This is DL3GA's diary of the activation of Guatemala, October 3 to 17, 2001. OPs were Arno, DL1CW, Thomas, DB2TR and Andy, DL3GA.

___ Wednesday, Oct 3, 2001

We get up at 4.30 in the morning and drive to the airport. It is crowded like hell, which we had not expected... Our luggage is too heavy, we have to pay a crazy amount of money for the extra kilograms. Bad luck. But at least it is checked all the way through to our final destination. When my carry-on luggage is checked, the massive foot of the bencher keyer catches attention - I see EGIS again (used to check electronic devices) but no problems. We arrive in Paris/Charles de Gaulle on time. We still get no boarding cards for the final flight from Miami to Guatemala City - TACA airlines has an incompatible computer system. We pick up one hour delay before take-off and cannot catch up on the way to Miami. The most remarkable impression on this flight is the Atlantic Ocean this day. For hours, we fly over smooth and calm water with only a few small clouds over it. There are no shadows of clouds on the deep-blue water surface, so looking down gives the idea of looking into the sky rather than at the ocean ! After all, we land into cloudy Miami and try hard to make our connection to Guatemala. We have to go through Immigration, although we are just on transit. We have to pick up all our luggage, nothing goes straight to our next plane (greetings from the New York disaster). We find the TACA counter, finally get our boarding cards and check in all the luggage. We run to the gate and board as the very last passengers. Phew ! After another 150 minutes, we land in Guatemala City on time. Thomas, DB2TR, waits for us in company of Juan Carlos, TG9AJR, and Mats, SM7PKK, who attends the IARU Zone 2 conference currently held here. Thomas has brought a friend with a truck big enough for all our baggage and antennas. We can spend the night in the home for children where Thomas works. After more than 22 hours travelling, we fall asleep in no time.

___ Thursday, Oct 4, 2001

After a cold night, we get up and have breakfast with the children. The breakfast is simple, but tastes great and saturates. Our chartered mini-bus arrives on time and takes us to the airport (for some money business) and then to the south coast. We pass some volcanos, even an active one. Around noon, we arrive at our hotel „Dulce y Salado“ (Sweet and Salty), a small group of bungalows right at the beach. After picking the rooms and having a welcome drink, we start mounting the LP5. The time spent for training on this pays back now - no problems. Only the hot and sunny weather forces us to take a few breaks. The owners of the hotel are impressed when they see it at the end of the 10m mast for first time. Their statement is: „Our neighbor was bragging with his big TV antenna. But that's nothing against THIS one ! :-))“. I have the honor to run the first hour of operation that results in some 100 QSOs on 17m CW. In the meantime, Arno and Thomas assemble the R7000 and the second operating rig directly at the side of the first one. After dinner, I go to 30m, where some S-9 QRM lets me work only strong stations, mostly from the US, but also some EUs. Later that night, Thomas and Arno experience the same problem. Must be some kind of man-made noise, but it's on all bands and has no specific direction. We don't find any reason in our own equipment.

QSOs of the day: VK3QI and VK2OI on 17m via long path.

The QTH with the LP-5 antenna

___ Friday, Oct 5, 2001

I start operating again in the morning, while the others go shopping. I stay with the tremendous EU-pileup on 12m CW until I really HAVE to go for breakfast in order to get one anyway. The others come back with water and some food, and continue operation. We now find out that the two antennas counter-react so that only one station can run at any time. Too bad, but we can still be on all bands from 10m through 40m and make many contacts. Later, in another run on 17m CW, I create another 3 kHz wide pileup and complete the first 1000 QSOs (all logs). Due to a nearby thunderstorm, Arno shuts down and we go for dinner. We get some rain but no severe weather. After dinner (and some excellent rum made here), I check if 30m is suffering the QRM of last night again. It's not and some 350 QSOs later, I am happy that I may go to bed again... My log exceeds 1000 QSOs now.

QSO of the day: 9V1JA on 17m.

___ Saturday, Oct 6, 2001

Arno comes early and works 30m and later 10m. After some 400+ QSOs, he is happy to get away for breakfast. I take over for some 12m CW with 230 Qs. There is an end of the pileup this time. I continue working on 17m and later 30m CW. The conditions get worse, signals are much smaller now. But the QSO rate is not yet going back significantly. The ocean that is right at the hotel provides a steady thunder of crashing waves. Sometimes it disappears for a second of silence that catches my attention instantly. There is just a light breeze - amazing weather. I take a bath in the waves and have lots of fun when one throws me back towards the beach...

QSO of the day: JA0DAI on 17m long path, followed by more JAs.

