Posted: 10/25/2013 5:42:32 AM EDT
Has anyone on this forum completed an EME contact? I just want to work one good one on 2m and 6m. Just one 
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did it on 2m back in the early 1990's. It is a lot easier now with the weak signal digital modes than it was with CW. Worked one of the big gun EME stations in TX. He was running full legal power into I believe a 32 yagi array. I was running 500 watts into 4 Cushcraft Boomers. |
| It looks like so much fun. I know where I can get my hands on a converted legal limit 6m amp, and am wondering if I could homebrew a cheap mega element 6m yagi. Then just point the thing at the horizon and work a few exotic things on 6m. Having something in Europe on 6m would sure look cool! |
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I have tried but not able to complete. Even with a very short run of Coax, the lack of a mast mount preamp, and good location providing ground gain was kind of my limiting factor. The cool thing about WSJT is there is an Echo Test that will allow you to send a tone and listen for the return. It will give you some information on path and system performance. The trick is, if you get good returns, change frequency. If you still get good returns, move the antenna off the moon. If you get 0 on the returns you are getting your echos. If you still get good returns then there is QRM messing up the test.
I was attempting on 2 meter, and lack of any large stations on, also affects it. The key thing is conditions. IIRC the path loss on EME is over 218db. So the combination of stations must have enough to overcome this on good conditions. So what you lack on your station must be made up for on the other station. 6m I never really looked into since the antenna's are just too big for my operations here. As far as 2m there are enough big gun stations around the world even a little guy can make a contact. Take a look at http://www.w5un.net/, If your 2 meter station outputs 100 watts or more to a good 10 element or largerYagi antenna, and your receiver front end has reasonably low noise, you should be able to work W5UN and many other of the larger stations via 2 meter moonbounce. The best way for very small stations to make EME QSO's is to use WSJT's JT65B digital mode (freeware from K1JT) on 2 meters. Many stations are using that mode to make contacts via the moon today. Take a look at the N0UK EME Logger to see who is currently active and on the air right now. MoonBrat (freeware by W5UN) will show you where your moon direction is and where to aim your antenna. Skymoon (shareware) can help you determine the best operating dates & times, plus moon spacial conditions.
Email W5UN if you wish to arrange a 2 meter eme schedule, Newbies to eme are welcomed. He has 2m DXCC #1, and my buddy worked him with ease with a 17 element yagi, 35 degree azimuth, and 35w at the antenna with a blown preamp. This was going through a 300 foot run of 7/8 hardline. The tones were audible on JT-65 and I think he was like -10db on the water fall. But if you check out his site, you will see why! EME is the ultimate DX, everyone I know that has helped me said they wanted one.... Its a sickness that rivals BRD, you have been warned 
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Quoted: I have tried but not able to complete. Even with a very short run of Coax, the lack of a mast mount preamp, and good location providing ground gain was kind of my limiting factor. The cool thing about WSJT is there is an Echo Test that will allow you to send a tone and listen for the return. It will give you some information on path and system performance. The trick is, if you get good returns, change frequency. If you still get good returns, move the antenna off the moon. If you get 0 on the returns you are getting your echos. If you still get good returns then there is QRM messing up the test. I was attempting on 2 meter, and lack of any large stations on, also affects it. The key thing is conditions. IIRC the path loss on EME is over 218db. So the combination of stations must have enough to overcome this on good conditions. So what you lack on your station must be made up for on the other station. 6m I never really looked into since the antenna's are just too big for my operations here. As far as 2m there are enough big gun stations around the world even a little guy can make a contact. Take a look at http://www.w5un.net/, He has 2m DXCC #1, and my buddy worked him with ease with a 17 element yagi, 35 degree azimuth, and 35w at the antenna with a blown preamp. This was going through a 300 foot run of 7/8 hardline. The tones were audible on JT-65 and I think he was like -10db on the water fall. But if you check out his site, you will see why! EME is the ultimate DX, everyone I know that has helped me said they wanted one.... Its a sickness that rivals BRD, you have been warned Quoted: I have tried but not able to complete. Even with a very short run of Coax, the lack of a mast mount preamp, and good location providing ground gain was kind of my limiting factor. The cool thing about WSJT is there is an Echo Test that will allow you to send a tone and listen for the return. It will give you some information on path and system performance. The trick is, if you get good returns, change frequency. If you still get good returns, move the antenna off the moon. If you get 0 on the returns you are getting your echos. If you still get good returns then there is QRM messing up the test. I was attempting on 2 meter, and lack of any large stations on, also affects it. The key thing is conditions. IIRC the path loss on EME is over 218db. So the combination of stations must have enough to overcome this on good conditions. So what you lack on your station must be made up for on the other station. 6m I never really looked into since the antenna's are just too big for my operations here. As far as 2m there are enough big gun stations around the world even a little guy can make a contact. Take a look at http://www.w5un.net/, If your 2 meter station outputs 100 watts or more to a good 10 element or largerYagi antenna, and your receiver front end has reasonably low noise, you should be able to work W5UN and many other of the larger stations via 2 meter moonbounce. The best way for very small stations to make EME QSO's is to use WSJT's JT65B digital mode (freeware from K1JT) on 2 meters. Many stations are using that mode to make contacts via the moon today. Take a look at the N0UK EME Logger to see who is currently active and on the air right now. MoonBrat (freeware by W5UN) will show you where your moon direction is and where to aim your antenna. Skymoon (shareware) can help you determine the best operating dates & times, plus moon spacial conditions. Email W5UN if you wish to arrange a 2 meter eme schedule, Newbies to eme are welcomed. He has 2m DXCC #1, and my buddy worked him with ease with a 17 element yagi, 35 degree azimuth, and 35w at the antenna with a blown preamp. This was going through a 300 foot run of 7/8 hardline. The tones were audible on JT-65 and I think he was like -10db on the water fall. But if you check out his site, you will see why! EME is the ultimate DX, everyone I know that has helped me said they wanted one.... Its a sickness that rivals BRD, you have been warned |
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Quoted:
Just one? You aren't fooling anybody! You know you are going to go for EME DXCC! Quoted:
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Has anyone on this forum completed an EME contact? I just want to work one good one on 2m and 6m. Just one Just one? You aren't fooling anybody! You know you are going to go for EME DXCC! Ok I'll come out of the closet.... Since I have an insatiable thirst for DX and am young (31) I really want to win the DeSoto Cup. In order to do that, I would have to put up "respectful" numbers on 6m. The current DXCC challenge leader has over 150 on 6m. He has a distinct advantage being in EU where some countries are closer to him than some states are to us here in the USA. So the only real way to bring the DeSoto Cup back to the US where it belongs is going to bounce signals off the moon. And keep up my thirst for DX until I am in my 60s. EA8AK currently has 3221 band points. Each point consists of a DX entity on a specific band. So say I worked TX5K on 160m-10m regardless of mode... That would count as 9 points. Deleted entities don't count and with 340 current entities, a score of a few less than 3400 is possible. Remember some countries don't offer complete band coverage. |