VK-ZL 1296 MHz distance record broken after 32 years!

On Friday the 31st of January, a large tropospheric opening was predicted to form between VK7 and ZL. Much discussion was had in the week beforehand and several stations decided to try and participate.

Due to the high fire danger (40 degree Celsius day) and subsequent closure, Mt Wellington was ruled out as a possible spot to operate. Murray VK7ZMS, Richard VK7ZBX and Hayden VK7HH set off to operate from One Tree Hill near Kingston whilst Rex VK7MO operated from home, hoping to work Roger ZL3RC on 10 GHz.

We arrived on site shortly after 6am local time and commenced setting up and the first contact was made to Nick ZL1IU on 2m at 5/5 by Murray. Richard then worked Nick on 70cm at 5/1 both ways. Murray also worked Nick on 432. This is Murray's first contacts to ZL on 2m and 70cm. Congratulations Murray!

Then at 20:08 UTC, Rex worked Nick 5/6 on 1296 MHz, the first contact between VK7 and ZL on 23cm and a new VK7 state record at 2432.6km settling a long held frustration having not worked back in 2006 when a similar opening occurred.

Then, 9 mins later at 20:17 UTC, Hayden worked Nick 4/1 both ways on 1296 from his remote site, the 2nd contact between VK7 and ZL on 23cm and a new National and State record at 2458.9km. This breaks the current National Record which was set in 1988 between VK3 and 6 by 3.8km!!

Later contacts were made on 2m with varying signal strengths throughout the morning to ZL1SWW, ZL1TPH and ZL3RC. We thank all the stations who participated in giving it a real go on this opening. Unfortunately, despite Hepburn predictions, conditions were not strong enough for any other bands above 1296, despite repeated attempts.

Below is a video summarizing the day and predicting the potential for such contacts

 

CONGRATULATIONS! Excellent report guys. I got motivation from viewing this video! I will have to get out my TS-2000x and put up my yagis. Steve WA4YGG GA EM74

 

Summer is coming over there! Good luck, great fun are the microwave bands.

 

very nice Dx in microwave

 

Well done Mates !

G3SEA/KH6

 

Congratulations to you guys. For those interested take a look at KH6HME records through 5 GHz from the big island of Hawaii.
We are adding to the two meter beacon soon will have WSPR plus CW about the same as our 432 beacon system operating now.

Aloha, Fred KH7Y, K6IJ

 

Congratulations to you guys,very nice hope more happens this year,
73,
Pieter,
ZL1PDT

 

Amazing! Way to go. Congratulations to all.

 

Congratulations ! ! ! 1296 is such a fun band....keep up this work....

 

I remember watching an early 1296 experimenter, WA8CHD, trying to make a contact to the other end of his driveway using a pair of APX6’s back in the mid 60’s.

Things have come a long way since then.

 

Congrats, quite the accomplishment.

 

The KH6HME records over that path are amazing! If only we had a path that we could use over such a long distance

 

It's good to have so many ZL's willing to try to work us, it's great!

 

It's one of those bands that is quite surprising. It works extremely well and is relatively easy to build a yagi on!

 

Well done chaps and I got exited when I first worked ZL on 2! The best part was no mention of FT8.
73 de Mike VK3KTO