[OKDXA] Amsterdam Island -- The Most Distant DX Location from W5
Roger Simpson
rksimpson1 at cox.net
Mon Nov 25 09:13:58 EST 2013
Working FT5ZM from QTHs in Oklahoma
Roger Simpson -- K5RKS
25 Nov 2013 -- V1.1
The FT5ZM DXpedition will be operating from the Martin des Viviers
Base which on on the northern shore of Amsterdam Island. According
to the FT5ZM website, the operation will be using two cabins
which are about 5800 feet apart. According to the FT5ZM website
the cabins are located as follows:
Mataf Cabin South 37 deg 47 min; East 77 deg 34 min
Antonelli Cabin South 37 deg 48 min; East 77 deg 32 min
CHART 1
The following chart gives the azimuth and distance to FT5ZM from
various places in or near Oklahoma. This chart is sorted based upon
the short path azimuth.
Location Azimuth to FT5ZM Distance to FT5ZM
[degrees] [statute miles]
Short Long Short Long
Path Path Path Path
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheyenne Wells CO 5.9 185.9 12371 12512
Garden City KS 79.6 259.6 12362 12521
Wichita KS 94.2 274.2 12166 12717
Tulsa OK 109.7 289.7 12066 12817
Enid OK 110.9 290.9 12177 12707
Muskogee OK 111.8 291.8 12028 12855
Stillwater OK 112.8 292.8 12125 12758
Woodward OK 118.9 298.9 12252 12631
Oklahoma City OK 122.0 302.0 12119 12764
Liberal KS 123.2 303.2 12341 12542
Lawton OK 135.5 315.5 12130 12753
Altus OK 142.5 322.5 12161 12723
Guymon OK 145.3 325.3 12350 12534
Amarillo TX 168.6 348.6 12266 12617
Boise City OK 182.2 2.2 12366 12517
Santa Fe NM 232.1 52.1 12202 12682
Raton NM 241.1 61.1 12313 12571
La Junta CO 276.9 96.9 12377 12506
Denver CO 314.4 134.4 12245 12638
Lamar CO 333.7 153.7 12421 12462
** Antipode SE of Lamar CO *any* *any* 12442 12442
CHART 2
COORDINATES OF LOCATIONS USED IN TABLE ABOVE
all Latitudes are degrees North of the equator
all Longitudes are degrees West of Greenwich
Oklahoma City OK Lat = 35.4167; Long = 97.4250;
Tulsa OK Lat = 36.1250; Long = 95.9625;
Guymon OK Lat = 36.6917; Long = 101.4750;
Lawton OK Lat = 34.6375; Long = 98.4375;
Stillwater OK Lat = 36.1250; Long = 97.0875;
Muskogee OK Lat = 35.76; Long = 95.4;
Boise City OK Lat = 36.6917; Long = 102.4875;
Lamar CO Lat = 38.05; Long = 102.6;
Wichita KS Lat = 37.6; Long = 97.4;
Liberal KS Lat = 37.0; Long = 100.9;
La Junta CO Lat = 37.9; Long = 103.6;
Cheyenne Wells CO Lat = 38.8; Long = 102.3;
Garden City KS Lat = 38.0; Long = 101.0;
Raton NM Lat = 36.9; Long = 104.5;
Woodward OK Lat = 36.5; Long = 99.4;
Enid OK Lat = 36.5; Long = 97.9;
Amarillo TX Lat = 35.3; Long = 101.8;
Altus OK Lat = 34.6; Long = 99.3;
Denver CO Lat = 39.8; Long = 105.0;
Santa Fe NM Lat = 35.7; Long = 105.9;
Note: In most cases the coordinates above are expressed to the nearest 0.1
degree of Latitude and Longitude
As can be seen from the CHART 1 above, the paths will be very different between
various QTHs in Oklahoma to Amsterdam Island. Both the short and long path from one
location in Oklahoma may be radically different than either the short or
long path from some other place in Oklahoma.
To take an extreme case, consider Boise City OK compared to Tulsa OK.
# From Boise City the path is either north [long path] or south [short path].
# From Tulsa the path is either slightly south of due east [short path] or
slightly north of due west [long path].
All four of these paths are different in terms of continents and oceans they
traverse between Oklahoma and Amsterdam Island.
1. a) The short path from Boise City leaves the USA over Presidio TX, passes over Tahati, and then crosses Antartica.
1. b) The long path from Boise City leaves the USA over Minot ND, passes north of Greenland, and traverses Kazakhstan.
