Today I signed up for a boat ride from Svalbard to Jan Mayen in late June, 2022. The entire journey is expected to last about 15 days, whereas 4-5 days will be spent on the island where I will operate as JX/LB5SH.

This was originally planned as a multi-op operation, but then Covid-19 happened, things got put on hold, plans were changed, offers expired – you get the picture

Since this is one man mission, I was dependent on someone crazy enough to set sail for Jan Mayen with me. I was lucky enough to stumble across a team of mountaineers who’s looking to climb the Beerenberg volcano. With a second shot within reach I signed up as soon as possible. I will spend my time on land operating radio, and the base camp will be in either Kvalrossbukta or Båtvika, depending on the weather conditions at the time of arrival.

My goal is to bring two complete radio stations with me. Firstly, to be able to run FT8 and SSB simultaneously, and secondly to have a backup just in case something should fail underway. The mantra here is that there are no spare parts available once we’ve set sail from Longyearbyen. Double-check everything, and then double-check it again. And then again.

I’ll fill you in on more details as soon as they are available. Equipment like radios and antennas are still to be decided. There’s a metric tonne of things to be planned and organized the next few months, so stay tuned.

Asking for help sucks. However, this operation is financially exhausting for just one man, and I need all the help I can get. Individuals, groups, companies are all welcome to chip in.
Please consider donating and supporting me by spreading the word!

PS: At the time of writing this on November 26th 2021, tickets are still available. If you are an adventurous radio operator keen on operating from JX, then feel free to contact me.