For Pacific Radio Amateurs

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

[Address notes to P.O. Box 5179, Wellesley Street, Auckland, N.Z.) ISLANDS HAMS: Let your Pacific

leighbours know you’re active by

■kecking in on your favourite band vith a CQ at 0100/0700/ 1900 z. Use. >/ a known time will help you—

\nd them.

As if to celebrate the Column’s second irthday a flow of interesting news has ome in from a variety of directions.

As a follow-up to VK9HI’s November Ist of licensed VK9s, Geoff, VK9GW has nrned up trumps with a summary of tations which he knows to be active or reparing for action. For the sake of eady reference we have dissected his etter and sorted the notes into Iphabetical order hereunder: VK9AB (old ZL-l-BB): Alf came on ud-December, after several years’ bsence, using IOOw. to 813 and, at resent, a long-wire a few feet off the round; Doug VK9DB, brand new band vitched vfo, mainly on 20/6 metres, sing long-wire but planning BJK. Uses iparate rig and 4-el for 6 metres; Frank K9FN, just left for VK4 on leave, but ormally active with a GO-9 and IOOw. ► a vertical, mainly on 20 metres, eceiviers, Superpro and HRO; George K9GV active 20 metre phone, no details f rig; VK9GW Geoff, vfo and pair 807 s i final, 100 w., rotary BJK of bamboo, ire perspex—and faith, mainly on 15 ictres, also 20 and 10. VK9KT just burning after long absence; VK9RG, on, over at Rabaul, active when at »me, using an AMT-150 and an HQ !9X receiver, with a two-section BJK luirting E-W. Another will soon point ; the States. VK9RM at Nadzab active i 20, but gear unknown; VK9WG, using »llins 32V2 and Eddystone receiver, with ng-wire. Active 20 metres and possibly her bands; VK9YT active 20 metres id also heard being called on 15.

Geoff-9GW goes on leave in February March for nine months. He says that ere are no round-tables operating in e New Guinea area. QRM/QRN bad on w-frequency bands, and most of the boys i 20. His letter did not mention 9GV, ho has been heard in Auckland with good 20>-metre phone sig since it was •itten. There are possibly some other NG stations active and not mentioned *re —most of these being located near •rt Moresby, Papua.

Geoff reports that to end of September nditions were very good on 21 mc/s, th Europe and Africa coming through r several hours each evening. Since en there has been a decline, though the nd is excellent for VK/ZL contacts.

There is a letter in from Jean Duplat, CBAB, with a summary of FKB/FWB tivities: FKBAC seldom on, BAE with iv. tries his luck on DX, BAJ completing PA with p.p. 807’s; BAO very active V/phone—using FM phone. (Heard in - on 3520 kc/s CW lately). FUBAA, back me from Vila, active on DX bands;

FUBAC, no news. FWBAA, at Wallis, on fairly often with T 8 CW note —usually on about 14,100 kc/s.

Jean sums up conditions, as noted from Noumea; “DX on 7 mc/s is little heard, 21 is silencious and 28 desert. None of us on 3.5.”

News from Niue: Bill ZK2AA arrived in Auckland in mid-December, ending his term on the island. He reports that the other Bill. ZK2AB, quits his present job to become a trader on the island so will be keeping Niue on the map, together with the new arrival reported last month who took 2AA’s place.

From W. Samoa: ZM6AC, Arnold is expected to depart for ZL shortly.

On the day that ZK2AA arrived back in Auckland ZL-l-AGR, formerly ZM6AF, was spotted on the wharf. Percy works for a local radio concern.

“Radio & Hobbies” reports an interest ing mobile heading our way—the German motor-yacht “Xarifa,” Dr. Hans Haas, on an undersea photographic expedition to the Pacific. At present working in the Caribbean, the yacht will soon enter the Pacific to head for the Galapagos.

The call DI-9-AA will be used at all times and, the Ham station aboard is now active with a IOOw. vfo on CW and phone, mainly on 3530 and 14,030 kc/s CW and 3700 and 14,150 phone. The expedition has the backing of the German

National Society and Hams are requested to co-operate.

The station will also appear on 28 mc/s with a separate transmitter, but no details of power or frequency are avail able for that band.

Another mobile, doubtless active on the

Ham bands, is Terry Hammond, aboard the big Brisbane ketch “Coongoola,” which arrived at Papeete westbound, December 6, on a round-the-world voyage (see SMALLSHIPS). Terry, formerly ZLIOE, has done a lot of mobile work in Tasman races and elsewhere during recent years.

From Pitcairn comes glum news: Floyd VR6AC, though on the air last with the island’s commercial rig, which contacts Rarotonga, seems unlikely to appear in the near future on the Ham bands, though he could now put a signal on 10 and 20 metres when time allows.

Floyd hoped to offer the DX men some thing a year ago, but struck various trouble with his gear.

Following reports that ZL3JA is soon to go to the Tokelaus and will appear on the air there, probably with a ZM7 call, and that W7FNK (late F08AI) will appear again soon as VR3, we have instituted some inquiries and hope to have news next month.

Some who thought that JZ-O-KF was a phoney may relax. The prefix is official—and VK9YY can expedite QSL’s.

“Box 13, Lae, New Guinea”, reaches Alan.

Another new prefix recently active is XW®AA—located at Vietiane radio station, Laos. This is a country which most British Hams are forbidden to contact at present. Former prefix was FI-8.

A new listing, according to “Amateur Radio”, is VK9WZ, F. G. Anear, RAAF Base Squadron, Momote, Admiralty Is.— former call VKSWZ.