SB QST @ ARL $ARLB029
ARLB029 Colvin Award to Swiss-led group for 3B7 DXpedition

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QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 29  ARLB029
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 24, 1998
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB029
ARLB029 Colvin Award to Swiss-led group for 3B7 DXpedition

An international group has received an ARRL Colvin Award grant to
help fund a DXpedition to St Brandon (Cargados Islands) planned for
May. St Brandon is part of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian
Ocean and is number 17 on the most-wanted list of DXCC entities. The
ARRL Colvin Award Grants Committee voted to grant the Canton of Zug
branch of the Union of Swiss Short-Wave Amateurs 5000 dollar(s) for the
DXpedition. The group, under the leadership of Karl Graetzer, HB9JAI,
has additional financial and in-kind support from Yaesu and
Cushcraft, as well as from various DX clubs and commercial sponsors.

''We are very happy to have the contribution of the Colvin Award,''
Graetzer said this week. ''It will help a lot.''

Graetzer says all preparations have been completed and the team now
is busy with flight cargo, customs formalities, and other activities.
The group plans to arrive by boat on May 6 (gear will be ferried to
shore by small boats) and to operate as 3B7RF from May 7 until May
17. Operation is expected to be continuous on all bands, including
VHF, depending on propagation. Modes will include CW, SSB, RTTY and
SSTV. Two individual sites will be set up with four operating
positions. Fifteen operators from Switzerland, the US, Japan, and
Israel will share on-the-air duties.

More information on the St Brandon DXpedition is available at
http://www.3b7-brandon.ch.
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