[Moon-net] SV1BTR report DUBUS 2m cw activity event-December
Chris SP7DCS
sp7dcs at o2.pl
Sat Dec 9 09:34:49 CST 2006
Hello Lee!
Congrats for Your cw qso on 2m.
I would also be interested in 2m cw eme sked with You.
Even today - please email me.
Chris SP7DCS
Francesco napisał(a):
> Hello Lee,
> i would like to try a 2m cw eme sked, when you like better.
> Maybe on coming weekend?
>
> please let me know.
>
> 73' and thank you in advance
>
> Francesco,IK2DDR
> 4X19LLY MGF1801 LINRAD 8877
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lee Scott - AA1YN" <no-reply at aa1yn.com>
> To: <Moon-net at list-serv.davidv.net>
> Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 6:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [Moon-net] SV1BTR report DUBUS 2m cw activity event-December
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dimitris Vitorakis" <jimmyv at hol.gr>
> To: <moon-net at list-serv.davidv.net>
> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 11:20 AM
> Subject: [Moon-net] SV1BTR report DUBUS 2m cw activity event-December
>
>
>> Hello All
>>
>> first of all I would like to thank ALL the fine stations and operators who
>> were qrv for Dubus 2m cw eme activity event of December! I had a terrific
>> time, activity was excellent (except last 1.5 hr of the 2nd pass), with
>> big presence from Europe and good activity from US. No stations from
>> JA/VK/AF/SA. Where are you boys?
>> QSO rate was 6-7 QSOs/hour, almost like in contest time!
>>
> ...
>> Thank you, it was GREAT!
>>
>> 73
>> Jimmy SV1BTR
>> 2m: 16*6el. xpol 21.5dbd
>> 70cm: 8*26el. 25.8dbd
>> KM18no
>
>
> Hi Jimmy,
>
> I wanted the opportunity to thank you for my first random CW EME contact.
>
> You would not believe the work getting ready for this contact. I decided I
> needed to do some CW EME contacts. After the first leg of the EME contest, I
> practiced using WSJT in CW mode without transmitting. I would mentally
> listen to a fictitious CW signal returning my call. I studied and practiced
> what I had to send in return. I read and re-read W5UN's webpage and
> practiced again until it all made sense. I then cornered W5UN into making a
> real CW contact. Ok Jimmy, you weren't the first CW contact I made but this
> one was really manufactured and I really had a very hard time following
> Dave's
> lead.
>
> I decided I needed a better CW receiver. I had to hook up my DSP-10 for CW
> reception. The IC-746 is not set up for CW though it transmits well. MY
> DSP-10 had a problem with transmit (until today) and I could only count on
> about 30w output as I could not get it interfaced with the TE Systems
> amplifier.
>
> I've got the DSP-10 receiving, but I had to get the receive antenna switched
> to it. Easy - just grab the Tohtsu CZX3500 from my 903 rig - Right?, I had a
> sequencer built from a PIC Microcontroller so just add a driver and
> reprogram. But wait - No more I/O lines, redesign with a larger PIC
> controller built on a new board, add LEDs for indication, add switches to
> tell the controller what I wanted to do, add phono jacks to connect
> everything up, modify the DSP-10 to kill the receiver during xmit, write
> checking routines in the PIC to prevent blowing my LNA, repair my LNA,
> purchase another CZX-3500 to add a protection relay on the tower, add
> another phono jack and run wires to the tower, rewrite some more routines
> and add another relay driver - repair the LNA again.
>
> Now I have a working CW setup. - Oh yea - I need to write macros for CwType
> so I can transmit the right calling sequences, and re-write them, and
> re-write them. Test them, re-write them and test some more. Now I can
> practice - low power into a dummy load (my 20db power attenuator)
>
> All this was accomplished prior to the 2nd half of the EME contest - and no
> CW contact during the contest. But I was bound and determined, DUBUS has the
> 2 meter activity night so don't change a thing.