Anne with our „watchdog“ Dick

___ Sunday, Oct 7, 2001
The conditions have gone down significantly. The signals of calling stations are weak, so there are no „monster“ pileups today. But the QSO rates stay up as a continuous flow of stations work us. My log grows by over 700 QSOs today. I have to learn that the keyboard caps of my notebook computer, especially the function keys, are too tiny for speed operation. It happens way too often that I hit the adjacent key and have to correct. Sometimes, the targeted QSO partner starts sending his call again and we lose time through this. Next time, I should use a separate full-size keyboard again. It is another hot and humid day, but a nice breeze gives some relief.
QSOs of the day: YB0DPO and 4K9C, both on 12m CW

___ Monday, Oct 8, 2001
The others went to Guatemala City early this morning. So I have the station for myself until late afternoon. I assemble the linear setup for some SSB operation today. However, a curious rattle comes out of the ALS 600. I find out that the cap of the DC/DC converter housing has come off during travel. Also, the 48V to 12V converter unit has fallen out of its socket. After fixing this, the linear works fine. I get the impression that the demand for SSB is much higher on the WARC bands, so I concentrate on them. The local electric QRM is mostly there and doesn't let me copy weaker signals. After 12m and 17m to EU, I work many US and JA stations on 10m. At the end, some 770 QSOs are in the SSB log. I finish the day off with some 12m CW to JA, but the QRM is now really bad and operating is not too much fun... Had it not prevented many QSOs, I might have made 1000 QSOs today. Another item that is hard to handle is the QSB. Many stations come out of the noise for a few letter and sink back into it. This way, many calls are not heard correctly in the first place and I have to correct many of them... Sometimes it would even happen that one prefix is heard, the call sinks into the noise, and another call's suffix comes out of the noise. I have to separate the two operators then which takes a little time...

Some US stations warn me about hurricane Iris, which is supposed to hit the coastline of Belize and northern Guatemala today. But our hotel manager says that these systems always turn northwards to Mexico and stay near the water rather than crossing the country to hit us. I feel better now. However, a big thunderstorm moves down the coast this night. It doesn't seem to hit us but we lower the antenna and strap it down to sleep better.

QSO of the day: (many...) GD4WBY, whom I had worked on 6m from DL earlier this year.

___ Tuesday, Oct 9, 2001
After a nice breakfast enriched by yesterday's „market catch“, we put the antenna up and are QRV again. This is the day of Arno and Thomas' operation, I sit back, relax and recover a bit more. In the afternoon, I join Anne and Thomas walking over to Monterico's center. We take Anne's mail to the post office, buy some things (water is sold out...) and have a biiig icecream. In the meantime, Arno ruins his shoulder during 400 QSOs in a row. This night, the moskitos are attacking us like crazy and another huge thunderstorm moves by along the coastline. Our hotel manager said they would always stay out there and we dont have to worry about them.

QSO of the day: TI4CF on 12m CW

Our hosts Fulvio and Graziella in front of the restaurant

___ Wednesday, Oct 10, 2001
After some 3 hours, Thomas is taken off the air by a power cut. I find out that this was announced as something has to be fixed on the powerlines at the hotel. As I write this, I wait for power to return. It returns and I work on 12m again. Surprisingly, the demand for CW is still high and the pileup grows and grows. I need to come back tomorrow... In the afternoon, we take advantage of some hours with no QRM. Arno stays on until dinner is on the table. Later that night, the conditions seem to get worse drastically. Arno reaches 2000 QSOs. I get up twice and call CQ on 30m and 40m but noone answers. The contacts of my keyer tended to stick sometimes, ruining the hand-given CW even more than I do. Now, I eventually increase the contact spacing. It takes a while to get familiar with this but it makes life a bit easier.

QSO of the day: HC2RG on 12m SSB

___ Thursday, Oct 11, 2001

I start early with 17m SSB. A small stream of US stations comes in until one asks me for a QSO on 12m. Since there is not much going on 17m, I QSY with him and surprizingly the band is already open and his signal is even better here. After some minutes, EUs make it and slowly a pileup grows. After about 200 QSOs, I have to leave it behind as Arno is taking over for 10m CW. The night shift to Japan is not very busy. For quite a while I hear very small signals just too small to copy. Then I find out that they are from EU. After JA seems to end, I turn the antenna to EU and work many stations there, but most are not strong and have fuzzy audio - conditions don't seem to be very good but there is no local QRM now and the log grows.

QSOs of the day: MU0FAL on 12m SSB, FG/F5RWE on 12m CW

___ Friday, Oct 12, 2001
On my morning shift on 12m, I manage to finish the CW pileup and switch to SSB. After another 45 minutes here, this pileup also has an end. 10m doesn't work (the linear is not usable here) and I move on to 15m. Quite some pileup here but I hand the stick to Thomas for RTTY. Need to get back here during the weekend. Later on 17m, there are mostly US stations, interrupted by some West-EUs (EA, F, CT1, CT3) and interesting DX (VK, CO, OA4). Today the weather is cooler or I start getting used to the heat.

