Wally WØPHD and I roved the Red River Valley in western Minnesota
again this year for the first day of the 10Ghz and Above contest. Lots of sun
and a new station to work :>)
Initials off the moon are harder to "come by" now... As the moon approached
15deg this morning JS3CTQ was solid as he called CQ. There was some QSB but we
were able to work with some signal margin. Hiro was my 200th EME initial using
the single "Driveway Yagi".
June 12,2006 -- VHF QSO Party of a Lifetime! --
This is a June contest that will go down in history. With the 6m and 2m Es both
being so wide spread and lasting so long the scores will be something to see.
Looking at the tropo log, the contest would fall short of most of my June
contests, I guess everyone was burned out! The number of 6 meter contacts, 6m
grids and 2m contacts were the only new high catagories, except for the total
points.
Es accounted for 50 contacts in 16 grids on 2meters and 587 contacts in 140
grids on 6meters! 2m Es list: FN11,12,13,20,21,22,23,30,31,32,33,34,41,42,43,51.
--- WOW!! ---
Today I worked SP7DCS on 2m CW via EME. Signals peaked well about half way
through the QSO and the contact was pretty easy from there. Chris runs 1.5Kw
and his antenna is 16-8 elem yagis, very nice. Faraday was not bad but I had
some local QRN. I used CW_Type as a keyboard keyer program and that helped
with that side of the station. Ran at 800watts with the 4WL yagi in the
driveway.
February 2,2006 -- WSJT-EME 144Mhz Initial #100
Today YL2HA answered my CQ on 144.117 and provided my 100th initial QSO via
WSJT-EME. It was very nice to work my 100th initial, "random".
July 2004 6,7,9 ... 2m and 222Mhz Es
We have had NO tropo on the VHF frequencies all summer this year. Very odd, I
can never recall a summer without some tropo. All was not lost however. On July
6, 7th I experenced the best Es on 2m since 1981 and my first 222 Es.
62 contacts in 29 grids! All of the contacts were to the SE. The best 2m DX was
Gary NW5E EL98 1440miles, best 222Mhz contact was Van W4VC EM81 1248miles.
Grids worked: EL59,79,89,98,EM72,73,74,75,76,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,90,93,94,95,96
and FM04,05,06,07,14,15,16,17.
Two contacts were made on 222, AF4HX in EM85 (NC) and W4VC in EM81 (GA) both
new states and grids on 222.
A single contact on the 9th was with N5HYV in EL59 (LA) on very brief 2m Es.
April 2004 ... 10Ghz Rainscatter
My own portable 10Ghz system is complete and now a new rainscatter season has
began. All of these have been worked with the 1watt portable system from in
front of the house, down by the lake. Lots of fun.
April 28, 2004
22:34Z WØZQ EN34 5-9S SSB 265Km
23:58Z WØGHZ EN34 5-9S SSB 240Km
April 18, 2004
21:22Z WØGHZ EN34 5-9S SSB 240Km
21:40Z KØFQA EN35 5-9S SSB 218Km
21:50Z KMØT EN13 5-9S CW 493Km (Iowa) New personal distance record
22:00Z NØUK EN34 5-9S CW 252Km
22:46Z KT8O EN34 5-9S SSB 251Km
Sept 06-07,2003 --- Nice Tropo ---
Beautiful RED sunrise these mornings and soon after that some nice tropo up
through 1296Mhz. Strongest I have heard Barry on 1296 and new grids on 1296
with Ed VE3KRP and Bruce VE4KQ/VE4. Also new, VE5LY on 222.
The log all times GMT:
Sept 6th
13:35 VE4MA 5-9+ EN19 1296.1 13:37 VE4KQ/VE4 5-1 EN09 1296.1
14:49 VE4LY 5-1 DO70 144.20 14:49 VE4LY 5-5 DO70 222.10
15:45 VE3KRP 5-1 EN58 1296.1 16:18 N8PUM 5-5 EN66 222.10
Sept 7th
05:04 K2YAZ 5-3 EN74 144.20 05:08 K2YAZ 5-3 EN74 432.10
05:10 K2YAZ 5-2 EN74 1296.1 05:15 K2YAZ 5-3 EN74 222.10
11:51 K2YAZ 5-2 EN74 144.20
August 20-31, 2003 --- 10Ghz Rain Scatter & Tropo ---
Gary WØGHZ loaned me his portable 10Ghz system for a couple weeks. The system
uses a DEM Transverter, Qualcomm 1 watt PA and a offset DSS Dish. Man what a
blast that was working rain scater and some tropo too. The link will take you
to a description of some of these contacts as well as radar images of the cells
being used for the contact. 10 Ghz is the next band to be added now!
Rain Scatter unless noted "Tropo"..
