[QRT] V55LA – Namibia

[STATS]

Now that the V55LA team is back home we are having a closer look at our statistics. No brainer, we just want to improve ourselves and learn from it.
The total number of QSO has been finalized at 35,808 QSO with 13,441 of them being unique callsigns (37,54%). We are very satisfied with this result and we hope that we gave to most you, if not an ATNO, some interesting band slots.
There are always things to improve and we are already working on it for our next Dxpedition. For example, we will next time have more in band options to run both CW and SSB at the same time during best band openings (or alternatively FT8 when conditions are difficult).
We are really proud to keep up on human modes, we don’t forget digit modes of course but have no focus on them as primary source of contacts.

[NOVEMBER 10 @ 1330Z] –

V55LA is now officially off the air! All antennas have been disassembled just in time before heavy rain. We are still compiling the logs but we should end-up with roughly 35,000 QSOs from V5, not bad considering the Club Log ranking. A big thank you to all of you who called us, it has been a blast! All the team had a lot of fun and we hope you enjoyed it too. We will come back with more stats soon and more pictures. It is time for the team to get ready for the long journey back home. See you from the next one

[NOVEMBER 10 @ 0630Z] –

Team will start to dismantle the antennas this morning (local). 160m and 80m antennas are being put down currently. They intend to slowly dismantle higher band antennas before forecast heavy rain hits the camp.

[NOVEMBER 8] – Erwann LB1QI provides the latest news:

The team is well and delivers on all possible band available combinations. The conditions vary a lot, with 80m and 160m remaining a challenge with a somehow one direction propagation. On the RX side we have 3 beverage antennas with parts provided by Hamparts (one north, and two broadside to Asia and USA). They are very efficient but we have a lot of static crashes.

Higher bands are generally very good. Considering the DXCC most wanted ranking of V5 you give us quite nice runs, thank you! We will be once again focused on 160m today hoping for better opening from V5.

The team is happy with the full SunSDR2Dx setup by Expert Electronics. This is a very versatile little piece of equipment.

The weather forecast shows rain and thunder coming over us again, we will adapt. So far the power supply has be stable over the camp.

We have received some reports that documented QSOs are missing (like 12m SSB QSO on Nov 3rd). We are aware and for those we have seen they are on the PC but for some reason not on Club Log. Don’t worry we will consolidate at the end. If you are stressed try to work us again.

Credit: Team V55LA

[NOVEMBER 3 @ 1700Z] –

The wifi router installed in the camp had been damaged by the thunder / lightning storm that we had yesterday and is now repaired. The Club Log livestream works again too. Some computers have been disconnected from the network for a while so we will try to upload some missing QSOs (be patient or work us again). The 160m and 80m antennas did not like the storm either but they are now up and running. The team will be QRV when possible.

PHOTOS BY AMATEUR RADIO DXPEDITIONS

[NOVEMBER 2 @ 0830Z] –

Approaching 2K QSOs, the team are now very busy on the bands. Here’s a few photos courtesy of Amateur Radio DXpeditions.

[QRV @ 2110Z] –

After an exhausting day in high temperatures assembling antennas, just after 2100z, V55LA hit the airwaves, firstly on 17m FT8 with 20CW not long after. Check the livestream here. Recording by DX-WORLD.

[NOVEMBER 1 @ 1000Z] –

The V55LA team started building antennas at 5am local to enjoy the fresh morning temperatures. They are at full speed but it’s now starting to get very hot! Erwann, LB1QI who took the latest pictures mentions the 160m vertical antenna, Hexbeam, Spiderbeam and a DX Commander are nearly there.