A Record Breaker and a Great Example of International Cooperation!
Greetings fellow DXers! This month, I asked my old friend Bob Allphin, K4UEE, to introduce a look back to the 2012 HK0NA Malpelo Island DXpedition. We included a very nice somewhat edited article on HK0NA originally written for the INDEXA newsletter by Steve Wright, VE7CT. I hope you enjoy this look back at one of the more awesome efforts made in DXpedition history! Enjoy!! – N2OO
You may be wondering why I would choose this DXpedition as one of my very favorites. After all, I have been lucky enough to be involved in eleven DXCC “top ten-ers” over the last 30 years, but this one really sticks out!
This DXpedition to Malpelo was special in many ways. First, it fell into my lap. In 2010, I attended the SEDXC (Southeastern DX Club) Christmas party and met a visitor from Colombia, Bolmar Aguilar, HK1MW. He was attending as the guest of another member. During the evening we talked about DXpeditioning (what else?).
He said he had a good friend in Colombia who was planning a DXpedition to Malpelo Island. Of course, I was immediately intrigued because HK0/M had been on my radar for years since it was currently ranked DXCC #12 most wanted. He asked if I was available to assist him in his efforts. Fortunately, I was between projects, and I immediately agreed to join them.
I would need help and I contacted Gregg Marco, W6IZT, and George Nicholson, N4GRN (my go-to guys in Atlanta), and in October 2011, we attended a full planning meeting in Barranquilla, Colombia. The three of us each made presentations as part of the team and new co-leaders. We
