VK0EK Expedition to Heard Island - 2016 Onno (VK6FLAB)

Bill Mitchell, AE0EE

Bill was first licensed in 2012 as AG6RB while in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. After finishing his PhD in 2014, he relocated to Minnesota and acquired his current callsign, AE0EE. Bill was part of a mini-expedition to North Dakota in August, 2014 to activate W1AW/0. He is most often found on CW, but also enjoys digital modes and SSB.

When not on the radio, Bill enjoys doing and teaching science. He holds a BA in chemistry from Carleton College, and a PhD in Chemistry from UC Berkeley. While his primary focus is physical and analytical chemistry, his research has been broad, spanning organometallic synthesis, kinetics, polymers, 2-photon photochemistry, atmospheric chemistry and physics, geochemistry, and geology. His dissertation focused on high-precision uranium-lead dating.


Source: https://vk0ek.org/the-team/

Gavin Marshall, VK2BAX

Born in Nelson New Zealand I re-ignited my interest in the outdoors approx. 15 years ago trekking in the Tararua Ranges north of Wellington, New Zealand. And from that simple beginning I've been pursuing outdoor adventure opportunities when and wherever I can.Several years as a volunteer in the Wellington Search and Rescue organisation, a period as the National SAR Treasurer and also time training a wilderness search dog ensured I maximised my time in the outdoors. In January 2009 I moved to Sydney with my wife and son where I renewed my involvement with the local Search and Rescue organisation. I'm currently a member of the NSW Bush Walkers Rescue Squad and Vertical Rescue team.

In 2011 two close friends and I attempted an independent climb of Mt McKinley in Alaska. After a week of holding out in camp 3 for weather on the summit to clear we were forced to descend. I'm not someone to take defeat easily and that descent became the trigger for me to set a personal goal of climbing the 7 summits. To date I've reached the summit of -

* Mt Kosciusko, Australia (2,228m)
* Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa (6,895m)
* Mt Aconcagua, South America (6,982m)
* Mt Elbrus, Europe (5,642m)

In May 2014 I made a return to Mt McKinley. Once again I was knocked back by the weather. I reached high camp at 17,200 feet before once again being forced to descend.

2014 has been a busy year for me, 10 months off work to travel and continue chasing my 7 summits goal along with a period of volunteer work in Kampala, Uganda.

I'm now back in Sydney, using my skills as an Accountant and Project Manager to install ERP business solutions. As fate would have it I have secured a role on a project based in Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea. I'm sure there's an adventure to be had somewhere in the mountains of PNG!

I hold amateur radio licence VK2BAX.


Source: https://vk0ek.org/the-team/

Jim Colletto, N6TQ

Jim is 52 years young and married to Katy. They have a daughter Hurricane Mia (12) and a son Tropical Storm Jake (8).

After high school, Jim spent a stint in the U.S. Coast Guard and then graduated with an Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Florida Tech. Jim also holds an MBA in International Business from Georgetown University.

Jim was first licensed in 1976 (7th grade) as WB6ZHZ and then acquired the call N6TQ in 2011. Jim enjoys DXing, Lowbands and 160m contesting. Jim recently made DXCC Honor Roll and believes the Heard Island trip strongly aligns with his passion for adventure, having spent six weeks trekking in the Himalaya (1998), two weeks trekking in the jungles of Laos (1999), four weeks tracking the white-desert rhinos of Namibia (2000), summitting Kilimanjaro (2002) and, most recently, operating from the remote Tuli Preserve in eastern Bostwana (A25TQ - Sept 2014).

Jim is currently working at Equinix, a leading data-center provider, as a senior program manager, focused on transforming the customer experience for the company. Graciously, Equinix has been very supportive of this once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in the Heard Island expedition.


