C5DL

The Gambia - April 2019

Operation

Our next DXpedition will take place from The Gambia between April 1 and 15, 2019. We will be active with three stations from 160m through 10m on CW, SSB and Digi modes. Please check our News Page.

       

Our equipment consists of a transceiver Elecraft K2, two transceivers Icom IC7300, two OX1000 power amplifiers, one other power amplifier, a vertical for 160 and 80m, a 40m loop, a 30m loop, a Spiderbeam for 20m through 10m, Loop antennas for 20/15/10m, a vertical for 60m as well as a few laptop computers.

Locator

Our grid locator is IK13PJ.

Team

Our experienced crew includes:

Pilot for this DXpedition is Bernd, DF3CB. Please follow the DX Code of Conduct!

QSL Information

The QSL route is via DL7UFR either direct to:

Frank Rutter, DL7UFR
Hallberger Zeile 14
12437 Berlin
Germany

or via the German QSL bureau DARC to DL7UFR.

If you prefer a direct QSL please send a SASE or SAE with 1 new IRC or 2 US$ for a international letter. When sending IRCs please check the expiration date, the new ones are valid until the end of 2021. Any donations are very welcome and needed for the high shipping costs.

If you do not provide the right return postage or a self addressed envelope, we reply via the buro. Please only one call sign per envelope! If more than one, all additional cards go via the buro.

Postage needed for 1 envelope with 20 Gramm (FYI): A letter within DL = 80 Euro Cent, a international letter costs 110 Euro Cent. 1 US$ is equal to 83 Euro Cent. So please keep in mind that 1 US$ - due to the bad exchange rate between the US$ and the Euro - does not cover the postage needed for an international air mail letter!

We will upload the full logs of the DXpedition to LoTW within 6 months after the DXpedition.

Sponsors

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all our sponsors for this DXpedition:

www.funkamateur.de www.QSL-Shop.com
Rudi - DM2XO (ex DL7VFR) Sid - DM2AYO

Individual sponsors

Bernd - DF3CB
Robert - W9EWZ
Mitko - LZ1MDU
David - VK3EW

About The Gambia

Country name: Republic of The Gambia
National capital: Banjul
Location:

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Area: total: 11.300 sq km
land: 10.120 sq km
water: 1.180 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 749 km
Coastline: 80 km
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Natural resources: fish, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon
Population: 2,092,731 (July 2018 est.)
Ethnic groups: Mandinka/Jahanka 34%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 22.4%, Wolof 12.6%, Jola/Karoninka 10.7%, Serahuleh 6.6%, Serer 3.2%, Manjago 2.1%, Bambara 1%, Creole/Aku Marabout 0.7%, other 0.9%, non-Gambian 5.2%, no answer 0.6% (2013 est.)
Religions: Muslim 95.7%, Christian 4.2%, none 0.1%, no response 0.1% (2013 est.)
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Fula other indigenous vernaculars
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from the UK)

The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived Confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, although tensions flared up intermittently during the regime of Yahya JAMMEH. JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential election in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH was elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011. After 22 years of increasingly authoritarian rule, President JAMMEH was defeated in free and fair elections in December 2016. Due to The Gambia’s poor human rights record under JAMMEH, international development partners had distanced themselves, and substantially reduced aid to the country. These channels are now reopening under the administration of President Adama BARROW, who took office in January 2017.

Reference: CIA - The World Factbook -- The Gambia