedition Group, Inc. (PIDXG) and Youth on the Air (YOTA) Americas are pleased to announce a partnership involving the upcoming 3D2Z DXpedition to Rotuma in November. Youth on the Air is a program for and by young amateur radio operators with the
expressed goal of building skills and fostering lasting friendships and mentors with younger operators.
Rotuma DXpedition organizer Gregg, W6IZT will be taking two of his NexGenRiBs as a complement to the 6 member DXpedition on-island team. Gregg says, “Following the success with the remote radio used at the recent CBØZA Juan Fernandez DXpedition, we will have two remote stations available to young amateur operators through YOTA on Rotuma. It is our hope that 75% of the remote contacts made from 3D2Z will be made by the
youth participants.”
Nineteen year old YOTA member Kees, WØAAE will coordinate the scheduling and operation by the remote YOTA operating team. A freshman aerospace engineering major at Iowa State University, Kees was the 2023 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award recipient. He coordinated participation in the Americas for December YOTA Month and is active with remote operation for young hams
through RHR.
YOTA Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG said that he welcomes this partnership with the youth members of the YOTA organization and the PIDXG DXpedition to Rotuma. “I think this is a great opportunity for our young operators to experience a DXpedition and enjoy operating in pileup conditions.”
The 3D2Z DXpedition is scheduled for November 15 to December 4. In addition to the young operators who will be involved with the remote-side of the operation, one of the on-island team members is 23-year old Jamie, MØSDV, who was one of the members of the recent 8R7X DXpedition to Guyana. Additional members of the 3D2Z team include veteran DXpeditioner
Hal, W8HC; Nathan K4NHW; and Mike, WØVTT. Gregg says that they are awaiting word on the sixth member of the team, another young amateur operator who will be named soon.
PRESS RELEASE – April 27, 2024
The Pacific Islands DXpedition Group (PIDXG) announces that Gregg, W6IZT; Hal, W8HC; Nathan, K4NHW and 3 additional operators (to be announced) will operate from Rotuma (3D2/R) November 15 to December 4 and will be taking part in the CQWW CW Contest. Preliminary plans call for the team to operate locally with 3 stations while Gregg will be taking along 2 of his NexGenRiBs that proved successful during the recent CB0ZEW DXpedition at Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez). The team has secured the necessary permits and licensing and has confirmed accommodations to operate from the island’s north coast. Currently Rotuma stands at #68 on the ClubLog Most Wanted List. QRX for more information.