All Direct QSL requests received by today have been processed and are in the mail.

N4NX is also handling QSLs for the PJ6/N4HH casual operation by Don N4HH; QSls from Don's operation will go in the mail in the next few days.

Please do NOT send QSLs for any of these operations via the bureau! Bureau requests should be made via our online OQRS system (donations for this service are NOT required).

Please check the news updates here before asking any questions via email as we will continue to update status of QSLs and operations here.  Logs for all of these operations will be released to LoTW as soon as we are given the go-ahead by the ARRL.

Your continued patience is appreciated by the QSL manager and his team.

March 4, 2011
All PJ6A logs (from the DXpedition in October 2010 AND the CQWW CW Contest in February 2011) have been uploaded to LoTW.

March 1, 2011
All OQRS requests received through today have been processed and are in the mail.  This includes QSL requests from our operation Feb 19-20 in the ARRL CW DX Contest.  We are now able to send QSLs from OQRS requests within 48 hours after receipt.  If you've not yet requested your QSLs via OQRS, please do so; this is the quickest way to get your confirmation.

All Direct QSL requests received by today have been processed and will all be in the mail this week.

N4NX will continue to be the QSL manager for the PJ6A operation for the ARRL DX CW contest this weekend.  He is also handling QSLs for the PJ6/N4HH casual operation by Don N4HH.

Don just returned home and cards for his operation have not yet been ordered; please be patient.

Please do NOT send QSLs for any of these operations via the bureau! Bureau requests should be made via our online OQRS system (donations for this service are NOT required).

Please check the news updates here before asking any questions via email as we will continue to update status of QSLs and operations here.  Logs for all of these operations will be released to LoTW as soon as we are given the go-ahead by the ARRL.

Your continued patience is appreciated by the QSL manager and his team.

From the PJ6A team,

The PJ6A QSL cards have been designed, printed and received from the printer.  The process of verifying claimed QSOs vs. actual log data is well under way and the first of the QSLs have been mailed.  �Because this is an all-time new DXCC entity the worldwide demand for the PJ6A QSL is tremendous.  �The QSL manager, Bill N4NX has prepared a routine that will utilize PJ6A team members to aid in expediting the QSLing process.  �The work will continue on a daily basis until all requested QSLs are in the mail.  Please do not send email with questions about the current status of individual QSLs as this will only slow the already large workload.  �The logs will be uploaded to the ARRL Log Book of the World (LoTW) as soon after 1 January 2011 as the ARRL permits.

From the PJ6A team,

We are now QRT after 57,515 QSOs.  Today, the team is flying back to St. Maarten and then on to their homes in the USA and Canada.  We are all tired but very pleased with the results.  Two teams kept 3 stations on the air, around the clock for 12 days.  All stations were only running 100w (except 160m and 80m) and using wire antennas.  Our super location made that strategy work well.

Thanks to the DX community for their cooperation with the PJ Operations Band Plan and for your courtesies in the large pileups.  Most everyone was well behaved and easy to work!

Much of the equipment and all the antennas are now being stored on Saba in anticipation of future operations...stay tuned!

73, Bob
K4UEE

We are listening for and working some JAs, but they are very weak and propagation is unfavorable.  We have had some success with the VKs but only a couple of ZLs are in the log so far. The huge and very high volcano that dominates the island is blocking signals on the short path to that area.  We have clear shots to JA, NA and EU.

We are very happy with the results of the PJ Operation Band Plan, and appreciate the cooperation of DXers worldwide.

Please continue to use the log search function on our website www.pj6a.com.  If you are not in the log after 24 hours, work us again.  Do not email us with a request for us to search the log for you.

Shut down is scheduled for Friday night about 2200Z.

For the PJ6A team..
Bob-K4UEE

October 13, 2010

ARRL authorizes four new entities from the former Netherlands Antilles -- and one of them is Saba/St. Eustatius!

We thought it was about time to update the DX world re life on Saba.

As you can tell from spot activity, we have all three stations running nicely.  We're running 100w and wire antennas only except for using an amplifier on 160m.  Because of our terrific locations and take-off angles (500-700' above the sea) we think our largely barefoot operation is going well.

All stations are running operator-loaned K3s.  Station 1 is located in a two-bedroom rental cottage while Stations 2 & 3 are located in an under-construction home several months from completion; a bit rugged.  There is no air conditioning anywhere (whew!) but we've become acclimated.  Our three locations are only 5-10 minutes apart.

Sleeping accommodations include two cottages at The Cottage Club (also not air conditioned) and scattered bedding at the other two locations.  No one "owns" a bed; we use whatever is empty when crash-time happens.  The guys are mostly clean.  Mostly.

