Last updated 2012-04-04
Notice: © 1998 to 2012, Chris R. Burger. This document may be reproduced as required for personal use, and may be freely referenced from other Web sites. However, publication elsewhere requires express written permission from the author.
This announcement was posted in several places in 1998. I rediscovered it in the Topband Reflector archive on contesting.com in 2012. The announcement was an attempt to manage expectations, by under-promising and hopefully over-delivering. The operation produced around 3800 QSOs. Maybe the low-key announcement was not a bad idea, as very little was achieved on 1,8 MHz despite a lot of trying.
A team of five is leaving for Swaziland this weekend, to relax under the thorn trees and listen to bird song. The team consists of Chris R. Burger (ZS6EZ), Vidi and Hester la Grange (ZS6AL and ZS6ESU), and Rudi and Katrin Venter (V51VE and V51KV).
If we feel like it, we may erect some antennas that we'll have in our luggage. Then, if we feel like it, we may occasionally turn on the radio. What radio activity (sic) there might be, will be aimed primarily at learning the ropes for future contesting and DXpeditioning activity.
There will be a distinct leaning towards CW, but some SSB and RTTY activity may also happen.
As Swaziland has been readily available in contests and also through regular resident activity, we will be selective in our operating. CW should happen on: 1827,5, 3504, 7024, 10104, 18074, 24894, 50110. RTTY might be on: 14084, 21084, 28084. SSB should be on: 7044, 18144, 24944, 50110. Please be patient on the low bands; we are in the middle of an unusually active thunderstorm season, and the static level is seldom below S9.
We are trying some innovations that have not recently been seen on major DXpeditions:
We are hoping that these innovations will help us to enjoy the sunshine more, and to make it possible for real DXers to find us and work us.
If you want a direct card, you can request it from the address below. Include one Green Stamp or two IRCs if you want a direct reply. One unit of postage covers three QSL cards. If you want more than three confirmations, please remember that the postage is correspondingly higher. Requests that include inadequate postage or none at all will be replied to via the bureau.
Please do not use SASEs; replies will be bulk-shipped through a courier service. This service is significantly faster and more reliable than the post office. Also, way over half of all SASEs we receive are under-franked. Obviously, the DX stamp services have trouble keeping up with our regular postal increases!
Good luck in the chase; this will be the first 3DA6 callsign ever, and I can only imagine that prefix-hunters must be ecstatic.
Chris R. Burger
ZS6EZ
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