The XT2MD team has officially concluded their DXpedition in Burkina Faso with an impressive 75,000 QSOs logged. Despite facing significant power challenges that kept them off-air for three full days, the team persevered and achieved remarkable success on the bands. Here’s a summary of this exciting and, at times, challenging expedition.
Key Highlights and Challenges
- October 31: The team arrived in Burkina Faso, cleared customs, and began setting up antennas the following day.
- Early Operations: By November 3, all antennas were up and running, including 40m CW and 80m FT8. They quickly reached 20,000 QSOs and continued at a steady pace.
- Power Outages: From November 6 to 8, the team faced repeated power issues. A damaged generator and unexpected hotel power cuts meant they couldn’t be on the air for extended periods. They returned to the airwaves in the early hours of November 8 after securing a replacement part.
- University Presentation: On November 5, the team took a break from operations to present a session on amateur radio to local university students, sharing the spirit of HAM radio and helping to inspire a future generation of African radio amateurs.
Success Across Bands and Modes
Operating across 160-10 meters with multiple stations and a range of antennas, the XT2MD team worked hard to maximize their reach. Their setup included high-band antennas like Hexbeam and Spiderbeam and low-band setups such as a 160m vertical and 80m 4-square. Despite a noisy QTH, they maintained effective contacts on the higher bands and saw particularly strong responses in CW and FT8 modes.
Equipment and QSL Information
The team successfully used an EME station set up by Emil, DL8JJ, and managed to log QSOs in challenging conditions. Logs are available through M0OXO, with additional QSL details available on the XT2MD website.
Final Stats and Gratitude
At 0425 UTC on November 11, XT2MD officially went QRT after a successful expedition. The team extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who called in and supported their journey. They’re now preparing to return home, promising to share photos, stats, and stories from Burkina Faso soon.
For more information on XT2MD and future expeditions, visit their official website.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.