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3DA0DL Update (Nov 08)
Today is the last day of our DXpedition. In the afternoon we start taking down the antennas step by step. Gradually, we will no longer be heard on the individual bands. We will leave the low band antennas in place until the morning. Tomorrow shortly after breakfast we will leave for Johannesburg and fly home in the late afternoon.
3DA0DL Update (Nov 07)
The location of the 6 m antenna was optimized once again. After that, numerous QSOs were logged.
The low bands are still difficult.
At sunset on Tuesday, nothing was going towards Europe, on Wednesday a few were lucky enough to get into the log.
At sunrise, a few connections were possible towards North and South America. Here, too, nothing worked on some days.
BTW I find questions from Europe about 80m SSB funny when hardly anything is possible in FT8.
When we were qrv from Swaziland as 3DA0DF and 3DA0FR in 2001, we had similarly bad conditions on the 80 m band. We reported this in our news at the time.
3DA0DL Update (Nov 04)
We have installed a monitoring system so that we don't miss any band openings. For this purpose, we have installed an SDR TRX on every antenna that is not currently connected to an active station making QSOs. This listens to the usual FT8 frequencies. The evaluator is an RPI with MSHV. Everything that happens on the FT8 frequencies is recorded. So it makes sense for us to be called regularly when band openings are observed at the respective location. We will then react immediately if our monoring system displays signals.
Summary: Call us regularly on the FT8 frequencies, then the monitoring system will be a success and hopefully many stations will come into the log, especially on 6 m.
3DA0DL Update (Nov 03)
We have seen messages in the cluster for 3DA0DL for November 2 between 18 and 21 UTC on 14.215 in SSB. If anyone has logged a QSO with this station, it was not with us, it was a pirate.
Note: There are indications that the call information in these cluster messages is incorrect, as XT2MD was on this frequency at the time. Thanks to Tom, DL2RUM
Many thanks to Hirofumi Oishi - JH6ERA for pointing out an error in the OQRS form. My mistake. Now you can also select the days from November 1 to 9. I have corrected the mistake.
3DA0DL Update (Nov 02)
We used today's good conditions to do a lot of CW and SSB on the higher bands.
We have taken note of the comments on FT8. Each of us has our own special skills. Three of us are good with pileups in CW and SSB. We have a 6m specialist among us and an FT8 specialist. Please don't forget in the comments if you can handle several stations at the same time with one op in FT8. In CW and SSB this is impossible. And finally, we are also people who reach their physical limits at some point. During the first few days, we worked intensively on improving the antenna setup. That's where FT8 can help us.
With every completed antenna, another station can enter the race, supervised by an operator. So many got an early chance to radio with the Kingdom of Eswatini, with 3DA0DL.
Maintaining the website also takes a lot of time. Please understand, we can not send mails to (... am I in the log? ... please check the log ...) they simply cannot be processed. Because nobody can be qrv in CW and SSB during this time.
Now to the questions about the lower bands. We have a station for each band that monitors the FT8 frequencies when it is not actively calling. Unfortunately, hardly any signals can be read on the lower bands. Of course we call at the typical times for the low bands. For example, at the last sunrise I wanted to work stations from W, only VP8A heard us and came into log. The conditions on the lower bands are really very bad. Under these conditions, contacts in CW and SSB are out of the question.
And to anyone who still knows better, it's really easy to get an amateur radio license in the Kingdom of Eswatini. I am happy to help with information. Then he can prove it and do better.
Finally, please note that we finance almost the entire DXpedition out of our own pockets. I would like to take this opportunity to thank The South German DX Group - SDXG for their support.
I will also add photos of the antenna setup soon.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 31)
We had received the license in advance by mail, but we had to pick up the original in person in Mbabane. We did that today.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 30)
We have now finished setting up the antennas and are qrv from 160m to 6m and QO-100.
In the last few days we have received many inquiries such as ... am I in the log, please check ... my qso is not in the onlinelog, please correct. We cannot and will not answer these requests during the DXpedition. This costs time during which we cannot make QSOs. We will look at the questions after the DXpedition. If you are not in the onlinelog, please try again. We are still qrv for a few days.
We usually upload all logs of a DXpedition to LoTW within 6 months after the DXpedition.
We do not use eQSL, clublog, heardlog or qrz log.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 28)
Last night we had a storm, rain and thunderstorms like we've never seen before. Our hostel parents were worried about our antennas. Both Spiderbeams defied the storm. Unfortunately, the storm was accompanied by a power cut that lasted several hours.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 27)
It is now early morning on 27.10. Between the rain and thunderstorms we have completed the antennas for 10/15/20. Three stations are now running. At the same time we have also set up a QO-100 station. All tests are currently running successfully and numerous connections in CW, SSB and FT8 have been logged. We have also extended the online log to display QO-100 QSOs. In CQWW SSB we made some test QSOs. There was simply no time for more.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 26)
Setting up the antennas and station is a bit difficult due to the weather conditions, today is a day with a lot of rain and thunderstorms. We often have to interrupt the work.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 25)
After more than 24 hours of traveling, we arrive in the evening at our accommodation, the Goggas Nest BNB & Restaurant in Matsapha. We were warmly welcomed by the Emmett family and the entire hotel staff.Some pictures have been added.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 24)
Late Thursday afternoon, the team members set off from Berlin BER Airport and Frankfurt FRA Airport towards Istanbul. The group will meet here for the onward flight to Johannesburg. They continue on the road with their heavy luggage towards the Kingdom of Eswatini.
3DA0DL Update (Oct 23)
ESCCOM has completed the license certificate and sent us a copy by email.
3DA0DL
Ops: DK1BT, DL4WK, DL6SAK, DL7BO, DL7DF & DL7UFR
Bands: 10M & 80M
Modes: CW, SSB & DIGI
Qsl Info: Qsl via DL7UFR
Start Date - End Date: Oct. 25 - Nov. 09
