After seeing the announcement that the 2300MHz NOV were finally available I decided it was time to get one. After reporting some disparities between the RSGB website and the application form (eg the website said "main address only"; the form allowed a list of portable locations) I managed to get an NOV. The issues have been corrected
For EME operation from the USA one needed to cover 2300, 2304 and 2320MHz so a Transverter for 2300MHz was already available as written up at http://g4fre.com/13cm_xv.htm My PA using the driver stage from the Spectrian Amplifier produced 10W, I didn't have enough drive to get the full 30W.
On Thursday evening I tried a sked with G4BAO at 170km. I used my only 13cm antenna, a 25 element (the one with the horn feed) taped to a cardboard box pointing out of the bedroom window.
It was suggested to try ISCAT-A digital mode.
213800 1 -12 23.2 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO 12 10 10 4.5
213900 1 -11 2.0 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO 12 10 10 2.2
214000 3 -9 16.5 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO 12 10 10 4.5
214100 1 -10 2.0 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO 12 10 10 2.2
214200 4 -10 12.0 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO R-15 R-15 22 10 10 8.9
214300 3 -10 3.1 -65 0 * G4FRE G4BAO R-15 R-15 22 9 10 4.5
214500 6 -10 19.8 -65 0 * RRRR RRRR G4BAO 16 3 10 17.8
It took a while to complete the QSO, aircraft reflections were non existant but we completed for my first trop QSO on 2300.2MHz. A quick try was made with G4DDK at 246km but no two way QSO
On Friday morning I tried again with G4DDK. His signals were weaker by some 5dB than the previous evening but were there most of the time. It took a long time to get a signal report exchange on ISCAT-A.
105100 1 -15 6.5 -118 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 8.9
105200 3 -9 3.1 -118 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 4.5
105300 3 -11 5.4 -108 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 8.9
105400 2 -13 12.0 -108 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 8.9
105500 1 -12 21.0 -129 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 4.5
105600 2 -12 10.9 -129 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 8.9
105700 2 -14 19.8 -129 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 17.8
105800 4 -10 23.2 -129 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 9 10 8.9
105900 1 -11 14.3 -140 0 * G4FRE G4DDK 12 10 10 4.5
110000 2 -13 9.8 -140 0 * G4FRE G4DDK -17 16 10 10 8.9
110100 2 -13 5.4 -140 0 * G4FRE G4DDK -17 16 5 10 8.9
Signals were not "bursty" as would be produced by aircraft, so we switched to JT65c, which is good for weak, continuous signals. The QSO completed quickly:-
110400 8 -10 -1.7 -137 6 * G4FRE G4DDK JO02 1 10
110600 5 -9 -1.7 -143 7 # G4FRE G4DDK JO02 OOO 1 10
110800 7 -16 -1.7 -143 11 * R-17 1 0
111000 10 -23 -142 2 RRR ?
111200 10 -22 -145 4 73 ?
The lesson learnt is that the digital mode used needs to be carefully chosen based on the received signal characteristics
