ARLA/CLUSTER: Dxpedição à Guiné-Bissau para EME a partir de 24 Março.

[João Gonçalves Costa]

The Verona Section of A.R.I. (Italian Radioamateurs Association) is organizing, by means a  group of its members, called Verona DX Team, a DX Expedition, with humanitarian and ham-  radio purposes, in J5 Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest countries in the world. The Call J5 is a  "most wanted", especially in RTTY, CW and digital modes, and has never been activated in  EME. 

The expedition will be on air from March 24 to April 6, 2012.  

This date was chosen given the good conditions for VHF EME activity and the possibility to  operate on all HF bands in all modes. The location will be in the Cumura Mission, where a  Franciscan Friar, who is an OM  member of A.R.I. Verona, offers his work. Father Gianfranco  Gottardi has worked for nearly 20 years in several Missions in Guinea-Bissau where his  presence was requested by the Bishop of Bissau. He was active in HF from these Missions with  the calls J54OFM, J52OFM, J59OFM. The OFM suffix standing for Order Friars Minor, which  refers to St. Francis. Our goal is also to help Father Gianfranco with our work. We'll be active on  all bands including VHF EME.  

All the money received with QSL cards and donations will be devolved to the mission.  During our stay we'll do some work such as the creation of a LAN in the Hospital of Cumura and  the connection to the Leper Hospital. We'll fix and improve the mains power system, which now  works only for a few hours a day for the Hospital. We'll fix the generators so that in the periods  of power outage the 24V batteries will be charged and ready for emergency services, such as  incubators and medical equipment. We'll form small groups of operators that will shift so as to be  present in radio and at maintenance work. 

 We ask you to help, if possible, our expedition with a financial contribution.  For each QSO  we'll send a QSL card via the bureau, except those requested direct. We'll send articles about  the expedition to ham-radio magazines (Italian and international) with a list of sponsors that  have helped  our expedition.   

73 ES FB DX, Verona DX Team