[Moon-net] DL0GER on 432 in ARRL contest 
Od:	Daniel Koch [+ do adresáře]
Předmět:	[Moon-net] DL0GER on 432 in ARRL contest
Datum:	Tue, 15 Nov 2005 22:06:01 +0100 (MET)
Komu:	moon-net@list-serv.davidv.net [+]
CC: 	a.katz@ieee.org [+]
Velikost:	5 KB
Zdroj  | Zobrazit hlavičku  | Tisk

DL0GER's this years ARRL contest participation was not very successful.
We could only be QRV for one day, saturday on the second leg. The conditions
were extremly good with iso-polarized signals between the europeans for at
least half of the pass. Our moonrise SSB echoes were fantastic, the best I
have ever heard.
We started building the portable station in misty weather at 10 o'clock in
the morning and were almost ready about 1 hour before moonrise. Then I
realized that the 432/28 MHz converter for my LINRAD receiver did not work.
Without the proper measurment gear it was just impossible to cure the
problem. We had to use the old FT736, which is not what you want when you
are used to monitor a 90kHz wide spectrum, click on the wanted signal and
set all possible filters for convenient reception.
After a few hours of operation there was a flash-over inside the cavity of
the GS35b amplifier and it took another hour or so to change the teflon
sheet that should have prevented those bangs.
Whilst operating I tried to set up LINRAD for audio bandwidth operation
directly from the FT736 speaker output but I had difficulties to access the
right soundcard in the computer. However, I manged to get things working
after a few hours of trying.
I guess we spent too much time on repairing things...

We worked (only):

utc call
14:50 vk3um
16:54 dl7apv
20:53 oh2po
21:18 hb9q
21:25 g4rgk
22:12 dk3wg
23:05 n9ab
23:23 g3ltf
1:20 sv1btr
1:30 ea3dxu (2 yagis)
2:37 kl6m

Heard in QSO or sending us QRZ:

sp6jlw nice signal
rw1aw
dj6mb always loud, but never hears us. We had perfect echoes at the time
dl9kr sri Jan, didn't come round to work you
jl1zcg they definetly have a receiving problem
df3ru
k4eme called you for a long time
sm3jqs
yu1ev
oz6ol
dl9jy
k0rz always difficult
f3vs
fr5dn nice signal Phil. We could have worked but you were always in QSO.

Again the activity was poor. Only 4 US stations heard. I think this is very
sad and maybe a consequence of heavy commercial pressure on this band. If we
do not use it, we will loose it.

Looking at the reports, it seems that people move on to 1296 MHz. If you
have to set up a portable station every time you like to work some EME, the
lack of activity is certainly not a motivating argument. This is a club
station and a high power amplifier for 1296 is definetly out of the budget,
neither do I have the mechanical skills to build one.
So we will have to see what the future brings. Thanks for everyone working
us.

Rig: 4x8,5wl horiz., open "tube" feed, GS35b amp - all homemade.

More details to come on our website

http://www.dl0ger-eme.dd8il.de/index.html

73s Daniel, DL3IAE