[KCDXC] Fw: Topband: VK9ML MELLISH REEF 2002 NEWS BULLETIN 16-Mar-02

[Chuck Kraly]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Adam Maurer, VK4CP" <vk4cp@bigpond.com>
Subject: Topband: VK9ML MELLISH REEF 2002 NEWS BULLETIN 16-Mar-02


*** VK9ML MELLISH REEF 2002 NEWS BULLETIN 16-Mar-02 ***



In only four weeks time Mellish Reef will be active on all bands 160-6M,
including WARC, on CW, SSB and RTTY.  If you need VK9M for a new one then
get your station ready!



Joining the team is Frank Hunt, ZL2BR, who replaces David "Harry" Holton,
VK4DH.  Unfortunately Harry's leave was cancelled due to a new business
commitment be he still continues as a support member of the team.  Welcome
aboard Frank whom you can meet and all the other team members on the
website.



Antennas:

Our locally built Battle Creek Special low-band antenna clone for 160, 80
and 40M was setup and tested for the first time just a few days ago.  It was
tweaked for the frequencies we'll be using and should work very well !
Low-banders can rest assured that Eric, K3NA, and his low-band team will put
the Yaesu FT-1000MP + VL-1000 Amp and the Battle Creek Special, along with
the rest of our low-band antenna arsenal, to good use!

We welcome Force 12 aboard as a sponsor.  The highly successful SVDA's
(Switch Vertical Dipole Array's) that were used at K5K and more recently on
VP8 will also be used on Mellish Reef.   See
http://force12inc.com/k5kinfo.htm for more information about he SVDAs we'll
be using.

Significant planning has gone into the architecture of the VK9ML shack and
antenna farm so that we (and you!) can enjoy maximum versatility with
sharing resources.  We'll be able to flog the bands that exhibit good
propagation at any given time with our five Yaesu stations.



Websites:
Apart from the original website on qsl.net there is now a full mirror site
in Australia on Bigpond.  VK's in particular may find this site quicker to
load.  Having a full mirror site means that if one goes down you'll still be
able to catch up on all the news, not to mention checking the all-important
on-line log for your QSO.  Logs will be updated twice a day, sometimes more
often if we can!  Our Japanese team members have been busy lately too,
translating the VK9ML website, and we can now offer a version in Japanese!

The urls are:

(US) http://www.qsl.net/vk9ml/2002

(VK) http://www.users.bigpond.com/vk4cp/2002/

(JA) http://www.pedi.jp/



Please note that the JA site points to the Australian server for on-line log
information - which - will be the same as the on-line log on the US server.
Both servers will be updated within minutes of each other, so, if you're not
in one log you won't be in the other!



Pilots:

We now have four Pilots to handle any queries and, more importantly, get
feedback from the DXers to see where we can improve on any aspects of the
operation so that we can work as many of you guys as possible.

Europe/Africa - Bill Rothwell G0VDE

North/South America - Don Greenbaum N1DG

Japan/Asia - Hisato Kobayashi 7K1WLE

VK/ZL/Oceania - Adam Maurer VK4CP

Contact e-mail addresses for these guys are on the website!


One thing we do ask.  If you worked us only last year during our brief Site
Survey Trip then do the right thing and resist working us again this year -
you've already done it!  We would like to work as many new stations as
possible, the ones that really need Mellish for a new one.  Sounds fair
enough?



Visit the website for further updates hereon and expect more frequent news
as it get closer and closer to the biggest DXpedition to Mellish Reef in
history so far!



on behalf of the entire VK9ML team

Adam, VK4CP
(VK9ML Webmaster & Pilot)




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