• [UPCOMING / NEWS @ 1230Z] –

The team arrived Sao Tome yesterday (Nov 9) with a view to setting up first antennas this morning (local). A reminder of their request below once QRV:

We are requesting that for the first two days those DXers who do not need S9 please standby to allow us to work those DXers who usually are among those battling for that Q.

Team in Lisbon prior to departure (Nov 8th)

  • [NOVEMBER 8] – S9Z – SAO TOME, NOVEMBER 10-20, 2024

The first contingent of team members are in Porto and are working on final preparations for departure to Sao Tome on Saturday, 9 November. Staged equipment already in Porto along with other recently arrived equipment is ready for transport to the island. The remainder of the team will arrive in Lisbon by late Thursday and early Friday morning. On Friday evening a team dinner and business meeting will allow in-depth discussions that are intended to mold the team into a single efficient effort to give DXers the QSOs they desire.

The long journey to the small island nation of Sao Tome is almost complete. On Saturday, 9 November the team will board a TAP Air Portugal flight for the 7-hour flight to Sao Tome – arriving late that same day. Assembly of the stations will commence early Sunday with the hope of a presence on the air by late afternoon. Then the fun begins!

 

S9Z and FT8

With the surprising effectiveness and success of FT8 over the past several years came a very different and certainly unexpected form of DXing. Whether you agree or disagree about FT8 you must admit it is allowing some DXers, who usually fight tooth and nail for a QSO, to have a very good chance to successfully work ATNOs and fill band spots.

You may be wondering what the underlying message is here and how it connects with an operation from a small entity not necessarily high in demand. Here’s how!

Not all DXers are alike because of many factors – station and equipment differences that include power and antenna capabilities; available time on the radio and other shortfalls that often make it difficult to take advantage of what DXpeditions offer the DX world.

All DXpeditions have one mission – give out QSOs and this one is no different. This is where FT8 will come into play.

FT8 with operational features will raise the effectiveness of these DXers who usually must fight for QSOs. Now DXers with low power and less than fully effective antennas will have a fighting chance. The S9Z team will take full advantage of the FT8 phenomenon including the use of the latest version of Super Fox by looking for all Dxers no matter the decode levels. However, we are requesting that for the first two days those DXers who do not need S9 please standby to allow us to work those DXers who usually are among those battling for that Q.

You can read and see more information on the S9Z website.