Again this year, we operated on 13cm during the Microwave portion of the ARRL EME contest. Very good conditions but lower NA activity, mainly due to late night moon passage. Made 22 random CW QSOs using the same set-up as last year, a 9 foot dish and 180 watts, for our highest score ever on this great EME band. If the Microwave portion is broken up into 2 weekends we will operate also on 9cm and 6cm next time. This was our 25th year of operating in the ARRL EME contest and the main contest we plan for every year.
73
Tommy
Dual-polarization 4-yagi array at K1JT, with beautiful fall colors in the background. Single yagis for 50, 222, and 432 MHz are atop the EME array. |
The 8.5 m dish at K2UYH. Dense foliage limits system efficiency at moon elevations less than about 25 degrees. |
In the September weekend K2UYH, K2TXB, and K1JT manned the K2UYH station. We used two receivers; when on 2.3 GHz one was usually tuned around 2304.100 and the other around 2320.100. On 10 GHz we simply had two operators using independent receivers, both covering the region around 10368.100. The K2UYH 8m dish makes an excellent antenna at 13 cm and a poor (but still usable) antenna at 3 cm. We had about 80 W and 100 W at the feed on the two bands.
In the October weekend K1DS and K1JT operated on 2m, using a 4x14 dual-polarization yagis, about 1100 W, and the Linrad and MAP65 software. We found activity to be poor on CW but excellent on JT65, so we spent more time in the digital mode. Meanwhile, operations at K2UYH were handled by K2UYH, K2TXB and W2KV. Activity was good on both 432 and 1296 MHz -- mostly CW, though we made a number of JT65 QSOs as well. We ran 1 kW on 432 and 500 W on 1296.
In November K2BMI joined K1DS and K1JT at the 144 MHz station and K2LNS joined K2UYH and K2TXB on 432 and 1296. New QSOs were starting to become more difficult to find, but in general we found that activity was still excellent on all three bands.
Our claimed totals are 356 QSOs and 160 multipliers. We had great fun operating together, working many old friends and a number of new ones! We hope to be back again, next year.
73 to all from K1JT (Joe), K2UYH (Al), K1DS (Rick), K2BMI (Jack), K2LNS (Herb), K2TXB (Russ), and W2KV (Dave).
We took part in 144MHz single band, mixed mode, unassisted, with the 18m diameter commercial parabolic dish, owned by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) gathering 9 operators during the first moon path of the second leg, Saturday, Nov.15 only.
34-QSOs out of 35-QSOs with a dupe (QSOs both of CW and JT65B), and 17 multipliers (14 DXCC entities and only 3 US states/stations) were made. From time to time we have switched between CW and JT65B mode.
<Highlight>
- 6 QSOs were made by CW.
- We have made QSOs with about 20 stations continiously between 1830-2100z.
- European window was more enjoyable for contesting.
<Bummer>
- The CW activities seemed to be low.
- Poor condx and low activities from NA did not help for a fruitful result.
Even if we use the 18m dish, a vertically-fixed polarization and roughly 300W output seemed to be marginal power for totally 'unassisted' entry. We heard and called more stations without answer. This result was a bit disappointing.
Thank you for the patience trying to pick up our strange callsign. Hope that our antenna worked normally....
432MHz will be QRV shortly and we have plan to expand our system up to 1.2/2.4/5.6GHz in the near future. 8J1AXA will operate until March 2010 (hopefully). Further information of 8J1AXA are on the website at
http://www.8j1axa.jp/index.html
And QSL informations for EME QSOs:
Seiji Fukushima JH6RTO, 1182 Hase, APT 2-506, Atsugi City, Kanagawa 243-0036 JAPAN
CU next contest.
Project KDES 2008
8J1AXA Special Contest Team
JA1FY,JA1DYB,JH1KRC,JE1OYE,JF1AKD,JO1LVZ,7N1KAE,JA9COB and JF6DEA(soap-boiler)
All operators of this weekend; from left to right, back:JO1LVZ,JF1AKD,JF6DEA,7N1KAE,JA9COB front:JA1DYB,JH1KRC,JA1FY,JE1OYE |
The 18m diameter parabolic dish antenna in the morning pointing European window. |
JF6DEA(near side) and JO1LVZ(far side) are operating 8J1AXA from JAXA Space Communication Center (QM05df), unassisted. A cell-phone on the desk is of JH1KRC, waiting for a loving call from his wife, and not for 'assisted' job. |
Some of operators are gathering the 18m big dish after the contest. From left to right; 7N1KAE,JO1LVZ,JH1KRC,JF1AKD,JA9COB and JF6DEA. |
K4EME's 8x33 432 array |
K4EME's 4x22 Vert RX array |
AD4TJ and the 2 meter report: After improving my receive capability by putting the preamp close to the power divider( where it belongs in the first place! ), I was able to work 36% more stations than last year ( 76 versus 56 ). Still a lot of time was spent calling CQ with no takers to be found. Tuning the digital portion of the band revealed few signals a good deal of the time. Smaller stations must still be making internet skeds and not waiting around to listen for the multi-op/multi-band stations, that aren't allowed by the rules to use the internet, that may attempt a QSO with them. They would simply disappear. Was very pleased to work new DXCC: ZS6WB, LZ1DP, LA8YB, SP7DCS, and VE2JWH. Did not hear any VK's, and only worked 1 JA( JR3REX ), though others were heard but couldn't get their attention. It almost doesn't pay to stick around after the EU moonset unless you have very good ears and/or a dual-polarity antenna system( an improvement planned for next year ); noticed DPOL was near 90 degrees many times. CW stations were few and far between; I did manage to work 6 stations in spite of that( IK3MAC wa S6 at times! ). Cw get-aways were: F1FLA, IK1FJI, and F0CXO. Worked 54 non-NA sations and 22 NA; 31 on my CQ, 45 S+P. 23 DXCC, 18 States/VE, 41 multipliers. K4EME and KR4V and the 432 report: Activity seemed to be down from last year. Still new to JT65, so probably missed some easy ones. CW CQs went unanswered many times, even though I put together a 4x22 K1FO array, vertically polarized, for receive for EU Q's. Listening to noise for hours searching for signals gets very tiring! A new preamp with a nf of .2dB for the 2nd weekend helped out some. Worked 23 stations and 18 multipliers( 5 JT Q's ). 10 DXCC, 7 States/VE
Totals: 2 meters: 76 Q's, 41 M's 432: 23 Q's, 18 M's ------------------
99 times 59 times 100 = 584,100 claimed points
2 meter equip: Icom 706MKIIG, Lunar Link amp, 24dB/.5nf preamp, 4x15 K1FO's horizontal, 700-800 watts JT/1.2KW CW.
432: Yaesu FT-847, Lunar Link amp, .2 dB preamp for 2nd leg, 8x33 TX/RX, 4x22V RX, 600 watts JT/KW CW
Was pleased to run my 19 th in row ARRL-EME contest, this time,
as usual, again on 432 MHz, CW, not assisted.
All HOME MADE setup, K2RIW, MGF 1402, 4 x 7.7 WL, BV's, open wire.
Mixed conditions, missed NA stations. My downtown location is
more and more hit by the man made noise, hard to dig out EME sigs.
Pity that divergent opinions are reducing the interest for this
traditional contest. Let's hope will be able to run it again in 2009.
73 & DX, Szigy
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