An expedition that should not have happened<\/p>\n
After the last successful big tn8k expedition, part of the team decided
\non a more petite autumn activity. The group consists of OK6DJ, OK1BOA
\nand OK1FCJ. After analyzing the activities from different countries, the
\nchoice fell on Uganda. QTH, we know from previous expeditions and a
\nlicense will probably not be a problem. The following is communication
\nwith the hotel about our interest and the telecommunications office.<\/p>\n
\nLicense obtained after three months. First, for 100w power, and then
\nlater, they approved 1kw out. We also secured the approval for OK2ZA,
\nwho might go with us. After purchasing three tickets, we learned a month
\nbefore departure that Rudolf OK2ZA would accompany us. We have great
\nenthusiasm for having Rudolf with us. It’s a short mini-expedition, but
\nwe can do it in 4. This way, we have 80m and 160m with a beverage
\nlistening system. Not only Rudolph’s operator but also technical and
\nantenna knowledge will help in all aspects.<\/p>\n
We also secured an e-visa. Simple online ordering with a $50 fee and per
\nEvisa is home for a few days.<\/p>\n
\nA few weeks before departure, we all meet at QTH OK1FCJ. We decide on
\ntasks and will prepare so that nothing surprises us. From the meeting,
\nthere is a to-do list for each of us.<\/p>\n
\nWe continuously communicate with the hotel and the contact person via
\nemail and WhatsApp. On Friday, September 8, the hotel manager, Mrs.
\nMercy, wrote that she would not always be on WhatsApp. Therefore, we
\nwill communicate more via email. We paid 200 euros by bank transfer for
\na taxi bill, airport to hotel and back. Soon, we received another email
\nrequest for 100% pre-payment for accommodation and food. We don’t want
\nto pay the whole thing, but Mercy asks to pay everything via email.
\nSo we sent 3750 euros. The day after we sent the money, our Mercy called
\nvia WhatsApp from another number, as her previous one was allegedly
\nblocked. We informed her we paid everything according to the
\ninstructions from the email. She told us that she didn’t ask us for any
\nmoney. We immediately reported the fraud to the police and the bank. We
\nwere shocked. Getting money back is very uncertain. It will be a miracle
\nif the funds are returned to us. The police requested the entire
\ncommunication, including all email headers.<\/p>\n
\nQTH – Nyange Resort is pretending it’s not their fault but ours, deciding
\nwhat to do next. Four thousand euros are gone, plane tickets paid for,
\nand we have nothing in our hands, only the costs. We hope that something
\nwill come back from the fraudulent bank.<\/p>\n
\nIt’s the day before the flight. We need one more extra luggage. There is
\nnowhere to put another 10 kg. We must buy another one for approx. Three
\nhundred sixty euros. David purchases luggage through his cell phone. It
\ndoes not pass authorization. He confirms it again. After 2 minutes, two
\nconfirmations will come on two purchased extra bags. 720 euros are gone.
\nWe called Turkish Airlines to Turkey, claimed the second payment, and
\ndrove to the airport in traffic to catch an employee of Turkish
\nAirlines. At the airport, we learned that Turkish Airlines may not
\nreturn funds. Finally, they advised us to file a complaint with the call
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
\nWe have the last, already short night at home. We have a few hours before
\nour flight. OK6DJ goes from QTH Petr OK1FCJ. OK1BOA and OK2ZA from home.