>
> Dec 1st, weather is unusually warm, 65 degree F ( 18.3 deg C for those who
> don't think like me) when it really should be freezing. Rain - yea, we've
> got lots of it. Lay down boards to walk on so we don't get wet, fill in the
> low spots as I haven't had time to landscape around the shack. Watch the
> weather reports - not good - 20 to 30 knot winds maybe gusts to 40 for the
> evening and all day on Dec 2nd. Shut down the equipment, lash down the array
> so nothing breaks and go to a Christmas party next door. At 5PM, wind seems
> quite calm - maybe 5 knots. (knots you say? - I lived aboard a sailboat for
> some years so I think in knots - you do the math )
>
> Kiss the XYL goodbye and thank the host/hostess for the great time and head
> home, power up the equipment, unleash the array, get some good echoes off
> the moon and start searching for a CW contact - I know I'm going to get my
> first one this evening.
>
> All of a sudden, the wind is howling - bet a 30 knot gust. Array is dancing
> all over the place. Go outside to see if the array will come down - and the
> wind dies down. Ok, go back inside and look for a contact. I start out at
> 144.040 and scan up 1kc per minute. Check the antenna position - Moon is at
> 85 degrees with 8 degrees elevation. From past experience, I figure someone
> should be between there and 060 but I get to 060 and nothing. Tell the
> computer to swing the array to 270 degrees and it turns, and it turns -
> (keep in mind, my array takes 2 seconds per degree) - and it turns. Finally
> at 270 degrees - move the elevation to 0 degrees and up pops a 2 meter
> beacon located about 130 miles away - good and strong so the LNA is ok. -
> tell the array to swing back to 95 degrees - and it turns, and it turns -
> you get the picture :-) set the freq back down to 040 and on the way down, I
> hear a CW signal. Get the signal centered on 600hz and turn on the MITCH12
> filter for CW copy.
>
> It's hard copy but no problem, I have a Heil quiet set. Plug in the headset
> and nothing. Unplug the headset and plug in the speaker - no problem.
> Partner forgot to turn it off after the EME contest so batteries dead. Run
> into the house and swipe the batteries out of the TV remote :-) Boy am I
> smart!
>
> XYL comes out to the shack - HOW COME I CAN'T TURN ON THE *%!$#*&^% TV! BLA
> BLA BLA YADA YADA YADA. Run back into the house with the batteries, get the
> TV turned on and find an old remote with good batteries - now I'm smarter
> :-)
>
> Get back to the shack, put in the batteries, headphones work - good noise -
> and strange - nothing but good noise - where did my CW signal go? Tune up
> and down some more and finally - a strong (for EME) CW signal. Grab my pen
> and notepad - start jotting down the letters - DAH-DAH-DAH DAH-DAH-DAH
> DAH-DAH-DAH - as I write down OOO. Boy is this easy copy. At least easy
> enough for me to copy. Now I'm getting really good at my CW - DAH-DAH-DAH
> DAH-DAH-DAH DAH-DAH-DAH and I write down another 3 OOOs. And then ... ...
> ... nothing - I look at the DSP-10 display - no trace. And I watch, and
> watch, and watch. A minute goes by and a faint signal too weak for me to
> copy. I look at the array position - I'm still ahead of the moon by a degree
> so all set there. I didn't transmit so I know the LNA is good. Then I heard
> DAH-DIT-DIT DIT ........HISS HISS. There had to be a signal there somewhere
> but it was weak. I turned on the binaural feature of the DSP-10, ran out to
> the array to double check it's position, ran back in and adjusted the array
> 1 degree in elev and 2 degrees in azimuth. I'm hearing the familiar
> DAH-DIT-DAH-DIT DAH-DAH-DIT-DAH - sounds like a CQ to me.
>
> After a while, I copy an S, then a V, and I'm sure a 1 - and find myself
> filling in BTR mentally. I've got that feeling - I just know it has to be
> Jimmy. The next time the call comes around, I verify it is Jimmy. I had
> made myself a promise that if I found him, I would work Jimmy on CW if it
> was the only thing I did. Now, I have to set up the transmit portion, Put
> the call into it's box in CW Type, look at the macros and click on Ctrl-F2,
> CW Type generates the return call. Something doesn't look right - delete
> the message to transmit, open the macros for edit and realize I had set up
> the F2 for a two minute transmit sequence. Click on ctrl-F2 and it looks
> right. Move the antenna to the current moon position. I'm ready for when he
> calls CQ again. Ok, there's Jimmy again calling CQ. As soon as he is done
> calling, I click on the TX button. Relays click, LEDs flash, hissing stops,
> and the 746 goes into xmit mode. I wait for the CW to start but nothing.
