ZS Planned Activations

Those of you who have been following the 10m thread will have noted that I made quite a number of contacts with ZS over the last week or so from my radio clubs shack and I’m pleased to report, the time wasn`t entirely wasted. Amongst the contacts was John ZS5J. After a nice chat we talked about SOTA and John told me, he has taken an interest in SOTA and plans on activating some ZS summits, hopefully in the next month or so.

Those amongst you who are regular SOTA chasers will know how difficult it is to chase a ZS summit (if indeed it has ever been done) from EU the main reason being ZS activators don’t seem to work above 40m on HF. Those of you who are regular SOTA activators will know just how difficult it is to even work ZS from a summit let alone manage an S2S. If memory serves me correctly, in just over two years I have managed to work ZS once and I think maybe twice from a SOTA summit …I`ve worked VK more times than that!

Anyway, bearing in mind the activator is in sole charge of any activation, I have asked John if he would please post an alert on the system when he plans an activation and please would he spend a little time working above 40m.

The beauty of ZS is the time difference which will make any attempted S2S a much easier prospect from EU, possibly a little trickier Stateside and maybe something that may interest Wayne and the VK boys and girls.

My experience of working ZS, … total feast or total famine and it`s normally total famine :frowning:

Hopefully we can see some ZS activity in the coming weeks, lets just hope the propagation Gods look on us favourably.

BTW, John ZS5J has got quite a radio shack and a visit to his QRZ page is highly recommended.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Reading the title, I thought for a minute that your were off to ZS with your 2m co-linear.

73

Richard
G3CWI

In reply to G3CWI:

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Reading the title, I thought for a minute that your were off to ZS
with your 2m co-linear.

That was halloween :o)

Adrian
G4AZS

In reply to G3CWI:

Reading the title, I thought for a minute that your were off to ZS
with your 2m co-linear.

Nah, it wouldn`t fit in my suitcase and SAA flatly refused to allow me to carry the 22Ah Golf Kart SLAB as hand luggage :wink:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Mike, you make no mention of your patio heater, but I suppose you don’t need to take that as it is summer down under. :wink:

Let’s hope this initiative comes off. ZS once again coming through on 28MHz today though I couldn’t break the pile up to work Beth ZS5ZLB.

73, Gerald G4OIG

In reply to 2E0YYY:
.
Maybe your SLAB could find its way to Lebanon, Mike. Be the first person in history to activate an OD summit, which incidentally happens to be in Asia - hint, hint.
.
Elliott, K6ILM
Self-interest 1st

In reply to G4OIG:

Hi Gerald,

Mike, you make no mention of your patio heater, but I suppose you
don’t need to take that as it is summer down under. :wink:

Delete patio heater, insert BBQ!

Let’s hope this initiative comes off.

Well, John seems keen to have a go…

ZS once again coming through on
28MHz today though I couldn’t break the pile up to work Beth ZS5ZLB.

I worked a further six ZS yesterday, the first being Lourens ZS6AKB. Lourens contact was about 1140 and even on the beam he was scratchy, although workable. He was made up with the contact, his first UK contact on the 10m band in 32 years. The band was not in particularly good shape in the morning, so I QSY’d to 15m.

Around 1430, I returned to 10m, pointed the beam South and put out a CQ. Within a couple of minutes it was difficult to know which way to turn it! There were African Stations on the front of the beam and South Americans yelling on the side of it. The South Africans were armchair copies. As I moved the beam to South America, North Americans started calling.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Columbia, Chile and a few I can’t even remember without looking in the log book…

It was great fun to play on the 10m band for three or four days knocking off over 400 contacts. Even though the band wasn’t in brilliant shape, it certainly produced some unforgettable fun and great DX.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to K6ILM:

Lebanon eh? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Leave that with me Elliott :wink:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

SAA flatly refused to allow me to carry the 22Ah Golf Kart SLAB

They had no issues with my LiION packs at Edinburgh or Amsterdam airports today Mike. You need to move out of the 19th century with regards to EMF sources.

Andy
EA3/MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:

You need to move out of the 19th century with
regards to EMF sources.

Ah, but absorbed glass mat batteries are very much SOTA (state of the art) Just like a lipo, they are capable of delivering huge amounts of current, certainly as much as one would ever need for a SOTA activation. I would have no hesitation on taking an AGM battery to under 10 Volts on a regular basis. With a bog standard SLAB, this would be tantamount to a death sentence in a very short time.

Sure weight is an issue, OTOH, I’ve never heard of anyone needing to charge a AGM SLAB in a fireproof box or worry about them swelling.

I’ve no issue with Lipos, I think they’re wonderful technology, however, when my AGM is fully charged, it measures 13.2 volts and about 12.9 volts under load and will happily run my 857 all day.

Certainly, I wouldn’t drag it up Helvellyn, however, for most of the summits I activate, it works for me.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:
The amount of fry-ups you’ve consumed so far this year Micky, I think the thought of you dragging yourself alone up Helvellyn will be one to see.

If you fancy carrying a smaller battery, I have a 20Ahr slab somewhere you can have for the day? Can’t guarantee its condition however :wink:

In reply to G1STQ:
Hi Mike.I have a hell of a drum of cable.You cold leave the battery at the bottom and just roll out the cable as you go up

In reply to G1STQ:

The amount of fry-ups you’ve consumed so far this year Micky, I think
the thought of you dragging yourself alone up Helvellyn will be one to
see.

John

I can assure you Mike did not drag himself alone up Helvellyn!!!

Regards

Dave

In reply to G6MZX:

In reply to G1STQ:
Hi Mike.I have a hell of a drum of cable.You cold leave the battery at
the bottom and just roll out the cable as you go up

Hi Geoff,

Nah, I just recruit the services of M0TUB, G4ASA, G1STQ, G7LAS or G8XYJ

Problem solved :wink:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Or move out of the 19th century.

Andy
EA3/MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:
.
But if you decide to stay in the 19th century, Mike, try the technique oft used here in the colonies…pack goats. Be careful, though, as they eat coax and other tasty modern goodies.
.
Elliott, K6ILM
Chaser Clown

In reply to K6ILM:

In reply to MM0FMF:
.
But if you decide to stay in the 19th century, Mike, try the technique
oft used here in the colonies…pack goats. Be careful, though, as
they eat coax and other tasty modern goodies.

Plenty of people are happy to live in the 19th century when it comes to ham radio Elliott, for example, Morse :wink:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Plenty of people are happy to live in the 19th century when it comes to ham radio Elliott, for example, Morse :wink:

Hence the well known phrase - “Ah, the old ways are the best”. :wink:

73, Gerald G4OIG

In reply to G4OIG:

The last time I looked Morse didn’t carry a huge weight penalty.

Andy
EA3/MM0FMF