\nCheck-in starts at 07:00. We are among the first to check in passports
\nand evisa. Petr OK1FCJ’s passport number did not match the e-visa. Petr
\nwas desperate. He took a second passport from home. If the correct
\npassport is not brought within an hour, Peter doesn’t fly. A quick phone
\ncall home, waking up Petr’s girlfriend and asking for a fast pick-up
\npassport. New passport we checked in a few minutes before the counter
\nclosed.<\/p>\n
\nHurray, we can all fly away.<\/p>\n
\nThere is a big storm in Istanbul, and our flight has delay 1 hour on
\ndeparture. The flight to Istanbul took 2h30min. On arrival, we were
\nhaving trouble. It was stormy weather in Istanbul. We waited until the
\ndeparture. After an hour delay on departure, we waited another two hours
\nin the plane before taking off. The aircraft is a Boeing 737 max. We
\nhave no comfort for the next 10 hours of flight via Kigali (Rwanda).<\/p>\n
\nUpon arrival in Entebbe, we quickly received our passport visas, and
\nafter an impatient wait, we had our way to Uganda open. We soon find out
\nour mistake. After an X-ray of the luggage, the customs officers put us
\naside. We show our licenses, a complete list of luggage, what we take
\nand export back, and explain our hobby. That’s not enough for them. We
\nhave to clear all goods through customs. We will get it released the
\nnext day at the earliest. We try to explain again. After an hour, the
\nmanager will come. We clarify everything again. Finally, it is called a
\nsenior manager. After the last round of explanation, we get a stamp, and
\nwe can also leave customs with our things\u2014another 2-hour delay. After 28
\nhours, we are finally at our QTH, Nyange Resort.<\/p>\n
\nWe get a discount on accommodation and a conference room, but we pay
\nanother 2600 euros and 200 euros for a taxi. We have booked a conference
\nroom just for us. They informed us that there is a pending conference
\nand that we will be here all Friday and Saturday, but instead, we can
\nuse the large entrance hall at the reception. What will happen next, we
\nask ourselves?<\/p>\n
\nAfter a sleepless night and the stress of not releasing luggage at the
\nairport, a little sleep is necessary in the afternoon. We are building
\nthe first verticals, and we are active on 40m and 30m in the evening.<\/p>\n
Saturday 30.9
\nWe are building 2 spiderbeams and other antennas. The receptionist
\ninformed us that an unexpected party in the reception hall would be
\nseveral hours. People arrive in the morning, prepare the room, and plug
\nin sound equipment. Around 11 in the morning, something so noisy starts
\nthat we are unable to do work on the radio. Loud music and moderator.
\nThere are about 80 guests. We can’t operate on radio. It’s not possible
\nto receive weak CW signals and speakers roaring behind. SSB is
\nuseless to try. During TX, the radio is 100% excited. We can’t even hear
\neach other appropriately.<\/p>\n
We continue to build antennas. The mentioned spiderbeams and verticals
\n80m\/160m and dipole on 12m are ready.<\/p>\n
\nSunday 1.10
\nWe want to cover all HF amateur bands. For listening to lower bands, we
\nmake beverages. We finally have two. One on the US-EU and the other on
\nthe JA direction. Both are short and not efficient. They are close to
\nthe transmitting antennas. We have space limitations. We are building
\nthe last spiderbeam to operate on SSB. There is a proper African
\nrainstorm and a power failure in the afternoon. We are trying to make a
\nworkable schedule so that everyone at least sleeps a few hours daily.
\nOK1FCJ goes to bed around 22 and wakes up at 03. The rest of the team
\ngoes to sleep between 01 and 03 in the morning.<\/p>\n
Monday 2.10
\nAt dawn, we try 80m. We finally have a transmission on lower bands.
\nHowever, we are still unsatisfied with the listening capabilities.
\nWe need to move the beverage to another location. The upper bands are
\nbeautifully open. No music or noise behind us to disturb us anymore<\/p>\n
Tuesday 3.10
\n160m vertical has SWR 2.3; we want to fix it. We have a common coaxial on
\n160 and 80. Conditions have worsened significantly. You can hardly hear
\nanything in the afternoon. Peter OK1BOA is having a cold. Petr OK1FCJ
\nwas in a similar situation after arrival. The afternoon rolled around
\nour QTH army helicopter, which we ignored it.<\/p>\n
Wednesday 4.10
\nWe still struggle with listening over the beverage. It is unusable at
\n160m. We are trying to agree with the security of the building to turn
\noff the lighting of the entire area for a few hours so that we can hear
\nbetter on the lower bands.<\/p>\n
A visitor came around noon. The army representatives came to see what we
\nwere, what we were doing here, and whether we had everything authorized.
\nHe leaves after half an hour.<\/p>\n
\nWe have agreed to turn off the lights on the road where the beverage
\nleads. Topband, 80, and 40 are finally great. After opening the 10\/12 m
\nto the USA, OK6DJ works on 160\/80 m at night. Milan OK7GU has the best
\nsignal on CW, followed by OK1CF and OK2DA. DL8LAS has the weakest
\nsignal. We have not heard from another station.<\/p>\n
Thursday 5.10
\nThe internet goes down in the morning, and the livescore on clublog stops
\nworking. We explained to reception that we need internet 24\/7 as we
\nrequested before arrival. Finally, after several emergency calls, they
\nmade us a hotspot. We were without internet for 5 hours. Africans have
\nplenty of time for everything. No rush for anything.
