News! June 7, 2023 Here is the latest update on the CYØS QSL cards: The CYØS QSL cards have arrived from the printing company and K5DHY and WA4DAN are hard at work processing the QSL requests.  Hundreds of CYØS QSL cards are being mailed everyday through the US Post Office.  This process will continue seven days a week until all QSL requests are answered.  We anticipate having all OQRS and direct requests completed by the end of June. We started with over 7,000 QSL requests with more arriving every day.  Please be patient as we work through the backlog.  We are working quite a few hours a day to get this completed.  The CYØS card has six panels with two folds with a wonderful Sable Island horse on the front.  You will see others throughout the card; enjoy!   At the time of the CYØS DXpedition, there were 550 wild horses on the island. April 4, 2023 The CYØS DXpedition concluded just after 1000Z on Friday, March 31 with 84,517 contacts in the log.  DXCC was achieved on six bands, 30-10 meters, with 40 meters just missing the 100 mark with 98 countries.  A total of 155 DXCC were worked by CYØS.  Full results and breakdowns are available on Clublog. This was not an easy DXpedition to pull off.  Our initial application to Parks Canada was dated December 19, 2016!  Our team leader flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia in October 2019 to meet with the Parks Canada - Sable Island manager to work out the details for this DXpedition.  The team leader also flew to Sable Island the day before that meeting to talk with the Parks Canada staff on Sable Island.  Both meetings were very productive and an agreement was reached to proceed with the DXpedition.  A few months later, Covid-19 hit and we were postponed two years.  In October 2022, a Parks Canada project delayed our DXpedition until March 2023. Arriving on Sable Island on Monday, March 20, we were greeted with temperatures of 32 degrees and winds of 35-40 MPH.  These were not favorable weather conditions to accomplish much antenna work.  We did get two antennas up covering three bands by nightfall on March 20.  As much antenna assembly work as possible was done that evening in the Visitor Quarters.  Tuesday, March 21 was a much more productive day with all antennas being assembled and erected by nightfall. On days 4-5, a major geomagnetic disturbance occurred which played havoc on the bands.  The CYØS team worked the bands that were most productive during this 36-hour period. On days 5 and 6, very strong winds effected Sable.  Amazingly, no antennas were lost or damaged and operations continued as usual.  Antenna mast guy lines were tightened and reinforced. Snow occurred almost every day during our stay on the island.  Sometimes it snowed four or five times during the day.  With the strong winds, the snow was usually driven horizontally. Sable is a very tough environment in the winter with the wind, snow, cold and the corrosive salt spray.   The CYØS team was prepared for these conditions and never faltered during their stay on the island.  Because of the very tight weight restrictions on the two aircraft, the team ate freeze-dried meals over the entire stay on the island.  We could not take all of the gear we usually take on a DXpedition.  We had to downsize some of the Yagi antennas used.  Each operator was limited to 45 lbs of personal gear including food, winter clothing, sleeping bags and any other personal items. Our number one goal of the CYØS DXpedition was for it to be fun for every DXer around the world and provide an ATNO for as many as possible.  Secondarily, we wanted DXers to fill as many band slots as possible.  It is extremely difficult to mount a major DXpedition to Sable with the weight restrictions but we did the best we could.  Each of the eight ops gave it his all to make this DXpedition possible. March 31, 2023 Team arrived safely in Halifax this afternoon.  Those driving hit the road and overnighted in Maine.  The others jetted back to Long Island NY. DONE! March 30, 2023 Departure day for the CYØS team is Friday, March 31.  The Vision Air Services Sikorsky helicopter will arrive at 1200Z for five of the team members.  The other three team members will be departing around 1500Z on the Sable Aviation fixed wing aircraft.  One station will continue to be operational until final verification of the flights is determined.  The latest count of contacts at 0100Z was 84,295.  The final tally will be a little higher. March 30, 2023 We have broken down and packed all but one radio and Amp.  Dan W4DKS is currently on 40 FT4.  We will keep this station operational until approximately 1000Z on Friday.  The Sikorsky is scheduled to arrive at 1200Z.  Debbie will arrive sometime after the Sikorsky, possibly a couple of hours later. One thing...if Debbie is delayed until the afternoon, Dan, Glenn and I may put an Icom 7300 on the air.  We will see. Jay is working on a semi-final Q tally but we won't have this evening. As of 2130Z, the CYØS team had 83,422 Qs.  The bands weren't as good today as they have been.  We have taken down the 10-meter Yagi and the 30 meter antenna.  We are waiting for the WX report from Sarah sometime in the next hour or so.  Earlier reports were somewhat favorable for flights sometime tomorrow.  We are supposed to have snow and rain mix after 10 PM this evening.  We saw the clouds move in this afternoon.  The winds are also supposed to increase later tonight and be windy tomorrow As of 0730Z, the CYØS DXpedition team had 78,089 Qs in the log.  Because of the uncertainty of the weather and departing the island on Friday, the team will not take down any antennas today.  The team will await word this evening from Parks Canada, Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services.  