‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2009 QST  PAGES 56, 57 AND 81  ‰

FOR OUR BULK EQUIPMENT.  WE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WHERE, THANKFULLY,
EVERYTHING WAS AS WE LEFT IT.  WE WERE ABLE TO LOAD EVERYTHING ON A TRUCK
AND DRIVE TO THE HOSTEL WHERE A NEW HURDLE WAS WAITING FOR US.  AN RURA
OFFICER CAME TO CAREFULLY INSPECT ALL OU
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
RA9DZ 1,055,338 A B HA1WD 198,555 B A PT7CB 41,652 B B Oceania RK9AJZ

A SPANIARD.  AND HEADED TO RWANDA.  ONCE IN KIGALI, TONI HAD SEVERAL
FRUITFUL MEETINGS WITH RWANDA UTILITIES REGULATORY AGENCY RURA OFFICERS AND
AUTHORITIES.  DUE TO THE VALUABLE HELP OF COLONEL DIOGENE MUDENGUE, 9X1AA,
CHIEF MANAGER OF THE RURA OFFICE AND PETER STABUSCH, 9X5SP, WE WERE FINALLY
ABLE TO GET THE LICENSES WE SOUGHT.  ONE OF OUR COMMITMENTS TO THE RURA WAS
OPENING THE COUNTRY TO LOCAL RADIO AMATEUR ACTIVITIES BY ASSISTING IN
SETTING UP A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, RARU RWANDA AMATEUR RADIO UNION AND
HELPING BUILD A PERMANENT RADIO CLUB STATION AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY WITH THE
HELP OF RURA TECHNICIANS.  THE RADIO CLUB WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH A
DONATION OF RADIO EQUIPMENT AND AN ANTENNA, WHICH WERE GIVEN TO PETER,
9X5SP.  WED LIKE TO THANK ASTEC AND PROYECTO 4 FOR THEIR HELP IN MEETING
THIS GOAL.  WE HOPE THIS SUPPORT WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO
OPERATE IN RWANDA.  LICENSE IN HAND OUR LICENSE WAS THE FIRST ONE ISSUED IN
2008 AND THATS HOW 9X0R FINALLY HAPPENED.  AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A GOOD
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
C B HC5WW 85,550 A C CT3/DF8AA 872,617 C C MD0C 1,158,246 A B YN2KDJ
213,846 C B HK3Q 35,175 A C EA8MQ 158,496 C C UT2UZ 893,628 A B CO2WF

9X0R RWANDA 2008 DESPITE BAD WEATHER, BABOONS AND A BLACKOUT, THE TIFARITI
GANG ACTIVATES 9X.  FABRIZIO VEDOVELLI, IN3ZNR/WHXQ  THIS AFRICAN ADVENTURE
STARTED DURING THE SUMMER OF 2006.  WE HAD JUST RETURNED HOME FROM OUR
WESTERN SAHARA DXPEDITION S01R WHEN WE STARTED TALKING TO TONI, EA5RM,
ABOUT A NEW DXPEDITION.  WE STARTED EXCHANGING E MAILS, AND AFTER A WHILE
THE TARGET OF OUR NEXT EFFORT BECAME CLEAR.  THIS TIME IT WOULD BE RWANDA.
THE LAST BIG OPERATION FROM THERE WAS AT LEAST 10 YEARS EARLIER AND IT WAS
NUMBER 45 ON THE MOST WANTED LIST.  MORE THAN 14 YEARS AFTER A CIVIL WAR
THAT HAD STAINED THE COUNTRY IN BLOOD, NORMALITY AND PEACE SEEMED TO HAVE
RETURNED TO THE AFRICAN SWITZERLAND.  THE CHOICE MADE, WE WERE EXCITED THAT
RWANDA OFFERED A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE FOR OUR OLD SAHARA DESERT TEAM.  WE
WERE MENTALLY READY FOR A NEW CHALLENGE, AND STARTED BY FACING THE BIGGEST
OBSTACLE, OBTAINING AN AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE.  BEFORE ANY OTHER STEPS WERE
TAKEN WE HAD TO ARRANGE FOR A LICENSE.  AFTER AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF FAXES, E
MAILS AND TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH RWANDAS CAPITAL CITY KIGALI, TONI,
EA5RM, MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS NOT SO STRANGE BEING
‰  FROM PAGE 81  ‰
29,219 B B PT2BW 50,915 A B ZS6AA 384,648 C B HG5Y 871,335 A A HP3FTD
11,424 B B HK3/IZ0GYP 22,940 A B EF8T 152,799 C B US2IZ 236,368 A A KP4JRS
896 B C LV5V 324,900 A C EA8DA 131,424 C B RX1CQ 214,800 A A J39BS 250,700
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