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Z3
& 4O / OK1DFC
- EME pedition
432
- 1296 MHz - Jun 2008 |
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Rig:
432
MHz - 3,2m dish + LNA NE325 - 0,3dB - PA K1FO design 2x3CPX800A7
-1,5kW RF - SPID rotator and
GM4JJJ tracking SW
1296
MHz - 3,2m dish + LNA NE325 G4DDK - 0,2dB - PA YL1330 DJ3FI design
800W RF - CW / JT65
JT65
interface - MicroHam |
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pictures are showing where we
were QRV
Locator:
KN11BS
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Very good take of to East and West. |
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Courtesy
of Ranko 4O3A we have nice locality and place to install our EME station.
Monte Negro
Locator:
JN92HJ
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Very good take of East and West |
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Our EME pedition progress |
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So, this is framework of our EME pedition
dish. Dish has perfect parabolic shape and we are expecting good
efficiency. My previous work with 3,6m
dish in JO60 loc up to year 2000 is giving me lot of experience
with this small size of antenna. Diameter 3,2m and just we are working
with Zdenek OK3RM how to make a dish lightweight. Zdenek will do special
holes in the ribs and expecting decrease of weight of 40% down. Frame will
be cover by RF welded mesh 6x6mm for good use up to 5,6 GHz but in Z3 and
4O we
are planning to be QRV only 432 and 1296 MHz. 2320 MHz is already tested
and working great, see my page 2,3GHz,
but we will be there in big time pressure. |
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Today I have tested SPID rotator in combination with
my note book and SW GM4JJJ. All working great. Cables for connection
between rotator and control unit are going trough ferrite rings and blocked
by capacitors to eliminate potential QRM causing by DC engines. System looks
good, and I am expecting that will move with the dish easy. I received also
special white steel feed point keeper. For feeding of dish, we will use my
23cm and 432 MHz feeds. They are already tested in my 10m dish and working
great. All other units we will have same which I am operating here at home
for EME. Last what we need to do is flexible dick coaxial cable connection
to feed point by H1500 coaxial cable. We are expecting maximum length of
cables 15m and need to be as close possible to the dish.
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Today I have tested SPID
rotator with PC and GM4JJJ SW. System worked great whole day and Sun was all
the time visible through pipe. During evening come Zdenek OK3RM and
bring final version of dish. You can see holes in ribs, what decrease weight
of each rib 0,8kg. Dish is now very stable and handy. I am expecting also
good electrical parameters. Tomorrow we need to final cutting mesh and
couple mechanical things. All will be wrap up on evening and ready to go.
Good news is, that we have confirmed Internet connection in both QTH and
will be possible to working according expected plan above.
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Another sunny day. We have finish all mechanical parts and
also dish has cute mesh triangles. Last parts of installation to the rotator
were finish and now we will load all things to the car. Tomorrow I will test
LNAs and feeds and on Monday Morning we can go. Following pictures showing
how we were with Zdenek cutting mesh. It is painful work as you know if
tested. We have also new contra weight for balancing. We will use my weights
from Astronomy telescope for while will be produce original one for dish.
Total contra weight for dish and feed is 20kg.
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We arrived to Monte Negro at 01:00 UTC. Short sleep and morning
we started build a station. First we build dish and installed cables. Because
everything tested at home, we did not have any problem and at 12:00 UT we tested
Sun noise and rectified antenna. All was o.k. and than at 12:45 we worked
Jan DL9KR on 432 MHz as his #99 DXCC on 432 MHz. After tested QSO
with G4YTL.. Copy him O, peeking 339 but David had problem with
electro-static rain and QSO was not completed. So we are expecting to be QRV on
4th of Jun according our plan above. Here is also couple pictures from our
portable QTH. Pity is that hill is using also by professional communication
services and lot of noise on the 432 MHz. We decrease noise S3 down thanks to
switch to vertical polarization, that is mean, that we will be always
transmitting vertical. So hope that it will help and we will be able to work
many of you. |
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Here is Information from first activity day on 432 MHz.
Firstly I have to apologize for our deaf in couple of directions, because the
hill where we were is full of TELCO services. So today we worked: VK3UM
good copy, Doug peeking in QRM to 539, OK1CA "O" but we finale
done, DL7APV 539 peeking and OZ4MM 539 peeking as a strongest
station of the day. PA3CSG "O", F2TU "O", OH2DG
"O", SM2CEW sorry for "M" only, because a lot of QRM
during QSO, HB9Q good copy peeking 539, G3LTF solid "O",
SM3AKW "M", UA3PTW "M" G4YTL
"M" and K2UYH with "M" copy CW. JT65 was not possible
to use because of strong digital interference.
In couple directions we had QRM S9 like 270° and above.
