This Week in DX - 08/29/2026

RI1FJ – Franz Jozef Land - The RI1FJL DXpedition team in Franz Josef Land reports a very weak internet connection, causing log uploads to be slow, fragmented, and unreliable on the first attempt. The team has settled into a work routine but is tired. Propagation has been unstable, with strong signals often fading quickly. Weather has been mostly favorable, though windy, with temperatures around freezing. All of the team are doing well and they will continue to operate for another 8-9 days. 5W – Samoa - SP5AEQ, Jacek, will begin operating as 5W0AF on September 21 from a location near Apia. The operation will cover the 10–40 meter bands using SSB only, with a possible attempt on 80 meters during the final days of his three-week stay. QSL requests should be sent via SP7DQR, and logs will be available online with uploads planned at least once per day. OQRS will also be available, with bureau and LoTW free; LoTW uploads are expected a few weeks after the trip concludes. C5 – The Gambia - C5R, Lui, says he is starting to pack his bags “slowly, slowly,” for Africa. He leaves Milan, Italy for Banjul, The Gambia, via Casablanca, Morocco, arriving in Banjul October 1, for a stay until November 4. He says F5RAV and M0NPT will join him for the CQWW SSB weekend and they plan all bands CW, SSB, FT4, FT8 and satellite, during their days there. They will also be busy doing some humanitarian work leftover from Lui’s last visit, at the Wilcos School.S9 - Sao Tome and Principe- S9R, an expedition, is October 17-31, from Tamarindos. Planned is HF, various modes. The antennas are a spiderbeam, hexbeam, 40M vertical, 80-10 EFHW and 6M 5-element Yagi. Digital modes will be FT8 MSHV, multi-slot. The modes are CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8, 160-6M including 60. They will also get on the QO-100 satellite. Operation will be “split at all times.” 6W – Senegal - 6W/I2YSB and 6W/IK2HKT, with operators IV3FSG, I2PJA, IK2AQZ, I2YSB, I1FQH, IK2HKT, I1HJT and IK2CKR will be in October-November with five stations. The antennas that they plan to use are a 6M 5-element yagi, six-band hexbeams, a 30M loop, and verticals for 160, 80, 40, 60 and 30, plus a DHDL receive antenna. From Mid-October to early November: JD1BQP, Ogasawara - JD1BQP by JP1IHD, Koutarou Watanabe, will be on Chichijim October 17-November 2. He will use an end-fed half-wave wire antenna that covers 160-10M, a six-band hexbeam for 20-6M, plus a seven-element Yagi for 6M. CE0Z - Juan Fernandez Islands - CE3VTZ and XQ7IR, Moises and Felipe, are going there for 10 days or so in October. They plan 160-10M FT8, CW and SSB. It will be Alexander Selkirk Island, IOTA SA-101. They will be running on generators. VK9/X – Christmas Island - VK9XY will be a November 16–December 4, 2026 DXpedition to Christmas Island that gives young amateur radio operators real-world leadership and operating experience. Led by N4ML, Max Freedman, eight young hams from the United States, Lithuania, Japan, and Malawi will plan, build, and operate the expedition themselves, with veteran DXpeditioners W6IZT, Gregg, and W0GJ, Glenn, serving only as advisors. In partnership with YOTA and supported by a Northern California DX Foundation equipment grant, VK9XY will also allow 30–40 additional young operators worldwide to gain remote DXpedition experience through NexGenRiB2 stations. Donations help cover every team member’s travel and operating expenses so cost does not keep talented young operators from participating, and donors receive a personalized Certificate of Appreciation at vk9xy2026.com. If you have questions or need information, just drop me a note at [email protected] Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week!