DX-Expedition FP5KE to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon

After the success of the expedition 9L5A in 2024, the F6KOP radio club from Provins decided to continue the adventurous spirit - this time with an ambitious goal: to organize a large-scale DX-expedition to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon (specifically Île aux Marins) under the call sign FP5KE.

FP5KE team and technical deployment

Expedícia sa opiera o 17 členov tímu – z toho 16 skúsených operátorov plus FP5AC, ktorý zabezpečuje logistiku a autonómiu expedície. Dohromady plánujú 8 staníc for KV a 6 m pásmo, dve ďalšie stanice for EME (2 m and 23 cm), a satellite station, and up to twenty antennas. Power will be provided by generators.

• 

  8 x TS-590SG

• 5 × ACOM 1010

• 2 × ACOM 1200s

• 2 × ACOM 500s

• 1 × satellite station for RS-44 (a QO-100, if possible)

• 1 × 2 m EME station

• 1 × 23 cm EME station

• 1 × triplexer for bands 10, 15, 20 m

• 1× diplexer for bands 12, 17 m

• 5 × high-performance band pass filter for bands 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 m

• 20 × low-power bandpass

• 4 × Winkeyer

• 8 × notebook with Win-test for CW/SSB, MSHV for FTx and N1MM for RTTY

• 1 x Starlink

• 2 × 4G router (backup)

• 15 kVA diesel generator

• 500 m of coaxial cable

Preparation and equipment

In June 2025, the team worked on the preparation of the antennas - they will build them on an area of ​​up to 13,000 m² on the Île aux Marins, with optimal views in all directions. They will prepare up to 800 m of coaxial cable and the EME station will be located in the tent shelter as close as possible to the antennas:

• 

  hexbeam, 5 bands @10m with 20-15-10m pentaplexer

• Hexbeam, 5 bands @10m with 17-12m pentaplexer

• 20 m VDA

• 17 m VDA

• 15 m VDA

• 10 m VDA

• 30 m quarter wave vertical

• 40 m quarter-wave vertical + dipole (in-band)

• 60 m quarter-wave vertical

• 80 m quarter-wave vertical + dipole (in-band)

• 160 m quarter-wave vertical with upper capacity extension

• 6 m, 6-element DX beam

• Satellite antennas for RS-44 and QO-100

• 2 m EME antenna

• Antennas for reception on low bands (Beverage and vertical field AEG Ultra Loop RX)

They also intensively tested the equipment at the radio club in Provins: they tested each station with a computer, checked the masts, pre-tuned the radials and radiators of the vertical antennas and renovated the 6-element antenna for the 6 m band. They also received two ACOM 1200s power amplifiers from ACOM and club polo shirts
FP5KE.

Termín a logistika expedície

The officially confirmed dates say: arrival in Saint-Pierre planned for the evening of September 14, 2025, crossing by boat to Île aux Marins and approx. 1 km walking route to the place of activity. The broadcast will start on September 15th in the afternoon, after the installation day. The operation will last until the evening of September 26th, with a return flight on September 27th for Newfoundland and Paris. The original plan was to return by boat and bus, but due to disruption of one of the boats, they had to charter an Air Saint-Pierre flight, which increased the budget by €7,300, but saved the entire length of the expedition.

FP5KE operation

FP5KE will be on the bands for at least 10 days. Classic modes such as CW, SSB, RTTY have priority, but they will not be missing at the same time FT8 a FT4. EME plánuje len On 144 MHz, 1296 MHz pásmo zrušili kvôli logistickej náročnosti.

QSL FP5KE

All donors via Club Log with a minimum contribution of 7 USD/EUR they will be listed on our sponsors page and will be able to request their direct QSL card for free through OQRS.

LoTW (Logbook of The World)
Nahratie do LoTW bude urobené and free for all krátko po skončení DX expeditions (hneď ako bude log opravený).

OQRS (Online QSL Request System)
Vašu QSL kartu nepotrebujeme, preto prosím použite najskôr OQRS na Club Logu pre priame aj buro požiadavky pre FP5KE. OQRS bude otvorené krátko po skončení expedície (hneď ako bude log opravený). Poplatok za priame QSL karty je 4 USD/EUR without limit of number QSO. You can also help save bureau costs by using OQRS for bureaus - this service is free to you.

Direct QSL
We do not accept IRC. Cash only (USD or EUR) no coins.
When applying for paper cards by mail, please include 3 USD or EUR and a stamped return envelope (SAE). Send your direct QSL request (no limit on the number of QSOs) to our QSL manager:

Christian BERNARD, F5GSJ
19, avenue Hoche
77330 OZOIR LA FERRIERE
FRANCE

QSL through the bureau
If you don't want to use OQRS, it will take longer, but you can send your QSL card through the bureau to our QSL manager: F5GSJ.

QSL policy

• QSL cards will be printed within 6 weeks of return.

• Prosím, nezabudnite nahlásiť chyby v logu po expedícii On fp5ke2025@gmail.com.

• OQRS-Direct and direct QSLs will be processed first.

• Requests to correct incorrect call signs will be processed subsequently.

• Buro and OQRS-Buro will be processed eventually.

• QSL requests with insufficient postage will be answered through the bureau.

• Service eQSL we don't use

Saint-Pierre & Miquelon

This French archipelago is located approximately 20 km from Newfoundland (Canada) and includes two main islands: Saint-Pierre (5,400 inhabitants) a Miquelon-Langlade (600 inhabitants). The archipelago also includes Île aux Marins and several uninhabited islets.

The archipelago is characterized by a cold, borderline humid continental to subarctic climate, influenced by polar air masses and the cold Labrador Current. The temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F) for 9 months of the year. Rainfall is abundant (1,312 mm or 51.7 inches per year) and regular (146 days per year). Due to its location at the interface of the cold waters of the Labrador Current and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, it occurs approximately 100 days a year of fog.

There has never been a large DX expedition on this archipelago with the number of operators and equipment that it organizes every year F6KOP. Our goal is to achieve 100,000 QSOs, so that DX hunters from all over the world have the opportunity to connect with FP in all modes and bands.

Île aux Marins

Île aux Marins (literally "Sailor's Island") is a small island off the coast of Saint-Pierre that was abandoned by its inhabitants in the 1950s. However, several reconstructed wooden houses remain here today. The island once experienced intensive cod fishing and in the 17th century had up to 600 inhabitants.

Expedition leader F2DX lived in Saint-Pierre from 1988 to 1991 and for 3 years broadcasted here under the brand FP5DX. Therefore, he knows the local conditions well. Île aux Marins we chose because it is outside the main island of Saint-Pierre, which is the most populated and creates too much QRM (interference). In addition, there is a small mountain on Saint-Pierre that acts as a natural shield towards North America.

On Île aux Marins extensive areas are available for our antennas, so that we have an ideal view and the departure of the signal in all directions. On the other hand, it is not here neither electricity nor hotels. Our power supply will be secured generators a po stránke logistiky budeme úplne sebestační (vďaka FP5AC).