April 28th, 2017
Sometimes you hear words that hurt. Especially if they are true: Some years ago I tried 13 cm EME with Dan, HB9Q, and couldn´t copy anything of him. His comment after the test: “There is no way, not to hear me!” This is frustrating.
So I forgot Moon Bounce on this band and had fun with other activities, mainly on 23 cm. But the over 30 year old equipment caused more and more problems. So I started collecting parts and modules for a new transverter system covering 23 and 13 cm. It had been finished for the last VHF/UHF/SHF contest in March and was tested with good results. In the end of March I tried EME again after 2 years of absence. On 23 cm it worked fairly, but on 13 cm the drift was a serious problem. In a test with Alex, ZS6EME, I could decode his strong Signal, but not vice versa. So I added 10 MHz Double Oven Controlled Oscillators as references to stabilize the transverters.
Today I tried with Bruce, PY2BS, and heard him strong in the speaker during his prior test with Toshio, JA6AHB: 1131 -6 2.5 2305 #* JA6AHB PY2BS GG66
At this time his elevation was -1.7° and the moon still under the horizon. After the moon set in Japan, we started:
1155 -8 2.9 1184 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1157 -13 3.6 1157 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1159 -10 2.7 1137 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1200 Tx 1500 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1201 -10 3.1 1114 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1202 Tx 1500 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1203 -9 3.3 1089 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1204 Tx 1500 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1205 -10 2.9 1066 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1206 Tx 1500 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1207 -9 3.1 1043 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1208 Tx 1500 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1209 -9 2.7 1019 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1210 Tx 1400 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1211 -10 3.0 994 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1212 Tx 1400 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1213 -11 2.2 969 #* DJ5AR PY2BS GG66 1214 Tx 1400 # PY2BS DJ5AR JN49 OOO 1215 -22 -2.5 946 # RO 1216 Tx 1400 # RRR 1217 -10 3.1 919 #* RR -20 DB 1218 Tx 1400 # 73 BEST -8
As he switched his RX from 2304.070 MHz to my TX frequency 2320.070 MHz at about 12:14, we completed very fast. I am very pleased now with my first initial on 13 cm, a new grid square, a new ODX, a new DXCC and a new continent! After setting up a new Initials List for 2320 MHz and writing this blog entry, I enjoy my “Radio Operators High”!