[Fourlanders] FW: [Mw] April 17 World Moon Bounce Day

[Rogers, Ron]

Scott and I are going to be setting up to prepare for the afternoon "moon window" of Arecibo.

We are using my tower trailer to mount my KLM 435-40C (40 element, switchable circular polarity) UHF antenna onto the AZ-EL rotor system we use for Field Day.  The AZ-EL system is controlled by laptop running SatPC32 software for automatic moon tracking. 

Obviously, the Moon will not be orbiting fast like satellites do. But since the moon's phase right now is close in track to the Sun, it will be impossible for us to see the Moon and aim the antenna manually. Hence we will depend on the computer to point the antenna correctly.

We hope to at least hear the KP4AO operation, and if we are lucky, maybe even complete a QSO with them. 

We plan to use my Icom 475H that delivers 75-80 watts of output power. The combination of my high gain antenna, switchable LH-RH polarity, and 75 watts of power clearly gives us the minimum system requirements to have 2-way QSO capability with Arecibo, or even other Big Guns (like K5QE) that may be on the air.


Ron  
WW8RR 


-----Original Message-----
From: fourlanders-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:fourlanders-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Worsham
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 2:47 AM
To: fourlanders at contesting.com
Subject: [Fourlanders] FW: [Mw] April 17 World Moon Bounce Day

Is anyone going to be trying this?  The moon is going to be fairly high in the sky so an antenna on an az el mount will be required.  I know at least a couple of the guys in the group do the sats and have antennas on az el mounts.

73
Jim, W4KXY


It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are.  If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.
Richard P. Feynman

-----Original Message-----
From: microwave-bounces at lists.valinet.com
[mailto:microwave-bounces at lists.valinet.com] On Behalf Of Dale & Mickie Clement
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 10:18 AM
To: microwave at lists.valinet.com
Subject: [Mw] April 17 World Moon Bounce Day


Arecibo on 432 MHz Moon Bounce

The Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club will be putting the 1000-foot radio telescope on the air for 432 MHz EME from April 16-18.

It can be heard with a small hand-held yagi pointed at the moon

The scheduled times of operation are:
April 16: 1645 - 1930 UTC
April 17: 1740 - 2020 UTC
April 18: 1840 - 2125 UTC

Callsign: KP4AO

Tx Frequency: 432.045 MHz
Rx Frequency: 432.050 to 432.060+
Tx power: 400 W
Antenna gain: 60 dBi
System noise temp: 120 K (cold sky)
System noise temp: 330 K (when pointed at moon)

KP4AO can be heard with a small hand-held yagi pointed at the moon and a good receiver. A 15 dBi antenna and 100 W will be enough to work us on CW.

Operators at KP4AO will do their best to work as many stations as possible.
Each session will start with a brief announcement and CQ in SSB. SSB QSOs may continue for 30 minutes to an hour, if the QSO rate remains high.
The mode will be shifted to CW as soon as it is judged that higher QSO rates would result.

We will listen for calls at frequencies 5-15 kHz higher than our own, and even higher if QRM warrants. Callers who s-p-r-e-a-d o-u-t are more likely to be copied.

If you've already worked us in any mode, please do not call again -- give others a chance.

If we call "CQ QRP", we will listen for stations running 100 W or less to a single yagi. Please do not answer such a CQ if you are running more power or have a larger antenna.

On April 18, if we reach a condition where most calling stations have been worked, and we judge that operating in the digital mode JT65B would produce a higher QSO rate, we will switch to JT65B.

Note that any of these planned operating strategies may be changed as circumstances dictate.

We are extremely fortunate to have been granted access to the world's largest radio telescope for this amateur radio good-will event. We look forward to working as many stations as possible in the alloted time!



73 from Joe, K1JT
on behalf of all the gang at KP4AO


To learn about how to set up a station to make EME Contacts, see:
http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/refs.html  Click on #12

Learn about World Moon Bounce Day, see:
http://echoesofapollo.com/moonbounce/ 

Paul,N2GHR, reports working KP4AO (Aricebo Dish), on 432 Side band, using 500-W and a pair of RIW-19's on a small tripod in his backyard, - "armstrong rotor method"! Listen to his audio clip at:
http://www.newsvhf.com/audio.html and scroll down to KP4AO or,
http://www.newsvhf.com/kp4ao-n2ghr.mp3

 Aricebo is 1,000 feet across and has a gain of 60 dBi, so a modest 432 SSB set up can hear it.  Dale, AF1T is rebuilding his 432 Amplifier to try to make a two way contact on Friday April 16th.  We will leave for the Eastern VHF/UHF Conference in Enfield, CT, right after the attempt.  Dave Olean, K1WHS, is bringing his big 432 set up to make a two way contact at the Conference.  For those interested in participating, see:
http://www.newsvhf.com  to sign up for the conference.  It is just across the border from Springfield, MA. ( -At the next exit down from
Enfield/Longmeadow, are several inexpensive hotels.   We usually stay Friday
and Sat. nights, returning after the Ham Flea Market on Sunday morning.)

Anyone interested in hearing Aricebo send echoes off of the Moon, can use their hand held SSB radio The window to Peuto Rico will be open on Friday from 12:45 to 3:30 PM, one hour later start and stop time, on Sat. and one hour later on Sunday

  If you have never heard signals off of the moon, here is your chance,

     73

       Mickie,W1MKY and Dale, AF1T  

  



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