“Halo olaketa!”
In April 2025, 11m DX enthusiast 43DA001 Darren will embark on an extraordinary Oceanic DX adventure, aiming for the highly sought-after DXCC entity of the Solomon Islands.
The callsign assigned by the DA-RC HQ Team for this very special activity is 135DA/0.
The Solomon Islands consist of 992 stunning tropical islands, gracefully arranged in a curve across the southwest Pacific, roughly 2000 km northeast of Darren’s home country, Australia.
The DA-RC is thrilled to announce that 43DA001 Darren will dedicate nearly two weeks to intense operations from the pristine beaches of one of the most breathtaking islands in the archipelago, QRV on 27 MHz frequencies for significant portions of the day.
This DX destination is Malaita, the principal island of Malaita Province and one of the 209 picturesque islands in the OC-047 IOTA group, as listed by Islands Base Online (IBO).
Notably, respected databases indicate that Malaita has never been activated on eleven meters, making it a ‘New One’ for serious IOTA hunters.
Malaita is the most populated island in the 135 Division, housing over a third of the nation’s population.
It’s the second-largest island by area, following Guadalcanal, where Darren operated as 135DA/0 in 2011 and as 135DA/OC-047 in 2017 at the bottom of the previous cycle.
The largest city on Malaita Island is Auki, which is located on the northwest coast near the beautiful Langa Langa Lagoon, and is home to the “wane i asi,” or salt-water people.
Additionally, this island is known for its traditional shell money, which remains in circulation.
As always, 43DA001 Darren is committed to making this mission a success, aiming to provide an all-time new island and/or new Division for all DX markets!
To ensure a smooth operation, a robust station has been prepared, complete with a backup rig, power supply, and antenna in case of any issues during the adventure.
Ham friendly accommodation has been obtained in one of the local villages with spectacular take offs to all major DX markets.
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