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Vernall wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style>
<font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Hi
all,</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Following is the
text of an announcement to the amateur radio media. I will email
the Argo file to personal addresses, on request.</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>73,
Bob ZL2CA</font></font> <span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1><b>A
SECOND CLAIM OF ZL TO VE AMATEUR LF DX</span><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><span
style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span></span><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></b>26
September 2001<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "<A HREF="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office</A>"
/></font></font><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>On
Saturday 22 September ZL6QH, ZL3PN, ZL3JE, ZL4OL and AX2TAR (VK7ZAL) transmitted
test signals in the 165 - 190 kHz band, for so-called trans-Pacific tests.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Various
DX listeners had prior knowledge of the schedule of individual test frequency
and coding used by each station.</font></font><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>As
occurred in the 30 June trans-Pacific tests, Steve VE7SL managed to receive
signals from ZL6QH before VE7 dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>This
time VE7SL obtained an Argo capture of both frequencies of the DFCW transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
path length is estimated to be 11,709 km.</font></font><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Refer
to the associated Argo graphic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
ZL6QH signal is in the lower half of the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
transmitted signal used dual frequency keying, with 0.4 Hz frequency shift.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
uniquely coded transmission consisted of repetitive sending of QQQQQ
sent
as 184.4001, 184.4001, 184.3997, 184.4001 kHz and then a gap, with all
elements being of 120 seconds (2 minutes) duration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>This
means sending a single Q took ten minutes.</font></font><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>The
Argo graphic of the VE7SL reception shows inverted audio FSK , but otherwise
agrees with the dot length, sequence and frequency shift of the ZL6QH transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
explanation for the inversion is that the Icom IC-R75 receiver used by
VE7SL happens to give inverted FSK in the audio output when used in the
normal CW mode.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>VE7SL used an RF
signal generator to subsequently verify that an Argo trace (showing receiver
audio output) went lower in frequency when the RF frequency went higher.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Note
that the parallel vertical red lines in the centre of the Argo graphic
are a software option for selecting either short or long "ticks" and once
selected, a tick stays on the screen.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
left side of the long tick is close to 40 minutes before the 1401 UTC sunrise
at VE7SL.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The signal faded rapidly
about 3 minutes after sunrise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>It
was still dark in New Zealand at VE7 sunrise.</font></font></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></span><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>The
ZL6QH LF signal was generated using a modified TS-850SAT, in SSB mode,
fed with audio from a lap top PC, using soundcard software developed by
Steve VK2ZTO.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>TS-850 frequency control
was by means of a high performance TCXO master oscillator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
low level LF signal from the TS-850 transverter port was fed to an external
LF power amplifier, and the output power was around 500 watts.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
radiated power is estimated to be 5 watts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
antenna was a long wire at the Quartz Hill club station, which is run by
the Wellington Amateur Radio Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The
ZL6QH operators were Andrew ZL2BBJ and Bob ZL2CA.</font></font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>ZL6QH
is seeking permission to transmit in the 136 kHz band, which could widen
the scope of testing beyond "trans-Pacific", and give European listeners
a better chance at receiving amateur LF DX from down-under.</font></font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Bob
Vernall ZL2CA</font></font></span><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Organiser
of the Trans-Pacific tests</font></font></span></blockquote>
<br>
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