Or prove their antenna hears as well as it transmits!

73s John AA5JG

--- On Sun, 4/18/10, David Barber david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk wrote:

From: David Barber david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Arecibo on Handy To: "'John Geiger'" aa5jg@yahoo.com, amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 3:05 PM Now that really would be silly wouldn't it!

Regards

David G8OQW

---

-----Original Message----- From: John Geiger [mailto:aa5jg@yahoo.com] Sent: 18 April 2010 21:02 To: david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk; amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Arecibo on Handy

SO, did you work them on the FT817???

73s John AA5JG

--- On Sun, 4/18/10, David Barber david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk wrote:

...

From: David Barber david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk Subject: [amsat-bb]  Arecibo on Handy To: "'Moon-Net'" moon-net@list-serv.davidv.net,

amsat-bb@amsat.org

...

Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 2:37 PM OK, I know nobody is going to believe this but....on my life...

I have been outside with an FT-817 connected via a

very

...

short piece of coax to a Diamond A430S10R (small 10 element beam modified

for

...

handheld use) and headphones and KP4AO was just audible on SSB.

Signals were inconsistent but solid enough to copy

their

...

callsign and CQ calls around 19.00UTC and the odd information

exchange

...

thereafter.

Now they've switched to CW copy is a good 80%.

No signal strength showing on S-Meter of course but

who

...

cares.

I would never have believed it had I not heard it with

my

...

own ears.

Note: NO preamp was used.

David G8OQW JO01FR

---

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amateur

...

satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

I found there to be little or no difference when rotating the polarity.

I've also been asked what frequency I was listening on. The FT817 was in USB mode and the displayed frequency was 432.04340MHz

David G8OQW

********

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Idle-Tyme Sent: 18 April 2010 21:05 To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Arecibo on Handy

have you peaked them in polarity also?

The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com

On 4/18/2010 2:37 PM, David Barber wrote:

OK, I know nobody is going to believe this but....on my life...

I have been outside with an FT-817 connected via a very short piece of

coax

to a Diamond A430S10R (small 10 element beam modified for handheld use)

and

headphones and KP4AO was just audible on SSB.

Signals were inconsistent but solid enough to copy their callsign and CQ calls around 19.00UTC and the odd information exchange thereafter.

Now they've switched to CW copy is a good 80%.

No signal strength showing on S-Meter of course but who cares.

I would never have believed it had I not heard it with my own ears.

Note: NO preamp was used.

David G8OQW JO01FR

---

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_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

yeah i forgot that they were circular so it shouldn't matter much, may as well go horizintal tho to curt man made noise some.

The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com

On 4/18/2010 3:24 PM, David Barber wrote:

I found there to be little or no difference when rotating the polarity.

I've also been asked what frequency I was listening on. The FT817 was in USB mode and the displayed frequency was 432.04340MHz

David G8OQW

---

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Idle-Tyme Sent: 18 April 2010 21:05 To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Arecibo on Handy

have you peaked them in polarity also?

The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com

On 4/18/2010 2:37 PM, David Barber wrote:

...

OK, I know nobody is going to believe this but....on my life...

I have been outside with an FT-817 connected via a very short piece of

coax

...

to a Diamond A430S10R (small 10 element beam modified for handheld use)

and

...

headphones and KP4AO was just audible on SSB.

Signals were inconsistent but solid enough to copy their callsign and CQ calls around 19.00UTC and the odd information exchange thereafter.

Now they've switched to CW copy is a good 80%.

No signal strength showing on S-Meter of course but who cares.

I would never have believed it had I not heard it with my own ears.

Note: NO preamp was used.

David G8OQW JO01FR

---

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---

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---

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David and all,

I copied them here at 432.0446 in CW using a Yaesu FT-817ND and Elk dual-band yagi with 6 feet of RG8X between the antenna and the radio, no preamp. I copied them in CW between 1958 and 2000 UTC here, then switched to my FT-857D (which will transmit 20 watts on 70cm instead of the 817's 5) just as they were switching to JT65B. When I heard the digital mode, I quickly set up my Acer netbook and SignaLink USB, and copied multiple contacts in the digital mode quite easily - again with just the Elk and no preamp.

Congratulations to the stations I copied KP4AO working in JT65B this afternoon - UA4FRL, AF6O, W1ICW, SQ7DQX, SV2DCD, UR4UAR and SV2RM.

I tried to reach them in JT65B, and threw all 20 watts at them, too ... hihi. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

What a thrill to hear and copy them on the QRP radio in CW and in the digital weak-signal mode. My congratulations and thanks to Joe Taylor, K1JT, and the KP4AO club for organizing and staging the event.

73 to all,

Tim - N3TL

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of David Barber Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 4:24 PM To: 'Idle-Tyme'; amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Arecibo on Handy

I found there to be little or no difference when rotating the polarity.

I've also been asked what frequency I was listening on. The FT817 was in USB mode and the displayed frequency was 432.04340MHz

David G8OQW

********

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Idle-Tyme Sent: 18 April 2010 21:05 To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Arecibo on Handy

have you peaked them in polarity also?

The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com

On 4/18/2010 2:37 PM, David Barber wrote:

OK, I know nobody is going to believe this but....on my life...

I have been outside with an FT-817 connected via a very short piece of

coax

to a Diamond A430S10R (small 10 element beam modified for handheld use)

and

headphones and KP4AO was just audible on SSB.

Signals were inconsistent but solid enough to copy their callsign and CQ calls around 19.00UTC and the odd information exchange thereafter.

Now they've switched to CW copy is a good 80%.

