I was still getting my shack at my new QTH put together when FT8WW went QRV from Crozet Island. I was under the impression that the OM would be on the air until March of 2023. By the time I got my OCF dipole in the air, I realized that the FT8WW station only had a temporary permit and it had expired. I thought I had missed my chance.
Last night, I got a DX spot from some local friends for 9U5R in Burundi (which I did work on 40m!). After working them, I decided to try my chances with 3Y0J on Bouvet Island on 30m. No success there. When I was about ready to give up on Bouvet, I noticed a spot on the DX cluster for FT8WW on 20m. A quick QSY and I was decoding FT8WW! Sadly corruption occurs in ham radio too. On the cluster, people were reporting that FT8WW was a pirate. I was unsure. I checked their website for news and it indicated that the permit had been extended. So I called. After just a few calls, I got a reply and logged the contact. I went QRT for the night not sure if I worked a ATNO or a pirate.
This morning, I checked the FT8WW website again and saw an update that the OM is back on the air on 20m and 15m. I went to Clublog and queried their log for my callsign and sure enough, I'm logged on 20m! It's a little sad that I have to verify contacts like this due to frequent pirates. I'm glad I got the chance to work Crozet Island and hope to get them again on 15m before they are QRT.
The Crozet Islands (#3 on the Clublog most wanted list) are a sub-Antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
73 and good DX de K4LST sk
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