From 19–31 March 2026, the CY0S team will activate one of the most challenging and highly sought-after DXCC entities: Sable Island (CY0), Nova Scotia. This is not a typical “fly-in, set-up, operate” outing—Sable is remote, environmentally protected, and notoriously weather-dependent. Those realities drive every technical decision, including a notable one for 2026: CY0S is standardizing on FlexRadio Aurora transceivers to maximize capability while minimizing payload, complexity, and power draw.
Quick facts
- Callsign: CY0S
- Operating window: 19–31 March 2026
- Operators: WA4DAN, W0GJ, K0IR, N2IEN, WW2DX, K4ZLE, W4DKS, K9NW, NE9U
- Planned activity: Up to six HF stations, plus 6 m, satellite, and EME; CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and more
Why Sable Island is different
Sable Island sits roughly 300 km [190 mi] east of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is a shifting sand environment—about 40 km [25 mi] long and up to 1 km [0.6 mi] wide—with no trees and a reputation for strong winds and fast-changing conditions in March.
Access is also highly constrained. There is no runway, and aircraft land directly on the beach when conditions permit. Weather and flight rules are a gating factor, and crosswind and surface conditions can delay or cancel transport. For a DXpedition team, that means you plan for uncertainty, you pack for reliability, and you do not bring anything you cannot justify by weight and operational value.
Logistics drive the radio plan: weight, flights, and redundancy
CY0S is working within strict payload limitations across two flights, with an overall allowance of approximately 1,306 kg [2,880 lb] for the team and gear. When “everything must fit” and conditions are harsh, the station design must be: (1) compact, (2) power-efficient, and (3) resilient through redundancy.
That is the operational context where FlexRadio Aurora becomes more than an equipment choice—it becomes an enabler.
Why FlexRadio Aurora matters on CY0S
1) 500 W in a single box: fewer components, fewer failure points
FlexRadio is providing six Aurora 500 W transceivers for the expedition. The key advantage for Sable Island is that Aurora eliminates the traditional need to ship a separate HF amplifier chain for each station. In a weight- and space-limited airlift, removing “extra boxes” is not a convenience—it is how you create room for additional station capability and spares.
2) Integrated design tuned for expedition realities
Each Aurora unit consolidates the radio, tuner, and power supply into a single chassis, delivering 500 W while weighing about 8.2 kg [18 lb]. That integration simplifies packing, speeds deployment, reduces interconnect complexity, and helps keep the station footprint controlled inside limited operating space.
3) Efficiency when “every watt counts”
Sable Island power planning is not theoretical—energy is finite and conditions can punish marginal designs. Aurora’s high-efficiency amplifier architecture reduces consumption without sacrificing output, which directly supports higher duty cycles, multiple active stations, and greater operational resilience during long operating days.
What to expect on the air
CY0S is planning aggressive coverage: up to six simultaneous HF stations, plus activity on 6 m, satellite, and EME. Operating schedules will target broad band/mode coverage across time zones, with strategic use of FT8 where propagation or geography demands it, while maintaining strong CW/SSB presence when conditions peak.
As with most high-demand activations, split operation will be common. The best way to help the team keep rate high is to be disciplined: listen, understand the pattern, and only then call.
How to work CY0S efficiently
- Check published operating guidance and updates frequently, especially band plans and split instructions.
- Prepare your low-band receive path and noise mitigation—Sable Island signals can be workable, but pileups will be intense.
- Listen first, then transmit—identify the operator’s rhythm and the correct split window before calling. That discipline reduces chaos, improves throughput, and helps more stations get logged.
- Consider donating to help make CY0S possible—contributions support transportation, permits, fuel, and on-island logistics; every amount helps. If PayPal has issues, the CY0S donation page also notes an alternate method via PayPal using the expedition’s published email.
Bottom line: Sable Island forces hard tradeoffs—payload, power, and reliability are non-negotiable. By standardizing on FlexRadio Aurora and its integrated 500 W design, CY0S is prioritizing exactly what matters most on a rare-entity expedition: more station capability, less complexity, and a higher probability of sustained, high-rate operation when the weather window finally opens.
