Two California radio amateurs - one located in Hawaii - have set new world distance records of 4024 km on the 2.3 and 3.4 GHz microwave amateur bands on 18/19 June 2015

Wayne Overbeck, N6NB, operating from a radio-equipped rental car on the larger island of Hawaii, worked Gregory Campbell, W6IT, operating Overbeck’s own fixed station near Orange, California, on both bands - a distance of more than 4024 km (2495 miles). The contacts blew away records that had stood for more than 20 years and more than doubled the previous distance record for a two-way voice (SSB) contact at those frequencies, Overbeck said, adding that most previous microwave distance records have been set using CW.

“These are the first-ever SSB contacts between Hawaii and the mainland on 2304 and 3456,” Overbeck said.

W6IT was in grid square DM13cs, while N6NB/KH6 was in BK29hq. According to the database of distance records maintained by Al Ward, W5LUA, the old record was 3982 km, set on by KH6HME (SK) and N6CA on July 14, 1994, on 2.3 GHz and on July 28, 1991, on 3.4 GHz. Both contacts were on CW.

Read the full ARRL story - http://www.arrl.org/news/view/new-world-distance-records-set-on-2-3-and-3-4-ghz-ham-bands