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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.


Wavescan N615, December 6, 2020

Solar Eclipse in the Southern Hemisphere and the Radio Story on Three of the Pitcairn Islands

On the Monday after next weekend (Monday, December 14, 2020), there is another spectacular Solar Eclipse that will be visible in the South Pacific, South America and the South Atlantic. This coming eclipse begins at local sunrise in the South Pacific north of Pitcairn Island, it traverses the ocean rapidly towards South America, and it then disappears about mid ocean in the South Atlantic. This will provide a special opportunity during a period of darkness for international radio monitors in New Zealand and South America to tune in to shortwave stations, and perhaps even some mediumwave stations, that are not normally audible.

As is the case for each Solar Eclipse, a multitude of Eclipse Chasers will congregate in South America to view this coming spectacular heavenly phenomenon, and others plan to view the scene from cruise ships in the South Pacific. On this coming occasion next week, at least two cruise ships, the MV Paul Gauguin and the MV Discovery, each will carry a load of passengers into mid ocean north of the French islands to view the total eclipse.

The first inhabited landå area to view this coming eclipse is Pitcairn Island, where the maximum view will be a 62% partial eclipse. The other three islands that constitute the British territory of Pitcairn Islands will obtain a better view of the eclipse, though no eclipse expeditions are planned to those localities.

In the four territories that comprise the Pitcairn Islands, two are rugged volcanic upheavals, and two are coral atolls. On earlier occasions here in Wavescan we have presented a full, almost century-long story of the radio scene on the main island, Pitcairn, so as a sequel, let's look at the radio scene on the other three islands.

We choose first the island called Henderson, which, along with Pitcairn, are the two regular islands in this foursome group of islands in the South Pacific. Henderson Island is six miles long and three miles wide, and it is five times larger than the main island called Pitcairn. Upon Henderson are found ten plants not found anywhere else in the world, and likewise four birds, though unfortunately Polynesian Rats are found in abundance. There is no real availability of fresh water on this island.

A colony of Polynesians lived on Henderson in earlier times, though by the time of European exploration they had all gone. A dozen or more skeletons have been found in caves, and perhaps they were the last remaining humans on the island.

In 1820, the American whaler Essex was wrecked by an angry whale, and three of the crew lived on Henderson until rescued by the ship Surrey a few months later. One year later, the grossly morbid story of the Essex and its survivors provided the background for the equally morbid story of the fictional Moby Dick.

In 1957, the American, Robert Tomarchin, and his baby Chimpanzee, Moko, were dropped off at Henderson, together with abundant food supplies and equipment. This staged event, that was apparently intended to bring him international fame, degenerated into a failed publicity stunt.

Dr. Jennifer Lavers, from the University of Tasmania in Hobart, stated during her recent visit to Henderson that the highest density of flotsam anywhere in the world is found here, at the rate of 3500 pieces a day, now totaling 18 tons.

There has never been any radio event on Henderson island, not even an amateur DXpedition, though tourist ships and fishing ships anchored nearby have in the past frequently talked with ZBP, the marine station on Pitcairn Island.

Next we move to Oeno Atoll, and in particular, to Oeno Island, which is inside the lagoon, though attached to the rim. Over the years several ships have been wrecked on the coral reef at Oeno, including the Wildwave in 1858, with a loss of life. A headstone on Oeno tells of the burial of Thomas Knowles, brother of the ship's captain.

On occasions, postage stamps for the Pitcairn Islands have identified each of the four islands, including Oeno. The Pitcairners resident on the main island, where there are no beaches, have chosen Oeno as their holiday island, and in January each year they spend two weeks in vacation activities on Oeno.

During the total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2005, two cruise ships (MV Paul Gauguin and MV Discovery), filled with Eclipse Chasers, were anchored 10 km. north of Oeno. During the total Solar Eclipse on July 2 last year (2019), the ship Bravo Supporter took a group of ten Eclipse Chasers for a landed visit to Oeno, though rain and an overcast sky prevented a full observation of the eclipse.

The only radio transmissions near and on Oeno have been communication transmissions from passenger and cargo ships. However, if ever an amateur DXpediton travels to Oeno, the callsign would be a VP6 call, as is the case on all four of the Pitcairn Islands.

However, Acadia Island, in Ducie Atoll, has been the venue for several amateur DXpeditions, for which a different callsign has been allocated on each occasion. In fact, so popular is Ducie in the amateur radio world (19th on the wanted list) that separate status has been accorded to this location.

The total area of the four islets in this atoll is just 170 acres, and again there is no fresh water. Ducie was discovered in 1606 by a Portuguese captain who was sailing for Spain; it was rediscovered by the British in 1791; it was claimed by the United States in 1867 as a guano island; and it was annexed in 1902 by the United Kingdom.

The first amateur DXpedition to Ducie took place in March 2002, under the callsign VP6DI, with the DI standing, rather obviously, for Ducie Island. Just one year later another DXpedition operated with the call VP6DIA. Three years later again (2006), a one-man DXpedition operated offshore as VP6UU.

A third group-operated DXpedition in 2008 with more than 30 personnel was on the air as VP6DX, and they logged a remarkable record of 183,686 QSOs. During their visit to Ducie they witnessed a Full Moon Eclipse. The fourth group DXpedition, just two years ago (2018), QSLed under the callsign VP6D.

We might also add that cruise ships stop occasionally at these various islands, and sometimes make brief landings. In addition, there are unrecorded visits by tankers and freighters, and they sometimes dump unwanted garbage in the area, on land and in the sea.