All three of our Sable partners are absolutely the best to work with and their assistance has greatly contributed to our success. March 29, 2023 Both flights scheduled for a Thursday departure off Sable Island have been canceled. Weather in Halifax, Nova Scotia is the issue.  Friday's departure from Sable Island is entirely dependent on the weather and the condition of the beach landing area.  The CYØS team continues to operate with a full complement of antennas.  Packing for departure had begun but was suspended.  As of this afternoon, the CYØS team had over 76,000 Qs in the log.  We will send updates as we receive new information. As of 1915Z the CY0S DXpedition team has logged 75,543 Qs. It looks presently that neither aircraft will be able to fly tomorrow as we planned.  There are weather issues that may affect Halifax in the forecast tomorrow.  As always with Sable, we will be patient and see what happens. As of 0755Z on Wednesday, the CYØS team has 72,002 Qs in the log.  We have begun the final day of operations today (Wednesday).  The Vision Air Sikorsky will be here at 1200Z on Thursday to take five team members back to Halifax.  Sable Aviation will be here shortly thereafter for the other three team members.  We will leave a lot of the antennas up until first light on Thursday morning though some antennas will be taken down by early evening on Wednesday.  The weather continues to be very changeable with periods of snow showers during the day.  Winds have been very favorable for the last few days which has been a welcome break from the gale-force winds earlier in the DXpedition.  All team members, equipment and antennas are ready for the final push on the last day of operations. March 28, 2023 Snowing again; WX here is so changeable.  Cold gray day here but at least the wind is not too strong. March 28, 2023 As of 0730Z the CYØS team had 65,088 Qs.  We had a very productive first night on 60 meters with all areas of the world being worked.  15 and 17 meters were simply incredible on Monday.  Japan was still being worked at 10 PM local time (0100Z) on 15 meters.  The team has been talking with Parks Canada about the departure which is scheduled for Thursday morning.  Weather will dictate the departure, so the team needs to be ready on short notice.  Some antennas will be taken down later Wednesday afternoon and evening.  All four stations remain operational, and all antennas are working very well. March 27, 2023 Update: Now more than 60K! Just thought you might like to know that we surpassed 50K Qs this morning.   As of 1200Z we had 56,795 Qs.  We currently have all four stations plugging away making Qs. Our goal right now is to get to 60K Qs.  The K-index has finally gotten down to zero which really helps. March 25, 2023 The CYØS team has reached the half way point of their Sable Island DXpedition.  The large geomagnetic event certainly made it more challenging but the team continues with four stations as much as possible.  The anticipated high winds hit the island on Friday making it extremely difficult to do any work outside.  The team has two stations dedicated to the WPX SSB contest this weekend.  The team will concentrate the two contest stations in the US General band.  Team member W2GD reports the pileups on CW rival any DXpedition he has participated in. March 23, 2023 With much disappointment, the CYØS team had to abandon the real time logging updates.  The internet on Sable is not stable enough and drops out fairly regularly.  This caused many issues.  We also had an issue with one laptop which has been replaced.  All logs will be sent to Bill K5DHY about every six hours.  We apologize that we were not able to do what we wanted to do with the logs.  Hopefully we won't have any more interuptions taking down our computers. We have four HF stations set up as well as a Six meter, Satellite and a 2 meter EME station.  We spent all day Tuesday assembling and installing antennas.  All were completed by late afternoon.  The team settled into their operating schedule at 0000Z on Wednesday. While the weather has been good the last three days, high winds are forecast for Friday and Friday evening.  We have begun to take the necessary precautions to the antennas and antenna masts.  All guy lines have been tightened and the 42-inch anchor posts driven deeper into the sand. March 22, 2023 We completed installing the HF antennas by late Tuesday afternoon.  Lee completed the Six-meter Yagi late Wednesday afternoon.  All antennas seem to be working normally.  We have four HF Yagis up and four inverted L antennas for the low bands.  The DXpedition operators began their assigned operating shifts at 0000Z on Wednesday. High winds are forecast for Friday and Friday night.  Work has already begun to strengthen the guying for all antenna masts. March 20, 2023 After a late arrival on Sable Island, the CYØS team was welcomed to the island with 40 Knot winds.  The wind and blowing sand were so strong, the Britten Norman Islander aircraft could not depart the island until the sand was shoveled away from its tires.  The strong winds made it very difficult doing antenna assembly and installation.  The team was able to install a 30-meter inverted L and a Cushcraft A3WS for 12/17.  On Tuesday, the team hopes to install four or five additional antennas, depending on the wind.  Please be patient while we work through the cold and windy conditions. March 20, 2023 Five members of the CYØS team departed Halifax, Nova Scotia at 1300Z.  The Sable Aviation flight with three team members and all gear will be delayed by a few hours due to the condition of the beach landing area.  Parks Canada is optimistic that the condition of the landing area will improve in a few hours with a favorable wind direcion.  The Sable Aviation flight hopes to depart Halifax by 1700Z. The delay with the Sable Aviation flight will push back the start of the radio operation by a few hours. The CYØS team hopes to get 2-3 stations on the air by dark.  