N4XP, then K8XP as a member of the Dateline DX Association organized and led a four operator team to Wake Island in January 1998. Wake Island being a US military installation has seen very little activity in recent years and to this day remains high on the most wanted lists. This operation was the third operation for N4XP who first activated Wake as KH9/AL7EL in 1995 and then again in January 1996 as AL7EL/KH9 leading a team of four operators. The 1996 operation was the first large operation in many years and in addition to the many NA/SA and JA QSOs it was successful in working many Europeans. Both the 1996 and 1998 operations operated CW, SSB and RTTY and the 1996 operation also operated Satellite. Because of constraints in transportation, these operation lasted just 6 days. The 1996 and 1998 operations both gave serious effort to low band and many 80 and 160 meter QSOs were made. Overall, N4XP or the operations he participated in have made in excess of 36,000 QSO's from KH9.
Wake Island is a US military installation, has no indigenous population and access is limited. It is located 2500 miles west of Hawaii and is half way to Japan. Weather conditions are similar to Hawaii but is much more humid. It is an atoll with a lagoon in the middle.
Wake played a major role in the second world war and also served as a midway stopping point for the large flying boats that were utilized by the commercial airlines prior to WWII. To this day many foundations still remain of the facilities and structures that have seen use in the years past.
