DXCC #225: 5U5R Niger

Second ATNO of the day -- 5U5R in Niger! Another case of 17m QSB and the EU wall made this a tough one. I knew from the cluster that it was spread out as far as +5 from the DX frequency, but I couldn't hear any of the EU stations and very, very few stateside callers. The DX, however, was pretty strong, his signal picking up as the afternoon went on. I couldn't figure out where to place my call, though, so I parked my ass on one frequency and waited for him to come to me. This took hours, on and off, until I finally got him at 1947 UTC. The expedition's online log updated soon thereafter, and a smiley face under 17m CW relieved me of the anxiety of wondering whether my call was blown.