9U0A

Burundi - September/October 2007

News

Saturday, Nov 10, 2007

The QSL card is printed. First requests are answered.

Saturday, Oct 20, 2007

We have added more pictures to Picture Page 2. Please check also our notes on the Burundi Kids relief project on this page.

Tuesday, Oct 9, 2007

9U0A went QRT today at 04:00 UTC today after some 33,500 QSOs. The team is disassembling the station now and returning to Germany today.

The pileups were huge till the end. We regret that we couldn't be more active on 160m (and 80m) but we have had thunderstorms almost every day. This was the worst QRN we have ever experienced on any of our DXpeditions which made reception almost impossible.

We are glad if we could provide you one or the other new band country or even an all-time new one. Please check our QSL Information before sending your QSL.

73 from the 9U0A Crew!

Sunday, Oct 7, 2007

We've had 6 hours of thunderstorms last night, the longest since we are here. Only a few QSOs on 80m, none on 160. This morning we had our first SSTV QSOs.

Saturday, Oct 6, 2007

Today we had a good opening on 12m and even 10m. Today we have strong thunderstorms again and had to take a break from time to time. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will start to work SSTV on 17m at 08:00 UTC for about two hours.

Friday, Oct 5, 2007

Not many news, QRN "as usual" but a few more QSOs on 160. Before our sunrise the QRN level gets a bit lower. Welcome to W1JJ and PE1BTX in the WSJT EME log. New pictures added to the Pictures Page...

The 9U0A Team (l.to r.): Frank - DL7UFR, Sigi - DL7DF, Leszek - SP3DOI, Wolfgang - DL4WK, Manfred - DK1BT, Jürgen - DL7UFN

Thursday, Oct 4, 2007

The QRN last night was a real horror. Last evening we had strong thunderstorms and rain. We are trying all kind of receiving antennas (Beverage, magnetic loop). We are very disappointed - you can hear us but we can't hear you. Again, we don't give up and it only can get better. On 160m please send your call at least three or four times, on 80m at least twice. Please don't send too fast. You notice when it's difficult for us to dig out a signal.

We keep on trying 6m EME. We heard signals from W1JJ, G4GIO, PE1BTX, K6MYC but unluckily no complete QSO yet.

Wednesday, Oct 3, 2007

All in all everything is running well here but we are very disappointed about 80m and 160m. Thunderstorms cause heavy crashes and there is no cure for it. We tried all kind of receiving antennas but there is no cure. There is even S9 noise on a snake receiving antenna. This morning it was a bit better -- it can only get better. We don't give up. On 10m we don't hear anything.

Tuesday, Oct 2, 2007

We managed the first 6m EME QSO. Besides the skeds we are going to call CQ on 50.209 five minutes before every full hour and try to get QSOs into the log. If that doesn't work, we are going to call CQ in WSJT for five minutes every full hour.

The QRN situation here on 160 (and 80) is still horrible.

Monday, Oct 1, 2007

Despite building a beverage we still have the same problems with QRN on the low bands. Maybe it gets better in the next nights, we know you are all waiting. On 6m we have tried the first EME QSO with W7GJ. We have updated the Pictures Page with the first photos of our DXpedition.

Sunday, Sep 30, 2007

It is terribly warm at our place, tough conditions for our equipment and the operators (there is no A/C), plus the night-time missions of the mosquitos. There was no propagation yet on 12m and 10m. On 80m we had QRN last night, nevertheless we can hear/work stations. On 160m we had very strong QRN, it was almost impossible to hear anything. The team is fully operational except for minor sunburns from building the antennas.

Friday, Sep 28, 2007

In the hotel we moved three times to find the best operating place. People are very friendly and helpful here - today. We were only able to build a 80m vertical and the Hex Beam. It then got dark very suddenly. We are going to test everything today and build the rest of the antennas. Then we begin operating.

Thursday, Sep 27, 2007

The team arrived on Thursday morning in Addis Abbeba and took the next flight to Burundi at 10 am local time. We finally arrived very well in in Bujumbura. All luggage is luckily complete and customs was no problem.

Friday, Sep 21, 2007 (updated by DL7UFR)

Now we are ready to go. The equipment is stored in five heavy aluminum boxes. We also have five boxes with antennas. View the pictures...

Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 (updated by DL7UFR)

The 6 m antenna ist prepared for our DXpedition. View the pictures...

Here are the 6 m frequencies we will use in 9U:

Friday, Sep 07, 2007

The three power amplifiers TY900 for 160m to 10m and the 9U800 for 6m are prepared for our DXpedition. View the picture ...

Saturday, Sep 01, 2007

Today we made a field test of our new four square antenna array for 40m und 30m. The 40m antenna coupler was made by DM2AYO, the 30m antenna coupler by DL7UFR. The test was performed by DL7DF, DL7UFN, DM2AYO and DL7UFR. View some pictures ...

Wednesday, Jun 06, 2007

Today we got our 9U0A lizence from ACRT Burundi. Many thanks to our agent.