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EXPEDITION COMPLETE

VP2VRX

October 2025

British Virgin Islands

A Caribbean Contest Adventure

400+
QSOs/Hr
S0
Noise
9
Days
#138
DXCC

The Team

W3MLJ • N4XTT • W9RFT • KC1KUG

Pilot Station: KC3VPB

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VP2VRX Team

October 2025

VP2VRX DXpedition

P R E S E N T S

THE TEAM

Expedition Leader

W3MLJ

Michael

The visionary behind VP2VRX. Coordinated all expedition logistics, planned operation strategy, and led the team from initial planning through execution.

Michael's expertise in contest operations and DXpeditioning made this Caribbean adventure possible. From equipment selection to site coordination, he ensured every detail was perfect.

Zelienople, PA • Age 20

QRZ

QSL Manager & Operator

N4XTT

Seth

Kingsport, TN • Age 20

Licensed since May 2022, Seth excelled in running stations and manages all QSL processing. Active member of CWOps (#3570), LICW, SECC, and TCG. Also operates 3D2MC remote station.

QRZ

Technical Coordinator

KC1KUG

Brayden

Farmington, NH • Age 19

Experienced DX contester specializing in low-band operations. Competed in ARRL DX (SSB/CW), CQ WW DX, and CQ WPX contests. His technical expertise ensured flawless antenna setup and station configuration.

QRZ

Team Operator

W9RFT

Jack

Indianapolis, IN

Passionate about portable operations, Jack brought invaluable field experience to the expedition. This was his first major contest, and he went from complete beginner to confidently running 15m by Sunday morning!

QRZ

Pilot Station & Webmaster

KC3VPB

Caleb

Chambersburg, PA • Age 22

The communication hub between the DXpedition and the amateur radio community. Managed website updates, social media, community feedback, and provided support from his home station in Pennsylvania.

QRZ Mastodon

October 2025

British Virgin Islands • DXCC #138

Tortola, BVI • Grid FK78 • CQ Zone 8

The Expedition Story

HOW IT WENT

Act I

The Dream

A Year of Planning

It all started a year ago. A group of young operators with a dream: operate CQWW SSB from somewhere exotic. Somewhere rare, but accessible. After gaining experience at USVI during ARRL DX SSB 2024, they wanted somewhere more challenging.

"After all, this is only our 2nd ever operation where we setup our own equipment."

The Arrival

Equipment In Hand

October 18th - Brayden and Michael touched down in USVI carrying most of the equipment. Seth arrived on the 20th, Jack on the 21st bringing forgotten supplies. Three days of testing at the Westin in St. John - every connector checked, every antenna tuned, every radio verified.

Then came the ferry to Tortola and the ride to Belmont Estates. 200ft ASL, close to the ocean, extremely remote.

The Location

Perfect Remoteness

"The road was barely passable. Potholes every few feet. We knew we found the perfect remote location."

Act II

The Discovery

S0 Noise Floor

The hex beam went up first. Radio connected. The moment of truth. S0 on 10-20m. S1 on 40m. S2 on 80m. Beautiful, pristine silence.

"Probably the lowest noise I have ever seen."

Setup Challenges

Minor Hiccups

The K3's S-meter was off. CAT cable caused weird RF noise. After troubleshooting, the decision was made: Flex 6300 would be the main run radio.

But overall? Surprisingly little troubleshooting needed. Everything just worked.

Contest Start

The Pileups Begin

Started on 15m - no run. Switched to 20m - massive pileup for hours. All the planning, all the work, paying off instantly.

"It was surprising how big the pileups were."

Saturday Morning

400+ QSOs Per Hour

10 meters. Saturday morning. The rate meter climbing past 400. Again. And again. The highlight of the contest.

"This was one of the highlights of the contest."

Act III

Saturday Afternoon

The Mult Station Problem

3pm - switched to 15m, probably too late. Bigger issue: the DXCommander mult station could hear the world perfectly but couldn't be heard on 10-15-20. Behind on mults. Big time.

"This cost us big time in the contest."

Evening Operations

Low Band Struggles

20m, then 40m at decent rates. The vertical not on the beach made LP difficult - easy to hear with S1 noise, hard to be heard. 80m vertical on a mast performed well. 160m sloper? Non-existent. Simply didn't work.

Sunday Morning

The Grind

Prepared for a big run. Good US-EU conditions, but not many beaming Caribbean. Struggled to get runs going. Frequency stolen every 5 minutes. High QSO count, but really lacking mults.

Lessons Learned

Growth & Gratitude

Jack W9RFT's first contest ever - from complete beginner to confidently running 15m by Sunday morning. An incredible transformation in 48 hours. Seth N4XTT excelling on run duty, ensuring the rate stayed high when he was at the helm. This was the first real contest for both Jack and Seth - watching them grow through the weekend was inspiring.

Big lessons learned about what to do and what not to do. Overall: very happy with how we performed, and we did what we could with what we had. An extremely fun contest with unforgettable memories made.

Thank you to everyone who gave us advice, worked us on the air, and to our sponsors - especially DX Engineering and all who supported this youth DXpedition.

Performance Metrics

BY THE NUMBERS

Peak Rate

400+

QSOs per hour

10m Saturday morning • October 26

9

Days

Oct 20-28

2

Islands

USVI & BVI

5

Team Members

Young Ops

#138

DXCC Entity

British Virgin Islands

Notable Achievement

W9RFT's First Contest

From first-timer to running 15m on Sunday

Made Possible By

OUR SPONSORS

DX Engineering

Primary Equipment Sponsor

Providing quality amateur radio gear, technical expertise, and unwavering support for young operators pursuing their DXpedition dreams

Visit DX Engineering

BCARA

Butler County Amateur Radio Association

Financial support for youth DXpeditioning

Visit BCARA

NCDXA

National Capitol DX Association

Supporting the next generation of DXers

Visit NCDXA

73

The Cast

Expedition Team

W3MLJ • N4XTT • W9RFT • KC1KUG

Pilot Station & Webmaster

KC3VPB

Caleb Jacobs

Pilot station operations & website development

Story by W3MLJ • Website design & development by KC3VPB

End of Transmission