In Which Your Humble Narrator Worked FT5ZM Amsterdam Island Against All Odds.

The FT5ZM DXpedition is without question the biggest operation since I've been back on the air. It stands at Number 5 on DX Magazine's Most Wanted list, so we knew it was going to draw some huge pileups, and with the pileups the flotsam and jetsam of ham radio that we get with every big DXpedition. And right from the start it was chaos. After a few days had yet to even hear FT5ZM, only the pileups and the jammers and tuners. I gave up all hope of working this one.

Almost a week into the operation, KB2YAN texts me that he worked them on 30m CW. This gives me hope. The next night (03-Feb UTC) I work them on 17m CW. I think. Hard to tell, between their weak signal and the lids. Had to wait until the next ClubLog upload to be sure. This happened the next day, and I was in the log for 17m. Band #1 in the book!

The following night (04-Feb UTC), they were a bit stronger on 40m. Dropped my call a few dozen times before I heard it come back to me. I think. Same deal as before -- waiting for ClubLog. The next day... no ClubLog upload. I think they were trying to give me a stroke.

Later that evening (05-Feb) I get them on 30m CW. I think. A pattern here is developing. Work them, lie awake all night wondering if they got my call correct, praying for a quick ClubLog upload.

The afternoon of 05-Feb, ClubLog is updated and I'm in their log for 40m -- Band #2 in the book! -- but the last QSO uploaded was hours before my 30m QSO, so the wait for that one continues.

That evening (06-Feb UTC) around 0230 I decide to give 20m a try. The band is mostly dead... except for FT5ZM on 14023 and a few stations calling him up the dial. I find the lower edge of the pile, wait until I hear "FT5ZM UP NA", drop my call once and right away hear "WW2PT TU 599". No way. I send my call again and get "WW2PT WW2PT 599". Send my report, get a "TU", and sit there for a few minutes in disbelief. I'm running 500w to essentially a dummy load of an antenna and I just worked FT5ZM on the first call. I think. Meanwhile, another ClubLog upload confirms (so to speak) my 30m QSO the night before. Band #3 in the book!

Next afternoon, ClubLog is updated again and I'm in the log for 20m. Four bands in four days. I do the happy dance. At least in my head because I'm at work and they already think I'm strange.

So now (08-Feb @ 1700) I sit on 15m, the last band my antenna can tune well enough to let me use the amp, barely hearing FT5ZM in the noise. I may be too late to work them on a fifth band, but I plan on sitting on 21023 kHz hoping for propagation to improve, allowing one last chance to work Amsterdam Island before they pack it in.