For this reason please call us tomorrow as soon as possible. We are expecting
some noise problems on 23cm too, because of many WiFi antennas on the mast. This
will also unable us from activating 13cm from this QTH. It will be necessary to
find some no electric smog QTH. Ranko 4O3A is using this QTH mainly for HF
contesting and he does not know how it looks with QRM on higher bands.
Tomorrow we will be QRV 1296 MHz. Mainly I will call CQ on
1296,045 and will keep 2 min periods again. Because the time is squeezing
our schedule, immediately after Moon set tomorrow, we will wrap up and continue
through Podgorica, Pristine - Kosovo to Skopje and Stip Macedonia. Than we will
build station and go to sleep. Saturday morning start 432 MHz. I will be again
on HB9Q and ON4KST chatting for possible skeds. I cannot promise any message
from our 4O 23cm activity day, because we will be in hurry. So keep crossed
fingers for us and see you on 1296 MHz morning. One of main noisy mast is on the
picture below. Hills on the horizon are 2000m a.s.l. high.
Zdenek
OK1DFC & Zdenek OK3RM
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Mast behind of dish is producing terrible QRM - mast on
left side is covered with WiFi antennas and we will se tomorrow what is worse.
You can see vertical polarized feed for 432 MHz because 3S lower QRM :-) |
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MACEDONIA
- Z3/OK1DFC |
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After 650 km of
night driving we arrived on the 6th of June to Macedonia - KN11BS.
Immediately we started to build the station to be QRV as soon as possible and
have a chance to work according our plan from Saturday morning. So approximately
at 13:00 UT we were able to start rectifying the dish with Sun noise and testing
how looks the noise floor. First result was great, comparing with 4O QTH we were
hearing only velvet noise :-). This result was great and encourages us to ask
Jan DL9KR for some signal beacon via Moon. How we expected, his signal
was great 579 and very good readable. So we immediately installed also driver
and PA with 2x 3CX800 for echo test. When we finished the installation Jan DL9KR
was still testing echoes and we were ready to call him. After he finished one
series of test I had switch on all units to TX position and started to call Jan.
Jan immediately answered to our call and has given us first "O" and
after 549 report. We started jumping end dancing around the dish like crazy
because after his RRRR series was clear that our main issue of mission was done.
Jan DL9KR is first HAM in the world reached 100
DXCC on 432 MHz - all CW. Guys from Stip radio-club Z37M Dime Z35Z
and Kris Z35X did not trust that signal which they are hearing is bounced
via Moon. Jan was really strong and immediately readable also for them from loud
speaker. So we opened bottle and each of us drank a glass to cheer Jan’s
excellent result. After a couple of QRZs we didn’t have any takers and turned
station off. It was time to go for dinner and sleep, because in that time I did
not sleep continuously more than 24 hours. When we came back from dinner, we did
not trust our own eyes. During that time passed through our location big
thunderstorm which twice hit 10kV power line and all fuses there where blew out.
There wasn’t any piece of ceramic, where were the fuses installed. That was
shock. Thanks to great relationship of our friends with people from Power
Company who started to work on reparation immediately in the night and
recognized that there wasn’t problem only with fuses but something else. They
promised that at 08:00 in the morning, local time, will be everything o.k. On
Saturday morning they came again and really turned on line in our location. It
was in the last minute because time for VK guys was about to close and Moon set
was coming. We worked with Doug VK3UM in his last couple of minutes. Even
if another storm is passing over us just now, I have time to send you this
message. Hopefully when it pass over, we will be still QRV.