QSOs of the day: 8Q7LM (DL7ULM) on 12m CW, OA4AHW on 17m SSB

Above: Arno (DL1CW) and Anne. Below: Andy (DL3GA) and Thomas (DB2TR)

___ Saturday, Oct 13, 2001

I work 90 minutes for 8 QSOs. No propagation at all on 30m, little on 17m. So it's time for some rare ones like FK and KH6. All signals are poor but VK4DHF booms in with 599. Later that night, serious thundershowers hit us and last into the morning. After breakfast, I try 15m SSB but not much is going. Instead, I can work another 200 QSOs on 12m CW. The equipment starts making problems. The linear (or rather the power supply) causes QRM of S3-4 and the IC706 runs only at 70W into the LP5. Did the connector get wet ? After Thomas works RTTY into DL long after predicted closure of 10m, I decide to try another run of 15m SSB and get 180 Q's in 80 minutes. Talking about Q's: Here in Guatemala, this is also the abbreviation of Quetzales, the national currency. So I better stay with „QSOs“... The weather stays cloudy and rainy all day, and the temperatures are not as hot anymore. In the eveninng, JA and Asia doesn't occupy me a lot. The 12m CW pileup comes to an end soon and further down, there is not much more to do.

QSOs of the day: 4K8F on 12m CW, who heard Arno on 80m last night and hopes for a QSO, and 5B4XF on 15m SSB.

___ Sunday, Oct 14, 2001

I have another run on 12m SSB. First it's calm but as the cluster spots appear it gets busy again and I have to call by number. This band is very busy today and I when Thomas takes over for RTTY, many are still calling. The condx are excellent today, all the high bands are buzzing to EU and are full of ongoing QSOs. Arno has his skeds with the friends back home on 10m and later on 15m. During the hour inbewteen, I run 12m CW with a breathtaking average of 160 QSOs per hour. THIS IS THE REAL FUN AT LAST ! Almost every signal is easily readable and allows to be logged with no corrections. It's almost like in the simulator. In the early afternoon, I run 12m CW again just to find out that JA is already open. So I turn the beam and go again with some 180 QSOs in 90 minutes. Arno has started to dismantle the antennas, only the beam stays up. The 80m dipole, the fiber poles and the R7000 vertical have gathered lots of salty grease. We wash every part with clear water before we pack it. A small part on the 30m/40m trap of the R7000 has burned off, which might explain the bad SWR and that we didn't make any QSOs on these bands over the last days...

Tonight, we are invited for dinner with our hosts. There are some more guests, so they can join us only somewhat later, but then we have a nice talk with them. Although quite drunk, Arno can't resist to run the radio again. The border of 10000 QSOs is certainly crossed now.

QSOs of the day: 8R1USA (8R1K, op), who kept calling CQ DX on 17m SSB although some US-stations had started a ragchew-QSO on his frequency... Also, some RA0-stations from Zone 18, some VK, ZL and KL7 were logged today.

___ Monday, Oct 15, 2001
I wake up early and run 12m CW one more time before QRT. It's amazing that there are still so many hams calling. At 14.00 UTC (8.00 local), I announce final QRT and pull the plug, leaving quite some callers without a QSO... I am sure there would have been enough to do for another week or so, but now we need to start dismanteling the remainders of the station and pack our suitcases. Our mini-bus arrives one hour early but has to wait until we are ready to go. After exhausting 11 days with a total of 10000 QSOs, we leave the hot and humid pacific coast for some cooler weather in the mountains. The city of Antigua is our place for the rest of the stay until we leave the country. We find a nice hotel and spend the afternoon/evening with some sightseeing, shopping and writing emails to our friends back home.

QSO of the day: SM5ALX on 12m CW, this was the very last QSO of our expedition.

Washing the antenna

___ Tuesday, Oct 16, 2001
After a night with no mosquitos (yesss), we take a nice breakfast and dive into the touristic program. I take the picture postcards to the mail and buy a T-Shirt. We also visit a guatemalan coffee and music instruments museum. I even survive the endless walks through markets with food, clothes and art products. However, this exhausts me more than a thousand QSOs... In another internet cafe session, we check the DX cluster spots concerning our activity - they are thoughout positive. After some rest, we take the last dinner in the Bavarian Garden. The amount of food should be sufficient for the trip home...

___ Wednesday, Oct 17, 2001
We get up at 6:00 in the morning and prepare to leave. My stomach doesn't feel well but calms down soon. The mini-bus takes us to Guatemala City, and through vast traffic to the airport. We say good-bye to Thomas, he takes a taxi to his children's home. To avoid baggage problems again, he keeps my LP5 antenna to bring it home when his stay ends just before christmas. Our entire luggage is sought before check-in and Arno's antenna causes more extra costs because it is too long... The carry-on luggage is x-rayed and sought two more times before we reach the boarding room. An eventless flight takes us to Miami on time. Here, an Air France employee guides us with a small group through all stations to our connecting flight to Paris. Needless to say that our entire luggage is checked again and again. We arrive in Paris 30 min early, therefore the baggage checks are really fast this time (Murphy). Everything went so smooth up to this point, so something had to happen. Sitting in the last aircraft to Stuttgart, we watch that suitcases and bags are loaded, then loading stops ALL our luggage being taken away again. After arrival in Stuttgart, our luggage isn't coming. The Lost & Found bureau confirms that this happens frequently with the small planes like ours (B737). It arrives next day by taxi...