TN5MS, RADIO EXPEDITION CONGO 2013

A hospital ship – helping the poorest – radio amateur volunteers – supporting a Mercy Ships project 

In close cooporation between the DAGOE Foundation and Mercy Ships, 4 Dutch radio amateur will run the 4th DAGOE Mercy Ships Radio DXpedition. This time the team will operate from the Republic of Congo. They will work on board of the Hospitalship Africa Mercy from September 22 – 27 and run a DXpedition from Pointe Noire between September 28th till October 11th using the amateur radio callsign TN5MS.

Arie PA3A Marian PD1AEG Ad PA8AD Angelina PA8AN

After the previous projects in Liberia (5L2MS), Benin (TY1MS) and Sierra Leone (9L5MS) the team was very honored and proud to be rewarded in 2013 for their achievements with the Yasme Excellence Award 2012.

This time the team set the following goals:

Work on board of the Hospitalship Africa Mercy.

Raise awareness for the work of Mercy Ships and raise funds for the Mercy Ships Charity Project.

Create the possibility for all HAMs to contact Congo on as much bands and modes as possible.All donations and surplus will be used to support the Mercy Ships project.

Team members

Arie Kleingeld PA3A (5L2MS,9L5MS)

Marian van Boheemen PD1AEG

Ad van Ginneken PA8AD (5L2MS, TY1MS, 9L2MS)

Angelina van Ginneken PA8AN

Most participants are member of the Dordtse Elektronica Club often found in contests using PI4DEC or PI4D.

Radio Setup

The 9L5MS team will work from 160m to 10m in SSB, CW and RTTY.

The equipment consists of 3 transceivers and 400W linears. 

The antennas are verticals for 160m – 30m and beams for 20m – 10m. 

For 160m and 80m extra receiving antennas are used to improve station receive capability. 

If conditions allows it and permission is received we will try to activate 6m also.

We take special care to listen for remote locations and small stations.

Goal of the team is to work as many different stations as possible in the different modes.

Online QSL (oQSL)

Save time, stamps and envelopes by requesting your QSL card via Internet and support us! Online ordering is processed by Paypal. Please be aware that Paypal asks provision for each transaction. Fill in your call your QSO Information, select your supportchoice and press the QSL Request button. Follow the instructions and use your home address as shipment address. There is no need to send your QSL card!

Provide your QSO Information in short in this format: YOURCALL / 20CW / 160SSB / 40SSB

Support the DXpedition Your choice

2 US$ QSL card 

5 US$ QSL card & Support us 

10 US$ QSL card & Support us 

20 US$ QSL card & Support us 

50 US$ QSL card & Support us 

Other ways of requesting 

For post mail send your card and greenstamps to: H. van Oosterhout PA3AWW, Meelbeshof 8, 3355 BD Papendrecht, Netherlands

Please do not send IRC’s. IRC’s are not supported by the Dutch Post!

Bureau QSL requests will be answered via bureau (QSL via PA3AWW).

LoTW will be uploaded 6 months after the DXpedition when logs are checked.

The team is not using eQSL for answering QSL.

Dear visitor,

My name is Ad (PA8AD) and participant in all DAGOE / MERCY SHIPS projects so far.I joined these projects because this gave me the opportunity to support Mercy Ships in their marvelous work. With their inspiration, professionalism, involvement and dedication they saved the life of so many people and gave so many others a new future. Imagine volunteers, some even with their families, paying to work for weeks, months or years on board of the largest Hospitalship! They really bring Hope and Healing. As participants in the Radio Projects we also cover all cost by ourselves and are supported by some sponsors to cover the special material we use. All donations and the financial surplus from the radio activity itself are directly donated to the Mercy Ships projects. If you also want to support also Mercy Ships feel free to contribute by providing a Donation. Donations can be done via PayPal or via Banktranfer. 

Banktransfer info

DAGOE Stichting 

Dordrecht, The Netherlands

Postbank Account 2073965

IBAN NL82PSTB0002073965

BIC PSTBNL21

Please add Mercy Ships Project or Dxpedition in the comment field.

On behalf of the DAGOE / MERCY SHIPS Radio Team thank you for your support!