There have been a few queries about the VK9XX operating pattern on the
reflector. Well, here it is, as explained to me.
VK9XX is either on 160 or 80m right through the hours of darkness, operating
160 if they have propagation or 80 if not (40 if all else fails). George
W8UVZ and Charlie W0YG operate in two shifts - sunset to midnight, swap over
operators, then midnight to sunrise. During the day/evenings, Jerry WB9Z
operates VK9XX on 40 - 10m/WARC.
George, Charlie and Jerry will operate the same way from Cocos.
Being so close to the islands, I know they are on the low bands every day,
because I hear them - at all times of the evening/night. I get propagation
into the USA the same time they do and I hear them calling from east coast
to west coast sunrise - as I said before, if they are not on 160 they will
be trying 80.
Conditions have been fairly poor on 160m and the blokes have had terrible
noise. On Thursday, they had the first rain since they were on the island -
this is the rainy season and no rains means BIG static build-ups and lots of
QRN.
Christmas Island is as hard to work as YB from the USA. There are still a
lot of blokes who need YB from the USA - despite a high level of activity
from Jo YC0LOW, Phil YB0ARA/9, Joerg YB1AQS and YB2JAX. If you go up to
Christmas/Cocos to work the low bands, you have got to pray for good
conditions and low QRN - the YB blokes will tell you that these nice
conditions don't happen very often at all.
Hopefully, VK9YY Cocos Keeling should be a little easier to work - less
electrical noise and a bigger window. Good luck - and say those prayers!
Vy 73,
Steve, VK6VZ
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