Most of the antenna work will occur tomorrow.  Please be patient as there are a lot of antennas to install. The winds remain around 30 Knots. Some photos HERE. More later.... March 19, 2023 The CYØS DXpedition team assisted the crew of Sable Aviation in loading the Britten Norman Islander fixed-wing aircraft Sunday afternoon.  The issue right now is the beach landing area is flooded with water from the recent Nor'easter storm.  Parks Canada will be checking the condition of the landing area first thing Monday morning.  The team has also chartered the Vision Air Services Sikorsky helicopter.  That flight is scheduled to depart for Sable sometime after 10 AM Monday morning.  March 18, 2023 Four members of the CYØS DXpedition team arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon.  The remaining four team members will arrive on Sunday morning.  On Sunday, the CYØS team will be briefed on the weather forecast for Monday.  Currently, the wind forecast looks challenging.  The team was also notified that the all-important weigh-in will happen on Sunday afternoon.  This weigh-in will determine how much gear can be transported to the island.  Another update will be available later Sunday afternoon or evening. March 2, 2023 All gear has been packed and is ready for transport to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The DXpedition team is working on some last-minute details.  All travel arrangements have been finalized. The team has now reached 90% of its fundraising goal.  Many thanks to all of the new club and individual sponsors.  Donations are still very much needed and appreciated.  You can donate by clicking HERE. The team is still managing the critical weight allowance on the two aircraft.  It’s going to be extremely tight!   Team also is working on their plans for arrival on Sable.  The first day will see limited activity due to antenna construction.  Weather always plays a big factor getting to the island and working on the island.  The weather has been quite active in the Halifax area with a lot of snow and more snow forecast. February 22, 2023 The CYØS Dxpedition team has reached 85% of its fundraising goal of $37,500.  Donations are still very much needed and appreciated.  You can donate by clicking HERE. February 8, 2023 Great News!  Our time-on-island has been extended to March 30! February 2, 2023 The CYØS DXpedition team reached 65% of its fundraising goal of $37,500.  Donations still needed and appreciated by clicking HERE! January 31, 2023 Parks Canada - Sable Island approved the 2M operation from CYØ, the first EME operation in many years.  All HF frequencies to be used on the DXpedition were approved including Six meters. January 23, 2023 The CYØS DXpedition team has reached 60% of its fundraising goal of $37,500; total cost for the DXpedition is estimated at $75,000.  DXpedition operators typically pick up 50% of the expenses while trying to raise the remaining 50% among DX foundations, clubs and individuals.  A unique feature of our fundraising is the Match program in place. An anonymous, well-known DXer, has committed to matching any donation on a one-to-one basis.  If you donate $100, this will be matched with another $100, effectively making your donation $200.  How great is that! We encourage donations of any size; every dollar helps and will be used to pay for the non-personal expenses of the DXpedition.   Costs have increased across the board.  Both Sable Aviation and Vision Air Services have had to add fuel surcharges to our charter cost. The CYØS DXpedition team is excited about the challenge ahead and is grateful for any support.  Please click HERE to contribute whatever you can. December 3, 2022 All of the information on our Home page has been changed today. November 22, 2022 Today the ARRL DXCC desk pre-approved our CYØS DXpedition for DXCC! October 5, 2022 A lot of DXers have inquired about Sable Island after Hurricane Fiona made an almost direct hit on the island.  Hurricane Fiona had the lowest barometric pressure (931 MB) ever recorded in Canada during any previous hurricane.  Fortunately, the news is better than expected on Sable Island.  Parks Canada personnel on the island report some of the buildings lost sections of siding and some roof damage.  The Parks Canada personnel described the damage as superficial.  The NavCan METAR ( Meteorological Terminal Air Report) system was inoperative for 5-6 days until technicians could travel to the island to restore the system. The hurricane caused some erosion and reshaped part of the island.  A researcher who has been on the island for almost 50 years reported it was the worst storm she has ever experienced on the island. September 4, 2022 Sable Island is now ranked in the Top 50 Most Needed on Clublog! August 20, 2022 DX Engineering has agreed to provide generous major support to the CYØS DXpedition. July 27, 2022 CYØS is on the program for SEDCO/W4DXCC Convention on Saturday, September 24, 2022. July 7, 2022 Our DXpedition dates confirmed as March 20-30, 2023! June 4, 2022 The new CYØS website is up!  One can reach it via cy0s.com or cy0dxpedition.net.  Enjoy! May 5, 2022 Formal written permission was granted by Parks Canada - Sable Island for a 8 - 9 day DXpedition as CYØS in October/November 2022. February 20, 2021 DXpedition had to be postponed for 2021 due to Covid-19. April 5, 2020 DXpedition had to be postponed for 2020 due to Covid-19. October 21, 2019 Team leader met with the Parks Canada Sable Island manager to negotiate details of the proposed DXpedition.  Agreement was reached and permission granted. October 18-20, 2019 Team leader flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then to Sable Island to meet with the Parks Canada on-the-island staff.  Brief demonstration and radio propagation test conducted. December 19, 2016 Application filed with Parks Canada for a DXpedition to Sable Island.