When the 3Y0X Peter 1 D-Xpedition calls home it will be on an Irridium satellite telephone. So says a press release from Irridium that says the company is providing the sat-phone to the Peter 1 operation to stay in touch with their loved ones at home as well as being a safety buffer should an emergency arise. The Iridium phones will also allow the team to get up to the minute weather forecasts and provide daily uploads of log information and other information from the remote island. Updates may include photos and possibly video clips, which the D-Xpedition group will post to their website.

Discovered by a Russian explorer in 1821, Peter I Island is more than 450 km from the nearest land in West Antarctica. It lies below the Antarctic Circle in the Bellinghausen Sea and is surrounded by dense pack ice almost year round. The D-Xpedition team will travel to the island from Punta Arenas, Chile, by icebreaker and will be transported ashore by helicopter.

The 3Y0X team plans to activate Peter 1 island for two weeks in early February, weather permitting. Possibly about the time you hear this newscast. Check the teams website for the latest updates as to when they will be on the air. Its at http://8.3.8.118/peterone/main.htm A cool half million dollars is being spent to bring Peter 1 on the air. (Irridium press release, various DX sources)