-----Original Message----- From: moon-bounces@moonbounce.info [mailto:moon-bounces@moonbounce.info] On Behalf Of SM2BYA Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 10:06 AM To: moon@moonbounce.info Subject: [Moon] SM3BYA looking for 2.3 GHz EME skeds before high power permit runs out on June 30 ! Hello all, If you are on this reflector and/or read the K2UYH newsletter, you will have noticed that SM3BYA became QRV on 2.3 GHz EME about a year ago. Then you probably also read my reports on how the Swedish P&T is planning to withdraw the 2300-2400 MHz amateur allocation and auction out the band to wireless broadband operators. As a consequence, for the past year our high power EME permits have been valid only for six months at a time. My present permit elapses on June 30 and contains a statement that "a prolongation should not be expected". A recently published report by the P&T now seems to confirm that our 2300 - 2400 MHz allocation will indeed be withdrawn at the end of this year. Sadly, it therefore looks like all lawful 13 cm EME activity from Sweden will have to stop soon, at least until we have been able to persuade the authorities to make some concessions and open a narrow slot for us somewhere at either end of the band; actions to that effect are under way. To make the most of the time still left on my hi power permit and improve my statistics (I'm only at 33 initials so far), I am now trying to set up as many skeds as possible with new initials and countries. So, if you are currently QRV on 2.3 GHz EME, but have not worked SM3BYA in JP81nx yet, would you be willing to run a 13 cm CW EME sked or two with me before June 30? I have not yet worked EA, PA, LA, OE, 9A or S5 and not LX1 DB either, so you can guess what I would be particularly interested in, but all proposals are welcome! From Friday, June 15 until Thursday, June 28 I can take skeds just about whenever the moon is up (with the possible exception of June 19 when most of the moon pass will be affected by sun noise). I can transmit both in the 2304 and the 2320 segments, but prefer to operate 2304 TX/RX where I have good echoes even at perigee. For some reason my system noise is more than 2 dB higher on 2320 than on 2304, so skeds with European stations limited to 2320 TX should preferably be scheduled for after June 24 when the path loss has gone down by about a dB; while the moon's declination is then quickly going negative, its elevation at southern transit is still more than 15 degrees, enough to give me a couple hours on the moon every evening until the 28th. The rig at SM3BYA is: 3m solid surface dish, OK1DFC septum polarizer with single choke, 210 W at feed, G4DDK preamp => DB6NT 2.3 / 144 transverter w/ external high-stability LO => DEMI 144/28 transverter => Drake R-4C. Overall RX noise temperature is about 35 Kelvin (0.5 dB NF). Towards the west my window stops at about 240 degrees azimuth - there is a big oak tree in the way there - so skeds with W / VE must take that into account. If you are interested to increase your own initials count and able to make room for a test with me, please email me ASAP with a proposal! As said above, I prefer to work 2304 TX/RX, so if you have a choice that is where we should run, but I will of course also be happy to try 2320. Looking forward to your proposals, 73 from Gudmund SM2BYA / SM3BYA