30th September 2013 - Update # 9 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hello moonbouncers,As a very experienced station OK1KIR managed to complete a fully random QSO with us, without logger and other help. Furthermore DL7YC with excellent operating skills had enough patience, other stations in the contest wooling unfortunately didn´t bring up that patience. During trials with us they changed to other, stronger station, which was a pity…… Not sure, if we will be able to work these stations tomorrow, as our moon window is getting narrower with every day now and closes very early. So tomorrow we intend to start on 10368.100 (placing our theoretical echoes there) at 0430 UT for the last time.
28th September 2013 - Update # 8 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hello moonbouncers,
During the last weeks at home, we tried to get
more power from the SSPA in the dish, using flex guide, which was
donated by several hams all over the world –
thanks again to those friends!. So we hope that we have a slightly
improved TX side compared to TK, where we lost nearly 16
W from 42 W in a short coax run!
27th September 2013 - Update # 7 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hi lunatics,
26th September 2013 - Update # 6 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Surprisingly enough the set-up was performing much better than from Corsica during our last year´s DXpedition, when we tried 6 cm for the first time on a DXpedition. We used again our old stressed dish, which is far from ideal on higher frequencies, but optimised carefully the feed position with sun noise. Furthermore we exchanged a lossy cable in the RX chain, obviously both changes contributed to the success.
We started very early in the night (at 0400 UT) and want to thank all other crazy guys, who rose together with us so early! Willi, your beacon again helped us to be confident in our dish heading and to optimise the tracking, which is manual (and is named Monika). Due to heavy rain in the night we protected the open 6 cm feed and LNA with waste bin liners, while the SMPS was hidden under a sun chair in the garden – relative dry, at least the RCI did not trip….
25th September 2013 - Update # 5 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hello lunatics,
We worked in CW: OK1CA, OK1KIR, DL7YC, PY2BS, G3LTF, PA3DZL, PA0BAT, W5LUA, K2UYH, OH2DG, LX1DB, LX1DB in SSB, G3WDG and Petra, G4KGC. We are very happy to have worked so many stations and again many of them as country firsts! Thank you very much to those who got up with us at ‘dark thirty’ (like that, Al!) and have set us a beacon from time to time!
Tomorrow we will use the same callsign as today (but not for all bands in the next days, hi). We intend to start at 0400 UT on 5760.100 and will be also in the HB9Q logger (it is always Monika to manage that).Only problem just now is the rain here, because our set-up is not protected well against the rain. We have to use waste basket liners tomorrow morning…
24th September 2013 - Update # 4 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hi gents,
23rd September 2013 - Update # 2 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hi gents,
After nice qso's in the EU window we now take a nap. We will be back in
the US window from 0500UT......and yes, with this call wsjt would go
mad, so better Listen carefully and make the difference to computer
games.
73 de M & M
22nd September 2013 - Update # 1 - Email to Moonbounce.info reflector
Hi CW-EMEers,
We arrived safely at the destination, started to set up the station
yesterday and finished the dish 2day. As always, we have some
obstructions to the East, our window will start no earlier than 2120ut
2day, 22nd of September. Means: Doug, you have to be VERY quick and we
will be probably weak in the beginning, because the dish at that time
will be partly obstructed by the house.
The windows to EU and US should be ok, as the moon is pretty high in
declination. We will be around 1296.045 in CW, spread out please, as we
have SDR support, operated by 2nd OP Monika.
If the station is still active and sound 2morrow, we ill update the
start time for 13cm - this DXCC to our knowledge has never been on the
moon on 13cm. We are worried by a naval radar very close by, on 23cm so
far no QRM, but horn feeds look like S- or C-band radar, so we expect
intererence on 13 or 9cm, hmmmm...
73 de M & M