Belgian Rockall DX Group is preparing a major DX expedition to Guinea in West Africa. According to the latest information published on September 20, the station 3X4U is scheduled to operate from Lac de Koba from November 11 to 23, 2026. The team has already received a Guinean license and permission to use up to 1 kW of power.
The expedition consists of ten experienced operators and one team member responsible for medical support. The group includes radio amateurs with experience from previous expeditions, including 9U4U, EP6T, J38R, VU4AX, TN2T or JW0X. The organizers emphasize that the primary focus will be on traditional modes CW and SSB.
The planned infrastructure is extensive. The team has prepared, among other things, two HEX beams, a five-element antenna for 10 m, phased verticals for 30 m, a vertical for 60 and 80 m, a 4-square system for 40 m, and antennas for 160 and 6 m. Several antenna systems are planned at the site on Lac de Koba to enable simultaneous operation on multiple bands.
The organizers' latest update from September 19 shows that preparations have entered their final phase. Almost all of the 25 transport crates containing transmitting and receiving antennas, coaxial cables, filters, and stubs have been packed. The entire station setup was also connected for a joint pre-departure test.
According to current information, the installation is to include five identical HF stations, based on Elecraft K3 transceivers and Expert 1.3K-FA amplifiers. The team intends to pay particular attention to bands and propagation paths on which Guinea is more difficult to work.