Trans-Pacific tests 23/9/2000.
TRANSPACIFIC TESTS FROM ZL AND VK AMATEUR LF STATIONS Next Saturday 23 September a number of ZL stations and one VK station will be using "beacon mode" for LF test transmissions. Some transmissions will continue for all hours of local darkness. Each station is allocated a unique frequency (see Table 1 below).
The placement of the international date line means that the ZL Saturday night of 23/24 September overlaps with the USA Friday night of 22/23 September. In order to clearly list a single schedule of times, all sunrise and sunset times in this bulletin are stated in UTC (see Table 2 below).
In general slow CW emissions will be used by all stations.
Table 1. Frequencies, call signs and locations.
Frequency. Call Sign. Transmitter location.
176.50 kHz AX2TAR Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
177.01 kHz ZL3FJ Christchurch, New Zealand
181.42 kHz ZL1WB Whangarei, New Zealand
182.11 kHz ZL6QH near Wellington, New Zealand
182.70 kHz ZL3PN Timaru, New Zealand
183.50 kHz ZL4MD near Cromwell, New Zealand
184.00 kHz ZL3VN Christchurch, New Zealand
184.50 kHz ZL3JE near Timaru, New Zealand
185.00 kHz ZL4OL near Dunedin, New Zealand
Table 2 Sunrise and sunset times.
Sunset time. Location.
0613 UTC Wellington, New Zealand
0803 UTC Hobart, Australia
Sunrise time. Location.
1345 UTC Los Angeles, USA
1402 UTC San Francisco, USA
1613 UTC Honolulu, Hawaii
1813 UTC Wellington, New Zealand
2003 UTC Hobart, Australia
Thus there is unlikely to be west coast USA DX before about 0600 UTC 23 September (set by New Zealand nominal sunset time) and after about 1400 UTC 23 September (set by Los Angeles nominal sunrise time). Paths are in darkness for about 8 hours for New Zealand and about 6 hours for Tasmania (AX2TAR). Other receiving locations can estimate "dark path times" from the above table. ZL6QH intends to transmit continuously from about 0530 to 1900 UTC.
Wishing all participants good fortune. Bob ZL2CA 19 September