To all interested parties,
ZM2E will be operating from Quartz Hill (west of Wellington, New Zealand)
from 31 March to 2 April. Transmission will be 0.2 Hz frequency shift
(137776/137776.2) and with dot length to suit conditions. A beacon strategy
has been agreed between participating stations: ZM2E will beacon with Z at
FSK120 starting at 15 and 45 minutes past an hour, and other participants
(all on unique frequency slots) will also beacon with FSK120 from the hour
and half hour (see table for beacon ID short call sign). If beaconing shows
a path opens, then a QSO attempt will commence, in which case the beacon
sequence lapses. Dot length during QSO mode will be selected by each
station, for what they think suits conditions, so there can be no advance
notice of how third parties can best sticky beak on a QSO attempt. At ZM2E
we will have several PCs and run a range of Argo dot length displays, so we
can handle anything that comes our way.
If ZM2E is not in QSO mode within an hour or so of Quartz Hill sunrise, then
to facilitate possible reception reports from EU we will go to continuous
beacon mode, sending ZZZ. at FSK120, and with timing of each Z starting on
the hour and ten minute rests thereafter.
There is a bed and mattress firm in Wellington with a slogan: "You get more
Zeds at Wellington beds." How that compares with ZM2E can be checked out
from any listener reports. We would hope that you get more Zeds from Quartz
Hill, but the last laugh may be on us with the threat of watching eyelids
during the third night.
There is no email at remote located Quartz Hill, but we will likely travel
to town during the day to check email.
73, Bob ZL2CA (other ZM2E operators are Mike ZL4OL, David ZL4DP and possibly
Con ZL2AFP)
Summary table of ZM2E LF DX aspirations for 31 March to 2 April 2007
Station
Short call sign
DFCW frequencies
Grid square
Sunset
Sunrise
Path length to ZM2E
VO1NA
V
137776.9/137777
GN37OR
2155z
0915z
16246 km
VY1JA
J
137778.1/137778.25
CP20KW
0345z
1424z
12227 km
ZM2E
Z
137776/137776.2
RE78IR
0610z
1841z
-
UA0AET
U
137775.4/137775.6
NO65KX
1140z
2330z
13236 km
RX9BS
X
137776.4/137776.6
MO05UI
1420z
0130z
15024 km
UA4WPF
W
137777.0/137777.2
LO66PU
15559 km
RA3YO
Y
137777.6/137777.8
KO73DG
1615z
0325z
16789 km
R6L
L
137778/137778.2
KN97LN
1548z
16480 km
The current amateur world record distance for a 136 kHz two-way contact is
10311 km, between ZM2E and UA0LE on 20 March 2004.
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