NEWS UPDATE — EXPEDITION HALTED. See here

MARCH 4 – The team is now on Dikson Island and report all is ok as they continue their journey.

FEBRUARY 27 — The RT9K/9 team reached Sopkarga polar station. They are now waiting for the guys from Norilsk to join them. Thereafter, the full team travels further to first island.

FEBRUARY 22 — RT9K team stopped in Gyda. They need to fix two snowmobiles and two sledges. Meanwhile, they sent images and video for DX-World readers.

FEBRUARY 15, 2017 — “We are at this point (Latitude: 67.00523 Longitude: 78.21656). If the link does not work, try this link instead.”

February 14, 2017 the over-snow expedition of “The Legend of the Arctic” – RT9K/9 – on the islands of the Kara Sea begins. The expedition will take place under flags of Russian Robinson Club and the Russian Geographical Society, devoted to the 120th anniversary of the Arctic expedition of Fridtjof Nansen on the vessel “Fram” in 1893-1896.

Activation of islands:

  • Gelland-Gansena (AS-054) – estimated date 1-5 of March,
  • Tyrtov in Nordenshelda Archipelago (AS-121) – estimated date 6-9 of March,
  • Nansen (AS-104) – estimated date 10-14 of March,
  • Scott-Gansen (AS-068) – estimated date 16-20 of March.

Team:

  • Igor Znamensky UA9KDF (head of an expedition)
  • Alexander Labutin UA9KFX,
  • Andrey Korobeynikov UA9LDD,
  • Andrey Moiseyev UA0BA,
  • Victor Kuzyakin RW0BG,
  • Sergey Makerov UA0ZFW,
  • Andrey Semeshko RT9K,
  • Alexander Semenyuta RT9K.

Participants plan autonomous passing of a route on 7 snowmobiles: from the Yamal Peninsula to Dikson Island (AS-005) to the extreme northern point of Eurasia continent –  Cape Chelyuskin further to the planned islands. At the movement to the north on islands warehouses with fuel and food for work on air on the way back will be left. It is expected that island activity will begin with the most northern island Gelland-Gansena (AS-054) along a route, but will depend on ice and weather situation (now along the coast and around islands there is open water!). By calculations – in the first of March. Broadcast of an online route will be available on the Internet and amateur network APRS. SPOT messenger on the expedition website – https://www.qrz.com/db/RT9K/9 .

QSL via RX9KM (OQRS, direct, QSL-bureau).

In view of considerable transportation costs for delivery of the equipment, fuel, the equipment which the expedition has already incurred also the forthcoming expenses the sponsor’s help will be accepted with gratitude, and call signs of the radio amateurs who have made donations will be noted on the website of an expedition and forwarding QSL RT9K/9.

The expedition’s duration is estimated until the end of March, 2017.

73! Yuri Zaruba UA9OBA, President of RRC

June 5, 2016 — Team RT9K are now underway with planning their next major IOTA DXpedition scheduled for February-March 2017. Depending on weather and ice conditions they hope to be active from the following islands:

Up to three stations QRV on 40-10m; CW/SSB/Digi. QSL via RX9KM.

More info here