Bouvet Island 3Y0K February 2026 DXpedition Update
Penguins, seals, ham radio operators, and DX Engineering equipment—from radial plates to RX loop antennas—to converge on this rarely visited Norwegian dependency. Don’t miss out on the excitement!
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Only five months away!
OnAllBands and DX chasers around the globe are counting down the days to the next time ice-covered and isolated Bouvet Island—the most remote spot on the planet—will once again be ripe for the picking on the amateur bands.
Are you ready to finally add this elusive entity to your list of conquests? Don’t wait until the last minute. Find everything you need to upgrade your DXing capabilities at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headphones, receiving devices like the NCC-2 Receive Antenna Phasing System, and more.
A Project of Cinematic Scope
As the Bouvet Island 3Y0K February 2026 DXpedition nears, we’ll be providing monthly updates on this major activation. It’s an epic project that Cecil B. DeMille would have appreciated: an intrepid collection of skilled amateur radio operators; tons of high-tech equipment; a large sailing vessel with an onboard helicopter for transporting gear and team members; capricious and brutal weather that routinely batters this 18.92-square-mile volcanic outpost; radio operators battling to break through the pileups; and a cast of thousands of extras: seals and king, macaroni, Adelie, gentoo, and chinstrap penguins that populate the island’s rocky shores.
It Takes a Community of Hams
3Y0K has been a herculean undertaking. Planned since spring 2023, it has involved countless hours of work from its team of experienced operators; major equipment sponsors like DX Engineering; support from clubs and associations such as the Northern California DX Foundation, INDEXA, and the German DX Foundation; and individual hams who love the thrill of logging the rare ones—in this case, the 10th Most Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog as of September 2025.
This August 2025 post from the 3Y0K Facebook page by team leader Ken Opskar, LA7GIA, underscores the massive effort it has taken to once again activate Bouvet Island: “All equipment bound for Oslo this and next week. The logistics involved in getting all the equipment selected, designed, tested, packed, and shipped to Norway has involved many persons, manufacturers, helpers, and hard work for a long time. We started developing the 3Y0K DXpedition in April 2023, and it has taken us more than two years to get to this stage where soon all the equipment will be loaded into a container located in Nittedal, just outside
Oslo, Norway. This container will not only be loaded with equipment but other essentials like tents, provisions, safety and emergency equipment, evacuation gear, QRO generators, and a lot more.
“Our goal is to conduct a safe and sound DXpedition where our ability to adapt to the changing conditions is important. Four team members have experience from Bouvet Island 2023 and know what to expect—I can guarantee we will get onshore!
“We hope to be loud with the Icom America Inc. radios and ACOM amplifiers supported by DX Engineering hardware.”
Watch this video from ACOM about how they’re supporting 3Y0K with solid-state amplifiers, including the ACOM 500S and ACOM 2020S. The full lineup of ACOM amplifiers and other devices are available at DX Engineering.
The last time OnAllBands covered Bouvet Island 3Y0K was after three of its operators—Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA; Bob Ronk, W9AP; and Dennis Ward, KT8X—visited DX Engineering in June. KO8SCA, a 3Y0J participant, is one of the operators discussed above who has previous experience on Bouvet Island, which should prove invaluable in maximizing time on the air when the weather allows. KO8SCA will also be participating in the rare activation of Peter I Island scheduled for February 2027.
Young Ham Joins the Team
In August, 3Y0K announced the addition of 21-year-old operator Max Freedman, N4ML. An active DX chaser and contester, N4ML has been licensed since 2015 and works for the ARRL as an education/learning support specialist. He is likely the youngest person ever to be a part of a DXpedition such as Bouvet Island 2026, per the 3Y0K Facebook page.
For up-to-date details, visit the 3Y0K website and 3Y0K 2026/Peter I 2027 Facebook page.
DX Engineering Makes another Trip to Bouvet Island
DX Engineering is onboard as an equipment sponsor of 3Y0K. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the DX Engineering branded gear that will be used at 3Y0K’s two operating sites in February 2026:
- DX Engineering Phased Array Quarter Wave Tuned Cables
- DX Engineering TFS4 Series B Transmit Four Square Systems
- DX Engineering 400MAX PL-259 Low-Loss 50-ohm Coaxial Cable Assemblies
- DX Engineering LMR400UF Ultra-Flex Coaxial Cable Assemblies
- DX Engineering Ultra-Grip 2 Large Ratcheting Crimpers with Dies
Equipment provided by DXE from other manufacturers includes an Icom IC-9700 Transceiver, Paradan Radio Power Strips, Anderson Powerpoles®, Astron SS Series Switching Power Supplies, and an M2 Antennas 6M3SS 6M Yagi (below).
We’re happy to once again thank one of the major sponsors of DXpeditions—our friends at DX Engineering,” a note on the 3Y0K website said. “DX Engineering is providing us with A3WS antennas, Rohn H40 masts, coaxial cable, RX loop antennas, 80 and 40 four-square controllers, 12VCC power supplies, and much, much more! We’ll also be using much of the equipment and accessories they provided for 3Y0J in February 2023. Thanks Tim (K3LR) and Teri (K8MNJ) for always helping the DX community!”
Check out monthly updates on OnAllBands about Bouvet Island 3Y0K. Until then, 73 and happy DXing!
