Yet another hard-to-get African state  that is not a great distance, but just very awkward HF window-wise from here.

... but this contact was a proper detective job and I am very proud of it..

Mark Brewer is is on an overseas assignment and operating a 7300 into a vertical antenna on a shortish mast. Not ideal.

So how did we find each other - given the prop forecast is dire?

Mark - with the ocean not far behind, and on a high ridge.

Probably about right - that vertical makes a big difference

I was checking to see where my FT8 transmissions were being heard, and I noticed Sierra Leon was flagged. So I clicked and saw...

I emailed suggesting a sched and next morning we had a go at the VOA suggested time on 20m. There was a very faint SSB signal - 2/3 maybe.

But enough for ft8 - so we switched mode and it all came together nicely, first time.

Straight in ... 

Play this in your WSJT client...?

...

Nothing to be seen on the waterfall

A tad optimistic - but not based on a low vertical

My first ft8 QSL card