#292 The Chase is On for 300 - 9M0Z Spratly Islands

I have wanted to have Spratly Islands in the log ever since 2015 when DX0P first tried to make world wide contact from Pagasa Island.   I failed then, propagation was not there and the ops did not seem know what to do with propagation when it was there.  However, this time, from Layang Layang Island,  with 9V1YC James Brooks, an experienced DXpeditioner, and his team mate from ZS would hopefully know what to do.  30m and 20m appear to be the only bands that make it to NA and only 30m grey line appear to make it to the east coast.  Every morning I listen for them.  Well I finally made it into the log of 9M0Z

KU4XO and WM4AA have set the high water marks above 300 so I am in the chase now.  With any luck I might make it by the end of the year.  Back to 9M0Z, they have only 203 QSOs to North America  - based on the latest Clublog upload versus 3848 to EU and 3168 to JA and Asia.   So I consider myself one of the lucky few.  As for 300 by the end of a year it is a long shot as I not only have to make every ATNO scheduled DXpedition and then some unscheduled ones as well.  In order to get remotely close to 300 I must be able to confirm:

XX9TGM Macau June 2016
CY9C Saint Paul - August 2016

VP6AH Pitcairn - September 2016

H44GC Solomon Islands  - September 2016

4U1UN United Nations HQ - October 2016

XU7MDC Cambodia - November 2016

which only adds up to 298 which means I still have to get lucky with  somebody activating Jan Mayen, Nepal, Franz Josef Land, Myanmar, or maybe 5A1AL in Libya.  So it is still a long shot but it is possible.

Baker and Howland and Central Kiribati is now in the planning stages for some time in 2017.