25 Junio 2025 - Del Presidente
About the DX expedition to San Ambrosio Island announced for the end of the current year
Various specialized media are informing about a possible DX expedition to San Ambrosio Island, which would be organized by the Chilean radio amateur Felipe Gutiérrez, XQ7IR. The website of that expedition is as follows:
https://www.sanambrosio-project.com/It should be remembered that amateur radio organizations not only recognize as countries the political divisions recognized in turn by the United Nations, but also those territories or islands of a country located at more than 800 km from it are accepted as distinct entities - although they are part of the same country.
On this basis, our country is considered to be composed of five entities:
- The mainland of Chile
- The Chilean Antarctica
- The Juan Fernández Archipelago
- The Easter Island, and
- The San Felix and San Ambrosio Islands (or Desventuradas Islands).
Currently, 340 countries or entities exist for amateur radio organizations, and there are several permanent international competitions that encourage communication with them. The most famous is the DX Century Club merit diploma (DXCC), awarded by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to radio amateurs who establish confirmed contacts with 100 countries or entities.
However, communicating with 100 countries or entities is only the first goal of the DXCC, since after getting this award, it distinguishes those who approach the 340 entities, which is very difficult to achieve since in some of them there are very few radio amateurs, or simply none (in which case contacts are achieved when radio amateurs travel to the entity in question and establish temporarily in it to "activate" it by means of a "DX expedition"). Currently, the 10 most sought-after countries or entities worldwide, due to their low amateur radio activity, are the following:
- Corea del Norte
- Arrecife Scarborough (Rep. Popular de China)
- Islas San Félix y San Ambrosio (Chile)
- Isla Pratas (Taiwán)
- Isla Kure (EEUU)
- Isla Johnston (EEUU)
- Islas Gloriosas (Francia)
- Isla Pedro 1 (Noruega)
- Isla Kerguelen (Francia), y
- Isla Aves (Venezuela).
In the case of the San Félix and San Ambrosio islands, the DX expeditions of which we have records are the following:
- 1953 Expedition (CEØAA)
- 1965 Expedition (CEØXA)
- 1972 expedition (W9IGW/CEØ)
- 1982 Expedition (CEØAA)
- 1990 Expedition (XQØX)
- Expedition 2000 (XRØZY), and
- 2002 Expedition (XRØX).
Given the high interest aroused by the most sought-after countries or entities among radio amateurs around the world, DX expeditions are frequently organized to activate them, the costs of which are financed by donations from radio amateurs and with the sponsorship of commercial companies (such as manufacturers of radio communication equipment).
Unfortunately, often there are people who organize DX expeditions just for the sake of profit, given the ability of those expeditions to raise resources, which is contrary to the selfless and altruistic spirit that should prevail in amateur radio. Some expeditions are not even carried out and become a simple deception for those radio amateurs who contributed to their financing.
The Chilean Federation of Amateur Radio Clubs (FEDERACHI) is concerned about the possible DX expedition to San Ambrosio Island that would be organized by XQ7IR, given that this radio amateur, who previously owned the call sign CE5WQO, tried to organize a similar expedition in 2016 (to San Félix Island), widely publicized by the specialized media, but it was not carried out. Moreover, many radio amateurs from abroad provided equipment and contributed to the financing of that expedition, believing in that project, because they received copies of alleged authorizations that would have been issued by the Chilean Navy and the Undersecretary of Telecommunications to operate from San Félix Island; however, these documents would not have been authentic.
In any case, what is certain is that CE5WQO (today XQ7IR) stopped answering emails and telephone and cut off contact with radio amateurs who were providing equipment and contributing to financing, so that in the end the 2016 expedition did not take place.
The Radio Club of Chile reported this on its website, and the specialized media echoed this information, as can be seen in annexes 1 and 2 of this document.
In any case, and as it is logical, the surprising interruption of the 2016 expedition caused deep discomfort among the radio amateurs who were supporting it, along with damaging the image of our country within international amateur radio.
We understand that the possible DX expedition to San Ambrosio Island of the current year would already have a special call sign issued by the Undersecretary of Telecommunications (which would be 3G0XQ), but would not yet have authorization from the Chilean Navy (which has not been yet requested, although it is estimated unlikely that it can be granted to a private individual, due to the special condition of the insular territories involved).
In view of the foregoing, the Chilean Federation of Amateur Radio Clubs has requested the Undersecretary of Telecommunications that the rule governing the granting of call signs be modified, so that prior to the granting of special call signs to operate from Desventuradas Islands (San Félix, San Ambrosio, González Islet or Catedral Rock), the interested party submits a written authorization from the Chilean Navy, to temporarily establish there and operate in amateur radio bands (in August 2024, the AMSAT-CE Foundation proposed a similar measure to the Undersecretary of Telecommunications).
According to the above, the Chilean Federation of Amateur Radio Clubs strongly recommends that Chilean and foreign radio amateurs who are interested in providing equipment or contributing to the financing of the possible expedition to San Ambrosio Island first make sure that the organizer has the necessary authorizations, as well as the resources, experience and management skills required for such an initiative.
Santiago, Chile, June 23, 2025
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