Source: https://vk0ek.org/the-team/

Dr. Robert Schmieder, KK6EK Bob is the founder and Expedition Leader of Cordell Expeditions, a nonprofit research group begun in 1977. The group is responsible for the creation of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and for numerous research expeditions to remote oceanic sites. Professionally he is a research physicist, with about 100 publications and four patents. He is the founder of NanoLogic Inc. He is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and former Chairman of its Northern California Chapter. In over 30 years he has been listed in almost every Who's Who in the world. He is the owner and operator of a research vessel, the Cordell Explorer. Licensed since 1962, he holds Extra Class amateur license KK6EK. His specialty has been very large and complicated scientific expeditions and developing new communications technology for remote expedition sites. EXPEDITIONS Cordell Bank (California, 1977-1986 ) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Marine research Pt. Sur (California, 1987-1989) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Marine research North Farallon Islands (California, 1989) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Marine research Farallon Islands (California, 1989) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations and environmental science Guadalupe Island (Mexico, 1993) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations and environmental science Roqueta Island (Mexico, 1992) (Expedition Leader) Radio operations Castle Rock Island (California, 1992) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations Ventura Rocks (California, 1992) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations Rocas Alijos (Baja California, 1990 and 1993) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Marine research Peter I Island (Antarctic, 1994) (Participant) Radio operations (3Y0PI) and natural history Easter Island/Salas y Gomez (Pacific Ocean, 1995) (Co-organizer and Expedition Leader) Radio operations (XR0Y/Z), marine research, communications technology for expeditions Heard Island (Antarctic, 1997) (Co-organizer, Co-Expedition Leader) Radio operations (VK0IR) San Felix Island (Chile, 2002) (Participant) Radio operations (XR0X) and environmental research Kure Atoll (Hawaii, 2005) (Co-organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations (K7C) Clipperton Island (Pacific, 2013) (Organizer, Expedition Leader) Radio operations and environmental science BOOKS Ecology of an Underwater Island (1991) 3Y0PI Peter I Island 1994 DXpedition (1994) Rocas Alijos (1995) DX-Aku: Messages from the 1995 Easter Island DXpedition (1995) VK0IR Heard Island Expedition (1997) XR0X San Felix Island, Chile (2002) Great Adventures (Children's books) (2011) Edward Cordell and the Discovery of Cordell Bank (in press) Element: The Amazing Life and Work of Albert Ghiorso (in progress) HONORS Fellow, Explorers Club, 1986-present Expedition of the Year (Peter I 1994, Easter Island 1995, Heard Island 1997) Honorary Life member, Central Arizona DX Association Environmental Enrichment Award, International Underwater Foundation, 1995 Certificate of Merit, Chiltern DX Club, 1997 Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, elected 2011 Schmieder Bank (a rocky bank in the eastern Pacific) Codium schmiederi (an alga) Erylus schmiederi (a sponge) Pharia pyramidata schmiederi (a starfish) Megalomphalus schmiederi (a gastropod) PROFESSIONAL A.B. (Physics) Occidental College, 1963 B.S. (Physics) California Institute of Technology, 1963 M.A. (Physics) Columbia University, 1965 Ph.D. (Physics) Columbia University, 1969 Research Staff, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1969-74 Research Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, 1974-97 Founder, Expedition Leader, Cordell Expeditioins, 1977-present Founder, CEO, NanoLogic, 1997-present WEBSITES http://www.cordell.org (Cordell Expeditions) http://www.cordell.org/HI (Heard Island 1997) http://www.cordell.org/HD (Heard Island 2014) http://www.cordell.org/CI (Clipperton Island 2013) http://www.cordell.org/DXA (DXA) CONTACT 4295 Walnut Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA 94596 USA (925) 934-3735 Robert(at)schmieder.com.

