[CQ-Contest] Caribbean Trips for Fall Contest Season

[Jeff Clarke]

This Fall contest season is going to be very different from what we've 
experienced in the past. Many of those Caribbean island multipliers that 
we take take for granted will probably not be on the air. In my case 
I've been traveling to the Dutch Caribbean to operate DX contests since 
about 2000. That streak will be coming to an end for me this year since 
American citizens can't travel to Bonaire because of COVID-19. Luckily 
the PJ4G/PJ4NG station is setup to be operated remotely using BeLoud.Us. 
K4BAI has used it remotely a few times this year and he has plans to do 
it again in CQWW DX CW. Unfortunately for me it's not worth the 
expensive cost to do a M/S remotely with just one radio. No way you 
could be competitive in a multi-op category operating that way with no 
multiplier station. So John will be on the air remotely doing a single 
band and I will be stuck at home operating my small station.

I was hoping to go to Bonaire at least one time this year to get some 
points for WRTC so I could at least get into the top ten in my 
qualifying region in case someone would've been interested in picking me 
as a teammate. You're allowed two entries outside your qualifying 
region. I have two outside my qualifying region so far and I have two 
left. Wonder if there might be anyone out there that might need another 
operator for a competitive effort for either CQWW DX SSB or CQWW DX CW 
?  I would imagine it would have to be a remote operation? If you do I'm 
available.

BTW I came across this interesting article online if you do want to 
still go to the islands . It might be possible for some of the islands.

https://www.universalweather.com/blog/caribbean-coronavirus-covid-19-impact-on-business-aviation/?fbclid=IwAR2tx0FKILQoVDZ84wJORKQDYBlSmt0QNDlDOZjVwvpSVyFFQblvSJJxwt8

I guess some of the islands are open to Americans but it seems like a 
big hassle to do what you need to do to visit.

73, Jeff  KU8E