ZL7DK 2/23/98 .. 3/08/98
========================
The location
------------
Chatham Islands, some 800 km (500 miles) east of
New Zealand, 44 S 176 W (not East !!), 13.75 hours
time difference ahead of UTC (not 10.25 hours behind).
There antipodes are located somewhere in Southern France
just north of Andorra (C3). It's located looking from
Europe nearly as FT.Z looking from the USA.
We were fortunate to choose the probably best spot
on the island, the Chatham Island Lodge, run by Denise
and John Sutherland. Fortunate into two directions:
- Exceptionally good accomodation and perfect meals
for a reasonable price.
- Situated just below a small hilltop with perfect
take-off covering East to West via North and nobody
to cause RFI/TVI to (Except there own FM radio receiver
and us working on 30 meters - nothing possible to do about).
The crew
--------
Falk , DK7YY
Mar , DL3DXX
Jan , DL7UFN
Manfred, DK1BT
Tom , DL2OAP
Joe , YB1AQS
Falk, Mar, Manfred and Joe know each other since there time at
university in the early 80's. Jan and Falk met in Berlin after
Falk moved there in the mid 80's and Tom met Falk and Mar on their
trip to D44BC during the WWDX CW'96.
The stations
------------
2x TRX Icom IC-736
1x TRX Kenwood TS-50
1x PA Tokyo-Highpower HL1K
1x PA Yaesu FL2100Z
1x RTTY/Pactor SCS PTCplus
3x Notebooks various
8x BP-Filters Dunestar series
1x Preselector Bavarian Contest Club
The antennas
------------
- Titanex V80 (20.5m / 67ft) with 2-wire Topload (10m / 33ft each),
4 elevated radials (2.5m / 8ft high, 40m / 131ft long).
This antenna is matched in the feedpoint via a homebrew matchbox,
transforming first to 12.5 Ohms followed by LC-coupling.
It works with reasonable results from 160 at least up to
15 meters (Reasonable means better than things we've tried in the
past like R7000, R5, Titan, Voyager e.t.c.), whereby sofar unbeaten
by anything else we've tried on 80/160.
- Home made 80m Vertical (19.5m / 64ft), 4 elevated radials (1.5m / 5ft
high, 25m / 82ft long). This antenna was directly fed at 50 Ohms
and used on 80m (1/4 lambda) and 30m (5/8 lambda).
- The always trustworthy Butternut HF9V, the only commercial multiband
vertical still in our use (40m upwards).
- Titanex LP-5 (5el-LogPer) on a 6m / 20ft mast. Extremely lightweight
multiband beam covering the five higher bands 20..10m.
- Some 300m / 985ft of lightweight Aircell7 coax cable.
- 500m / 1600ft of Beverage wire - waste of baggage
(cause never used) !!
The goal
--------
Knowing about various activities in the past (with the major ZL7AA/ZM7A
DX-ped just successfully finished last October) our goal was again to
serve mainly the Lowbands, CW and RTTY.
The big curiosity for us was to hear how Europe ultimately sounds like
from the other end of the world.
Day 1 (Monday, 2/23) - SF/SSN=99/45, A/K=6/3
--------------------------------------------
Interesting - we've booked a flight back in Germany with Chatham
Airways from Christchurch to the island - which in fact didn't
exist anymore. Nevertheless - thank's to Air New Zealand it was
re-arranged on short notice and we've arrived on Chatham via
Wellington just with a 4 hour delay and - without paying for any
excess baggage (in total we've carried some 280 kg / 600 pounds).
Time was running out to put up antennas, so the Butternut had to be
enough for the first night.
First QSO was made with JA6PSP at 0852Z (10:37pm local) on 30m.
Unfortunately no 160m activity.
Day 2 (Tuesday, 2/24) - SF/SSN=99/45, A/K=3/1
---------------------------------------------
Stormy weather and lot's of rain delayed the erection of our other
antennas. At least we've managed just before sunset to put the
V80 up, no loss of possible openings on 160 anymore...
First listening on 160 and - where was all the noise? All we've got
was a moderate S3 level of noise - in AM wideband mode and with
the preamplifier switched on !! Something out of order? We started
calling after dinner at 0620Z. 0631 the first return S9+20 : ZL2RDJ.
Then at 0652 the first European: G3PQA with a crystal clear S5 signal
(over a narrowband S0 noiselevel), unbelievable!!
Prior depature we've expected anything, but not this. Shortly
afterwards GW4VEQ, G3FPQ, G3TJW, G3XRJ and EI5HE joined in and
finally this first opening finished with ZL4WA. What a take-off !!
In parallel we were starting an endless run of Northern and more
Eastern Europeans on 15m ...
Still nothing from Europe at our sunrise, in total 34 QSO's on 160.
Day 3 (Wednesday, 2/25) - SF/SSN=95/41, A/K=4/1
-----------------------------------------------
Fine weather and all antennas are up. The daily routine is starting
with Mar and Joe (as always) taking the lowband nightshift and
sleeping during daytime in the back of the shack.
160m - 93 QSO's. No sunset peak into Western Europe, but first
better run into the USA and finally first short opening into central
Europe at our sunrise (7 QSO's, 1710..1735Z).
Day 4 (Thursday, 2/26) - SF/SSN=93/38, A/K=3/1
----------------------------------------------
Condx poor into USA, but good opening into Nothern and Eastern
Europe prior sunrise (34 QSO's in 70 minutes). 46 QSO's in total.
