DX Engineering Lends its Support to VK9MA Mellish Reef 2017

It is unlikely that Jimmy Buffett will ever sing about the balmy breezes of Mellish Reef, but to DXers around the world, this tiny speck in the Coral Sea will soon be Ham Radio paradise.

A nine-operator team will be active from Mellish Reef as VK9MA from November 3 through November 16. The team will be QRV from Heralds-Beacon Islet on all bands–CW, RTTY and SSB. Heralds-Beacon Islet, the only permanent land in the reef, is a small, treeless cay composed of sand, shingle and coral rubble.

DX Engineering is a proud sponsor of the Mellish Reef DXpedtion, providing a range of gear that will play a role in helping Amateur Radio enthusiasts log this coveted contact. Clublog.org ranks Mellish Reef as 29th on its list of Ham Radio’s “most wanted.”

The Hams at DX Engineering have a long history of helping DXers “work ‘em all” by supporting DXpeditions that put the world’s most remote areas in reach. For the Mellish Reef project, DX Engineering contributed this equipment:

 *Hi-Z Antennas Four Element Array System: DX Engineering is the exclusive worldwide dealer of Hi-Z products

 *DX Engineering brand products, including an F-Connector Coax Cable Tool Kit, Watertight Snap-N-Seal Coaxial Connectors, 75-ohm Dual Shield Coaxial Cables, Receiver Guard Electronic RF Limiters, Glass Antenna Insulators, Current Feedline Chokes and Bead Kits, and Four-Square Control Counsels

 *KD9SV Very Low Noise Preamplifier – another exclusive offering from DX Engineering

Here are more details about the Mellish Reef DXpedition, courtesy of the VK9MA newsletter:

*Of all the atolls and reefs in the Coral Sea, boomerang-shaped Mellish Reef is the most distant from the Australian continent. It is six miles in length and two miles across. Heralds-Beacon Islet, which is less than half a mile long, rises only a few meters above the high water mark.

*The team plans to keep four stations operating 24/7 for the duration of the 13 days on the reef. Be patient. The crew will arrive at the reef at daybreak on November 3 and will need time to get all stations up and running.

*The team believes the lower bands (160m through 30m) will provide the best chance to work the world during the evening hours; 20m/17m bands are expected to work best during the day.

*Mellish Reef is needed on most band slots, and bands by a large number of DXers, particularly on DATA mode. One goal of the DXpedition is to dedicate significant station time to digital modes – most notably RTTY.

*The DXpedition team will be conducting an island cleanup, debris inventory, and ecology and animal assessment of Heralds-Beacon Islet. This venture is through partnership with Tangaroa Blue Foundation and the Australian Marine Initiative, in conjunction with Parks Australia and the Department of Environment.