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

May 26/27 EME activity

During the DUBUS EME contest on 1296MHz I  worked  on 26 May I1NDP, TK/DL1YMK(#111, DXCC #36),  K2UYH, OK1DFC, SV1BTR, G4CCH, N4PZ, CT1DMK(#112  DXCC #37), N2UO, F5SE/P(#113), VE6TA, G3LTF, WA6PY, VK3UM, JA6AHB. On 27 May worked SP6JLW, ES5PC, LZ2US, OZ4MM, HB9SV, F2TU, DL3EBJ (#114), PA3DZL(#115), PY2BS (#116, DXCC #38) . The most stations I have ever worked on a weekend on 1296MHz

1296 EME Shack (The garage, max 110deg F)

Working VK3UM

May 19/20 EME Activity

QRV on 13cm EME for TK/DL1YMK expedition on May 19,  heard them but they went QRT for gales, Worked ON4TA (#48, DXCC #30)  G4CCH,  K5GW (CW), G4DDK and then K5GW on SSB for 1st ever 13cm SSB QSO.

On May 20 worked Michael TK/DL1YMK (#49, DXCC#31) LZ1DX (#50, DXCC#32) and VE6TA.

13cm dish with feed and Remote amplifier

13cm Amplifier with Power supplies (28V 100A)

13cm Operating Position

May 18 EME Activity

Severe QSB on 1296MHz  but worked I1NDP for new initials on CW (#110), JT65 (#32, DXCC #16) and even SSB (#3).  It was not until after this QSO I realised that when I had changed from 13cm to 23cm I had put the 9cm preamp on the dish! Signals must have been good!

May 17 EME activity

As DL1YMK was off to a rare location it was time to dust off the EME equipment.

May 17 Installed new G4DDK 1296MHz preamp and set up to listen for XX/DL1YMK. Heard nothing but echoes were good