Sunday, 19 January 2020

CTARC A Very Accomplished Radio Ham! - Jan '20

Dennis ZS1AU
Long-standing CTARC member Dennis ZS1AU recently sent us a list of his many accomplishments in the field of Amateur Radio. In detail below...

ZS1AU's Activities & Achievements
Since 1947 until January 2019:
  1. First Mobile-to-Mobile / Continent-to-Continent 1973 Barney Joel Trophy;
  2. First Digital Voice in the Southern Hemisphere, on HF, on 20m/15m/10m in August 2004;
  3. First & only WAZL award.
    Worked over 1000 ZL’s;
  4. First Garden City Award – Christchurch NZ;
  5. First & only Calgary Stampede Award VE6;
  6. Second ZS1 to achieve DXCC Honour Roll in 2011;
  7. First ZS1 to achieve #1 DXCC Honour Roll in 2014;
  8. Fourth ZS to reach #1 DXCC Honour Roll;
  9. First ZS to reach DXCC Entity Sticker #360 in 2018;
  10. First to transmit modulated CW on HF, in 1960’s for CW over-the-air classes. ZS1PF & ZS1YP @ 12 wpm;
  11. In 1960’s won the TED BAKER Rally Trophy, held by CTARC;
  12. Winner (Division One) SARL SSB Contest 1989;
  13. Len Wells Ham Spirit Trophy in 2007, held by CTARC;
  14. Winner in Mobile section of SARL Annual Contest in 1961;
  15. Runner-up Mobile section of SARL Annual Contest in 1962;
  16. Runner-up in Annual SARL CW Contest on 80m/40m/20m in 1968;
  17. Highest Single Band 20M SARL Contest Joseph White Trophy in 1958, 1959 & 1967;
  18. Hunting Lions On The Air 1989, Fifth in the World Plaque;
  19. Hunting Lions On The Air 1990, First in ZS, while leading #1 in the World.
    Ruled a "No Contest" due to loss of contest logs in Argentina;
  20. Certificates: First WAS all on 20m SSB;
  21. SARL Certificates: AAA, WAZS;
  22. Awarded Honourary Life Membership from CTARC in 2003;
  23. Awarded Honourary Life Membership from SARL in 2005;
  24. Luminated Address for Services Rendered & Attendance over 20 years in 1966;
  25. One of five Radio Amateurs awarded Officers' Rank in SAPWRR in 1974 to 1980;
  26. Served on Cape Town Branch Committee & as Chairman in 1947 to 1966;
  27. Served on Oakdale Klub (Amateur Radio) Committee as Vice-Chairman from 1996 to 2008;
  28. Awarded Gary Immelman Amateur Radio Heritage Award & Gold Pen in 2008;
  29. Served on SARL Council for 3½ yrs 1966 to 1969 HQ Notes & Branch Affairs;
  30. Was Pilot for DXpeditions for CT1BWW, ZS1FJ, 7P8DX & 3Y0C;
  31. Worked stations on SUNSAT Satellite in 2000/2001;
  32. Organised First & thus far the only Satellite contact for 3Y0C Chuck Brady on a 2m Handy to make contact with ZS1DFR & ZS1AAZ in the PARROT mode, SUNSAT foot print over CT & Bouvet Island in 2001;
  33. Operator on DXpedition to Robben Island as ZS64RI in 1996;
  34. Organised departure & reception for Chuck Brady 3Y0C after he had completed three months on Bouvet Island;
  35. ZS1S Paul Johnson & ZS1AU organized reception for VK0EK DXpedition to Heard Island in 2016;
  36. ZS1S Paul Johnson & ZS1AU organized reception for 3Y0Z aborted DXpedition to Bouvet Island in 2018;
  37. Organised Special Event Station ZS1WPR WP Rugby 100 yrs;
  38. Organised Special Event Station ZS03CWC Cricket World Cup in RSA;
  39. Took part in operating as ZS….. MADIBA & worked over 1000 stations;
  40. On Oakdale Klub (Amateur Radio) Committee, proposed that Mark Shuttleworth be granted ZS1RSA on the International Space Station;
  41. Read SARL HQ Bulletins on 40m & 20 m for almost 10 years from QTH in Plumstead CT;
  42. Refurbished TH-5 antenna at ZS1CT Club House after a severe Cape Storm smashed the Beam & Tower;
  43. Organised a Field Day Weekend on top of Montague Mountain @ 1600 metres ASL in 1984 as ZS1CT/P;
  44. In the 1980’s I saved Bertie Reed on SA Yacht “Voortrekker” after his auto-pilot broke & saw him around the World;
  45. Did a caravan tour, "The Great Trek" in 1968 as ZS1AU / MOBILE;
  46. In 1971 did a caravan tour of Zimbabwe & operated as ZS1AU / MOBILE / ZE;
  47. Did a caravan tour of Swaziland & operated as ZS1AU/MOBILE/7P8;
  48. In 2008 put together & erected 3x TELREX Beams for 20m 5-element, 15m 5-element & 10m 6-element at 30m on Oakdale Tower;
  49. In addition to above I was involved in two MAYDAY calls, the rescue of a Russian boat that was drifting rudderless off coast of Australia;
  50. The other MAYDAY call was at midnight when the RSA Base station ZS1ANT called for help via the USA. One of the team on Antarctica had been seriously injured & urgent medical help was needed. Unfortunately the person died during the early hours of the following morning;
  51. I received a letter of thanks from the Minister of Transport for alerting the high-powered station to SANAE base;
  52. Attended many SARL AGM’s - in East London, Cape Town, Pretoria, Stellenbosch and Durban;
  53. Took part in operating JOTA from home & at various other locations as ZS1CT/P, & in Bergvliet & Zandvlei Scout camp;
  54. Went out 20kms offshore on Robert ZS1FF’s yacht to welcome the aborted Bouvet Island DXpedition Team into Cape Town Harbour in 2018;
  55. In 1960’s home-brewed a complete mobile transceiver & centre-loaded whip on a 1954 Hillman & worked DX & many States-side stations on 20m & South America on 40m using 50 watts AM;
  56. Home-brewed first 15m ZL Special beam & the rotator;
  57. First to contact VK on 15m in 1952;
  58. Designed & constructed my 15m tower, still in use since 1980;
  59. Played around with RTTY, SSTV & manufactured my morse keys & a “bug” key;
  60. Did many construction items for HF to Telephone patching & microphone speech compression audio unit;
  61. Did most of my own repairs when things went wrong. HI !!!
Well done, Dennis! An inspiration to all
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