February 26, 2010

The biggest topic of discussion with our group was when is the "best" time to go? After careful study, and our experience from the very successful October 1996 CY0XX DXpedition, we plan to return to Sable in September/October 2010. Historically, October offers the best choice for weather and propagation at Sable. The weather concerns are not to be under-estimated. This is not based on comfort! It's based on the necessity of having VFR weather at both Halifax and Sable. It is also based on the condition of the sand-flat at Sable. The sandy landing area by the beach must be essentially free of water and firm enough for the plane to land and take off safely. Fog is also a nagging issue at Sable. Many a previous DXpedition has been delayed in either flying into, or out of, Sable or both. In 1996, one of our departure flights was delayed 3 1/2 days due to fog and water on the "landing strip".

"Based on the current sunspot Cycle 24 projections, we anticipate a solar flux averaging around 100 during our time on the island. This dramatic increase in the solar flux will greatly enhance the conditions on 10,12 and 15 meters. Therefore, the team has decided to go with Mono-band vertical antennas on 10-40 meters. We have already tested a number of these antennas and are very confident in their performance.

The 2009 "The DX Magazine" most wanted countries survey revealed that Sable Island has now reached a worldwide ranking of #65. CY0 is #17 on the survey in the Asia ranking. There will a high demand for CY0 on the higher bands. We are now planning on being on the island for 8-9 days. The increased demand for CY0 has really focused our efforts in making as many contacts as possible. We have upgraded the stations with Tokyo HL-1.1 KFX solid state amps. We hope to have a major presence on all bands during this DXpedition.