2. a) The short path from Tulsa leaves the USA over Jacksonville FL and then passes over the southern tip of Africa
near Capetown.
2. b) The long path from Tulsa leaves the USA over Crescent City CA and then passes over Papua New Guinea.
This situation is due to the fact that the antipode for Amsterdam Island is close to us here is Oklahoma. The
antipode location is in the SE corner of Colorado, about 15 miles SE of Lamar.
If you drill straight down through the earth from anywhere in the continental 48 states of the USA you will
come out of the other side of the earth dripping wet because you will be in the Indian Ocean. There is,
however, one exception to this. The exception is that if you drill down from a unique location
near Lamar Colorado, you will hit dry gound when you come out of your worm hole. The dry gound where you
emerge is Amsterdam Island.
Here are a couple of islands in the Indian ocean and the locations of their antipodes:
1. Crozet: Antipode is in the Pacific Ocean west of Oregon.
2. Kerguelen: Antipode is in Southeastern Alberta about 18 miles north of the USA-Canada border.
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Directions to reach the antipode points for the two cabins at Martin des Viviers Base.
You should have a GPS unit and a vehicle that can handle dirt county roads. I recommend using the
following USGS 7.5 minute quad maps for navigation:
Barrel Spring COLORADO
Two Buttes Reservoir COLORADO
Gobblers Knob COLORADO
When you start traveling on dirt roads I recommend taking way-points with your GPS so you don't get lost.
1. Go to Lamar, Colorado
2. Proceed east on Highway 50 from the intersection of South Main Street and Olive Street in downtown Lamar.
3. Travel east approximately 11 miles until you see a pair of grain bins on the north side of the
highway next to the railroad tracks. You are now in beautiful downtown Carlton, Colorado.
4. Continue east for another 1/4 mile. You are now at the intersection of Highway 50 and County Road 19.
County road 19 is paved going north across the railroad tracks. It is not paved going south.
5. Turn south on County road 19. You are now travelling on dirt roads.
6. Proceed for about 16 or 17 miles until you reach a T with a road going east and west. The east/west road is
County Road N.
7. Turn right on County Road N. Travel west on County Road N until there is a road that you can turn left on.
You will have traveled about 1/2 mile.
8. Turn left. You are now going south. Your are on the continuation of County Road 19.
9. Cross the cattle gaurd after about 2000 feet.
10. After crossing the cattle gaurd continue traveling south for about a half a mile.
11. You will come to the ford of Middle Plum Creek which is hopefully dry. If the road
is flooded at this point you may not be able to continue.
12. Continue south for about 1.9 miles until your GPS says that your latitude is
North 37 deg 47 minutes.
The antipode point for the Mataf Cabin is to the west of you about 0.8 miles {i.e. approx 4000 feet}.
You may not be able to hike to the Mataf antipode because it is in the middle
of a terraced wheat field which is likely fenced in.
COORDINATES FOR ANTIPODE FOR MATAF CABIN: NORTH 37 deg 47 min; WEST 102 deg 26 min
13. Continue south on County Road 19. After traveling south for about 0.6 miles you will come to a road.
You are now at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road K. You are at the Southeast corner
of the terraced wheat field. The terraced wheat field is a square mile in size.
14. Turn right onto County Road K. You are now going west.
15. Travel west on County Road K until the longitude on your GPS indicates West 102 degrees 28 min.
From this point the antipode for the Antonelli cabin is about 1.8 miles due
north. If you want to go to the exact antipode point you will have to determine if it is possible to hike
to the location or navigate there with a 4WD vehicle. It is likely that this is private property
which may be fenced.
COORDINATES FOR ANTIPODE FOR ANTONELLI CABIN: NORTH 37 deg 48 min; WEST 102 deg 28 min
16. Now you can return back to civilization by reversing your route to get back to Highway 50. Or you can follow step
17 below.
17. Directions to get to Highway 287: Continue west on County Road K until you reach a "T". This will be in about 4.35
miles. Turn left (south) at the "T" onto County Road 12. Travel south 2 miles to County Road H. Turn right (west)
onto County Road H. Travel west on County Road H for 3 miles and you will reach Highway 287. At this point
there will be two rows of windmills [7 windmills per row] – each row running east and west -- to the south of you.
Note: The coordinates for the two cabins are taken from the FT5ZM website.
These coordinates are likely rounded off to the nearest arc minute.
Taking the coordinates as stated on the website, results in the two cabins being
about 11,500 feet apart -- thus the antipodes are also about 11,500 feet apart.
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