> Everything looks right but nothing. I look at the HP 435B, no power. I look
> at the HW-2102 and there is no power out of the 746. No CW tones out of the
> 746. Quickly, I look at the 746 and realize I still had the manual tune key
> plugged into the 746 and not the auto key from my EME sequencer. Flip the
> switch on the tune key and there is the power. Remove the tune key and plug
> in the auto key line and I here KKK then back to receive. Lost that
> sequence.
>
> I wait for Jimmy to send his CQ again and then generate the xmit message. As
> soon as he transmits KKK, I click on the TX button and relays click, LEDs
> flash, I hear the CW message, the HW-2102 kicks up to the 10w indication and
> the HP-435 kicks up to the 5mw indication. Finally, I'm returning someone's
> CQ call.
>
> After about 10 minutes of calling him, I hear QRZ de SV1BTR. My heart jumps,
> I may have my first CW contact! 5 more times, I hear QRZ de SV1BTR. Then I
> hear Jimmy calling - I don't recognize my callsign, again he calls but I'm
> sure its not my callsign. I don't have an F in my callsign Jimmy - I know I
> don't. Jimmy - you've got my callsign wrong! So It's not me you are
> calling - I'll wait. I tune around for a short looking for another signal -
> then return to Jimmy's frequency. I hear 73 73 and get ready to call him
> again. Finally I hear the CQ, click on F2 - no that's wrong, delete the
> message and click on ctrl-F2 and wait for the end of his call. Click on the
> TX button, listen to the relays, watch the flashing LEDs, and listen to my
> message. This goes on for at least 5 more minutes when I hear the QRZ de
> SV1BTR again. Ok This time I've got him. 3 more QRZs and I'm positive I've
> got him listening to my call.
>
> Again, I hear him calling someone else since my callsign does not have a 4
> in it. Just to make a long story short, I practice calling Jimmy for the
> next ¾ of an hour all the time, watching the meters move during transmit,
> making sure the antenna is pointing at the moon, running out to doubly make
> sure the antenna IS pointing at the moon. I hear the familiar CQ so again, I
> click on F2. I watch CwType type out the message SV1BTR de AA1YN over and
> over again and over again and over again. Then I realize I'm transmitting
> during his period also - clicked on the wrong button - it's ctrl-F2 not
> alt-F2. I quickly click on the TX button to stop the transmission 15 seconds
> into his sequence.
>
> AND THEN . I copy DIT-DAH DIT-DAH an AA, de SV1BTR. My mind races - It could
> be me, what do I do now? I listen some more, there is a 1. Again, I listen
> some more, there is a YN. My mind begins to put together who he is
> calling - AA 1 Y N - It's me! He has heard me and is returning my call! And
> then the all important OOO - OOO - The excitement races on, he transmits
> KKK, and I listen some more, nothing - I think and I think some more -
> something is missing, Finally it dawns on me - I need to click the TX
> button - relays click, LEDs flash and nothing. 10 seconds goes by, I look at
> my computer monitor - nothing. CLICK ON THE CTRL-F2 button dummy - you have
> to generate a message to be able to transmit back to him - DUH. Wrong button
> dummy, I'm suppose to tell him I've copied my call, his call, and his OOO -
> what is the message button I'm suppose to click on. I've programmed this
> into CwType. It's the next button up in the sequence - ctrl-F3.
>
> Ok, I've been transmitting the wrong message and it's almost done, just let
> it finish and the next sequence, I'll transmit the right message. I know I
> can accomplish that task. Jimmy calls me again. This time I click on
> ctrl-F3. It generates the message SV1BTR DE AA1YN RO RO RO. He is finished,
> I click on the TX button and listen to my message back to him.
>
> His turn - I hear AA1YN DE SV1BTR RRR RRR RRR. I've really got Jimmy's
> attention now. I just know it. I'm not going to blow this contact so I look
> at the macros in CwType and decide I should generate the 73 message by
> clicking on ctrl-F4. Sort of seems anti-climatic at this point - like there
> should be more to do - but, I click on the TX button, listen to the relays
> click, watch the meters dance and listen sadly to the 73 message back to
> Jimmy knowing this is the end of my contact. There is nothing more to do but
> listen and hear Jimmy send 73s back to me.
