2,4 m offset dish - solid Aluminum mirror
 

At the beginning of 2020, I decided to test on the EME 47 GHz band. It was necessary to find a new dish that was geometrically accurate to the demands of this band. The following images will tell you how the whole project turned out. The new dish replaced a previously used antenna Prodelin 2,4m.

 

13/06/2021 - 5760 MHz test

TRV 5760 MHz with W2IMU flare and septum square feedhorn

 

I was QRV on 6 cm only on Sunday 13 June. I managed to make many CW and some multimode QSOs during the day. On Saturday I had made a new W2IMU collar for my 6 cm square septum feed. The result was very good and it turns out that the properly calculated collar helped to illuminate the whole area of my offset antenna very well. The only problem I noticed was with the spreading. The maximum spread was around 140 Hz and at that time, I had trouble reading stations that used higher CW speeds. Normally high speed CW does not give me any problem. I QSO’d for the DUBUS 6 cm Contest using CW UR5LX, OH1LRY, OK1CA, UA3PTW, OK1KIR, KL6M, DB6NT, SA6BUN, G4CCH, SM6FHZ for initial #38, DF3RU, JF3HUC #39, ES5PC, PA3DZL, G4NNS, IK0HWJ #40, DL7YC #41, G3LTF, OZ1LPR, VE4MA, SM6CKU, VE6BGT, WA6PY #42, VE6TA and WA9FWD #43 for a total of 25x23

 

23/03/2021 - 3400 MHz test
 

To use the 3400 MHz band in offset dish, it was necessary to make a new flare for the septum feed so that the dish with F/D 0,6 was correctly illuminated. So I made the second mode of the W2IMU feedhorn and connected with the septum feed square profile, which I use by default on all bands up to 5760 MHz

11,8dB Sun noise /CS - 0,22dB Moon noise /CS

 

 

 

 

 

QSOs worked during DUBUS 2021 and day after - 3400 MHz part

21st of March
10:34 OK1KIR JN79GX 559 549 CW  
10:39 OK1CA JO70UR 579 569 CW  
11:10 OK1CS JO70FD 559 559 CW #32
11:26 DF3RU JN59UL 559 559 CW  
11:31 OH1LRY KP10NJ 559 339 CW  
11:52 OK1KKD JO60WD 559 539 CW  
12:27 G4CCH IO93QL 559 449 CW  
13:32 PA3DZL JO21LS RO O CW  
15:35 ES5PC KO38HJ 559 549 CW  
17:31 OZ5G JO55 RO O JT65 #18 JT
20:51 VE4MA EN19LU -7 -15 JT65 #19 JT - #21 DXCC
21:00 W5LUA EM13QC -1 -9 JT65  
21:04 G4CCH IO93QL -2 -8 JT65 #20 JT
22nd of March
19:51 G4DDK JO02PA -22 -19 JT65 #21 JT
19:56 DF3RU JN59UL -4 -12 JT65  
20:00 PA0BAT JO31FX -7 -11 JT65 #22 JT
20:06 G4CCH IO93QL -6 -7 JT65  
20:49 G4NNS IO91FF 559 539 CW #33
21:03 VE6BGT DO32FK 559 559 CW #34
21:18 KN0WS EN34MG -22 -15 JT65  
21:31 PA3DZL JO21LS -6 -11 JT65  
22:19 VE6TA DO33GS 559 549 CW #35
22:38 VE6TA DO33GS -8 -15 JT65 #23 JT
12/10/2020 - 24 GHz test
Today I ran another test of dish on a 24048,025 GHz. I tested the signal reception of the DL0SHF beacon. Conditions: Clear sky, temperature 12°C , elevation 36°, moon noise 1.7dB. See below for a print screen from WSJT.

Here you can listen to the signal of the DL0SHF beacon after covering a distance of 720,000 km. One recording contains a CW recording and one recording a QRA64D signal

CW        QRA64D

 

 

 

10.-11.10.2020 - ARRL EME 2020 - 1296 MHz test
There was an ARRL EME contest over the weekend, so I made a new collar for my septum feed and tried to optimize the system for 1296 MHz. I've worked with 50 stations in total. I'm still making minor adjustments to the second part.

 

 

 

 

03/10/2020 - final installation
 

Today I finished the last part of the installation on the dish. Two 2x50kg concrete blocks are in place. The dish was recalibrated with the new counterweight. I also measured the sun's noise in the 24 GHz band today, and during the IARU UHF - SHF contest I made several QSOs to the terrestrial in the 10 - 5.6 - 3.4 GHz bands The antenna works very well for this kind of use as well.

 

24/09/2020 - temporary solution
 

Today I was working on the details of the assembly. To make the gearbox work lightly for elevation, a parabola had to be added to the balance beam. The final step will be the final installation of concrete blocks weighing 2x 50kg.

 

19-20/09/2020 - 10 GHz test
 

Finally QRV 10 and 24 GHz again and participate in ARI EME contest - autumn part

 

18/09/2020
 

I am QRV again. Today I was able managed 3 QSOs on 10368 MHz. All with great signals. Sun noise 14,6dB, Moon noise 2,2dB

 

Dish and 10 GHz TRV DL0SHF, very strong copy
17/09/2020
First Sun noise test looks good. 10368 MHz feed horn in feed point of the dish
14/09/2020
Another step to be QRV again. Calibration and measuring of geometry
Measuring of geometry with laser on evening and test to Sun during the day
13/09/2020
Sorry, I did not catch ARRL MW EME part, but working hard whole weekend to be QRV for next weekend.
Almost ready to run, last step is to install contra weight boom, so next week I have still something to do.
Mirror and frame on bolts, need to do calibration and fix feed point of the dish
09/09/2020
Mast completed with AZ/EL gear and bolts for dish frame
Detail of connection between gear and bolts US digital AZ position reader with 0,01°resolution
08/09/2020
New mast for dish painted and ready to install gears for AZ and EL.
07/09/2020
Even I have birthday today, worked hard to be QRV in MW EME ARRL
 

 

 

 

New 9" gears with backslash 0,03° arrived on Saturday and I can try to catch MW part of ARRL EME contest.
Made stronger fundamental including 1m3 of concrete
01/09/2020
Basement of mast Mast
26/08/2020
Parts for mast and bolts to install dish on gear
07/08/2020 - dish arrived
Very solid frame of dish. Material profile U 100x50x5mm
Mirror of dish is made from Aluminum 5mm thickness, together with frame is it 320 kg weight

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