ARLA/CLUSTER: VK6RIO - Teste Trans-Oceano Indico entre a Austrália e África do Sul em 144,950 MHz abandonado

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

VK6RIO tests with ZS abandoned!

The VK6RIO Trans-Indian Ocean beacon tests on 144,950 MHz between
Australia and South Africa have been abandoned.

The lack of local sponsorship and the depreciating ZA Rand have
torpedoed this amateur science research project.

This Trans-Indian Ocean project was conceived by the Northern Corridor
Radio Group and would use chirp modulation based on the chirp radar
system invented in Australia. It was hoped that this would achieve the
first 144 MHz contact via Tropo Ducting between VK and ZS and
contribute to the study of Trans-Indian Ocean propagation conditions.

The following e-mail arrived from Keith Bainbridge, VK6RK, spokesman
for the research group at Perth, Western Australia. It reads:
"Well Mike we have given up on the ZS hams. As of next week we will be
dismantling your end of the link and selling off the gear. There is an
expression here "I'm into flagellation, necrophilia and bestiality",
i.e. I'm flogging a dead horse. Three years waiting is a bit too long
I'm afraid.

"What we intend to do is reprogram the gear with a JT mode and point
it to our east and when the guys in the east coast have had enough, we
will swing it around your way. Obviously it won't have anywhere near
the signal penetration, but hey, no one is interested anyway. I just
wish you could have raised the interest level, but I know what hams
are like. Thanks for your efforts in the past and best wishes for the
future. 73 Keith."

The South African Radio League