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Iridium To Supply Communications For Ham Radio Antarctic "Dxpedition"
Bethesda MD (SPX) Jan 20, 2006 Iridium Satellite is supplying mobile satellite phone systems for an intrepid group of amateur "ham" radio operators who are undertaking a "DXpedition" this month. The purpose of the DXpedition is to establish up to nine temporary radio stations on a remote uninhabited ice-bound island near Antarctica. The radio site will be operational on Peter I Island for approximately two weeks in February. During that time, ham radio operators all over the world will have an opportunity to log calls to the station. The Iridium satellite phones will allow the team to stay in touch with home, obtain weather forecasts, provide daily uploads of log information and updates from the island. Updates will include photos and possibly video clips, which the DXpedition group will post to their website. "The Iridium satellite phones will provide an important margin of safety for the team during their expedition to one of the most remote and inaccessible islands in the world," said Greg Ewert, executive vice president, Iridium Satellite. "Iridium's unique constellation of low-earth orbit satellites ensures reliable, uninterrupted communications in extreme polar regions which are not covered by other mobile satellite networks." Bob Allphin, expedition co-leader, explained: "In amateur radio parlance, 'DX' is an abbreviation for distance, and 'DXing' refers to the pursuit of radio contacts, often under extremely difficult conditions, with distant stations across the globe. The enthusiasm of DXers is exemplified by the frequent DXpeditions mounted by hams to remote locations to provide the worldwide ham community with an opportunity to log calls to that spot." Discovered by a Russian explorer in 1821, Peter I Island is more than 450 km from the nearest land in West Antarctica. It lies below the Antarctic Circle in the Bellinghausen Sea and is surrounded by dense pack ice almost year round. The DXpedition team will travel to the island from Punta Arenas, Chile, by icebreaker and will be transported ashore by helicopter. Related Links
Royal National Lifeboat Institution Tests Iridium Based Satellite Tracking System
Bethesda MD (SPX) Dec 20, 2005The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has begun testing a maritime safety system for automatic vessel monitoring and emergency alerting at sea using the Iridium satellite network. |
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