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SPECIAL EVENT STATION ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO THE HOBBY, SO IT WAS A
GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.  WE ALSO HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
STATION VISITORS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, MAKING THIS AN
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN PUBLICITY FOR AMATEUR RADIO.  IT WAS A
PLEASURE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.
SOME CHALLENGES WE HAD TO OVERCOME INCLUDED MAKING SURE WE HAD
ENOUGH COMMITTED CLUB MEMBERS TO ALLOW THE EVENT TO TAKE PLACE THE
CORE STATION TEA SCOTLAND OPERATIONS FROM THE TRANSATLANTIC TESTS
CENTENARY EVENTS THIS SMALL RADIO CLUB RECAPS THE ACTIVITIES OF
THEIR SPECIAL EVENT STATION IN ARDROSSAN, INCLUDING THEIR
PARTICIPATION IN THE REENACTMENT TRANSMISSION ON DECEMBER 12, 2021.
BARRY J. BEGGS, GM3YEH  AT 0252 UTC ON DECEMBER 12, 1921, PAUL
GODLEY, 2ZE, RECEIVED THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC SHORTWAVE RADIO
SIGNALS AT ARDROSSAN, SCOTLAND, SENT FROM 1BCG IN GREENWICH,
CONNECTICUT, AS PART OF THE TRANSATLANTIC TESTS.  A NUMBER OF
ACTIVITIES ARRANGED BY ARRL AND THE RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN
RSGB TOOK PLACE LAST DECEMBER TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENARY OF THIS
HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT.  OUR SPECIAL EVENT STATION THE ORGANIZERS OF
THE CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS ASKED THE KILMARNOCK AND LOUDOUN AMATEUR
RADIO CLUB KLARC TO OPERATE A COMMEMORATIVE STATION FOR THE EVENTS
IN SCOTLAND.  WE SET UP A PORTABLE SPECIAL EVENT STATION USING THE
CALL SIGN GS2ZE TO OPERATE FROM DECEMBER 11 12, 2021.  BECAUSE THE
ORIGINAL SITE GODLEY USED IN 1921 HAS BEEN BUILT OVER, NORTH
AYRSHIRE COUNCIL KINDLY GRANTED US PERMISSION TO SET UP OUR STATION
AT A PUBLIC SPACE THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE ORIGINAL SITE.  OUR KEY
OBJECTIVE WAS TO RECEIVE AND COPY A REENACTMENT TRANSMISSION THAT
WAS SCHEDULED TO BE MADE BY THE RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA RCA, W2RCA, ON
160 METERS.  THE 1921 TRANSATLANTIC TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AT A
WAVELENGTH OF AROUND 200 METERS, SO THE 160 METER BAND WAS THE
CLOSEST WE COULD USE.  W2RCA PLANNED TO MAKE THEIR REENACTMENT
TRANSMISSION ON 1825 KHZ DURING THE SAME TIME AS THE ORIGINAL
TRANSMISSION 100 YEARS EARLIER.  THE SAME MESSAGE THAT HAD BEEN SENT
TO GODLEY WAS TO BE RETRANSMITTED WITH SOME SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT.  IN
1921, GODLEY INSTALLED A 1,300 FOOT BEVERAGE ANTENNA IN ARDROSSAN
AND POINTED IT TOWARD CONNECTICUT.  WE USED A US PRODUCED RECEIVER A
FLEXRADIO FLEX 6500 BUT OUR LOCATION DIDNT ALLOW FOR A BEVERAGE
ANTENNA TO BE INSTALLED, SO WE USED A HALF WAVE DIPOLE AT 35 FEET
ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.  WE EXPERIENCED VERY POOR HF PROPAGATION DURING
THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT, AND WERE CONCERNED WE MIGHT SUFFER SIMILAR
CONDITIONS FOR THE REENACTMENT ON 160 METERS.  ONCE IT GOT DARK, WE
STARTED CHECKING 80 METERS, AND THE BAND SEEMED TO BE IN REASONABLE
CONDITION.  AS THE NIGHT WORE ON, WE STARTED CONTACTING A FEW US
EAST COAST STATIONS ON 80 METERS.  WE CHANGED TO 160 METER OPERATION
AT AROUND MIDNIGHT.  SHORTLY AFTER, WE HEARD OUR FIRST VERY WEAK
SIGNALS FROM CANADA AND THE US.  WE HAD PROPAGATION ON 160 METERS
THAT MIGHT MAKE THE REENACTMENT TRANSMISSION VIABLE, AND THE
EXCITEMENT ON SITE
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