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Farthest 11 meter DX contact and equipment used?

From my High School Electronics Classroom (Las Vegas NV) in 1960. Teacher was on the roof adjusting the brand new 3 element beam. He'd make an adjustment, step back away from the mast and stomp on the roof. That was my cue to press the mike button and announce "This is 11Q0082 testing" and then check the SWR meter. I'd yell the reading to the other students at the door and they'd relay them to the roof. After a few transmissions, I was surprised to hear another station -- STRONG station! -- on the same frequency, saying "Eleven Cue Zero Zero Eight Two, this is ZS1RK. I know you cawn't talk to me because this is your new "Citizen Band", but I thought you'd like to know you're putting an S9 signal here in Cape Town, South Africa. ZS1RK clear."

I yelled at the door "It's good! Leave it there!" By the time the teacher got back in the room he'd heard everything, and the first thing he said to me was, "You didn't reply at all, did you?" And of course I hadn't. That was the first and only African station I had heard on the ham bands, much less on CB, and it would be another couple years before I'd work a legal one.

The CB transceiver at 11Q0082 was a 23-channel, five watts DC input (maybe 3 watts RF output), on AM. The yagi was undoubtedly helpful in getting an S9 report, but the 1960 era was truly the DXers dream.
 
From my High School Electronics Classroom (Las Vegas NV) in 1960. Teacher was on the roof adjusting the brand new 3 element beam. He'd make an adjustment, step back away from the mast and stomp on the roof. That was my cue to press the mike button and announce "This is 11Q0082 testing" and then check the SWR meter. I'd yell the reading to the other students at the door and they'd relay them to the roof. After a few transmissions, I was surprised to hear another station -- STRONG station! -- on the same frequency, saying "Eleven Cue Zero Zero Eight Two, this is ZS1RK. I know you cawn't talk to me because this is your new "Citizen Band", but I thought you'd like to know you're putting an S9 signal here in Cape Town, South Africa. ZS1RK clear."

I yelled at the door "It's good! Leave it there!" By the time the teacher got back in the room he'd heard everything, and the first thing he said to me was, "You didn't reply at all, did you?" And of course I hadn't. That was the first and only African station I had heard on the ham bands, much less on CB, and it would be another couple years before I'd work a legal one.

The CB transceiver at 11Q0082 was a 23-channel, five watts DC input (maybe 3 watts RF output), on AM. The yagi was undoubtedly helpful in getting an S9 report, but the 1960 era was truly the DXers dream.


Some stories so good they illustrate that “truth” (co-witness statements) aren’t worth the time, as the Truth on display (attendant supports) obviated them.

IOW, one can but barely imitate the style to hoax others. (It’s obvious, like singing off-key).

Helluva story (so well done, we were there, too).

Thx


.
 
Some stories so good they illustrate that “truth” (co-witness statements) aren’t worth the time, as the Truth on display (attendant supports) obviated them.

IOW, one can but barely imitate the style to hoax others. (It’s obvious, like singing off-key).

Helluva story (so well done, we were there, too).

http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/hallicrafters_cb1.htm
Should have posted this link. Crystals were changed internally. It don't get much more basicer than this!

Thx


.
 
Longest mobile 11m DX was 8709 miles with RCI 2950 puck mounted mobile antenna on SUV. Rogers, AR to Cape Town, South Africa.

Longest base 11m DX was 10,689 miles with Galaxy DX88, Palomar 250 Lizard amp @150 watts and homebrew 4 element Yagi 38' high. Rogers, AR to Geraldton, Western Australia.
all that range n we cant cross signals 85 miles apart. Im 85 north of you on missouri 37 golden city mo area
 
When I was trucking, I was stepping on the locals on the big island of Hawaii from Laredo, TX...round about 3500 air miles. Was using a Cobra 29 with five pill DaveMade, and my antenna system was a pair of co-phased Francis 4.5 foot antennas.
 
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On 11 meters?

This is going to sound like a total bullshit story, and if anyone chooses not to believe it that is fine.
One late night, many years ago when the band was crazy open I was working dx and I heard a guy calling me on .385.
He asked if I could QSY to .475 Upper side band.
Said yes.
Made the contact and he asked me if I was a member of the CB tricks Forum, I told him yes I was.
He asked me to pass a message to some of the members there.
He
wanted me to tell them he was ok, that his mission was completed and he would be back home in about another week.
He told me his location was in Afghanistan.
At first I did not believe him, but, I took the message and went to the CB Tricks Forum. Made a post, that got several replys and thanks for passing the message.
I was surprised.
Couple weeks go by and a member over there pm'ed me asking for my e mail address.
A few days after that I got a e mail from Colonel Xaver Stevenson.
He identified himself as the gentleman I had spoken with on the radio, and thanked me for passing the message to his friends.
He included a QSL card in the E mail.
Printed across the top was MI-5 captioned with
" only 10% is visible above the surface" and had the picture of a iceberg on it.
He told me he was a member of MI-5, operating in Afghanistan, in the Tora Bora reagon, searching for Osama Bin Ladin.

I kept that qsl card on my computer until the hard drive failed and I was never able to recover it.

I think that is the longest, if not, the best contact I have ever made on 11 meters.

Central California to the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.

27.475 usb
The antenna was a PDL II using the flat side.
Radio was a President Lincoln Mark 1 and a Texas star 500v amp running about 350 watts.



That's the story, and I am sticking to it.

73
Jeff
 
On 11 meters?

This is going to sound like a total bullshit story, and if anyone chooses not to believe it that is fine.
One late night, many years ago when the band was crazy open I was working dx and I heard a guy calling me on .385.
He asked if I could QSY to .475 Upper side band.
Said yes.
Made the contact and he asked me if I was a member of the CB tricks Forum, I told him yes I was.
He asked me to pass a message to some of the members there.
He
wanted me to tell them he was ok, that his mission was completed and he would be back home in about another week.
He told me his location was in Afghanistan.
At first I did not believe him, but, I took the message and went to the CB Tricks Forum. Made a post, that got several replys and thanks for passing the message.
I was surprised.
Couple weeks go by and a member over there pm'ed me asking for my e mail address.
A few days after that I got a e mail from Colonel Xaver Stevenson.
He identified himself as the gentleman I had spoken with on the radio, and thanked me for passing the message to his friends.
He included a QSL card in the E mail.
Printed across the top was MI-5 captioned with
" only 10% is visible above the surface" and had the picture of a iceberg on it.
He told me he was a member of MI-5, operating in Afghanistan, in the Tora Bora reagon, searching for Osama Bin Ladin.

I kept that qsl card on my computer until the hard drive failed and I was never able to recover it.

I think that is the longest, if not, the best contact I have ever made on 11 meters.

Central California to the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.

27.475 usb
The antenna was a PDL II using the flat side.
Radio was a President Lincoln Mark 1 and a Texas star 500v amp running about 350 watts.



That's the story, and I am sticking to it.

73
Jeff

There’s having a developed ear for distant radio transmissions.
And there’s the new, improved Californio edition:
Esalen Model Six upgrades.

(I like it. Wear the badge proudly).

.
 
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Whakatane, New Zealand from UK - 13,360 miles long path (21,500kms) - Gain Master antenna - Alinco DR-135 (it was sold for £99.00 new at one point 5 years ago) + 240 W PEP amp.

It is also worth considering what the other station used as well, but a good contact is a good contact, it takes 2 to tango. He was using a 4 element beam and 100W.
 
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