Automn 2007 was my first attend to the ARRL EME competition on 23cm, 13cm and 3cm which take place on september, october and november.
Good results for me with my new equipments on 1296 and 2320. The total contacted people is:
1296 39 stations
2320 12 stations
10368 4 stations
Not a lot of contact in 10368 due to lack of time to operate 2320 and 3cm in the same time.
My conditons are:
Antenna: 3.7m solid dish all TRVT in focal point.
1296: 120W NF~0.7dB, Septum feed
2320: 170W NF~0.7dB, Septum feed
10368: 45W NF~0.7dB, Chaparall feed.
73's Phil-- F5JWF
JR6EXN -- Apr 14, 2008 05:00 ET
I see the result of the contest.
Single-Operator Single-Band categories:50 Mcs
Mixed Mode: Hideki, JR6EXN, won this category with 30,400 points
I am moved deeply, and satisfied.
We wish to express our gratitude to you.
Thank you very much.
DE Hide.-- JR6EXN
UA3DJG -- Feb 23, 2008 08:36 ET
We (UA3DJG, UA3ATS, RA3WND) operated under UA3DJG call-sign during the second moon window in the 3d tour of 2007 ARRL EME contest. It was a short-term expedition to snow-covered fields near Moscow. The mother-nature endows us with a pretty nice weather without real frost, wind or snow-fall. However, we didn’t manage to start with moonrise, as usual guys did. The central hub of a portable stressed dish was left at home. So, after some hours of night-driving and camp deploying we warmed up the PA only at midnight.
During next 8 hours we made 19 CW random QSO on 23 cm using our usual home-brew equipment: RIG, transverter, LNA, 250W-PA and 3,6-m portable stressed dish. But now, we switched from original DFC square septum feed to its modification by RA3AQ. It brought an additional 5 dB of SN and the air completely changed: we continuously heard of own echo, got CW reports and frequently worked on CQ. The crystal county-side air allowed us to work with HB9Q, OK1DFC, G4CCH, K9SLQ, ON7UN, OZ6OL, OH2DG, LA9NEA, SM3AKW, HB9SV, HB9SV, RD3DA, G3LTF, DF3RU, OE5JFL, DL4MEA, WA6PY, OZ4MM, RW1AW.
73!
Oleg-- UA3ATS
YO9FRJ -- Feb 17, 2008 06:49 ET
YO9FRJ's 2m/70cm nested system from early 2002 up to August 2007
YO9FRJ's 2m EME system - only 4 x CC17B2's since August 2007
That was my 6th ARRL EME Contest participation and the 4th in this team formula. YO9FRJ team was composed by YO9FRJ (ex. YO4FRJ) – Adrian and YO9AFE – Joe.
We operated only the 144 MHz band after YO9FRJ’s EME antenna system changes since August 2007. I decided it’s time to quit the compromise of 4 + 4 bays 2m/70cm nested systems since early 2002 and get restored the advantage of better gain and system pattern of the basic 2m in four antennas. Improvement for the 144MHz EME system was estimated to be as much as 1.2dB in Gain can be, evaluated to be significant in G/T factor, considering the permanent increasing noise of my center city location (300k people). During the contest we ran a steady 2000 Wef to this simplified array of four 17-element Cushcraft 17B2’s, horizontal polarization only. We did use again the same two receiver formula, but this time for one single band. To run the digital QSO’s we tested a combination of MAP65, WSJT and Spectran software, wired from an FT847 and FT736R. A narrower BPF and the improved 2nd preamplifier paid also some benefits after lots of calculations and sweep& balance sessions to squeeze the last fraction of dB’s in order to optimize overall system’s Rx performances.
We used CW, SSB and JT65, without assistance. This time we made a total of 160 QSO’s (31 CW, 1 SSB, 128 JT65), few dupes for a non optimized total of 58 multipliers. Claimed score went up to about 880k points. We might have managed few more cw QSO’s if stations able to copy and answer our cw CQ’s had more patience with us. CNR’s were EA2AGZ, SV3AAF, DL5MAE, OZ1LPR. Also heard at least of another dozen and so cw stations working big guns, but they were in such a big hurry always and our try to tail end them was unsuccessful. Average QSO’s per hour in the 1st Leg was as low as 3.2 can be. JT65 unassisted QSO’s hourly rate reached almost the same average time as cw QSO’s in the absence of MAP65 and SDR with a 100kHz bandwidth receiver. However, using the FT847’s 6kHz AM bandwidth and running MAP65 on another computer helped us in the 2nd Leg to work hard to keep the previous QSO’s average per hour rate. Most appreciated was the random SSB QSO with Sam - RN6BN (report 57), heard working SV9GPV (George - swl report 45) and answering us like in a tropo contest like. I would like to mention again the low participation from the States side.
Last but not the least, Mr. Murphy paid his visits to us too, both October and November Legs, this time with an elevation actuator cable issues, always close to 55 deg. on the western side of the Moon path. As we decided not taking the other option for a conservative nap, the technical issue was solved always on dark, close to 5:00 am in the morning, course on hard rain and up to 7m up on the tower, losing at least one hour from the operation time, before to be back in business again and take as much fun as it gets.
