ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has awarded a $5,000 Colvin Award grant to the Delta-Xray Group, organizers of the upcoming 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet Island, scheduled for February and March, 2026. Bouvet is a remote island in the Southern Ocean, populated only by seals and penguins, and known for treacherous weather and surf conditions. It is a territory of Norway and nearly all of it is covered by glaciers. The most recent amateur radio operation from Bouvet was the 3YØJ DXpedition in 2023, which moved the island from #2 on the Club Log most wanted list to #10. 

Two camps are planned, according to team leaders, operating all HF bands, with one camp focusing on high band propagation to North America when conditions allow. Each camp will consist of three tents serving as operating, sleeping, and communal spaces. These tents have previously been used on Bouvet Island and team leaders say they have proven capable of withstanding the extreme conditions expected. 

Plans call for the team to leave for Bouvet from Cape Town, South Africa, on February 1. Weather permitting, 3YØK plans to use helicopter airlifts to transport personnel and equipment between the vessel and the island. The group expects to spend three weeks on and around the island and will attempt to contact as many other ham radio operators around the world as they can, using up to 8 stations operating on CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and the QO-100 geostationary satellite.

The 3YØK DXpedition is perhaps the most expensive ham radio expedition ever mounted, with a budget of $1.7 million, most of which ($1.2 million) is for what the team refers to as a “reliable commercial Arctic / Antarctic vessel,” noting that “(s)afe and reliable ship transportation continues to be a challenge for such remote island expeditions, and the cost continues to rise.” Team leaders note that “the foremost priority of the 3YØK expedition is the safety of the operating team, support personnel, and the vessel and helicopter crews.”

The team consists of 24 operators from 14 countries. Two of the team members are young hams, 21-year-old Max Freedman, N4ML, an ARRL staff member; and 26-year-old Alex Schengber, DL2ALY, an aviation engineer currently working at a German research station in Antarctica.

The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment established by the legendary DX couple Lloyd Colvin, W6KG (SK), and Iris Colvin, W6QL (SK), both now deceased. The award is intended to support amateur radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX.  

Other major financial support for the DXpedition has come from the Northern California DX Foundation, the International DX Association, and the German DX Foundation. 

The complete 3YØK log will be uploaded to ARRL’s Logbook of The World® — LoTW® — within 12 months following the DXpedition. LoTW is used by radio amateurs to track their progress toward awards including ARRL’s DXCC Award — the DX Century Club Award — which is achieved by confirming on the air contacts with 100 geographic entities.

“We extend our sincere thanks to all equipment sponsors and financial supporters, and particularly the ARRL Colvin Award grant. Without this collective support, activating Bouvet Island and delivering an ATNO (All-Time New One) from the #10 Club Log DXCC most wanted entity would not be possible.” The team continues to seek financial support from the amateur radio community. 

For more information, visit 3y0k.com.