\nAgain, beautiful openings with a 10\/12 m during the day and around 21 utc
\nto USA, the night 160m was down, and we hear only stations call with
\nexcellent equipment.<\/p>\n
Friday 6.10
\nDeparture is coming, so we try to sit as much as possible with the radio,
\nwhich, of course, we do previous days. On 15m, Rudolf Ok2ZA works RTTY.
\n10\/12m has cw mod preference and ft8. Again, after closing the upper
\nbands, we QSY to 160m, where we will make another 60 CW QSO.
\nOK6DJ is already tired and doing a QSY on FT8. Here, he encounters a
\npirate station and is disaffected. He gives a spot to dxcluster that he
\nends work on 160m and returns on 80m.<\/p>\n
Saturday 7.10
\nSince the morning, we have been gradually packing the individual
\nantennas. Traffic is already minimal. Around noon, Mercy arrives. She
\nprobably came to get the present we have prepared, but she won’t get it.
\nShe tells us that she got a new iPhone 15 matched in color with a new
\nbranded handbag in green. To secure herself for the next time because
\n„someone“ hacks her mobile. We have no more words to comment on.
\nIn the afternoon, we pack everything and gradually turn off our operation
\non the bands. Finally, around 10 pm, the water also stopped flowing. It
\nis not possible to take a bath on the way, and it is not possible to
\nflush the toilet. Rudolf and Petr wash themselves with the bottled water
\nwe still have left.<\/p>\n
Sunday 8.10
\nCustoms clearance at the airport is entirely problem-free. Followed by a
\n7-hour flight to Istanbul, and in the early evening, after more than 2
\nhours, we are in Prague.<\/p>\n
\nOperation on 10m\/12m
\nAs on previous African expeditions, the second opening of the bands is
\nexciting to North America. This time, due to the high SFI, it also
\naffected a large part of the EU. The 10m and 12m bands close around 8 pm
\nlocal time. Not even FT8 signals pass through. But around 22-23 hours,
\nwe start to see stations again and signals gradually rise. It is
\nprecisely the time to switch to CW or SSB. This second opening usually
\ntakes less than an hour. But some days it was open until 2am morning.
\nAfter NA stations, there is still a short time for JA stations before
\nthe band closes completely.<\/p>\n
\nConclusion
\nThis event has become very expensive for us. We don’t write much about
\nmoney, but this time, it’s this one action that is expensive. Flight
\ntickets 3500 EUR, extra luggage 750 EUR, fraud on us before departure
\nEUR 4000 EUR. Own accommodation and transport 2800 EUR. A total of 11050
\nEUR comes out of more less 2750 EUR per person.<\/p>\n
\nAfter a detailed fraud analysis by an IT specialist and communication
\nwith the police, we are sure that Mercy and her team are behind the
\nscam. We paid for everything twice. We will never go to Uganda and
\nNyange Resort again, and we don’t even recommend any further
\nexpeditions.<\/p>\n
And the fact that we have booked four separate cottages and had just 3 is
\nanother Nyange Resort awful service. No conference room is available at
\nthe time of arrival. Petr OK1BOA’s wireless headphones were stolen.
\nOn the radio amateur side, we experienced a beautiful opening of the
\nupper bands. It is also interesting to watch the leaderboard on clublog,
\nwhich Milan OK7GU won this time leaderboard. We did not use FT4 and FM
\nmodes.<\/p>\n
\nWe made 60188 QSOs, of which 13855 CW, 10377 SSB, 751 RTTY, and 35205
\nFT8.<\/p>\n
We thank all the sponsors who helped us. Please use OQRS on clublog to
\nget QSL. David OK6DJ will quickly arrange them and of course, save the
\nQSL manager time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An expedition that should not have happened After the last successful big tn8k expedition, part of the team decided on a more petite autumn activity. The group consists of OK6DJ, OK1BOA and OK1FCJ. After analyzing the activities from different countries, the choice fell on Uganda. QTH, we know from previous expeditions and a license will … Pokra\u010dov\u00e1n\u00ed textu Uganda 5X3K story<\/span>