Clipperton DX Club - CDXC - 6W/F5VHQ - Saint Louis

Le but du Clipperton DX Club est de promouvoir l'organisation d'expéditions radioamateurs vers des contrées rares et lointaines grâce à des aides financières, l'impression des cartes QSL, ou le prêt de matériel. Le club a créé le diplôme DXPA - DXpedition Award - pour encourager et récompenser le trafic avec les expéditions radioamateurs.

6W/F5VHQ
by John F5VHQ / OE5TGL

april 19 / may 1^st 2003

QSL card 6W/F5VHQ

Radio experiences from Senegal

Following my first DX-ing out of the Dominican Republic in January 2003, suddenly a short-term opportunity popped up: My sister in law announced she was about to take on a short time assignment starting by March 2003 - in Senegal! Why not considering another holiday- activity from yet another continent?

License application : As soon as I knew about this possibility I started checking the internet to find out about former activities from Senegal. After a few e-mails I run into Daniel, 6W7RP. Spontaneously he proposed to help me with all the licensing procedures, including all the fees. After having sent all required copies by electronic mailing, Daniel replied that we still have one major problem to solve: Actually, when do you come to 6W and where do you stay? It did not take a big sales job to convince my xyl to spend Easter holidays together with her little sister in Senegal. As the licensing problem was already solved we could go ahead with reservation of flights and hotel.

Equipment : Different to my activity in HI9 earlier in the year, this time I would have to bring all my equipment - including antennas - by airplane. That is why I purchased a new rucksack (including laptop/TRX protection), which at the end included: TRX, switched power supply, Headset, Coax, antenna cables, PC, Camera etc. Of course this hand luggage exceeded by far the allowed 8kg. This could only be compensated by having a very relaxed carrying of the rucksack...
In the course of a business trip to Prague a few days due to departure, I was able to add an ultra-compact HB9CV for the 6m band, especially build by OK1TN. Thereby all telescope elements of the antenna find room inside the boom for easy transportation. The overall length of 80cm allowed easy storage in the suite case. In addition, my sister in law could include some vertical into her official relocation package.

Travel and Antenna set-up : Since the flight was via Milan to Dakar I had to pack and unpack twice - not to mention the discussions with security. At arrival in Dakar at 1 a.m. it became really exciting: customs scanning all luggage!
An hour of interesting discussions (up to: what is ham radio good for?) with all present staff and I was allowed to enter with all my equipment. After a rather dangerous trip by car I was happy to arrive at sunrise at Saint-Louis. As promised by the hotel management by e-mail, the bungalow at the edge of the hotel site was attributed to me: in front the Atlantic, behind the river Senegal. The hotel is located on an only 100m large, but about 25km long peninsula.
Even though very tired I immediately started checking the few trees in order to find the right place for my dipoles. The vertical was build up but did not work. I discovered that way that sand is not a good counterpoise and that the electrical installation had no "real" grounding; measuring of the grounding wires actually showed some significant voltage! After several attempts to create some grounding - plenty of radials and I even purchased some ground rod (apparently the only one they have sold for the last three years) - the vertical still did not work very well.
At that time I have managed to put my "holiday-brewed" dipole (without any Balun) already to some remarkable height and first pile-ups showed good results. From that moment onwards the vertical was used as mast for the 6m HB9CV...

Operating : First of all I have to state that I was on holidays and I do not measure my radio success by number of QSOs. The time dedicated to radio is composed of:
Antenna works: numerous new mountings of the dipole, sometimes applying strange methods in order to raise the feeding point (my xyl was wandering about one of my shoes fixed to the antenna rope in the tree...the cleaning ladies where astonished what I could do to their broom handle...). Changing operating bands had become increasingly optimised: bringing dipole down, adding the right length of wires at both ends and up again - 10 minutes! This is of course a bit too long for hams used to internet clusters who wanted to quickly work me on another band, hi.
Pile-ups: as part of any activity from a rather rare one, pile-ups are of course, both lot of fun and challenge. Anyhow I tried to hand out real reports, not just the usual 59.
DX: it is always interesting to do some DX-ing; sometimes I got helped by some big guns („A 6W-station is calling you..") and usually DX-stations interrupt their pile-up for some short QSO. Finally I had 98 DXCC in the log.
Last but not least - perhaps the nicest part being a DX-station - is to answer to CQ-calls. Operators are kind of surprised and most pleased. This way one can make a nice QSO before getting discovered by some cluster again.

6m-band was only open twice; I managed to work my first 150 stations on that band including 13 countries.

All in all I spent nice holidays in a very fascinating country with very friendly people. There was certainly enough time for the radio and about 3000 contacts were made. Many times I was told "thanks for a new one". For all of you who still need 6W or simply want to have a nice chat with Senegal, keep on calling CQ - perhaps 6W/F5VHQ might answer you soon again.