[TransAtlantic] de CT1HZE

[Mark Casey]

Hello Joe,

Thank-You for the comments, and for the history of reports.

It's taken a while for many of us, like myself, to get geared up for a real 
Trans-Atlantic attempt, but interest is building and building on this side. 
Right after the Brendan challenge was announced, I knew it was going to be a 
long term project for me, and probably for many others. At that time, about 
10 yrs ago, I had a small station and a poor location for a transatlantic 
try. Over the years, I've accumulated the radio building blocks for a real 
try, and 5 years ago, bought a house in coastal North Carolina with the 
transatlantic project in mind.

A few of us have considered trailer or large pickup truck, so that we could 
drive to the coastal area where the propagation is predicted. That is a real 
possibility. (The biggest problem for many of us is to get a few weeks of 
work.)

Newfoundland is one of the likeliest places for a west side station. But, it 
is a hard place to get to for most of us. It is a longer to drive to St. 
John's from Boston or New York than to Florida. And it is much more 
expensive. Still, it's not impossible that some of us won't take a big truck 
full of equipment up there, camp out for a couple of weeks and give it good 
try. For me, that would not happen for at least a year or more.

But, his remailer might help out in the liason department. We can keep each 
other updated on where and when we will be in places of interest.

My projected 2010 schedule:
now-Jan 20 at Hampden, MA FN32sb 413-566-8118, or 566-2445
Jan 20-Feb 5  at Cedar Island, NC  FM14ux 252-838-3617
Feb 8 - Feb 25 in Florida at various places, but mobile with a small 
station.  cell413-222-9292
Feb 28- March 10 at Cedar Island
March 12-April 21 at Hampden, MA
April 27-May 10 at Cedar Island
May 12 - Hampden

>From Cedar Island, I can usually get on at a few minutes notice. Right now, 
the station is at 10' above sea level, a single antenna at 30' and 300w 
(about 5kw erp). The location is on the bay and there are some very narrow 
islands with sparse, low, trees (less than 1/4 mile wide), between my place 
and the open ocean. My guess that those narrow islands would have little 
effect on a low duct tropo event was proven this past Sept. when I worked 
K1WHS in Maine, 648 miles with 2 watts on 10GHz using a small portable dish 
near the ground. 15 minutes later, we worked again from another location 
that has no interfering islands, and the reception reports were the same. 
But I have Lunar Link full power 144 MHz amp (about 45kw erp with a single 
ant.)which will be put into service at least by summer of 2010, and a higher 
tower, etc. Now, it's just a matter of time (away from work) for me to 
assemble a decent full power station.

You have looked at the Hepburn charts much more than I have, and I agree 
with your comments. If Hepburn is correct, in my opinion, it really looks 
possible for tropo events to make multiple contacts each year from CT/EI to 
many of the Caribbean Islands and Northeastern South America.

With little customs problems and no licensing issues, Puerto Rico or US 
Virgin Islands might be another very good place for USA hams to get together 
for a serious try.

Please let all of your friends in Europe know about this remailer and invite 
them to subscribe. We have been emailing everyone we can find an invitation. 
I really think complete TransAtlantic QSO's, and at multiple times and 
locations and modes. All of the comments from You and Mark, and others like 
Bob Cooper, that have history in this area of long distance VHF+ 
propagation, are really appreciated and seriously taken into account for our 
further adventures!

73
Mark Casey, K1MAP
FN32sb & FM14ux





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J. Kraft" <funk-telegramm at t-online.de>
To: <transatlantic at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 5:03 AM
Subject: Re: [TransAtlantic] de CT1HZE


Hi all,

first of all I am very happy to see that there is a lot of brainstorming
in NA
now about the final challenge on VHF, a 2m TA QSO.

Here in Europe we had this discussion for ages and it is still 
alive.......................

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