AWI Neumayer Station III Antarctica – image from AMSAT-DL
AMSAT-DL reports the antenna used by DP0GVN in Antarctica for the QO-100 geostationary satellite amateur radio transponder is completely destroyed.
According to the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI), a severe winter storm hit Atka Bay (Antarctica) at the end of last week. At Neumayer Station III, about 20 kilometres away, wind speeds of max. 94.9 knots (175.7 km/h) were recorded as a minute average during the night from 13 to 14 August. The strongest gust was 112 knots (207 km/h). This is by far the highest wind speed in recent years.
Unfortunately, the satellite antenna for the geostationary QO-100 amateur radio satellite was also completely destroyed during the storm, despite the weatherproof radome, so no school contacts with DP0GVN can take place until further notice. AMSAT-DL and AWI hope to erect a new antenna early next year, in particular to continue the very successful contacts with schools.
Source AMSAT-DL
https://amsat-dl.org/en/dp0gvn-antenna-destroyed-rebuilding-planned-2022/
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