>>> 1000 IOTA GROUPS <<<
1000 IOTAs! The milestone was reached on 15 April 2001 with the issue of
AF-090/Pr to 5R8GT operating from Sainte Marie Island off Madagascar. The
IOTA Honour Roll to be published shortly shows a number of the leading
stations with scores above 950. To reach that level is perhaps one of the
biggest performance challenges in HF DXing today, particularly for those who
do not have a capability or interest in multiband or LF band DXing. A quick
comparison of the Most Needed DXCC Entities List and IOTA's Most Wanted
Island Group List shows almost total lack of overlap. In fact hardly any of
the island entities in the top 50 Most Needed Entities List features in the
top 250 Most Wanted IOTA groups - most fall in the 250-500 category or lower
still. This would seem to confirm what we always suspected - that a
disproportionally large percentage of IOTA members have very high DXCC scores
on or near the DXCC Honour Roll. This is a subject well worth further
research!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monthly update of data in IOTA Directory 2000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> IOTA REFERENCE NUMBERS ISSUED <<<
AF-090/Pr 5R Madagascar's Coastal Islands East (Madagascar)
AS-156/Pr R0B Ushakova Island (Russian Federation)
AS-157/Pr 3W South China Sea Coast Centre group (Vietnam)
NA-220/Pr OX Greenland's Coastal Islands South West (Greenland)
OC-245 YB5-6 Sumatra's Coastal Islands North (Indonesia)
OC-246/Pr YB8 Leti and Sermata Islands (Indonesia)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> PROVISIONAL IOTA REFERENCE NUMBERS AS AT 1 MAY 2001 <<<
AF-090/Pr 5R Madagascar's Coastal Islands East (Madagascar)
AS-156/Pr R0B Ushakova Island (Russian Federation)
AS-157/Pr 3W South China Sea Coast Centre group (Vietnam)
EU-188/Pr R1P Pechorskoye Sea Coast West group (Russian Federation)
NA-220/Pr OX Greenland's Coastal Islands South West (Greenland)
OC-244/Pr DU1-4 Luzon's Coastal Islands (Philippines)
OC-246/Pr YB8 Leti and Sermata Islands (Indonesia)
Note: A full listing of new IOTA reference numbers issued since publication
of IOTA Directory 2000 may be found on the IOTA Manager's web site at
http://www.eo19.dial.pipex.com/index.shtml.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> OPERATIONS WHICH HAVE PROVIDED ACCEPTABLE VALIDATION MATERIAL <<<
NA-170 HP2/F5PAC El Porvenir Island (February 2001)
NA-170 HP7/F5PAC El Porvenir Island (February 2001)
NA-202 HP2/F5PAC Grande Island (February 2001)
OC-087 V73E Enewetak Atoll (April 2001)
OC-162 H44MS Poporang Island, Shortland Islands (February/March 2001)
OC-245 YB6LYS/P Mursala Island (March 2001)
OC-245 YC6JKV/P Mursala Island (March 2001)
OC-245 YC6LAY/P Mursala Island (March 2001)
OC-245 YC6PLG/P Mursala Island (March 2001)
Note: This list includes operations where validation material was
volunteered, ie not specifically required for credit to be given. In all
cases, cards now submitted will be accepted by Checkpoints if they meet
normal standards. This means that the island name must be on the card.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> OPERATIONS FROM WHICH VALIDATION MATERIAL IS AWAITED <<<
>>> AS AT 1 MAY 2001 <<<
AF-090/Pr 5R8GT Sainte-Marie Island (April 2001)
AS-050 RU0B/P ??????? Island (April 2001)
AS-057 RU0B Uyedineniya Island (April 2001)
AS-068 RS0B/P ??????? Island (April 2001)
AS-140 S21BR Dakhin Shahbazpur (Bhola) Island (December 2000)
AS-154 TA0/IT9WDY/P Giresun Island (April 2001)
AS-154 TA0/IT9YRE/P Giresun Island (April 2001)
AS-156/Pr RI0B Ushakova Island (April 2001)
AS-157/Pr 3W7D Tam Island (April 2001)
EU-186 TA1ED/0 Gokceada Island (December 2000)
EU-188/Pr UE1RCV/1 Sengeyskiy Island (March 2001)
NA-035 HR6SI Santanilla Islands (March 2001)
NA-220/Pr OX3LG Simiutaq Island (April 2001)
OC-091 DU1KGJ/P Polillo Island (February 2001)
OC-093 4H2B Batan Island (February 2001)
OC-126 4I1P Lubang Island (February 2001)
OC-221 YE8XM/P Kai Kecil Island, Kai Islands (April 2001)
OC-224 YE8XM/P Tanimbar Islands (April 2001)
OC-244/Pr 4I1P Marinduque Island (February 2001)
OC-246/Pr YE8XM/P Sermata Island (April 2001)
Note: Checkpoints are not authorised to credit QSL cards for an operation
where validation is required.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> UPDATES ON THE ABOVE <<<
Mid-month information on the issue of IOTA reference numbers and validation
of operations is available on the IOTA Manager's website above. Under IOTA
NEWS BULLETINS click the latest bulletin under preparation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> RSGB HF & IOTA CONVENTION WINDSOR 2001 <<<
Put the date in your diaries now. This year's RSGB HF and IOTA Convention
will be held over the period 12, 13 and 14 October at Old Windsor, Berkshire.
An interesting programme, with plenty of IOTA content, is under preparation
with a number of well-known speakers lined up including the ops from D68C.
