Or Pacific Radio Amateurs

Conducted By Ex Zk-1-Ac/Vr-2-Ak.

(Address notes to P.O. Box 5179, Wellesley Street, Auckland, NZ.)

iLANDS Hams: Help yourself and others by cultivating the Pacific Islands Net tes—oloo/0700/1900 GMT. Let your cific neighbours know that you’re active trying a CQ at these times on your 'ourite band.

Notes Of Interest

’his month word comes from Phil mer, VR-3-C, on Fanning Island—one the most active Island stations heard Auckland. Phil wishes us the best of port with the radio notes and says, lis station will certainly abide by the Net 15-minute listening periods”, there’s an encouraging lead for didates for that rare YR3 card. 1-metres has been particularly good Pacific contacts at times during the t month, and on occasions a great I of overseas DX has also been heard ipecially from the Mediterranean lean area. ost interesting of the Island stations ve this month are YJ-l-AA/AB in New Hebrides. YJ-l-AB is none other \ our anopheles-hunting friend Dr.

Black, last heard of as VR-4-AF, and VK-2-QZ when at home in Sydney, the time this reaches the outposts, l-AB may again have ceased to exist, nwhile he is active on 20-metre ''phone. Of YJ-l-AA we have no dls, but he has been heard mentioned active on 20 m. lother item of considerable interest he card hunters is that Pitcairn will n be on the air by late December, d McCoy, VR-6-AC, left Auckland i his wife by the RANGITOTO at the of November, He plans to operate ind 20 m. phone with a 25-watt rig. transmitter was built for him three s ago by W6CJE and operates from !-volt power supply and wind-charger, d also reported that VR-6-AY, rew Young, who was given a trans er in 1930 by American Hams, has inactive since 1940 due to inability sffect repairs. oyd also told us something of the mercial radio set-up on Pitcairn.

Island at present has a NZ-made watt C & B transmitter for 500 kc/s another I kw. hf. transmitter which installed by the RNZN during the Due to the impossibility of obtain qualified technical staff at the terms ed, this equipment has become un iceable. The island is now being pped with a low-powered transmitter simpler design, which Floyd hopes >e able to keep going, and also a ’oni “Trans-Arctic” 50-watt marine smitter for 500 kc/s. While in NZ i has received some instruction on equipment. e existing power supply—two diesel raters —is also unserviceable and the equipment is being powered by mulators and ?. wind-charger sup l by Quirk’s of Sydney.

Doug. Cunnold, Superintendent, Raro tonga Radio, packed his gear and returned to Auckland on leave on November MAUI POMARE. As Bob Hanley of Civil Aviation, only other active Ham in the Group, left some time ago, Thor Gundersen, Radio Officer/Purser of the MAUI POMARE, ZK-l-AZ/ZL-l-VU now provides the only means of collecting a ZK-1 card. Thor uses the ZK call while in the vicinity of the Cooks and the ZL call after passing the half-way line towards NZ. We believe, however, that the mobile cards are not always acceptable from the WAC points of view. However, as Doug, will return in April and radio staff trans fers are occurring at intervals it may not be long ere Rarotonga again has an active Ham.

The Solomons caused some interest this month, with Frank, VR-4-AE—a new one to us, popping up, and, though not actually heard working, we heard reference to another—Vß-4-RW.

Tahiti, FO-8-AB, with a powerful 20 m. phone sig, was also heard calling a CQ early one morning—first FO-8 actually heard in Auckland for a very long time.

From Noumea FK-8-AI was also heard with a very fine 20 m. phone sig, but there has been no sign of the New

Hebrides boys during limited hours of early morning and evening listening.

“Amateur Radio” reports that Felix, FK-8-AC, on leave in France, is now active under F-3-GQ from Sanmur, and does not anticipate returning to Noumea until mid-1953.

“Break In” has an interesting item for the 50 mc/s boys. Bill, ZK-2-AA will be

'Stationed at Niue for at least another year and is going to be keenly active on that band. In Fiji VR-2-CG will soon be joined on 50 mc/s by VR-2-CB—both keen for ZL contacts—and doubtless also with VK-9 or whatever else offers.

Stations actually heard or known to be active during the month were:

Fkbae/Ai, Fgbab, Kb6Ao, Kc6Ig, Kg6-

AAL J ACG J ADZ / FA / FAA / FAB / GX /

Hl/Ig/Sl, Kr6Fn/Hw, Kx6Aik/Av,

Vkirv, Vk9Fn/Gw/Wg, Vr2Bz/Cg/

Co/Cm, Vr3C, Vr4Ae/Rw, Yjiaa/Ab,

ZKIAZ, ZK2AA/AB, and, of course, KH6’s far too numerous to mention.

A recently listed addition to the VK9 list is VK9YY, A, J. Smith, AWA Aviation Service Depot, Government Aerodrome, Lae.

As usual we look forward to notes of interest to Island Hams from any quarter.