{"id":18146,"date":"2017-06-23T07:50:09","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T11:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=18146"},"modified":"2017-06-23T07:50:09","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T11:50:09","slug":"video-postcards-wishing-you-a-happy-weekend-from-antarctica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/video-postcards-wishing-you-a-happy-weekend-from-antarctica\/","title":{"rendered":"Video postcards: wishing you a “Happy” weekend from Antarctica"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Image: FT5ZM)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wednesday, as I listened to (and attempted to record)<\/a> this year’s annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, I couldn’t help but recall\u00a0the W4DXCC conference<\/a>\u00a0three years ago, during which representatives from the Amsterdam Island DXpedition (FT5ZM)<\/a>\u00a0gave a one-hour multimedia presentation about their journey, including their on-air accomplishments.<\/p>\n

It was, to say the least, all fascinating.\u00a0\u00a0Even the expedition’s financing interested me.<\/p>\n

But I particularly found the logistics of the whole enterprise intriguing, such as the crew’s equipment choices in the form of emergency provisions, food, medical and camping supplies…Also fascinating, of course, was the description of the lengthy voyage to the island and back aboard\u00a0the Braveheart<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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The Braveheart and FT5ZM crew<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ll never forget what the presenter, Bob (K4UEE) noted regarding the anticipated landing on the island. \u00a0Here they were, he explained, heading to one of the most remote islands in the world, and its only inhabitants were twenty-seven French scientists with the <\/span>TAAF (Terres australes et antarctiques fran\u00e7aises)<\/a>. The DXers had to spend several weeks there, and\u2013\u2013especially considering the close quarters\u2013\u2013worried they could find common ground with these dedicated and apparently very serious scientists, and were uncertain about whether the two diverse groups could get along during their stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, en route to the island, Bob and the DXers discovered this video produced by the Amsterdam Island scientists. It immediately settled their concerns:<\/span><\/p>\n