[Elecraft] VK4XQA 160/80M Operation - An update

[Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF]

Hi everyone,

This is just a reminder of our up and coming VK4XQA operation on 160M & 80M that is scheduled for 19/20/21 November 2011 from Euramo, QLD, Australia.

All systems are go here, the antenna is ready, the rigs and amplifiers are ready, now we wait until we can all congregate at the site at the end of the week.
The site is at Euramo (Grid Square QH22XA for those that need to know) in North Queensland, Australia.

The antenna we will be using is a yet to be commisioned commercial AM broadcast band top loaded vertical antenna that is resonant at 693KHz and it is 60M tall. (Yep, that's over 200 feet!)
It is sitting on top of a 5+ Acre ground mat and our time there has been graciously approved by the sites owners Coastal Broadcasters (AKA, Innisfail AM broadcast Radio Station 4KZ)
The original commercial tower on this site was destroyed by cyclone YASI and we will be using the brand new replacement antenna even before the owners get too!

Our operation times and frequencies will be fairly flexible with operation mainly during our nights here and with prime consideration being given to top band operations.

Top Band Operations:
We will have one operator (John - VK4TL) who will be our designated CW operator and who will be operating in the CW section of the band, somewhere around 1820KHz.
Our SSB operators will be myself, Jeff - VK4BOF and Gary - VK4FD (who may also grace us with his CW skills), Chris VK4YCG will also be operating on occasion, mainly on AM for the old time operators out there. <Grin>

SSB and AM operations will be on or about 1845KHz though we can go lower for those of you out there that are not permitted operations in that section of the band.
These frequencies comply with the suggested band plan here in Australia and also seem to be ok for IARU region's 1 & 2 as well.

Please bare in mind that we will only be operating with ONE RADIO at a time, therefore we cannot devote all our time to just CW or just to the AM/SSB side of it, we must share it aound amongst all modes and operators.


80M band Operations:
Please be aware that our 80M band operations are secondary to our 160M band efforts.

SSB & CW Operation on 80M will be within the frequency range of 3779KHz to 3799KHz. (AKA, the 'DX Window' here in Australia.)
We *may* operate at a lower frequency (ie: between 3500 & 3700KHz) but it will be a much lower priority.
In fact our whole 80M band activation is going to be of a lower priority for us, we are mainly going to be on-site for 160M band operations.

40M and higher bands
Operation on these bands is unscheduled however, we may try out the antenna system on these bands on Thursday (18/11/2011) afternoon & evening local time however operation on these bands is not guaranteed.


Rigs & Power Output
Power output on all modes and frequencies will be the Australian legal limit for the appropriate mode.
The rig will be an Elecraft K3 and the amplifier will be an Elecraft KPA500.
An Elecraft P3 Panadaptor will also be in use to see the activity around us on the bands.

A short note on our callsign, VK4XQA.
In 1914 a man by the name of Marcus Brims applied for and received the first experimental radio licence in Queensland, Australia.
Marcus lived in the township of Mareeba in Far North Queensland and he was interested in and got a licence for operations for frequencies not too far removed from the present 160m band and we thought that to honour him and his pioneering work we should get and use the modern equivalant of his original callsign for this 160M operation.
His callsign? Why XQA of course. (Meaning X for Experimental, Q for Queensland & A being the first licence issued.)
Our club (T.R.E.C.) has assisted some of its members to help cosmetically restore Marcus' original Spark Gap transmitter and it now has pride of place at the Mareeba Heritage Centre.
Further information on the XQA exhibit is here: http://treclub.org.au/index_htm_files/TREC%20NEWS%20June%202011%20Vol%204%20-%206.pdf
The Mareeba Heritage Centre has a website here: http://www.mareebaheritagecentre.com.au/index.htm


We as a club are all looking forward to our little 'DXpedition' as this whole 'Top Band' thing is a new one for all of us.

Thanks for sparing me a little of your bandwidth,

73 de
Jeff Cochrane - VK4BOF
East Innisfail
QLD, Australia
Vice President - Tablelands Radio & Electronics Club Inc. (T.R.E.C.) http://treclub.org.au