On 25 October, Mark (XE1B) will travel to Socorro Island (NA-030), Revillagigedo, to meet the new base commander and assess conditions for a future international DXpedition with remote operation capabilities.

Access to the island is strictly limited and only possible via a Mexican Navy vessel departing from Baja California. The voyage takes approximately 36 hours. The next scheduled trip leaves on 23 October and returns on 30 October, giving Mark a five-day operating window.

Mark has previously visited the island three times (in 1999, 2011, and 2018) and has secured a new operating license for this expedition. His callsign will be announced once he is QRV. Authorization has been granted by the Navy and the two relevant regulatory agencies.

This will be a low-profile operation, designed to demonstrate that a DXpedition can be conducted with minimal environmental impact. Mark’s main objective is to provide as many ATNO contacts as possible, helping to reduce XF4’s ranking on the most-wanted list.

He will bring four antennas, two radios, and a linear amplifier, operating SSB and FT8 simultaneously (without automated FT8 QSOs). Due to uncertain Internet access, live streaming will not be available.

QSL will be available exclusively via Club Log’s OQRS, with LoTW uploads processed as OQRS requests are completed. Any surplus funds will be donated to the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF).

This trip serves as a preparatory mission for a larger activation planned for 2026.