C5/M1KTA QRV

Very quickly put up a buddipole and managed a couple contacts with OH1JO and OH1TD @ 14.282 they were calling cq south america and after no takers I thought I'd call with both I am about 41-44 so pretty poor but possible. VSWR according to the mini vna is 1.9:1 before I use the tuner.

It is raining hard and just hear static static static now...

I will put a G5RV tomorrow morning as Yaya has sorted out a nice long pole for me to use as a support, I have the two 10m fishing poles as well.

If the house location does not end up being great I might relocate towards the beach but if contacts are possible that is all that matters.

Anyway QRV in C5 now as C5/M1KTA 

I might focus on data modes if easier.

House has AC so I set it at 24 and it feels very cool which is a complete contrast to 6W.

Oh yes extra story when I arrived the swines at customs wanted $200 so I could 'import' the radio and laptop. They xray all bags on the WAY IN. Bit about face I would have thought and do a hand search/rummage.... Anyway smiling and being polite I said no duty was due as I was not importing but using whilst on holiday, they insisted I still said no, imagine stalemate and someone looking more official so I showed them the licence (with serial numbers) from the Gambia telcoms (PURA), OK fine but that still means I have to pay duty, I still said no as I was going to take them home after, still $200 so out comes the RadCom article with photo of me getting the G4SST award, still no dice so I thought I could easily just go back to Senegal or maybe Conakry (3X) as I had arranged that as a backup anyway, so asked them to call the Gambia telcom legal council, handed them his card, who had arranged my licence, I had printed all the emails and brought them with me, one reads like an invite and perhaps they might explain why I was going to get on the next plane out of The Gambia back to Senegal... all of a sudden it escalates up so more braid on the uniform appears on the scene, still being friendly so ask to see the airline about returning, still no dice, I say OK I'll call the council and explain why (I have all the names at this point and I have written them down in front of them) and I will return on the flight that just came in ... quiet moment then they give in, no duty is needed sorry for the confusion of course there is no duty required ;-)

I do not mind someone trying to earn a bit extra in a place like this if they had initially just asked for $20 maybe but $200 no chance that would have cost more than the whole stay in Gambia!