• [NEWS UPDATE] – David, DL7ZM has returned to Turkmenistan and reports the following info (source) –

David plans to continue his radio propagation research hopefully starting either June 13th or 14th and continue until June 21st. Only CW and SSB modulation is granted to use and identified as EZ/DL7ZM. Call only on 50.110, 28.020 or 28.550 +/- 5 kHz. David operates often on battery and will not call CQ. Please note this is not a DXpedition – the goal is to reach large distances, educate students about RF, antennas and propagation and observe propagation during the day and discover unusual paths, like the one I found from Socotra: a daily path from Socotra to Finland. David will have no internet access to post anything on DXmaps or alike. You will need to do this, it will alert others as this is mainly CW.

  • [JUNE 19, 2024] –

I left Turkmenistan. All went well. I really want to thank everyone who made this possible, especially, the government of Turkmenistan and its foreign service. For QSL cards: Please snail-mail to the QRZ address. For donations, you can use paypal david.pommerenke@ieee.org. –73 David

  • [JUNE 11, 2024] –

After last year’s surprise activity from Turkmenistan, David DL7ZM is again QRV from there. A recent update on QRZ.com mentions that he is active until Sunday (June 16th). As part of his propagation study, he will be active only on 28020 & 50.100 (CW); few hours each day. 

  • [SEPTEMBER 4, 2023] –

Here’s a preview of the EZ/DL7ZM QSL card courtesy of DX-World’s "Land of QSLs". 

  • [JULY 19] – Thanks to Pasquale IW0HEX for the following :

In order to give more news about recent the EZ/DL7ZM experimental / demonstration activity from Turkmenistan by David DL7ZM from May 28 to June 3, I would like to mention this page. We are confident that ARRL will give a positive feedback about this activity.

  • [MAY 30] – David was again active today briefly (for about 15 mins around 14:00z). Here’s his signal, recorded by IK0OZD.

@dx-world

Meanwhile, David has updated his QRZ.com page:

There is a lot of confusion on EZ/DL7ZM. This is not a DX Expedition. Not at all. I do not expect more than a few hundred QSOs. Many QSOs is not the goal. The goal is to demonstrate radio propagation and the technology together with my partners here. I also like to show that this investigations can help young students to become more interested in studying electrical engineering, for the good of Turkmenistan. These contacts and tools like reverse beacon, dxmaps etc. are tools that help to understand propagations. Further, contacts between technical interested partners in differenent countries create frienship and help with peace. 

  • [MAY 29] – Earlier today, David EZ/DL7ZM was active on 10m CW. His signal, as he suggested, was mainly weak, but strong enough for some QSOs to be made between 1108z to 1215z. 

  • [MAY 28 @ 1800z] – David says his location today was rather bad and hopes to be at a better QTH tomorrow between 16:00 – 18:30. No promises, however. Please understand this is a propagation study, so he may just call "test, test, test” and let the faculty and students observe on DX maps or reverse beacon etc. David says please do not be angry. EZ is not the most easy country to include into a propagation study that includes 4L, 4K and 7O.

If you hear David’s signal, please record and send to DX-World – thanks.

  • [MAY 28, 2023] Similar to his 7O activity from Yemen, we got word that David, DL7ZM is going to QRV from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan as EZ/DL7ZM. Activity to be on 10m CW, lasting until June 3. Possibly 6m activity too. Grid: LM97. 

NOTE: Ham radio has been banned in Turkmenistan since 2006. Perhaps David will help to open doors.