Hello All,
For those on the west coast who feel a little bored with their AM-DXing hobby,
why not try out a radical new form of DXpedition fueled by transoceanic
propagation boosts at sheer ocean side cliffs?
The theory of cliff-enhanced transoceanic propagation is similar to the effect
that most of us have experienced when listening to distant AM stations on a car
radio while driving up a steep hill going directly away from the stations---
the signals rise dramatically. But in the case of ocean cliff DXing, the
"steepness" of the hills is almost 90 degrees, and the cliffs are chosen to
face the South Pacific... resulting in concentrated signals from transoceanic
DX stations in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
DXing conditions at these ocean cliff sites are very rough... there is no AC
power, running water, street lights or weather protection. They are both
located on Highway 101 turnoff sites, each of which has its own unique
challenges. "Rockwork 4" is located about 10 miles south of Cannon Beach, OR,
and has a 400' sheer drop off to the Pacific Ocean directly below the DXing
site. Cape Perpetua is located 2 miles south of Yachats, OR, and its turnoff
site has the additional thrill of being directly in the headlights of 18-wheel
trucks before they make their final turn on Highway 101. Neither site offers
anything in the way of comfort, and extremely small-footprint antennas are a
must. Until the very recent development of compact FSL antennas, nobody had
ever attempted serious transoceanic DXing at these extremely narrow ocean cliff
sites. Mental and physical toughness is a must, along with a strong taste for
adventure. Concurrent with a major DXpedition planned to the Yachats, !
OR (and nearby Cape Perpetua) area by noted DXpeditioners, an Ultralight
"Cliffhanger" DXpedition is planned for the "Rockwork 4" site from July 21-28,
and another "Cliffhanger" DXpedition is planned for the Cape Perpetua site from
August 16-20. Both of these sites provided exceptional examples of
cliff-boosted DU propagation on a PL-380 Ultralight with an 8" FSL antenna last
year, as demonstrated in the MP3's linked below (almost all of them S/N pegging
receptions, marked with a double asterisk). This summer's DXpeditions will be
conducted with the new 12" FSL antenna, which should provide additional
DU-DXing excitement. Interested DXers (who are not intimidated by the
challenges) are welcome to participate.
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
531-PI (Auckland, New Zealand, 5 kW, Rockwork, 8-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/e31n5sfan8ro5f8/531-PI-1257Z082012PL380.mp3
**567-RNZ National (Wellington, New Zealand, 50 kW, Cape Perpetua, 7-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/9z8vnphq6thc9p2/567-2YA-1246Z072012PL380.MP3
**594-NZ Rhema (Timaru/Wanagnui, New Zealand, 5 kW/ 2 kW, Rockwork, 8-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/yk99u85h54jeaos/594-NZ.Rhema-1311Z082012PL380.mp3
**603-Radio Waatea (Auckland, New Zealand, 5 kW, Rockwork, 8-21-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/so9c7cy42nxpj60/603-R.Waatea-1334Z082112PL380.mp3
**657-Southern Star (Wellington, New Zealand, 10 kW, Cape Perpetua, 7-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/ijcacg8uqmvian9/657-SouthernStar-1247Z072012PL380.MP3
**684-NZ Rhema (Gisborne, New Zealand, 5 kW, Cape Perpetua, 7-21-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/bge7anmbo8j79a8/684-NZ.Rhema-1245Z072112PL380.MP3
**738-Radio Polynesie, Mahina, Tahiti, 20 kW, Cape Perpetua, 7-19-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/a4shuubhn36b6aa/738-RFO.Tahiti-1218Z071912PL380.MP3
**765-Radio Kahungunu, Napier-Hastings, New Zealand, 2.5 kW, Cape Perpetua,
7-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/my4o957wpjtve0m/765-R.Kahungunu-1220Z072012PL380.MP3
**828-Radio Trackside, Palmerston No., New Zealand, 2 kW, Cape Perpetua,
7-20-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/x76lntrl6nppi87/828-R.Trackside-1233Z072012PL380.MP3
**891-5AN (Adelaide, Australia, 50 kW, Cape Perpetua, 7-18-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/rsvoh1aro2w0xtr/891-5AN-1243Z071812PL380.MP3
**963-Southern Star (Christchurch, New Zealand, 10 kW, Rockwork, 8-24-12)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/5232u1x353foufw/963-SouthernStar-1326Z082412pl380.MP3
July 2012 Oregon Cliff (Cape Perpetua) DXpedition Report
http://www.mediafire.com/view/nk9tlf95t0b2m14/July_2012_Oregon_Cliff_Ultralight_DXpedition.doc
August 2012 Oregon Cliff (Rockwork) DXpedition Report
http://www.mediafire.com/view/fiq0reu0csswixw/August_2012_Oregon_Cliff_Ultralight_DXpedition.doc
_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
[email protected]
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its
editors, publishing staff, or officers
For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org
To Post a message: [email protected]
