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Transpacific reception of Canadian amateur LF signals confirmed.
Date :
12 /
10 /
2005
Author :
Chris Jones - VK2ZDD
The ARRL reports that low frequency enthusiast Steve McDonald, VA7SL, reports the first confirmed transpacific reception of Canadian Amateur Radio LF (137 kHz/2200 meters) signals occurred October 4. "The slow-speed (QRSS) CW signals of VA7LF heard near Wellington, New Zealand, at the Wellington Amateur Radio Club station at Quartz Hill," McDonald told ARRL. "Signals from the ZM2E club station were heard in Canada as well, but propagation was not of sufficient duration to enable a QSO to be completed." Located on South Pender Island, British Columbia, VA7LF was operated by McDonald, Lorne Tilley, VE7TIL, and Martin MacGregor, VE7MM. At the helm of the Quartz Hill station were Bob Vernall, ZL2CA, and Mike McAlevey, ZL4OL. Both stations operated on 137 kHz using dual-frequency CW QRSS120, in which elements are two minutes long. VA7LF
was running approximately 1 W ERP, while ZM2E was at the 5W ERP level. "Propagation conditions were generally poor during the three-night test period," McDonald said. The next scheduled transpacific tests will be next spring. ZM2E and UA0LE hold the current Amateur Radio two-way LF world record at a distance of 10,311 km. The distance between VA7LF and ZM2E is approximately 11,700 km.
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