[Moon-net] 5.7GHz from GM ... report

[Mark GM4ISM]

Gents,
A brief note on my 6cm operation last weekend.
almost exactly 1 week before the weekend if the 24/25 March, I decided to throw a 6cm EME station together.
The aim was to work 8N1EME, and christen the transverter with a good first QSO.

My main dish is positioned such that it never sees the moon soon enough to have a common window with JA.
I had therefore to put up an entirely separate antenna. This was the old 1.8m dish I previously used on 10GHz EME 
(12 years ago!)
There was not enough time to do any thorough testing and optimisation, but once I got the equipment assembled, and repaired, I ended up with 50W Tx power and a 1dB nf, though somewhat later in the day than I had planned!
System performance was not as good as it could have been, with only 4dB sun noise and moon noise of 0.2dB, (with the LNA on the feed directly I had 0.4dB moon noise)
This system still had plenty of margin for 8N1EME, they were a genuine 579 at one point, and I exchanged 559 449 reports with them. This is believed to be the first GM to JA QSO on 6cm, it was also my first QSO ever on the band, and in fact they were the first signal I ever heard on 6cm.  Thanks to the Big Dish guys..  you made my day!
Following the QSO, I tried with several larger European stations, but no QSO resulted, though both F2TU and RW1AW reported hearing me, and I could hear Alex O copy at times. I had only a limited time before the moon was obscured from the 'portable' dish.
I heard OK1KIR , at M levels, and some weak signals from F2TU  Another station was heard but not positively identified, thought to be OE9ERC.

Bearing in mind I was linearly polarised, and on a small dish that was not performing well, I have quite a few db to gain when I install the feed on the 2.4m dish and go circular. The power amp is also capable of 100W at 6GHz, and needs a small retune.
The portable system is dismantled now, but I hope to return to 6cm EME soon.
A few photos of the system can be seen at www.dc2light.co.uk/6cm.htm
Mark GM4ISM


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