ZL4AI : No 3 Homepage

ZL4AI, DU7/ZL4AI are held by Jeff King. Previously ZL4VAA

Jeff became ZL4AI [number 3] January 2002. Active on 40, 20 and 15 m. Jeff encourages contact via jaking@es.co.nz,. Jeff holds special interest in contacts with DU, especially the Visayas.

DU7/ZL4AI in black: Bobby Soul of the Platters in red shirt with his daughter Tamika:

Taken 18 May 2007, Bohol Tropical Resort Tagbilaran.

Local time at Zl4AI: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=952

Pictures of what its like near the bottom of the South Pacific: http://www.CityOfDunedin.com/cover.htm

or LIVE WEB CAM

http://www.CityOfDunedin.com/weather/today_window.htm

Author of:

The TS-940 page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~jaking/TS-940_02.htm

The TS-950SDX page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~jaking/TS-950sdx.htm

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ZL4AI has some history:

It has been around as long as amateur radio has been literally going around the world.

2 previous stewards held ZL4AI:

ZL4AI No1: (more correctly Z4AI in the very beginning): - 1920 to 40 (approx): Gavin Samson, ZL4AI/G5ZZ, was in 1933 winner of the Commonwealth contest, and was a leader in the design of the single signal superhet and analysed many forms of adjacent station QRM experienced in DX contests.

ZL4AI No2: -1941 to 1999 (approx): Keith Shore. Keith was a famous DXr. Keith operated out of Japan as J4-AAI during world war II: See hand drawn QSL below. Jeff frequently still encounters Keith’s previous QSO partners.

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A close associate of ZL4AI: No1 was ZL4AA, or more correctly

A close associate of Z4AI: No1 was Z4AA.

Dunedin is significant in Radio History:

The first ever trans-world two-way radio contact was made 30 kilometres north of Dunedin is recorded below.

The following contains a transcript of the log Frank Bell made at his amateur radio station Z-4AA on 18th October 1924. This contact was by morse and was the first ever, trans-world two-way radio communication of any type. It was from Shag Valley Station, Waihemo, Palmerston, Otago New Zealand and the contact was with Cecil Goyder G2SZ at Mill Hill School, London.

Z-4AA, in modern translation would be ZL4AA.

Here is the write up:

QST JANUARY 1925 PAGE 14 THE G-Z WORK

We are able to report briefly in our last issue that New Zealand and England amateurs were working, to the shattering of all previous records. It is indeed so. Starting with g2SZ and z4AA on Oct. 18th, there has been easy and reliable communication almost every night. British stations 2SZ, 2KF, 2NM, 2OD, 2WJ, 6TM, 2JF, 5LF and 5NN, in the order named, got into communication with Zedders 4AA, 4AG, and 4AK, and the ether has been resounding with the 12,000-mile wallop! This is the really marvelous work of the year. Except g2NM, none of these stations used over 250 watts. We hand it to 'em; great stuff !

A peculiar thing is that the three N. Z. stations getting QSO are situated in a radius of 50 miles on the south island of New Zealand and z2AC to the north, altho heard in England, has not yet been able to work. Nor has Australia, altho a2DS reports g20D and g5LF. All of the work so far done has occurred between 0615 and 0730 G. M. T., when it is dawn in England and dusk in New Zealand. With the rising of the sun in England, the signals fade out at both ends. Peculiar antipodal effects enter into the communication; both the G's and the Z's say it is decidedly easier to work each other than it is to work U.S!'. British and French amateurs comment on the great intensity of N. Z. signals, often mistaking them for nearby stations. They have worked easily when U. S. stations reported the British signals quite weak; but that is understandable, as investigation has showed that signals are often stronger at the Antipodes than they are at intermediate points. The long-wave high-power European stations have their antipodes near southern New Zealand and their signals are much stronger in the vicinity of the NZ-fours than they are further north; but it is also interesting to note that these long-wave stations are received at maximum strength about 6 a. m. N. Z. time, while amateurs have been utterly unable to communicate between Britian and N. Z. at this time. Recently, however, z4AA and several Australians have been heard in England at 7 p. m. British time, and it is hoped that communication may yet be effected when the times of dawn and dusk are reversed in the two countries.

Now here is a dizzy feature of this business. The shortest distance between England and New Zealand is East from London, a little less than half-way around the world. All communication has occurred during the hour of sun-up in England and dusk in N. Z., when it is daylight over the area east from England. Since signals fade out regularly with the rising of the sun, it is obvious that they are not going thru the daylight area. They therefore go the other way, across the Atlantic, Canada, the United States, and the Pacific, over a distance greater than half the, circumference of the globe! This is even more emphasized in the work of French amateurs with N. Z. This balls up all our calculations. We really don't know now just how far it will be possible for amateurs to work on this footstool!

