Fireworks at Ducie Island!

Copying from Ducie page......

"On 2008 February 25 Monday at 0437z, after 13 days 7 hours and 37 minutes of continuous operation, RA0ALM contacted the Ducie Island expedition on the 10 MHz band for the expedition's 168,723rd contact.

According to documents maintained by Jari Jussila OH2BU, this contact breaks the record for the largest number of contacts made by any radio expedition. The record was previously held by the Five Star DX Association's expedition to the Comoros Island (D68C) during 2001 Feb 8-28.

A few moments later, the pre-moonrise starry skies above Ducie Island sparkled with a barrage of flares launched from the deck of the M/V Braveheart in celebration. The thirteen operators and six Braveheart crew congratulated each other with handshakes, hugs, and some strong coffee. But deep pileups of European and North American stations were still calling. Soon the seven on-duty operators were back in front of the radios, while the others crept off to their cots to catch up on sleep in the cool of the evening.

The Ducie Island expedition has broken other expedition records in recent days, including:

• 
  
• largest number of RTTY contacts, previously held by the Swains Island N8S expedition of 2007 April.
• largest number of SSB (voice) contacts, previously held by the Comoros Island D68C expedition.
• largest number of contacts on the 40m band, previously held by the Libya 5A7A expedition of 2006 November.
• largest number of contacts on the 30m band, previously held by the St Brandon Island 3B7C expedition of 2007 September.
• largest number of contacts on the 17m band, previously held by the Swains Island N8S expedition.
• largest number of contacts with North America, previously held by the Comoros Island D68C expedition.
• largest number of contacts with South America, previously held by the Peter the First Island 3Y0X expedition of 2006 February.
• largest number of contacts with Africa, previously held by the Rodrigues Island 3B9C expedition of 2004 March-April.

As this message was transmitted by Iridium satellite from Ducie Island, the expedition contact total crossed 170,000 contacts... and continues to increase at about 415 contacts per hour. Most contacts now entering the logs are with European stations during their morning twilight period. In an hour or so the focus will shift to North and South America, east Asia and the Pacific, where it will remain until dawn at Ducie Island."

Congratulations dear folks. You gave us very nice moments indeed. And now next station Clipperton...the terminal one!