Past ARRL President to Commemorate First-Ever DXpedition

NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 4, 2001--Past ARRL president Bob Denniston, VP2VI/W0DX will mark the 53rd anniversary of the first-ever DXpedition March 10-11 (UTC) on 160-10 meters (CW).

Past ARRL President Bob Denniston, VP2VI/W0DX.

Denniston, who was ARRL president from 1966 until 1972, turned 82 on February 26. He plans to again reprise the "Gon-Waki" VP7NG DXpedition that he headed when he was W4NNN, while operating the second weekend of the 1948 ARRL International DX Contest in the Bahamas.

Denniston will recreate the original expedition conditions as much as possible, while operating as VP2VI/53 from his Tortola QTH with 100 W to 138-foot and 66-foot wire antennas and using hand keys (the original crew used a Vibroplex bug). The original expedition Meissner Signal Shifter, 100-W homebrew amplifier, and Hallicrafters SX-28A will share the operating desk with contemporary gear.

Some long-time friends have been invited to fill shifts during the 48-hour CW-only event. Look for them 24 kc (that's kHz for you newcomers--Ed) up from band edges, except on 30, 17 and 12-meter bands.

The original "Gon-Waki" crew puts VP7NG on the air in the first-ever "modern" DXpedition to the Bahamas in 1948. Shown (l-r) are Charley Orr, W4NND, Buddy Buttizoni, W3GRP, and Bob Denniston, W4NNN (now W0DX). The "Gon-Waki" name was a humorous reference to the "Kon-Tiki" expedition of that era by famed explorer Thor Heyerdahl.

Noted DXpeditioner Martii Laine, OH2BH, is among those who cite Denniston as being the originator of the modern DXpedition. Denniston says he didn't realize it at the time that he was inventing the concept, and he, in turn, has credited CM9AA with coining the expression "DXpedition."

Denniston's other firsts include Clipperton Island (FO8AJ) in 1954) and Malpelo. His strategy of visits to rare prefixes helped earn him a world record ARRL International DX Contest score in 1960 from VP1JH (now Belize).

A commemorative QSL is available for an SASE to Rick Casey, W6RKC, 10640 Tabeaud Rd, Pine Grove, CA 95665. For more information contact Jim Livengood, KP2L, kp2l@arrl.net.

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