Credit g20D with being the first Englishman heard in N. Z., and the first to hear N. Z. for sure. This occurred just a day before the two countries clicked. Apparently all that was necessary was to determine the time of day that signals could be heard in both places. Most of this work has been done with low-loss tuners, detector and one stage audio, no fancy trappings necessary, altho g2OD uses a superhet.

There must be a terrific kick for an Englishman in this business of working the Empire's far-flung Dominions.

Mr. C. W. Goyder of g2SZ tells us dispassionately enough, however, how it first happened:

"I called u1KC at 5:30 or so and as QRN was bad and I got no reply I stood by and at about 6 GMT I heard g20D working u1XAV. Apparently u1XAV had heard me and wanted to get QSO, so g20D was helping us to connect; but I could not hear u1XAV and he seemed to lose us. While g20D was trying to get him again and I was searching for him I heard a station, pure DC, very steady, good strength, and on about 95 meters, calling me and signing z4AA. Owing to his steadiness and strength I doubted the genuiness of his sigs, but this is the log:

2SZ gz 4AA K. 4AA zg 2SZ--R QRK If u r really z4AA cable K. 2SZ gz 4AA--Wl cable OM hr nr 1 to Radio Society GB--Greetings fm NZ --sig Bell--K.

4AA zg 2SZ-Nr 1 R OK Wl cable but QRA? Greetings fm us OM--QRX 6:30 tmw GMT fr G amateurs Congrats OM--K. 2SZ gz 4AA--Wl cable OM Hr nr 1 to hemo NZ--Still dalite IU fainter now Input 150 watts Hr nr 2 to gZOD--Ur sigs QSA last night--sig z4AA K. 4AA zg 2SZ--Nr 1 R OK Wl cable but hr hw K. 2SZ gz 4AA--R vy psed to greet u friend .... (qss)....l.3 amps Dusk hr nw Congrats OM....(too faint to read but audible for few minutes more).

"This was about 7:30, so I worked him for an hour and a quarter. At 11 a. m. a cable confirming above was received and read 'Congratulations on first trans-world message.-Bell'."

HERE IS FRANK BELLS LOG

Bell log from October 18, 1924.

"G2SZ loud on about 100. A/C ripple in note. No interference and keying perfect and good operator. Stronger than most Yanks and very loud indeed at start, fading gradually. I had just cut flat top off aerial and shortened counterpoise. Using a 4 Meissner. Input 150 miliamps at 100 (?) volts. Radiation 1.1 on 92.5. Had not had report on new signals since altering aerial. Gave G2SZ a call just for something to do...."

"18-10-24

6.10 p.m. Heard G2Sz call V1XAV and say "but can't hear him ... am listening about 80 as heard No Dice . . . this morning. 1XAV UG2SZ. Terribly sorry old man, can't hear you. Something is wrong this end so I am listening about 80. Try once again on 80. 1XAV UG2SZ. 6.25 p.m. (I then called him for about four minutes. - he came back.) 6.30 p.m. 4AAZ G2SZ. Received your message. If you are really Z4AA, cable. (I said sure would cable and sent congratulations also.) Another one to Radio Society of Great Britain. "Greetings from New Zealand, signed Bell Z4AA." 6.35 p.m. 4AAZ G2SZ. Received you. Here is another one to New Zealand. "Greetings from us". Can't realise you are in New Zealand. Daylight now. Call tomorrow at 6.30 G.M.T. for me. Amateurs G2SZ. Are you troubled by static? or fading? Will you cable address? 6.40 p.m. I sent my address "Bell, Waihemo" and he said daylight still here. Call him tomorrow. Nil fading. Very little static. Gave my input 150 watts and sent another two to G2OD. 6.45 p.m. 4AAZ G2SZ. (Greetings call) Address Goyder, Mill Hill School London. Input 200(?) watts, and gave radiation etc. No Dice from him in reply . . . ."

(Frank Bell - Log Book)

Within hours Frank Bell was inundated with congratulatory telegrams, call cards and letters. For Frank Bell in the clear air of the Shag Valley, Otago, had achieved what no-one had done before: around the world wireless communication. The United States had not communicated with their antipodes, neither had Australia nor Canada. The wireless companies, already in possession of air time and armed with laws preventing interference by amateurs had not been able to open up communications. This particular achievement was left the Hams to make so that now we may think nothing of having at our command instant morse, telephone and wireless communication between peoples at opposite points of the globe.

Photograph of the 'Bell' transmitter taken in 1964 by Bill Gearing ZL4KB

Here is how RadCom reported the QSO in 2004