Update October 22, 2023: Yuris became QRT  with more than 70,000 QSO in the log. Tomorrow he expects to leave the island.

Update October 20, 2023: The weather is bad. Yuris, ZD9W is using the remaining DX-Commander antenna to work on the air. The chances are slim that he would fix the low band vertical and would appear on 160/80m bands in the remaining nights. Ship is scheduled to depart on Monday, October 23, if the weather will permit. Yuris, ZD9W plans to pack the day before - on Sunday.
ZD9W.

Update October 18, 2023: Wind is getting stronger again and the forecast for the remaining days is not too promising. Low band vertical broke again. It will be repaired if the weather permits. Spiderbeam is still holding.

Update October 16, 2023: From all the antennas only DX-Commander survived the night. Other antennas are now damaged and Yuris will try to repair them. Wind seemed to calm down yesterday afternoon, so Yuris, ZD9W raised the antennas. But later in the evening wind again got stronger, and this is the result

Update October 15, 2023: In the evening Yuris, ZD9W reported that he has repaired Spiderbeam and raised up all antennas. First QSO on 6m band in the log.

He is active for one more week.

Update October 13, 2023: Wind got stronger again and broke one leg of Spiderbeam despite it was just slightly elevated above the ground. It is repairable. But this will have to wait until wind calms down. Right now only DX-Commander vertical remains up, other antennas are lowered. Weather forecast promises quite strong wind gusts whole weekend.
ZD9W.

Update October 12, 2023: Early this morning Yuris, ZD9W had to lower the main antennas to prevent damage due to the strong wind. He was going to raise them back up when the wind calms down, hopefully later today.
ZD9W

Update October 11, 2023: Low band vertical is repaired and also 6m band yagi installed.

Update October 8, 2023: ZD9W shack is in the kindergarten building which is on the edge of the village. Kindergarten has 5 children, 3 employees. Yuris has been given a room where he lives. Most antennas are installed by now, and the routine operation can start. Next week he will install also 6m band yagi. He has tried to put BOG antenna to improve signal reception on low bands, but it wasn't very effective, probably due to the volcanic soil on the island. There is about 5-10 cm of soil followed by volcanic rock. Yuris initially had issues with installing aluminum guy wire supports which he had with him. The owner of the building gave him iron rods, which could penetrate the rock beneath.
Yesterday first 70 CW QSOs on 160m band were done. Managed to get in the log the fellow HAM from his own home town. Also EY8MM got his #319 new DXCC on 160m band in the log. Will continue to operate on the low bands in the coming days too.
The propagation is fantastic. Noise floor is low, especially on the higher bands.
ZD9W.

Update October 5, 2023: Yuris has found and alternative location with more space for antennas. He installed low band vertical and Spiderbeam.

Update October 3, 2023: Yuris says that he will be on CW and SSB but that he still needs to build the Spiderbeam and LBS vertical. He is alone so things must be made one after the other.

Update October 1, 2023: Very strong wind of Friday (Sep 29). The wind got twice as strong on Saturday (Sep 30), plus it started to rain. DX-Commander antenna broke. Yuris lowered the remaining antennas for the night. Today (October 1st) he fixed the DX-Commander antenna and continued operation on the air. It is sunny today, but the wind still remains strong.

Update September 29, 2023: Yuris has started the activity. He has managed to install the EFHW and DX-Commander antennas already and made about 200 QSOs so far. Internet is available in the village, not directly in the place of his stay. Strong storm is approaching the island and will hit it tomorrow.

Update September 27, 2023: Today we are approaching the island. Some 20 miles left. Tomorrow after the breakfast, weather permitting, we will get ashore.

Update September 26, 2023: the latest forecast for arrival at ZD9 is Wednesday (September 27), due to strong winds. He feels ok - seasickness has passed after the 1st day.

Update September 15, 2023: Yuris, is waiting for its departure at 12:00 PM UTC. Captain of the ship says that it will take 9 days to reach Tristan da Cunha (ZD9). So arrival should happen on September 24.

Update September 11, 2023: Today Yuris will fly from Riga, Latvia to Frankfurt, Germany. From there he will take the evening flight to Cape Town, South Africa. He will spend 3 nights there waiting for the ship to Tristan da Cunha. It takes the whole week for the ship to get to ZD9. Arrival to ZD9 is scheduled for September 22. At the moment luggage weighs 63kg – transceivers, power supplies, power amplifiers, 6m beam with the mast. He will pick up extra 30kg in Cape Town – Spiderbeam and low band vertical. 

Update August 25, 2023: The 6m band yagi for the ZD9W DXpedition is ready and being tested at Yuri's home. It weights 2.6kg, plus 3kg of 8m high Spiderbeam 12m HD fiberglass mast without 4 top sections. 

Update August 11, 2023: He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on 160-10 metres,  and FT8 only on 6 metres.  

QSL via  Club Log's OQRS (preferred), or direct to YL2GN. A full LoTW upload will follow six months  after the end  of  the  DXpedition.

Yuris, YL2GM will be QRV from Tristan da Cunha as ZD9W from September 24 to October 22, 2023. 

More information in the ZD9W page