One of the challenges is moving between the locations on "The Road" (the only road on Saba which is pretty treacherous; we hope to have a video of the Road on our website (www.pj6a.com) next week).

At this time we're at 16,642 Qs via LogSearch uploads daily.  We think that's pretty good for barefoot and wire antennas.  The agreed-to PJ Operations Band Plan is working well and we've had no interference from or with the other DXpeditions in the area.

The wall of sound that you've heard of all your life is very real.  We make special effort to pull out the weaker signals so everyone gets a chance at working Saba.  And we still have nine more days to go!

Casualties so far were heat exhaustion for one of us and a centipede bite on the thumb for another.

A bit about Saba and The Road.

The rental cars are tiny, but they must be to navigate The Road semi-safely.

Everyone (and that's everyone) waves to everyone else from cars, rooftops, streets, bars and so forth.  Sabans are REALLY friendly.

We're having a great time; all the members of PJ6A Team Week 1 (nine of us) are working hard to give you Qs from Saba.  CU in the pileups!

Team Saba 2010 PJ6A

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Date: Sept. 30, 2010
From: DXpedition leaders/teams participating in DXpeditions to new DXCC entities beginning 10-10-10
To: ALL interested DXers worldwide
Due to the unprecedented number of potential new DXCC entities and numerous planned DXpeditions commencing 10-10-10, we felt it was prudent to establish a Band Plan to try to minimize interference between DXpeditions and their pileups.  The following Band Plan is the result of discussions that have been ongoing for several weeks.  It is a Plan....however, without the cooperation of DXers, the plan will not work.  It is extremely important that DXers call DXpeditions only within the specified frequency ranges.  If you do not, you will not work the station you are calling and you will likely interfere with another DXpedition on another Island.  This will require cooperation and discipline.

Success of this plan also requires that DXers help spread the information about the Band Plan to their fellow DXers and DX Clubs.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!  But if we work together, we will be able to get many, many DXers into our logs!

Thanks for your cooperation!

Bob K4UEE-Saba-PJ6A
Jeff K8ND-Curacao-PJ2T
Craig K9CT-St. Maarten-PJ7E
Kelly N0VD-Bonaire-various
Will AA4NC-St. Eustatius-TBD
Dave AH6HY-St. Eustatius-TBD
Paul K1XM-St. Eustatius-TBD
Jim K1NA-St. Eustatius-PJ5NA

Click HERE to view and save the Proposed Band Plan.

We are assigned callsign PJ6A!

ARRL Awards Committee Makes Statement on Dissolution of Netherlands Antilles

Reprinted from the ARRL website

Now Official: The Netherlands Antilles Will Be Dissolved on 10-10-10!

Bon Tarde to all interested 10-10-10 Folk!

The news from The Hague is that the last of the documents have been signed today at the Final Round Table Conference (RTC) by the representatives of The Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Aruba, and the BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba)!

They have certified that all is in readiness and accepted by all parties for the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on October 10 at 0400Z (midnight island-time), resulting in the associated beginning of the new statuses for each of the affected islands!

10-10-10 is finally a "done deal"!

Press Release:  For Immediate Release------August 22, 2010
From Bob Allphin, K4UEE
Saba 2010 DXpedition leader

The Saba 2010 team has completed all preparations for the activation of Saba beginning 10/10/10.  As you know by now, that is the likely date that the Netherlands Antilles will cease to exist and several new DXCC entities will be created as a result.  One of those new countries should be Saba/St. Eustatius due to their close proximity.  Although this is not a 100% certainty, it is likely enough to plan an operation.

Two teams, comprised mostly of members of the Southeastern DX Club (SEDXC), will operate over a two-week period beginning October 10th and ceasing operations on October 22nd.

A reconnaissance trip was conducted to Saba Island in March of this year and two QTHs were selected.  They are a minimum of 500 ft above the sea with a clear shot to the main target areas of JA, NA and EU.  In March this location produced many QSOs all over the world with low power and wire antennas.  We should be loud!  Combine this QTH with excellent operators and we believe DXers worldwide will have a great chance of making QSOs for a brand new one.

We have created a website (www.saba2010.com) and we will be updating it periodically.  We will upload our logs to LoTW on January 1, 2011 or sooner when/if the ARRL permits.

Please note that this operation is entirely self-supporting.  The operators themselves will bear all the costs and provide their personal equipment for the stations and antennas.

Three members of the SEDXC and the K5D team...Bob K4UEE, Gregg W6IZT and George N4GRN will visit Saba March 11-15 operating PJ6/home call.  The purpose is to finalize plans and begin building a station for the anticipated political realignment in the Netherlands Antilles later this year.  QSL to their home calls!