A couple of questions (comments) recently appeared on DX-World relating to the FT8 operation when 3Y0J Bouvet DXpedition comes around early next year. To answer these queries, co-leader Ken LA7GIA left a comment, but it’s important for all to see so we re-post his info below:

For the Bouvet operation there is not gonna be any FT8 robot machines running unattended – EACH FT8 QSO will be initiated by a human operator sitting at Cape Fie on Bouvet island. However, to minimize the downtime we will have one operator running several FT8 radios at the same time, so yes he will be sitting and clicking on each deserving call if that is 20m and 15m yagis at the same time, and when he is tired of clicking, next operator will take his turn. This is the standard on DXpeditions already, one operator can easily run several FT8 machines in parallel.

This is also a DXpedition where we genuinely focus on HUMAN modes, ie SSB/CW with 8 stations lined up, in addition to 4 FT8 stations. The 8 human mode stations will be manned at all times and these modes are the reason for us to spend $25,000 out of our own pockets to go to Bouvet. The skill of activating Bouvet is actually all the planning and getting there, bring the equipment onshore and setup the camp and keep it up for 3 weeks.

3Y0J – Bouvet 2023