A historic amateur radio expedition to Galapagos Islands, uniting 25 operators from 7 countries in a record-breaking achievement.
The HD8G DXpedition was meticulously planned over more than one year. The team held meetings every two weeks to coordinate logistics, equipment, and operational strategy. Many colleagues had to cancel their participation for different reasons, while new members joined the expedition, ultimately assembling a diverse and passionate team of 25 operators from Ecuador, Brazil, USA, Russia, Latvia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Serbia.
Despite language barriers and cultural differences, the team shared a common goal: to bring Galapagos to the world through amateur radio and create an unforgettable experience for all participants and chasers worldwide.
April 18, 2025
The team starts operations from two sites: Steves Chalets and Sol y Mar Hotel on Santa Cruz Island.
April 19-22, 2025
Eight stations running HF continuously, with satellite and EME operations. Averaging 6,472 QSOs per day.
April 23-25, 2025
Continued operations across all modes and bands. Addressing equipment challenges while maintaining QSO rate.
April 26, 2025
Last full day of operations. Antennas begin to be disassembled. Team reflects on the achievement.
April 27, 2025
Operations end at 11:00 PM UTC. Final QSO count: 51,775 QSOs - exceeding the 50,000 goal!
The greater the number of operators, the more difficult it is to organize all the details of the expedition.
Different languages are always an obstacle, but applications like Translator on cell phones make communication much easier.
Choosing two different sites allows stations to operate on the same band in different modes, but requires robust internet connectivity and VPN integration.
Due to internet instability, it was not possible to stay online via VPN when doing CW, as the lag between clicking and sending was very high.
Internet instability prevented real-time data transmission to leaderboards and Clublog livestream, requiring manual workarounds.
Three linear amplifiers were lost, and the Spiderbeam mast was broken. ACOM and Elecraft amplifiers performed exceptionally well.
Even with a broken mast, the team assembled an inverted L for 160m and a sloper for 60m with excellent performance.
Satellite and EME operations were in great demand. Operators PV8DX and PY2BS received special recognition.
CW experts PR7AB, YL1ZF, YL2KL, YT1AD, R7KW, and E70A demonstrated exceptional skills. SSB experts PY2PT and PY5EG set the standard.
American colleagues K3NQ, N6JRL, N6PSE, and WD5COV demonstrated remarkable teamwork and amateur radio spirit.
Ecuadorian colleagues showed incredible ability to integrate and their contribution was essential to success.
The co-leaders PY2PT, PY5EG, and YT1AD were instrumental in achieving the expeditions goals.
The team tried to operate fairly, not favoring some over others and giving everyone equal opportunities.
51,775
Total QSOs
Exceeded the 50,000 goal
6,472
Average QSOs/Day
Over 8 days of operation
25
Team Members
From 7 different countries
8
HF Stations
Plus satellite and EME
This expedition demonstrated how the spirit of amateur radio can unite different races and cultures for a single goal. The friendship, planning, and commitment of everyone resulted in a historic achievement.
Beyond the radio, Galapagos provided a great lesson to the entire world. It is a place where men respect animals and where animals do not fear men. Both co-exist in the same environment without violent behaviors. That is why it is amazing to be near wild animals and have them stare at you as if you were just another part of the scenario. They simply do not run or try to hurt you.
We thank all the ham radio community who chased us, all our sponsors, the Ecuadorian colleagues who helped us achieve these results, our official advisors, our accommodations hosts, and God for being part of this great team.
Bye, bye, Galapagos! Thanks for this fantastic adventure!!!