UK/SP9DLM & UK/SN9GM - Uzbekistan

SP9DLM - My journey to Uzbekistan begins on July 27 and concludes on August 15, 2026.

I will be operating with a Yaesu FT-891 and an End-Fed antenna.

Just seven days before departure, I finally received my amateur radio permit. I had almost given up hope, believing there wouldn't be enough time for the authorization to be approved, but the good news arrived at the last moment.

My 13-year-old son, Greg, and I have been granted permission to operate using the callsigns UK/SP9DLM and UK/SN9GM.

Our journey will begin in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. From there, we will travel by train to Khiva, followed by Bukhara and Samarkand. We will then spend a few days in Tajikistan before returning to Uzbekistan, where we plan to remain in one location for approximately one week. That period is expected to be the peak of our amateur radio activity.

The second—and perhaps most important—goal of this expedition is the deployment of the APRS network in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Equipment will be left in both countries to help establish their first APRS and APRS LoRa gateways, supporting future amateur radio infrastructure in the region.

If you would like to support this effort to expand the APRS network, donations are welcome via PayPal at sp9dlm@gmail.com.

We look forward to making contacts with stations around the world. Hope to hear you on the bands!