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Dish and car where we are working |
Working Jan DL9KR |
Repairing HV 10kV line |
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Z3/OK1DFC running 432 MHz
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Dish ready for 1296 MHz
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Zdenek OK3RM and Dime Z35Z building dish
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We are leaving Z3 from left Zdenek OK3RM - Dime Z35Z and
OK1DFC
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Table
of worked stations:
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| 4O / OK1DFC - JN92HJ |
Z3 / OK1DFC - KN11BS |
| 432
MHz |
1296
MHz |
432
MHz |
1296
MHz |
| DL9KR |
VK3UM |
DL9KR |
VK3UM |
| VK3UM |
OK1CA |
VK3UM |
VK3UM
- SSB |
| OK1CA |
OZ4MM |
UA3PTW |
OK1CA |
| DL7APV |
JA6CZD |
HB9Q |
OZ4MM |
| OZ4MM |
G3LTF |
OZ4MM |
HB9Q |
| PA3CSG |
G4CCH |
PA3CSG |
HB9Q
- SSB |
| F2TU |
LX1DB |
DF3RU |
JA4BLC |
| OH2DG |
ES6RQ |
SM3AKW |
JA6CZD |
| SM2CEW |
OK1KIR |
OK1CA |
ES6RQ
- JT |
| HB9Q |
ES5PC |
SP6JLW |
SM5LE
- JT |
| G3LTF |
F2TU |
DK3WG |
G4CCH |
| SM3AKW |
SM3AKW |
G4YTL |
DF3RU |
| UA3PTW |
ES6RQ
- JT |
SM2CEW |
F2TU |
| G4YTL |
HB9Q |
OH2DG |
OK1KIR |
| K2UYH
n.c. |
OE9ERC |
F2TU |
OH2DG |
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DF3RU |
G4RGK
- JT |
G3LTF |
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G4RGK
- JT |
G3LTF |
RD3DA
- JT |
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RD3DA
- JT |
K2UYH
- JT |
ES5PC
- JT |
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HB9BBD |
K2UYH |
PA3CSG
- JT |
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SM5LE
- JT |
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PA3CSG |
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DJ9YW
- JT |
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PA3DZL
- JT |
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K5SO |
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JA6AHB
- JT |
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PA3CSG |
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OE9ERC
- JT |
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K2UYH |
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OE9ERC |
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VE6TA |
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SM2CEW |
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W5LUA |
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SM3AKW |
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OH2DG |
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G4RGK
- JT |
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OZ6OL |
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G4DDK
- JT |
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LX1DB |
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K5JL |
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W5LUA
- JT |
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W5LUA |
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SM3LBN |
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GM3SBC
- JT |
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K5SO |
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K2UYH |
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G4DZU
- JT |
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VE7BBG
- JT |
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ES5PC |
| 14 |
27 |
19 |
40 |
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We are together with Zdenek OK3RM very proud that our
small station helped in last two DXCCs to Jan DL9KR achievement this
great result. Congrats Jan !!!!
Links and info - thanks to all for sending:
Video from Z3 - Jan confirming his last DXCC to
#100
MP3file
send by Willi LX1DB - QSO with OK1KIR
SM2CEW
hearing with SSB filter 4O/OK1DFC
- 432 MHz
MP3
file send by Howard G4CCH - CQ
Z3/OK1DFC
Jan
DL9KR worked 100 DXCC - 432 MHz - Zdenek had asked me
to give him a beacon and when pausing to listen to my echoes he suddenly
appeared with a 549 signal thus giving me DXCC entity 100 after more
than 30 active years of CW rpt CW EME on 432 MHz. A huge thanks to
OK1DFC and OK3RM!!! Z3/OK1DFC is NOW QRV on 432,045 until 1500z. Any
takers? Things look good for tomorrows announced Z3 activity. 73 Jan
DL9KR.
Doug
VK3UM comment - Congratulations
Jan .. a brilliant achievement from a suburban back yard through walnut
trees and the like. I know our old mate Rainier (SK) will be similarly
pleased that you have achieved the Holy Grail of 70cm. Words can not
convey the effort and dedication of your achievement but simply .. well
done. 73 Doug VK3UM
Jan
DL9KR - answer to e-mail senders - Gentlemen,
I was deeply moved by the multitude of your congratulations and kind
words! It's me who has to thank all those wonderful QSO partners and
especially the DXpeditioners over 3 decades now. What to apply for?
There is no 70cm DXCC at ARRL (yet?). BTW, Rainer DJ9BV & Co were
among the worthy providers of new countries for me. Forgive the
negligence of omitting this fact in my obituary for him. Yes, it's been
a unique day and I'll have another sip from the half empty Champaign
bottle now in the hope of finding some sleep. THANK YOU ALL and cuagn
off the moon! 73, Jan DL9KR
Jimmy
SV1BTR - Dear Jan You
have my utmost respect for DXCC #100 on 432MHz CW. This is a REAL
achievement. In the eyes of all analog EME Community, myself being
inspired & mentored by you in 1994 and having my 1st 70cm cw EME QSO
with DL9KR. What you have accomplished in 30 years, ALL analog - hard
& challenging way - has IMMENSE value. Despite the fact that sadly
this is not distinguished in DXCC award, as due to the like of some who
for years purposely ruin the real sense of moon bounce achievement, no
stickers are provided by mode. Thank You for showing to all of us what
patience - dream - quest for technical knowledge and operational skill,
means on EME. Thank You for leading by example in the EME path of GREAT
ACHIEVEMENT, out of the empty jt65 deep search & logger modernities
of our times. 73 Jimmy SV1BTR
SM2CEW
hearing on 23cm Z3/OK1DFC
- 1
SM2CEW
hearing on 23cm Z3/OK1DFC
- 2
SM2CEW
hearing on 23cm Z3/OK1DFC
- 3
SM2CEW
hearing on 23cm Z3/OK1DFC
- 4
I
will follow as soon as possible with full story here. I am also
preparing DVD disk with whole DX pedition to 4O and Z3. |
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QSL - my home address
OK1DFC - QRZ.net
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Our QSL cards for 4O and Z3 / OK1DFC EME
DX pedition - just in the print |
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