73 to all from Adrian (YO9FRJ) and Joe (YO9AFE) – YO9FRJ team in KN34aw. e-MAIL: yo4frj-AT-arrl.net-- YO4FRJ
JH1KRC -- Dec 25, 2007 01:07 ET
Mike JH1KRC had to offset the 6/3cm WG feed horn from the focal point, in order that he can operate 23cm for the contest. Even though the micorwave feed looks to be offset enough, the 1296 MHz signals were disturbed so much.
After our 8N1EME BIG-DISH events, which was really a tough job, I wanted to participate in the ARRL EME Competition this year.
Since I was permitted to setup a high power EME system on 5760 and 10450 MHz bands, I prepared a wave-guide feed horn in the center of my 4.4-m TVRO dish. Too bad, every logic circuit of my TWTA's has got troubled, and it directly means that the station insptection by Japanese telecomm. officisals are delayed, and I cannnot remove the microwave feed horn until my microwave system becomes perfect!! (Otherwise they cannot give me the complete license.)
Finally I decided to 'offset' my microwave wave-guide feed from the focal point in front of the 1296 feed horn. See the photo.
Unlike I expected, my TVRO dish does not work perfectly. The bulky wave-guide feed and wave-guide (WR-137 equiv.) might perhaps disturb the total illumination of the main reflector. EME signals and my own echo also were not very good at all, though, I enjoyed 18 QSOs.-- JH1KRC
K0KP -- Dec 24, 2007 17:08 ET
1X 5WL Manual AZ/EL
K0KP Shack GS-35B (Rack to Left), IC746
This was a great contest! I entered as a single band station - 2 M, using CW and JT65B. The rig is an Icom 746, GS-35B amplifier, and a single 5WL yagi antenna with manual AZ/EL. This QRP setup netted 184,800 points with 56 QSOs and 33 Mults. Five QSOs were made on CW; F3VS, RN6BN, IK3MAC, LZ2US, and OK1MS - thanks! I also had a great time on JT65B for the remaining QSOs, thanks to Joe K1JT for his excellent program. LU1CGB provided a new DXCC, thanks Adrian! It was also fun to work the Jamesburg Dish N9JIM. For the first weekend of the contest I worked exclusively search and pounce non-assisted. The second weekend I did monitor the EME logger so my entry is the assisted category. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful contest and I appreciate each and every every QSO. Hope to see everyone else again next contest!
73 Rex EN36vw-- K0KP
SV1BTR -- Dec 24, 2007 11:15 ET
The 2m array 16*6el. xpol 21.5dbd, same gain as 4*11m boom yagis
The 70cm array, 8*26el. in H pol and 8*20el. in V pol on the same boom
Entering my 15th EME year I only, still, and always, derive maximum pleasure from operating via Radio only during each and every ARRL EME Competition. Without any side help from Internet or digital software digging the weak signals for me.
In 2007 Contest worked 152 stations and a score more than a million points on 2m & 70cm. All QSOs in CW mode, Random. Big Thanks to everyone!
It is perfectly possible for anyone to work with success in CW EME regardless of big or small station. As long as he is willing to get things done himself, operation wise. I look forward to the 2008 event, where i will be operating on 2m - 70cm - 23cm.
73
Jimmy-- SV1BTR
N2UO -- Dec 28, 2007 19:15 ET
This was my first EME contest from my new QTH in Summerfield, North Carolina. This time I was joined by Dan, W9EQ, and we operated both weekends on 1296 MHz, CW only, with no assistance. We had a great time, and the equipment and the antenna worked flawlessly. As a bonus, we added nine initials, two new states and one new country to my list.
The equipment consisted of a homebrew software defined radio running PowerSDR, all homebrew 28/144 and 144/1296 transverters, and 2 water cooled GI7Bs, providing about 300 W at the feed of the 10' stressed dish.
73, Marc-- N2UO
Dan W9EQ and Marc N2UO taking a break during the second leg of the EME contest
N2UO 10' homebrew dish for 1296 MHz EME operation
Dan, W9EQ, working CW EME on 1296 MHz
EME pile-ups can also occur with a 10' dish...
YU7XL -- Dec 19, 2007 14:51 ET
The best EME activity days during a year. Working from my home, with the following equipment: Yaesu FT-897+ PA 3x4CX250B (abt 300 W in digital and 500W in CW mode)+preamp MGF-1302 in antenna feedpoint.
Antennas used: 16 x 8 ele yagis, 4.15 metres long, my own design, theoretically 25,6 dBi.
Would like to participate in this contest next year (with better equipment, of course).
Best success and dx, 73
Slobodan (Boban) Bukvic, YU7XL-- YU7XL
F2TU -- Dec 16, 2007 12:35 ET
Excellent contest for the 2304 & up part. 2304 MHz: 30x22, 5.7GHz: 7x6, 10GHz: 14x12.
It took a change 7 times the feed for optimum presence on 3 bands: 90 minutes of handling. Thank you all for these excellent qsos-- F2TU
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