[CQ-Contest] Caribbean Trips for Fall Contest Season

[Jeff Clarke]

Dave,

I can only speak for Bonaire since that's the island I've been following 
the Covid-19 news for. The latest information//I have is that they have 
closed the air bubble with both Aruba (on August 6th) and Curacao 
(starting September 6th.) So you can't even travel between the ABC 
islands at all. That would leave the only way to get to Bonaire is on 
the daily KLM flight from Amsterdam. Right now only citizens from the 
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and France can travel to the 
island. Even if you live in those counties you have to get a COVID-19 
test  a maximum 72 hours before your arrival, sign a health declaration 
and have been in those countries at least 14 days prior to your trip. I 
didn't see anything in their latest guidelines about having to 
quarantine when you arrive in Bonaire. I think some of the other 
Caribbean islands that are open to international travelers have a 
similar protocol.

The two big contest stations on the island are both owned by Americans 
and they can't even travel to the island to do maintenance. I'm sure if 
you live in one of those low risk EU countries that K2NG would love to 
rent the station to you. He really needs someone to go there to check 
some things out for him.  Also I believe CQWW DX SSB is open if someone 
wanted to operate the contest remotely via BeLoud.Us. The good thing is 
there is an active contester that resides on the island. Steve, PJ4DX, 
operates just about every DX SSB contest. PJ4KY, PJ4NX and newcomer 
PJ4RF are also active on SSB.

Jeff
//

On 9/4/2020 11:12 AM, David Siddall wrote:
> What Jeff says is true for U.S. residents, but not for those in the other
> countries where risk of transmission is low under international
> medically-based standards.  Because they have achieved low risk levels,
> generally people in those countries can go back to work and school, and
> travel if they wish, while exercising precautions. This was driven home to
> me just now when, after viewing Jeff's email, I saw a picture of my friend
> Jan, OZ1ADL (contest station OZ5E), enjoying a beer with some friends in
> Germany yesterday.  Many EU borders re-opened back in July, subject to
> periodic review of each country's medically-based risk level.
>
> It just might be an opportune year for some European or Asian contesters to
> visit the Caribbean for CQWW.  Every island is different. I checked
> contester-favorite Curacao, for example, and on July 1 flights resumed to
> Europe and the island is open to visitors from many low-risk countries -
> including Canada, many EU, and some Asian - subject to precautions  (
> https://www.curacao.com/en/questions/health-and-vaccinations/response-to-novel-coronavirus-covid-19).
> Bonaire is more restrictive, but generally open for visitors from select
> countries deemed low risk and flights to and from Europe also resumed on
> July 1.
>
> While some operators are forced out of on-site action because of the
> continued high risk levels in the U.S., maybe contesters from
> other countries will travel and we'll work the multipliers!
>
> 73,  Dave K3ZJ
>
>>
>>  From KU8EThis 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
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