[ADXA] The ZS8 Adventure

[Charles Korzendorfer]

CONGRATS to all the ADXA members who posted a score in the 160M ARRL
contest.
  ZS8W has been on 7019. CW the last few nights starting around 9:30
local.  The pileup is definitely not for the “faint of heart”.  I finally
managed to work him up 2.5KHZ.  Good luck…
KM5G

On Fri, May 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM <w5znjoel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Greetings ADXA Folks,
>
>
>
> Exciting and VERY frustrating times with ZS8. I’ve had email from several
> of you expressing frustration in trying to work Yuris on ZS8. Some have
> indicated he is ignoring NA but that’s simply not the case. Let’s review a
> few things about this op and DX’ing in general.
>
>
>
> DX’ing is a rough radiosport. That’s why weenies don’t pay the game and
> hang out on FM repeaters or the internet……..”You Can’t Run With the BIG
> DOGS If You Pee Like a Puppy!” I would tell you how much harder it was
> “back in the old days” but you new folks would just laugh at me and you old
> dogs already know its true! So we’ll just leave it there.
>
>
>
> ZS8 is a top 10 most needed, heck its #6 most needed among the ADXA folks.
> EVERYONE wants it, the ENTIRE WORLD needs it so the pileups are angry and
> aggressive.
>
>
>
> Propagation, propagation, propagation! This is a very popular ham radio
> topic second only to antennas but most hams don’t take the time to
> understand it. Yuris is sitting there on Marion Island in the south Indian
> ocean where there is practically no infrastructure, only the simple things
> needed to maintain the research station so the man-made noise is literally
> non-existent. The radio bands are extremely quiet, he will hear everything.
> The location also affords band openings to multiple world locations at one
> time, heck the entire world at one time on some bands. You are competing
> with the entire world in that pileup! One example is 17 meters. I needed
> ZS8 on 17 but it took me 5 days to complete. When Yuris would send FT8
> signal reports to the stations he was working from all over the world they
> would all be anywhere from minus 5 to plus 5 and if you watched the wide
> graph there was one solid, continuous line of callers from around 250 Hz
> all the way up to 3 KHz and that is only stations we can hear…….he’s
> hearing the entire world at that level!
>
>
>
> Its only one operator – Yuris is there by himself, the lone ranger without
> Tonto! Have we already forgotten Thiery at FT8WW a little over 2 years ago?
> That was very difficult one although we were afforded with a much longer
> operation than ZS8W’s stay.
>
>
>
> I’m not making excuses for Yuris, I just want the ADXA folks to better
> understand the situation he’s in. I, for one, am very thankful he took the
> time and initiative to plan this and actually go through the political BS
> to get a license, get down there, and activate ZS8. Its actually one I
> never thought I would see activated again in my lifetime so I am very
> thankful for his effort!
>
>
>
> This is BIG DOG territory ADXA folks, its why we very often preach about
> elevating your station capability and operating skills, regardless of the
> size of your station.
>
>
>
> We’re ADXA which means we’re BIG DOGS in the game of DX so instead of
> getting angry and frustrated…………..”GET IN THERE” and fight like you’re the
> third animal species on the ramp boarding the Ark and its starting to rain
> !!!!!   😊
>
>
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
>
>
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