Preparations for the 9cm activity weekend

After a disappointing period on 6cm it was time to return to the usually satisfying 9cm band. As the weekend of  Jul14/15 was a planned 9cm activity weekend,  preparations began on July 11 to allow for issues. The feed was changed in 98 deg F temperature and the transmit equipment seemed to work. However the G4DDK preamp produced no noise. It worked on the noise figure meter giving 0.64dB NF. It should be lower than that so the FET was replaced and the preamp readjusted until 0.53dB NF was obtained. The preamp was put back on the feed and it was noted that the DC preamp dc connector was intermittent so they were replaced and the receive side behaved again 

To test the system a sked with Charlie G3WDG who I had never worked on any band off the moon was arranged for very early Thursday morning (0520 local!).  A two way QSO was had with O/O report. As a followup Meg activated her N2NQI call and had a YL/YL qso with Petra G4KGC. 

G3WDG 9cm signal off the moon