Aug 20, 2003 17:22z VE4MA EN19 10Ghz CW 5-2A 400Km - 248 miles
Aug 21, 2003 01:01z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB 5-9 245Km - 152 miles
Aug 23, 2003 03:14z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB 5-5 245Km - 152 miles
Aug 23, 2003 21:33z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB 5-3 245Km - 152 miles
Aug 23, 2003 22:38z KØFQA EN35 10Ghz SSB 5-3 218Km - 135 miles
* Aug 25, 2003 12:25z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB 5-5 245Km - 152 miles Tropo!!
Aug 26, 2003 01:15z VE4MA EN19 10Ghz SSB 5-9A 400Km - 248 miles
* Aug 26, 2003 14:48z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz CW 5-1 245Km - 152 miles Tropo!!
Aug 28, 2003 13:14z WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB 5-3/5 245Km - 152 miles
* Aug 30,2003 13:12z KMØT/Ø EN26 10Ghz SSB 5-4 75Km - 47 miles Tropo
Portable TROPO Operations From EN36 & EN37fg
Aug 30, 2003 17:35 KØAWU/Ø EN36is --> WØGHZ EN34 10Ghz CW S-1 126 miles
Aug 30, 2003 19:27 KØAWU/Ø EN36in --> WGØHZ EN34 10Ghz SSB S-1 111 miles
Aug 31, 2003 12:56 KØAWU EN37fg --> KMØT/Ø EN26 10Ghz SSB 5-7 56 miles
July 10, 2003 --- 1212 Mile Es into Florida ---
Worked N7JJS/4 on 2 meter E's at 02:31Z in EM60. Randy responded to my CQ
after I observed a 144Mhz Prog Logger posting of possible Es. I received a 5-5
on 144.200 SSB while he was 5-3. It has been 21 years since my last 2m Es qso
into Florida. Randy indicated that I was heard for about 4min down his way, but
no one else was worked. Randy was running 25watts and a 9elem yagi at 15ft! Oh
are Es FUN! Three detected Es openings on 2m this year. WOW!!
June 20, 2003 --- 1126 Mile Es into Maine ---
Worked K1WHS on 2 meter E's at 2320Z in FN43. David responded to my CQ
after I observed short skip on 6m. I received a 5-9 on 144.200 SSB while he was
5-5. BUT as it turned out K1WHS was running his amp without any voltage on it.
So he may have worked me with less than a watt. (RF through the amplifier!)
May 25,2003 --- Rare 2m Es ---
Argh, 36hrs ago all the antennas were off the tower and I was off the air for
about 24hrs ... Close call!! 2m E's into NC and SC, in MAY!! I heard Chicago
on 6m and started calling and listening on 144.200 as things broke. Stations
south had been working 2m E's for some time before my contacts. 1214 miles was
the longest contact and the first N4JZH, strongest contact was W4LK S-9 !!
The log all times GMT:
21:23 N4JZH 5-2 EM92 144.20 21:24 K6NWS 5-1 EM93 144.210
21:26 KE8FD 5-5 EM84 144.20 21:42 WD4NCS/M 5-1 EM85 144.205
21:43 KA4LZX 5-1 EM95 144.205 21:46 KF4TVL 5-1 EM95 144.205
21:48 W4LK 5-9 EM93 144.205 21:51 N4DOU 5-2 FM04 144.205
21:58 KD4TDI 5-1 EM96 144.205
May 11, 2003 --- JT44 EME -Arizona- ---
I worked Ned AA7A off the moon today in a nice WSJT EME contact. Ruuning 800
watts with the 8877 amplifier with a -23db signal being the best copy. State #44.
Nov 19, 2002 --- FSK441 Meteor Scatter -Maine- ---
N1RWY in Maine was worked during the Leonids meteor shower for state #43. I
worked Jay using WSJT about 4hrs before the projected peak of the shower.
The 8877 amplifier was used for the first time for this contact. A few VERY
big meteor bursts, but just a few.
Oct 1, 2002 --- AU ---
FN02, EN19,52,54,63,65,71,80,82 worked. Most on CW but several on SSB! 10 contacts in 9 grids.
Most of my time spent on 6 meters.
Sept 17, 2002 --- Enhanced Tropo on 2,432 and 1296 ---
(All times Local CST)
19:35 2m WA9KRT EN61 19:40 2m K9CA EN61 19:47 432 W9ZIH EN61
20:06 1296 W9ZIH EN51 21:21 2m W9GU EN62 21:37 2m K9KHW EN63
21:39 2m K9VHF EN53 21:41 2m KB9VQC EN53 21:42 432 KB9VQC EN53
22:00 2m K8TQK EM89 22:05 2m N9SVE EN63 22:07 2m KB9POI EN44
22:40 2m WA1MKE EN70 23:40 2m KW9M EN63 23:44 432 KW9M EN63
Aug 22, 2002 --- 1296Mhz ---
11:38 KB9PJL EN44 1296.1 SSB S-1 to S-2. Good contact under poor band conditions!