New 3 cm EME World Record ZL/VK7MO to G3WDG and Mini-dxpedition to ZL
On 25 October 2018 VK7MO operating portable in New Zealand worked G3WDG portable to extend the existing 3 cm EME World Record between WA3LBI and VK7MO by some 156 km to around 19107 km (exact distance still to be confirmed). Key issues are absorption and absorption noise combined with ground noise which can increase losses significantly at 10 GHz at the low elevations that are necessary to achieve such long distances. To gain an adequate window both stations operated portable with take-offs over the sea. In the case of VK7MO it was necessary to fly to New Zealand and develop a flyable dish for the exercise. Within New Zealand operations were supported by Roger ZL3RC and Dave ZL3FJ. In the UK it was a combined operation between Charlie G3WDG and Petra G4KGC.
In addition to the World Record, grid locators were activated at RE66, RE57 and RE46 and the following stations completed contacts at one or more grid locators: W5LUA, UR5LX, OK1KIR, HB9Q, VK3NX, EA3HMJ, UN6PD and OK1CA. A number of these QSO resulted in new National Records.
A 10 GHz EME demonstration was held in Christchurch New Zealand with W5LUA who completed QSOs with ZL3RC, ZL3OY, ZL3NW, ZL3TCM, ZL3MH, ZL3OF and ZL2IC.
