DX Engineering Supports the FT4JA Juan De Nova DXpedition

Squeezed between the continent of Africa and the large island of Madagascar sits Juan De Nova. It’s a small strip of sand about four miles long, officially recognized as a French territory. The uninhabited island’s remote location and few visitors means it currently ranks as number six on the DXCC’s most wanted list. From March 29 to April 11, 2016, a group of Amateur Radio enthusiasts will install temporary stations and transmit from the island, giving Ham operators a chance to make contact with this rare entity.

The DXpedition team worked diligently to earn permission to land on Juan De Nova. It is a protected bird sanctuary and the French government is wary of upsetting the island’s fragile ecosystem. The FT4JA operators contacted DX Engineering for advice on building an HF receive antenna system that would offer exceptional Ham Radio performance without having a significant impact on the island’s environment.

DX Engineering recommended the KD9SV Reversible Beverage Antenna System. It’s comprised of two compact transformers connected by a simple pair of twisted wires that rest harmlessly on the sand. The KD9SV Reversible Beverage Antenna System gives the FT4JA team the capability to listen in two separate directions, combatting the immense traffic the DXpedition is expected to receive. DX Engineering also supplied its Receiver Guard 5000HD Electronic RF Limiters, which will protect the team’s receive radios from excessive transmit power generated by FT4JA’s nearby transmitting stations. Receiver Guards are vital for installations with multiple transmit/receive stations in close-quarters operation. 

The team also brought along some gear that DX Engineering had previously donated to an earlier DXpedition. For a better idea of what the DXpedition will be using on Juan De Nova, DX Engineering created a FT4JA Juan De Nova DXpedition Combo.

DXE-FT4JA-DXP FT4JA Juan De Nova DXpedition Combo
COM-40VA COMTEK 40 Meter Vertical Antenna
DXE-160VA-1 DX Engineering 160 Meter THUNDERBOLT® Vertical Antenna
DXE-RG-5000HD DX Engineering Receiver Guard 5000HD Electronic RF Limiter
DXE-213UDX100 DX Engineering DX Series 50 Ohm Coaxial Cable Assembly
DXE-CC-4SQR DX Engineering Transmit Four-Square Control Console
DXE-DVA-80 DX Engineering DVA Phasing Relay Unit
DXE-EC-DVA DX Engineering Directional Control Console
DXE- Q75-80 DX Engineering Phased Array Quarter Wave Tuned Cable
DXE-TFS4-40B DX Engineering Series B Transmit Four-Square Relay Unit
SVP-SV-RB KD9SV Reversible Beverage Antenna System Kit
SVP-SV-RBOGANTW KD9SV Reversible Beverage Antenna Wire, 200'

For more information on the FT4JA Juan De Nova DXpedition combo, please visit DXEngineering.com.

Learn more about 2016 FT4JA Juan De Nova DXpedition at its official website.