>
> With my first CW EME contact finished, I start searching for more signals,
> listening intently and watching the DSP-10 screen for a tell-tale trace of
> what could be a CW signal. There's a trace but I can't seem to hear it. I
> watch for 2 minutes and it's still there - just another birdie. But wait -
> up at the high end of the screen, I see a signal start - move up in
> frequency and watch it move down until it gets within the MITCH12 range.
> Finally, I hear the unmistakable sound of CW but I can't make it out. Then I
> hear the familiar sound of KKK. A minute goes by - DAH-DIT-DAH-DIT, there's
> a C. DAH-DAH-DIT-DAH - and a Q. I've found another EMEr and he's calling
> CQ. I am now a well seasoned CW EME operator so I know I can do this. Time
> to crank up the gray cells into high gear again.
>
> Very weak - quickly, I apply my mental FFTs and I pull out a letter -
> DAH-DAH-DIT-DIT DIT. I run through my decoding algorithms all the way
> through the alphabet - looks like a Z and an E to me. I begin to jot down
> the letters I hear analyzing each of them.
>
>
>
> S W S
>
> Y Z E
>
> J
>
>
>
> More FFTs, More Decode Algorithms as I listen to his signal.
>
>
>
> S Z E
>
> Y J
>
> S
>
>
>
> Further analysis and some more FFTs, it begins to look like there is 3 dits
> and not 2 so I begin to believe it is a 7.
>
>
>
> S 7
>
> Y J
>
> S
>
>
>
> Add more of the signal together, More FFTs, Dig down for that best decode
> algorithm, crank up the volume on the headphones, tweak the frequency to get
> the signal centered into the MITCH12 filter. I just wish I wasn't so CW
> Challanged.
>
>
>
> S 7
>
> Y S J
>
>
>
> Definitely a 7, starts with an S, ends with SJ. Contemplating my next
> algorithm - THE_DEE_EEE_EP_SEARCH. What I need is a good database with DUBUS
> EME CW participants. I remember seeing something that might do - where was
> it. Seems to me, I saw a web page with logs so I go to my email DUBUS
> folder, open up Jimmy's email and there is a link to ww.sm2cew.com - open it
> up in Firefox. Click on the tab logs. Since I was positive of the last two
> letters of the call, I do a search for SJ and look for any call beginning
> with S, it must contain a 7, and ends with SJ. Right off the bat I find
> SM7WSJ. It fits as the Y could be a W. I listen more to his call while
> looking at the results page and follow along. Definitely S M 7 W S J.
>
>
>
> I'm Ready !
>
> I'm Ready !
>
> 2 minutes goes by, nothing
>
> I'm still ready !
>
> 4 minutes goes by, still nothing.
>
> 10 minutes goes by, still nothing.
>
> 20 minutes goes by, still nothing.
>
>
>
> I look at the clock, it's 0250, plenty of moon both in Europe and of course
> here. Time for another deep search - what was the ending time? - Look at
> Jimmy's email. Ever get that sinking lost feeling you've been spinning
> motors, wheels, gears, linear actuators and the like for nothing?
>
>
>
> So - here is my log for my first DUBUS EME CW activity night:
>
>
>
> Start of Log
>
> 20061203 0057 SV1BTR O/RO 1.5
> Pnts SV1 mult.
>
> End of Log
>
>
>
>
> (for those who really need my new email address - it is
>
> dit dah-dah dit dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dah dah-dit-dah-dit
> dah-dit-dah
>
> dit-dah dah
>
> dit-dah dit-dah dit-dah-dah-dah-dah dah-dit-dah-dah dah-dit (everyone knows
> what my callsign is)
>
> dah-dit-dit dah-dah-dah dah
>
> dah-dit-dah-dit dah-dah-dah dah dah
>
> but please do not publish it anywhere - tnx)
>
>
>
> Till next time - dah-dah-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dah-dah's
>
>
>
> Lee Scott - AA1YN http://www.aa1yn.com
> Home of the VHF & Up Register http://www.aa1yn.com/vhf
> Home of the VHF Talk chatroom http://vhftalk.aa1yn.com
> Hooksett, NH
> FN43gc52
>
>
>
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>
>
--
Chris SP7DCS
email - sp7dcs at wp.pl, sp7dcs at smrw.lodz.pl
EME PAGE - http://sp7dcs.webpark.pl
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