Day 5 (Friday, 2/27) - SF/SSN=90/34, A/K=4/1
--------------------------------------------
G3RPB and GW3YDX at sunset, else poor condx, only 26 topband QSO's.
No Europe at sunrise.
Day 6 (Saturday, 2/28) - SF/SSN=94/40, A/K=12/3
-----------------------------------------------
SSB-Contest on 160 - the worst you can imagine being at such
a remote location. Tried to call many US stations we've heard
with S7..9 after being unsuccessfully calling in CW.
Only contact - Ron ZL2TT, as frustrated as we...
Mainly Japan during contest, 57 QSO's. Only European HA8BE
at 1625Z, nil at sunrise.
Day 7 (Sunday, 3/01) - SF/SSN=98/45, A/K=12/3
---------------------------------------------
In total 43 QSO's, 36 of them JA. Only 3x OH at there sunset.
Heard a lot of 'funny' pseudo-QSO's from EU running with whom ever
on the wrong split frequency at our sunrise.
Day 8 (Monday, 3/02) - SF/SSN=92/37, A/K=14/3
---------------------------------------------
Best opening sofar, 176 QSO's. America begins to realize that
there is also a first good opening after our sunset (0700Z).
Worked mainly Northern North America (VE1..3, W1..3).
During sunset in Europe (1630Z) short opening for 20 min with
8x OH, 1x OM, 1x HA. Nil at our sunrise one hour later.
Day 9 (Tuesday, 3/03) - SF/SSN=97/44, A/K=4/1
---------------------------------------------
60 QSO's, best day for W4,5,0, propagation not reaching as far
North as yesterday. Europe at sunset with F6BKI the first
French station, at sunrise nil except OM5XX at his sunset (1636Z).
Day 10 (Wednesday, 3/04) - SF/SSN=102/50, A/K=8/2
-------------------------------------------------
55 QSO's, again a good run into OH/SM for 25 minutes at sunrise.
Day 11 (Thursday, 3/05) - SF/SSN=97/44, A/K=9/2
-----------------------------------------------
Only 3 QSO's in total - condx nil after sunset. At least
still got EA3VY and heard ON4UN for the first time at sunset
without him copying us.
Day 12 (Friday, 3/06) - SF/SSN=92/37, A/K=6/2
---------------------------------------------
36 QSO's with an excellent opening into Europe at both - sunset
and sunrise. John finally could copy us and ON4UN went into
the log, the station furthest east worked at our sunset. Sunrise has
brought a great opening starting from OH/SM, crossing DL down into
Italy to IV3PRK and lasting continuously for one hour from 1630 until
1730 (past our sunrise).
Heard and called much more stations than were able to copy us.
Day 13 (Saturday, 3/07) - SF/SSN=92/37, A/K=5/2
-----------------------------------------------
ARRL-DX contest with lot of QRM.
Nil responses from USA or JA at either 1100..1145Z or 1400..1445Z.
One QSO with HA0DU prior sunrise (at his sunset 1630Z). He was
readable here just for 5 minutes... Then a SP5 was heard, not copying
us. Only 4 QSO's at sunrise, crossing Europe from DL down to IT9...
(didn't copy us) and finally reaching 4X4NJ for a solid QSO.
Day 14 (Sunday, 3/08) - SF/SSN=92/37, A/K=2/0
---------------------------------------------
Similiar situation as yesterday, nil responses during nighttime
to our CQ's. The sunset period (1630Z) brought again the week SP5,
unfortunately not hearing us.
Again only 5 QSO's at sunrise into DL. Condx reaching down into IT9,
unfortunately again no copy there.
Final shutdown with DK0EE on 160m at 1734Z (after in total 31.335
QSO's). We left the Lodge at 1930Z flying back to Christchurch.
Summary
-------
1. We've found excellent receiving conditions and didn't have to worry
about Bev's and any kind of receiving enhancements. We only had to
stay calm and wait until you were able to copy us.
2. Europe much easier than expected prior departure. But - of course
you had to have the 'big' ears in Europe. Somebody without Beverage
in Europe has IMHO had nearly no chance.
3. Forget about the usual "JA you can work all the time". The path into
JA was as difficult as the one into the Midwest.
4. 615 QSO's on 160m (plus additionally 47 dupes):
North America - 330
South America - 0 (even trying hard on our side for you, Egon)
Asia - 138
Europe - 120
Oceania - 27
Africa - 0 (sri Bernie, I guess this path works only end
of July for maybe 2..3 days, like KH6 for
Europe end of December;
OTOH no copy from EA8AK at his sunrise)
5. Again a lot of thrill and exitement on our side. Congrats to
everybody who made it, we know it wasn't easy at all.
6. As we've found all the years - the 160m antenna has if possible
to be the first one up and the last one down. During our stay we got
at least one good opening into all possible directions, but in average
not more than two per destination. So somebody dedicated to work
a rare DX must be there every day and the DX-pedition should try
the best not to miss any opening. But OTOH - nobody is perfect,
as we've learned missing probably one good opening too, on 12 and
10m into Europe.
7. Special thank's again to Wil DJ7AA trying hard to keep the informations
going between you and us.
8. Once again - the QSL is (as stated correctly in the www.qrz.com
database) going best via :
Falk D. Weinhold, DK7YY
P.O.Box 700 343
D-10323 Berlin
Germany
or the German QSL buro.
9. Where do we go next ....
vy73, Joerg YB1AQS
for the ZL7DK team
(except me still enjoying the wonderful landscape of South Island)
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