As a keen DXer since obtaining my license in 1991, I developed over the years a liking for working rare DXpeditions. The 2006 Western Sahara expedition, operating as S01R, was one such exciting opportunity that I couldn't pass up.
So it was then that in April 2006, I found myself hunched over my radio, headphones firmly in place, trying to work S01R on 20m SSB. Western Sahara isn't a country you hear on the air every day, and the pileup was, as expected, a bit boisterous to say the least. The band was alive with a cacophony of callsigns, each operator hoping to log this rare one.
I started my attempts in the early evening, knowing that 20m could be quite lively at that time. My station then consisted of a Kenwood TS-480SAT with a simple sloping wire antenna. Not a world-class setup by any means, but sufficient for breaking through pileups with some persistence and a little bit of guile when it came to finding just the right spot to drop my callsign.
For what seemed like hours, I called and called, trying to find that sweet spot in my timing and frequency. The S01R operator was working split, of course, and I kept adjusting my transmit frequency, trying to anticipate where they might listen next. It was a game of patience and strategy, competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other stations all vying for that coveted QSO.
Just when fatigue was starting to set in, and I was considering calling it a night, I heard it - "golf zero romeo india foxtrot, 59" - my callsign coming back to me through the noise. The surge of adrenaline was immediate. I quickly responded with my report, heard the confirmation, and it was done. Western Sahara was in the log - another new one to add to my DXCC country count!
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The feeling of finally breaking through after such a prolonged effort was exhilarating. It's moments like these that make DXing so addictive. The combination of skill, patience, a bit of propagation luck, and that final moment of success - it's what keeps us coming back to the radio, chasing that next elusive contact.
After logging the contact, I sat back in my chair with a broad smile, already looking forward to the QSL card that would eventually make its way to my shack, a tangible reminder of this hard-fought DX battle.
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