LF: Re: Re: ZM2E activity from the end of the month

["Vernall" <vernall@xtra.co.nz>]

Alan G3NYK,

Thanks for the comments.  If we go to beacon made before ZL sunrise, in 
practice we will set up the gear for repeated sending and operators (most of 
whom have been up all night) will then "hit the sack" and leave the 
transmitter running for several hours after our sunrise.  If we are in QSO 
mode, we will carry on till signals become useless.
Thanks for requesting appropriate conditions for LF DX propagation.  I hope 
your request works.  Do you have a limit on how many requests can be made 
???
73, Bob ZL2CA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan Melia" <alan.melia@btinternet.com>
To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 12:16 PM
Subject: LF: Re: ZM2E activity from the end of the month


> Hi Bob , I am sure that you are aware of this but do get the guys to
> remember that it is not ground sunrise/sunset that matters. It is the
> darkness edge about 1000kms away. You can heft a signal into the dark zone
> ionosphere up to an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise at this
> part of the sunspot cycle. On good days trans-Atlantic signals have been
> seen two hours after dawn in Eu.
>
> I look forward to your tests and hope for a bit better luck with the
> conditions. I have submitted a request to Ra for a quiet period but a 
> little
> geomag activity about 5 days earlier !!  :-))
>
> It will be a pity if the wind farm QRTs you permanently from that site. It
> has been a major landmark in LF development in amateur circles.
>
> Best Wishes de Alan G3NYK
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Vernall <vernall@xtra.co.nz>
> To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
> Sent: 09 March 2007 22:37
> Subject: LF: ZM2E activity from the end of the month
>
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > ZM2E is setting up for 136 kHz DX activity from 31 March, for up to three
> > consecutive nights.  This could be the last time that there is LF
> > transmitting from Quartz Hill as the district is planned to become a 
> > large
> > wind turbine project, and all radio antennas could need to be removed in
> the
> > next few months to cater for development.
> >
> > We are in private discussion with VO1NA and RU6LA regarding LF QSO
> attempts.
> > Expressions of interest are invited from others, as at ZM2E we will try
> and
> > cover moderate receiving bandwidth by having multiple Argo sessions
> running.
> > If we see an opening with another DX station we will "go fo it", whoever
> it
> > is, and try to make the best use of an incidental propagation lift.  As 
> > we
> > are prepared for three nights of operation, then we are hoping there will
> be
> > multiple "events" arising.
> >
> > The previously selected 137.7886/137.7890 kHz 0.4 Hz FSK, using "DFCW"
> > coding, is the preferred transmission mode for ZM2E.  There is very 
> > little
> > QRM for ZM2E receive (no Loran lines of significance), so we can accept a
> > range of receive frequencies within the receiver IF bandwidth, and we
> could
> > have three receivers running.
> >
> > If we are not in QSO mode before a ZL sunrise, we will go to beacon mode
> and
> > send a string of Z Z Z Z .... at FSK120, with the start of any Z
> > synchronised to the hour and ten minute rests thereafter, so that EU
> > monitoring may receive something identifiable from EU sunset.
> >
> > 73, Bob ZL2CA