[Ham-News] First for trans-Tasman WSJT

[WIA Victoria]

First for trans-Tasman WSJT

Increased activity between VK and ZL using the WSJT mode is likely following
what is believed to be the first 2-metre contact of random meteor scatter
propagation between two countries.

Rex Moncur VK7MO in Hobart and Bob McQuarrie ZL3TY, Greymouth, on the west
coast of New Zealand's south island, made the contact on Saturday 13 April
over a
distance of 1950km.

The WSJT computer program for weak signal communications has recently
gained popularity in Australia with a number of experimenters using it
regularly to achieve meteor scatter propagation contacts on VHF.

Rex VK7MO says "While there have been a number of SSB meteor scatter
contacts from VK to ZL at the time of the Leonids meteor shower, the
contact with ZL3TY would be the first VK ZL MS contact on random
meteors.

"It should open the possibility of VK ZL 2 metre contacts on a regular
basis without waiting for tropo openings or meteor showers - but we need
to do a lot more tests before we know."

The inaugural VK ZL 2-metre random meteor scatter propagation contact used WSJT
FSK441, which make effective use of the audio bandwith of modern amateur
SSB transceivers.

The program sends messages using four-tone frequency shift keying at 441
baud.  The name of the transmission mode is FSK441, although most just
call it "the WSJT mode." It was developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT, who has a
Nobel Prize for his work in radio astronomy.

Rex VK7MO says "My best signal from Bob ZL3TY was 15 dB above the noise and
the best he got from me was 7 dB above the noise.

"It took 45 minutes to complete the QSO with only four or five readable
meteor scatter pings in both directions. The distance was 1950 km."

Rex was running an FT-847 to a Mirage B 5030-G solid state linear at 200
watts - the pre-amp was disabled as it produces too much cross mode due
to close proximity to high power TV and FM broadcast stations at Mt
Wellington.

The antenna as his end was a relatively small home brew seven element
beam on a 2.6 metre boom designed recently for Rex VK7MO by VK3AUU,
following a range of tests on MS with different anntenas.

Bob ZL3TY expressed thanks to Rex for his help and encouragement with
WSJT, which included successful WSJT skeds on 6-metres during the past
week.

He says "The 6-metre QSOs were amazing with audible transmissions most
periods on an otherwise dead band."

Bob's QTH has a clear view across the Tasman sea and he's keen for more WSJT
contact with VK.

His working conditions are a TS790A plus amplifier with 130-watts out,
feeding a 12-element K1FO (ARRL) horizontally polarised antenna.

Further details on WSJT activity is available at the VK7 WIA web site
http://www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/vk7wia/

Via the index page go to the bottom using the slider and click on WSJT
Activity in Australia.

(Contributed by Jim Linton VK3PC)
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