Tom Medlin, W5KUB, scored what is believed to be
an amateur radio first, conducting a live video chat via satellite with Bob
Schmieder, KK6EK, from the site of the VK0EK Heard Island DXpedition for his
"Amateur Radio Roundtable" podcast. The first effort on March 22
resulted in only an audio connection, since the team was still on board the
ship taking them to the island. A video link was successful (although quality
was poor) on the March 29 edition of the program, and viewers could see various
operating positions inside the station tent. Bob planned to try again with a
better camera on April 5. (CQ Editor
Rich Moseson, W2VU, was also a guest on the March 29 program.)
One of the topics Bob discussed during the
Amateur Radio Roundtable interview was the high level of cooperation between
the VK0EK expedition and the simultaneously running FT4JA operation from Juan
de Nova Island. Bob said the two teams coordinated their frequencies and agreed
that FT4JA would listen for calls above its transmitting frequencies while
VK0EK would listen below its transmit frequency. It was hoped that these
arrangements would separate the pileups and minimize interference between hams
trying to contact the two DXpedition stations.