Arliss Thompson, M.D, W7XU Arliss is a 63 year-old semi-retired emergency department physician living near Sioux Falls, SD Married to Holly, N0QJM, for 30 years. Two grown children: son Nolan (callsign N0LAN) and daughter Becky Education: BS Mathematics 1973, Oregon State University BS Wildlife Science 1980, Oregon State University MD 1988, Oregon Health Sciences University Early life: I grew up in western Oregon and was originally licensed as WN7JUH in 1968. I later upgraded to Advanced Class and then, in one long day at the FCC office in Portland, Oregon in the early 1970s, passed my Extra Class, Second Class Radiotelegraph and First Class Radiotelephone with Ship Radar Endorsement exams. I obtained my current call (W7XU) in the mid-70s. I was an alpine ski racer in college (early 1970s) and continued to race until retiring from that sport in 1978 as a Can-Am level skier. I supported myself by working various jobs in the summers, including 3 summers on survey crews and 1 summer as a sheepherder in the Gravelly Range in Montana. While pursuing a BS in Wildlife Science in the late 1970s, I did work-study with the OSU Dept. of Oceanography. That included some cruises of up to a week or so aboard the R/V Wecoma in the eastern Pacific, assisting with conductivity-temperature-density studies. Work in wildlife biology included 2 months aboard Japanese trawlers in the Bering Sea while serving as a foreign fishery observer for the National Marine Fisheries Service. My duties included sampling the catch for monitoring purposes, carrying out marine mammal watches and collecting specimens of fish that had not previously been documented in the Bering Sea (the latter being my favorite part of the job). I also worked for the US Forest Service doing stream surveys (which included camping out all summer) and stream studies for the EPA. In 1981-82 I was employed by ITT Antarctic Services as the communications coordinator (chief radio operator and repair technician) at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station (90 degrees south). I was a member of the winter over crew (on the ice 1 year). My duties involved long range communications with aircraft and handling day-to-day radioteletype and voice communications with other Antarctic bases. I was the chief operator of KC4AAA, also. Upon returning to the US, I entered medical school. I subsequently completed a residency in Internal Medicine, but was hired by an emergency medicine group and outside of residency I have only practiced emergency medicine. I have continued to maintain my board certification in Internal Medicine, but as of July of last year, I cut back to only practicing part time in local emergency departments, filling in as needed. Ham radio: I enjoy operating CW, SSB and RTTY. I have been on Dxpeditions to: FY, 8R, CE0Y, 9G, CY9, J3, VP2V, FJ, TZ, C5 and VP8 (Falklands). I am a member of the S. Georgia Dxpedition scheduled for January 2016. I've also operated from KC4, KL7, KH6, VY1 and a number of Canadian provinces. I enjoy contests and pile-ups, regardless of the mode. I think my best single op contest result was 3rd in the US, high power SSB, during the 10 m contest one year. I've participated in the W0SD multi-op ARRL RTTY Roundup effort, with a number of top 3 placings. I have held some meteor scatter distance records on 222 and 432 and have also worked all lower 48 states on 2m without EME. Ham references: I've been on several Dxpeditions with both of these operators: K5AND, Dick Hanson 512-940-9978 W0SD, Ed Gray 605-421-1918 Other activities: Bicycling: I bicycled from Oregon to Washington, DC, then up into Newfoundland and back to Vermont in 1980. I've also cycled in New Zealand, Australia and SE Asia enroute home following my year in Antarctica. My wife and I honeymooned on a tandem bike trip through England, Scotland and Wales. I continue to be an active cyclist. Hiking: I hiked about 350 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in May of this year. Commercial pilot.

Karr, NG2H

Ken has was first licensed in 1955 and credits amateur radio for launching his interests in science, engineering and oceanography. He was awarded BChE & MEng (Chemical) from the University of Louisville and later MNucE & MS (Oceanography) from the University of Washington. Ken entered the Navy through the NROTC program, and served in the Nuclear Submarine Service commanding two nuclear fast attack submarines and then serving as the senior member of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Operational Reactor Safeguards Examining team responsible for evaluating the safety of nuclear ships, tenders, and shore facilities. He was presented the "Legion of Merit" (three awards) and other honors during his 25 year Naval career.

Ken retired from the Navy and joined the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) as a team manager and senior representative. INPO is an industry excellence-in-safety organization formed after the accident at Three Mile Island to oversee and evaluate nuclear safety at commercial nuclear generating stations. He then served as Vice President of the Advanced Reactor Corporation (developing new electric generation reactor designs), President of KRK Inc., and as an expert with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

After many busy but rewarding years Ken is now devoting more time on the air and pursuing interests in scientific activities that align with his education and experience supporting meaningful initiatives. He is a member of his area Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) organization, enjoys teaching leadership and facilitating professional teams in business and non-profit organizations to attain challenging performance objectives. Ken is also a long time member of Rotary International (motto "Service Above Self") and is a member of R.O.A.R. (Rotarians of Amateur Radio).

Ken reports that being a member of the Heard Island Expedition is a tremendous honor and the kind of meaningful challenge he relishes.


Source: https://vk0ek.org/the-team/