The IOTA Committee will have a series of presentations celebrating the twin
milestones of 1000 IOTA numbers issued and of IOTA entering the 21st Century.
More on this later. The Convention Centre is served by excellent road and
rail links and, for those coming by air, is within easy reach of London
Heathrow Airport. Let's have a really big IOTA attendance this year. IOTA
enthusiasts from outside the UK planning to come are encouraged to drop me a
note so that we can monitor likely attendance and plan the IOTA programme
accordingly. Details of booking arrangements will be available via a link on
the website above within a few days - there is an attractive discount for
booking early.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> IOTA CONTEST 2001 <<<
A reminder that the IOTA Contest takes place from 1200 UTC Saturday 28 July
to 1200 UTC Sunday 29 July 2001. As this contest now attracts more than 1000
participants, it is quite possible to work during the 24 hours the 100
different IOTAs required to qualify for the basic award. Full details are at
http://www.g4tsh.demon.co.uk/HFCC/index.htm .
If you plan to take part as an island station, please check IOTA Directory
2000 to see that your island counts and that you have the right IOTA number.
If it is not listed, it could be that its IOTA status has been withdrawn. So
you may need to investigate. Also remember, if you decide to activate an
unnumbered, ie new, group, a new reference number will NOT be issued during
the 24 hours of the contest, so you will need to start the operation before
the contest to secure the number.
Please note that ALL correspondence about the contest rules, conduct,
adjudication and results must be directed to the RSGB HF Contests Committee
Chairman, Justin Snow, G4TSH at hfcc.chairman@rsgb.org.uk and NOT to the IOTA
Committee or the IOTA Manager. Notices of planned island activity should be
addressed to Steve Lawman, G0UIH at g0uihsteve@compuserve.com if you want
advance publicity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> NEW CHECKPOINT <<<
At the end of March 2001, after 12 years of magnificent service to the IOTA
community, Dewitt Jones, W4BAA retired from his IOTA roles as North American
Committee Member, US Country Assistant and US Checkpoint for the 7/8/9/0 call
numbers. We are pleased to report that Dewitt has agreed to continue as a
"Corresponding Member" of the IOTA Committee and, perhaps more importantly,
that he will remain an active participant in the programme. All island
chasers will, we are sure, join the Committee in thanking Dewitt for his
unparalleled support over these many years and in wishing him the very best
"in a well-earned retirement".
The new North American Committee Member and US Country Assistant will be Don
Chamberlain, W9DC who has been US Checkpoint for the 4/5/6 call numbers for
the last 8 years and, in recent times, a Corresponding Member of the
Committee.
The IOTA Committee is very pleased to announce that long-term IOTA chaser
Gordon R Bazsali, WB9EEE, has agreed to take over as the new Checkpoint for
the 7/8/9/0 call numbers with immediate effect. Gordon's address is 255
Hillcrest Ave, Hampshire, IL 60140-9429, USA. He can also be reached at
wb9eee@aol.com. We ask those IOTA members for whom Dewitt, W4BAA was the
checkpoint to note the new arrangements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> MOST WANTED IOTA ISLAND GROUPS <<<
The new list of Most Wanted IOTA groups, based on updates for the Honour Roll
and Annual Listings, has now been published, replacing the one at Annex H of
IOTA Directory 2000. It is on Internet and can be found on the RSGB IOTA
website http://www.rsgbiota.org - follow the link from the top of the home
page. Alternatively, you can go via the link on the IOTA Manager's website
above.
These listings are provided for the benefit of intending DXpeditioners. They
list the most wanted IOTA groups for each continent and show for each group
the proportion of members who have submitted valid cards. The listings also
indicate which groups are considered "rare" and thus require validation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> CAST YOUR VOTE! <<<
IOTA enthusiasts are invited to cast their votes to nominate the winners of
the RSGB IOTA Awards for the Calendar Year 2000. (There is one award for
"Most Courageous Worldwide" and two awards for "Most Outstanding" in
Africa/Asia/Europe and North America/South America/Oceania.) The voting form
can be found on the web at http://www.rsgbiota.org/Vote. Please remember to
give your callsign; the votes will be confidential but anonymous votes will
not be counted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> MAILING CARDS TO CHECKPOINTS <<<
Checkpoints have reported receipt, on occasions, of packages of cards sent by
Recorded or Registered mail where the sender has omitted to write his name
and address on the back. It is a condition of this type of mailing that the
sender's return address should appear on the envelope/package. This is not a
case of 'bureaucracy' for the sake of it. If the parcel cannot be delivered
for any reason (eg the checkpoint is away from home) and by mistake a note is
not left asking him to collect it on his return, the parcel could get
redirected to the Post Office's 'Lost Property' section! The postal service
is normally very good but please do help them by writing clearly the COMPLETE
return address. This advice is also best followed when sending packages even
by normal mail.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> DXPEDITION LOGS ON THE WEB <<<
A request to DXpeditioners. If you make available a log search on the web,
please note that the widely preferred response to a search request is band
and mode details only. Inclusion of date and time of QSO provides information
both for amateurs and SWLs which could in certain obvious circumstances lead
to action which undermines the integrity of any performance-based award
programme.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger Balister, G3KMA Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ
RSGB IOTA Manager RSGB IOTA Committee Member (Europe)
4 May 2001 7 May 2001
Past IOTA Notices are available at
http://www.425dxn.org/iota
Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ/KB2TJM
425 DX News Editor
http://www.425dxn.org
i1jqj@425dxn.org
