9X – Kigali, Rwanda

Dates: 24 to 31 January 2019

Callsign: 9X2AW

/9X – Kigali, Rwanda
9X – Kigali, Rwanda 2021-04-09T09:06:44-05:00

Africa DXpedition

About 1800 meters above sea level, north of the Capital City of Kigali, Rwanda is the Kanyinya Hills Hotel and was the site of the DXpedition.
I was joined by Harald DF2WO, an experienced African DXer, who visited for a week of his 40 day stay.

9x-Summary-Hotel-Sign

Sign for Kanyinya Hills Hotel. You can see the main road back to the city.

 

9x-Summary-Harald

Harald DF2WO, at his operating station in his hut. Licensing–Heading–Getting a License.

The Antennas

9x-Photos-Antenna-HexBeam

Hexbeam for 10 through 20m.

9x-Photos-Antenna-Verticals

The verticals for 80 and 160m .

 

The Hotel

9x-Photos-Hotel-Reception

The Reception Desk at the hotel.

9x-Photos-Hotel-Guard

Like all the other staff, the hotel guard was very friendly.

9x-Photos-Hotel-Generator

The local utility had a low voltage problem. When they were running this generator things were better.

9x-Photos-Hotel-MyHut

This was my hut.

9x-Photos-Hotel-MyRig

My station.

 

Food, Food, Food . . .

9x-Photos-Food1

Let’s start with a big salad.

9x-Photos-Food2

I don’t remember what this was but I remember it was good.

9x-Photos-Food3

Another night, another salad.

9x-Photos-Food4

Peppered Steak

9x-Photos-Food5

Fish stew over rice.

9x-Photos-Beer

This local beer was very good.

9x-Photos-Harald-Beer

Harald, DF2WO, enjoyed the beer as well.

9x-Photos-Family

Harald’s family joined us on my last day.

 

Gentry/Dauer

9x-Photos-Gentry

Rwandian Gentry

9x-Photos-Dauer

Rwandian Dauer

 

Back at the Airport

9x-Photos-Airport1

Which way do we go?

9x-Photos-Airport2

This picture might have been nice if that tree had not grown up so fast.

9x-Photos-Airport3

Airport security was very strict.

9x-Photos-Airport4

Inside the terminal doing the waiting game.

9x-Photos-Airport5

Our first flight was a hop to Entebee, Uganda to pick up some additional passengers.
Because I never left the airplane and put my feet on the ground I cannot count Uganda for my DXFC count (see dxfc.org).

9X2AW QSL Card

9x-QSL-Front

QSL Via

Charles Wilmott, MØOXO

Operating from Kigali Rwanda Using Callsign 9K2AW

Here’s the deal with getting a license. Give yourself plenty of time (3 months). E-mail in the application with all the requirements. If you don’t hear back from them in about 2 to 3 weeks. Something went wrong, try again.

Where I went wrong is I didn’t hear back but assumed no problem, I’ll visit the office when I get there. Well, they said they never got my request and it takes them a week to process a new application. They were very kind when they said I could operate using Harald’s callsign.

 

9x-Photos-Rura3

A nice corner building in Kigali is where the licensing happens.

9x-Photos-rura2

Harald, DF2WO, waiting at the door for me to stop taking pictures.

9x-Photos-Rura1

Upstairs is where the action is.

Dave’s Equipment

Elecraft K3
Dell Inspiron Mini Laptop
Heil Headset
Little Tarheel II Screwdriver Antenna
Ameritron SDC-102 Antenna Controller
MFJ 1979 Telescoping Whip

 

9x-Operating-Dave

Dave operating 9X2AW.

9x-Operating-Harald

Harald operating 9X2AW.

Traveling to Kigali, Rwanda

9x-travel-map

Brussels Airlines was used for the two main flights. Jet Blue got me to JFK.