Hi all,
For the next two ZL nights (4 and 5 March) ZM2E (at Quartz Hill, near
Wellington) will be trying for QSOs with VA7LF and RU6LA.
There is about 7 hours 45 minutes of mutual dark path between ZL and VE7, and
the distance is some 11,700 km. For listeners in The Americas the only
reliable time I can advise that ZM2E will be transmitting is from 0715 UTC,
when we make a call for VA7LF using FSK120 with frequencies 137.7890/137.7886
kHz (0.4 Hz shift) and content ZM2E ZM2E E, which will take 72 minutes.
VA7LK will likely transmit from 0830 UTC using FSK120 with frequencies
137.7777/137.7771 kHz (0.4 Hz shift), and starting with their full call sign.
Transmissions from either station after that will depend on whether we can
copy each other and thus progress a QSO, or else there will be repeats of
sending full call signs. There is about 12 Hz offset between respective
transmit frequencies so anyone monitoring would need to run two Argo screens
if they were to see both sides of events. The mutual dark path ends around
1440 UTC with VE7 sunrise.
There is about 3 hours of mutual dark path between ZL and RU6, and the
distance is some 16,500 km. For listeners west of ZL the only reliable time
I can advise that ZM2E will be transmitting is from 1515 UTC, when we make a
call for RU6LA using FSK60 with frequencies 137.7890/137.7886 kHz (0.4 Hz
shift) and content ZM2E ZM2E E, which will take 36 minutes. RU6LA will use
the same frequencies and shift, and could reply using FSK120 from 1551 UTC.
European listeners could monitor events with a single Argo screen. The
mutual dark path ends around 1800 UTC with sunrise at Quartz Hill.
ZM2E operators are Andrew ZL2BBJ, Mike ZL4OL and myself. How we last for two
loooong nights with no sleep will also be interesting, but with three on site
we can tolerate some watching of eyelids.
There is no 'net access at Quartz Hill so this could be my last email session
till 6 March.
73, Bob ZL2CA
