3400MHz EME Activity Weekend

During the 9cm Activity weekend on July 14 worked  K5GW, K2UYH, DL1YMK, OK1KIR, ES5PC and G3LTF despite severe fading. 

On July 15 worked WA6PY, W5LUA and G4CCH (initial #25) despite water getting through the  tarpaulin and into PA during overnight storm. Conditions however were much better than previous day with less fadeouts.

Saturday night I was hit by an inspiration as to how to get  more than one "split" TX/RX frequency pair available on the K3. The K3 has the capability for 10 transverter bands. I realised there is NO requirement for the Transverters to be configured to be on different bands. I used the utility program to save an image of the K3 before I started playing with the menus. XV3, XV4, XV5 and XV6 were all set up as 3400RF, 28MHz IF, Internal transverter -1dBm IF drive, with no frequency offset (the 9cm transverter and evrything in the K3 is GPS locked). I can setup XV3 with the TX/RX frequencies to hear my echoes leaving the other three to be setup as needed to work stations with the option to quickly switch back and check echoes At the end of the weekend I could restore the K3 to transverter normalness by reloading the saved image using the Utility programme

Opportunity was also taken to adjust software in the PICs to increase update rate of the shack LCD of parameters from remote amplifier

K5GW 9cm signal off the moon

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