No signal strength showing on S-Meter of course but who cares.

I would never have believed it had I not heard it with my own ears.

Note: NO preamp was used.

David G8OQW JO01FR

---

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_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

KP4AO was copied in Wall Township, NJ (home of the first successful moonbounce experiment in 1946 (http://www.k3pgp.org/1946eme.htm)).

Equipment was set up in my backyard, and included a handheld 8-element quagi pointed toward the crescent moon through breaks in the cumulus clouds, 6 feet of RG/8 foam, a Yaesu FT-726R, and no preamp.

Many CW contacts were copied on Sunday 18-Apr-2010 between 1925 and 1954 UTC on 432.042 MHz, with many 5NN reports being given. The effects of Libration Fading were clearly evident on all transmissions making solid copy somewhat difficult during dips in signal level. Significant levels of RFI in the form of broadband hash and birdies radiated from neighboring homes raised doubt as to whether a preamp would have done much to aid reception. (Fortunately, the moon was at 70+ degrees elevation at the time, minimizing the noise.)

At one point, I hung the antenna from my clothesline and could still copy KP4AO! This is only fitting, since the 6 director string in my quagi were fashioned using clothes hanger wire. :-)

Congratulations and thanks to all involved!

73, de John, KD2BD

----- Original Message ----- From: "David Olean" k1whs@metrocast.net To: david.barber@dbelectronics.co.uk; "'Moon-Net'" moon-net@list-serv.davidv.net; amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 11:06 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: [Moon-net] Arecibo on Handy

I tried the same thing with one of my FO432 11 el beams handheld with a bare FT817 this afternoon. This was right after getting home from the VHF Conference in Connecticut. I could hear KP4AO very well on JT65 right out of the speaker. My XYL heard the tones 25 meters away while she was raking leaves in the yard. I handheld the antenna . While at the conference we experimented with small yagis and a preamp. KP4AO was pretty good on a 7 el wood boom yagi, weak on a 3 element yagi, and very weak but audible on just a dipole. The kicker was when AF1T produced his di-pickle, which was a feedpoint with a small pickle on each side that approximated a full half wave on 432. KP4AO was barely detectable on the pickle antenna. Dale, AF1T says he wants to get more gain by building a cu-pickle quad! This may be the first reception of eme with VBD (Vinegar Based Dipole) technology! We actually erected a small eme station for KP4AO that ran off emergency power and was situated in the back of the rear parking lot at the hotel. It attracted much interest and we had great copy on SSB ad CW with the KP4AO running an amplifier. They were sort of weak on SSB when running just 20 watts. We did manage to work them with the VHF club call, W1RJA. The wx was poor, cold with rain.

73 Dave K1WHS

Hi Dave, K1WHS

Tank you for your Arecibo EME report.Actually I am looking at the photograph of you in your shack in Fig-1 published in to THE MOONBOUNCE GROUP PART 1 by the EIMAC document AS49-10 "Dave Olean, K1WHS and his operating position. The antenna for 144 MHz moon-bounce work is a 160-element collinear on a polar-mount.The final amplifier uses a pair of 4CX250B tubes."

Also I am looking at The EIMAC publication AS49-11 IDEAS FOR EME ANTENNA ELEVATION DRIVERS Fig.4 " K1WHS found this Quasi-Polar mount in a surplus store.With a little ingenuity an elevation drive system can be developed around what can be found in junkyards and surplus stores"

Sorry I got not the chance to contact you off the moon in 144 MHz early between 1977 to 1980 because I was involved in 432 MHz EME but you can see the photograph of my EME array 16 x 21 element yagi depicted into the EIMAC document AS49-20 THE MOONBOUNCE GROUP PART-3

The actual situation in 432 MHz here is very different because early in 1977-1980 the 70 cm band was very clean without the RF pollution even 20 km away from the city of Naples where I leave.

In 1976 I was able to receive the EME SSB and CW signals transmitted by the 40 meters dish of Menlo Park California WA6LET only using a 4 x 20 element yagi and a preamplifier just with a BFR-90 bipolar transistor. Actually I was not able to receive Arecibo KP4AO because in 432.045 MHz there is a digital spurious digital signal here with more than 10 dB over the noise in my receiver. What difference here from the early EME pioneering days !

I am very happy to know that you are still into the EME trench with great success.

Actually here near the city of Naples only the satellite operation is possible and EME is marginally possible going from 1296 MHz and up.

By the way Dave your letter was a very nice opportunity for me to remember the old EME pioneering days !

Best 73" de

i8CVS Domenico

I also noted that "remarkable" statement, "while the xyl does yard work".  This secret must be divulged.

73 Bob W7LRD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave-K7DAA" dave@k7daa.com To: "amsat" amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 11:02:54 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: [Moon-net] Arecibo on Handy

Dave:

Forget this boring moonbounce stuff--I want to know more about this   other strange phenomenon you've reported, where you get to do fun ham   stuff while the XYL does the yard work!  I don't think I've ever heard   of such a thing before!

Outstanding accomplishment, OM!!

;-)

73,

Dave - K7DAA (enjoying all of the great info I read on amsat-bb even though I'm not   posting much stuff)

On Apr 18, 2010, at 2:06 PM, David Olean wrote:

I tried the same thing with one of my FO432 11 el beams handheld   with a bare FT817 this afternoon. This was right after getting home from the VHF Conference in Connecticut. I could hear KP4AO very well on JT65   right out of the speaker. My XYL heard the tones 25 meters away while she was   raking leaves in the yard. I handheld the antenna...

(SNIP)

73 Dave K1WHS

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