M.A.R.S - Manawatu Amateur Radio Soc

VHF-UHF FIELD DAY DECEMBER 2010

We setup on the Ruahine Ranges -40.090155,176.02664 above Dannevirke about 1200m ASL with drive on access. The location gave good clear line of sight paths to the majority of the South of the North Island. We had plenty of good 2 meter contacts to Christchurch, Auckland, Taranaki, Lower Hutt, the locals in Hawkes Bay and also Palmerston North. The Hamilton 2 meter city beacon was a workable signal but sadly no Waikato contest stations were heard.

6 Meters and 70 centimeters were both good, DX on 6 meters was not excellent with only a few trans Tasman contest contacts.   1296 was used as well which enabled regular contacts with  ZM2M and ZL2DX.

On Saturday the weather was calm and cloudless and hard to believe we were at 1200m ASL (3800 feet), check the pictures.   Saturday evening the calm disappeared and we saw the wind arrive making sleep difficult, sadly it stayed like this until our departure on Sunday afternoon.  This made it hard for the rotators and beams in the windy conditions.

144.2 MHz SSB was very very busy and quite exciting, Since we were so high we heard  plenty of doubling from stations unable to hear each other.

The zl2ko station consisted of a core team team of five:  ZL2KP (President Branch 20), ZL2SGA (Branch 20), ZL2FX, ZL2KG, ZL2UKW (President of Branch 70) with some additional help from club members on Saturday afternoon and evening.

A big thank you to those who exchanged numbers with us throughout the event.  NZART have a summary and some additional pictures of the event

Mike - ZL2UKW