[amsat-bb] Fwd: [Moon-net] 432 EME

[Edward R. Cole]

>At 10:06 AM 10/8/2010, Sebastian wrote:
>>After being on 2 meter EME for about a month, I tuned my rig to 432 
>>MHz this morning and copied OK1DFC at -20dB.  I posted on the N0UK 
>>logger and Zdenek asked me to call him.  I had nothing to lose so I 
>>obliged.  Much to my surprise, we had a QSO, my first 432 EME contact.
>>
>>Next, DL7APV, Bernd asked me to look for him on 432.  Bernd and I 
>>had a sked on 432 a few weeks ago, but neither one of us was able 
>>to be on the air at the time.   Today, I copied him at -22dB and 
>>started to call him, he copied me and sent me my report, but then 
>>his signal was lost.  Bernd said he had a problem with his power 
>>supply, as smoke was coming out.  I do believe that is a 
>>problem!  So we just missed completing the QSO.
>>
>>Finally, WA4NJP asked me to look for him on 432 as well.  I copied 
>>him at -25dB but lost his trace.
>>
>>Many might be wondering why I'm posting this.  Well it's because I 
>>didn't think I had any chance of anyone ever hearing me on 432 EME.
>>
>>My station:  Kenwood TS-2000 with 50 watts output, into an M2 
>>436CP30 single antenna & mast mounted preamp; this is a circularly 
>>polarized antenna which I use for satellite 
>>contacts.  Unfortunately I'm in an area of the country where 50 
>>watts is the maximum on 432 without special permission.
>>
>>So don't congratulate me, congrats go to OK1DFC, DL7APV and WA4NJP 
>>for having fantastic stations that can hear such faint weak signals!
>>
>>73 de Sebastian, W4AS EL95
>
>But I will congratulate you for trying 70cm-eme with a small 
>station.  Sebastian's example should encourage more non-eme'rs with 
>432 stations to try eme.
>
>I have only four contacts so far running 24w and 85w.  I do have 
>more gain using my 4.9m dish, which is not exactly optimum at this 
>frequency, but may have about the gain of four yagis (est. 24-25 
>dBi).  I would not have tried it on 432 except the challenge of 
>receiving Arecibo prompted me to look around for a suitable 
>antenna.  I would have used my M2 436CP42 (big brother to 
>Sebastian's antenna), but could not point it since I burnt out a 
>circuit in the az-el rotator.  The M2 is part of my satellite 
>antenna system.  BTW I copied HB9Q with that antenna a couple years ago.
>
>I hastily built a two element quad from insulated #12 house wire and 
>a short section of 1-inch pvc pipe for my feed.  I installed my 
>Mirage D3010 on the back of the dish alongside my 60w 23cm PA.  I 
>get 24w drive from the shack to drive the amp to 85w with about 79w 
>at the feed.
>
>But my first two contacts were with DL7APV and UA3PTW running my 
>FT-847 barefoot (24w at the dish).  All my contacts are with larger 
>stations (as expected), but so what.  If you get a few contacts and 
>like this, then maybe this will encourage building a larger station 
>for eme.  Even if not, you can have some fun and provide new 
>contacts with the "big guys"!
>
>432 is currently the only band I am QRV (only temporarily).  I have 
>some issues to work out on my 144 HVPS to be back on 2m-eme.  I am 
>waiting delivery of a new 1296/28 xvtr to complete my station on 23cm.
>
>73, Ed - KL7UW
>Bold face text my emphasis


73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
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BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
EME: 144-QRT*, 432-100w, 1296-QRT*, 3400-winter?
DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa at hotmail.com
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