[3830] Commonwealth ZL2BR Open-24 HP

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                    RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW

Call: ZL2BR
Operator(s): ZL2BR
Station: ZL2BR

Class: Open-24 HP
QTH: New Plymouth NZ
Operating Time (hrs): 23

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:   12
   40:  111
   20:   66
   15:   30
   10:   13
------------
Total:  232  Total Score = 3,840

Club: 

Comments:

The solar flare certainly spoiled the party in a big way, with polar and
near-polar propagation paths being severely affected.

This resulted in my lowest score and qso totals since 1987. eg only 34 VE
contacts, in 2010 I had 91, etc etc

Half world diameter distance signals, that is up to 9,000km from ZL such as VK,
9M and 9V were excellent, all other signals were weak or got lost in transit.

Our VK friends across the Tasman (Sea) certainly had a bigger bite of the Beru
cake this year than us ZLs.

Is is VK and ZL, or VK or ZL? I suspect many UK and other Eu stations, group VK
and ZL together as a single dx target area, which incorrect.

A Great Circle map centered on UK, shows short path bearings thus:
VK6 - 90 degrees
VK3 - 75 degrees
Southern tip of NZ South Island - 60 degrees
Central NZ North Island - 10 degrees

75 per cent of the NZ population live in the North Island and this includes at
least two of the ZL3s and one ZL4 who were active in the CC this year. So UK
stations, when you want to work ZLs, please ensure your beams are pointed North
not West next year please.......Solar flare or no solar flare.

Gotta have one highlight - a 5-bander with fellow ZL team-member Dave
ZL7/VO1AU. It's just a real pity that conditions turned out the way they did.

73, Frank ZL2BR


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