ARRL EME contest 2007

There is couple of pictures and comments about ARRL EME contest, 1st part on the October, 27^th - 28^th 2007. To maximalize, click to the picture.

Comments for the propagation 1st leg:
This is my information from my participation in ARRL EME 2007. For this year I choice to participate in 1296 MHz – single – no assisted CW only. About problems in first part I informed in previous e-mail after 1st leg and also on web site is it still possible to find. What I did not add was list of worked stations.
I would like to shortly inform you about my last activity in first leg of ARRL EME contest on 1296 MHz. I was really interested to comments about conditions and read interestingly nice comments from Peter, Gunter and Dough. I had some problems in that time. EU stations were very good readable and without any problems with fading or libration. But VK, KL7 and VE was a different story. When I worked with Dough VK3MU on 23cm, the signal looked like linear polarized with long and very deep QSB to zero, typically for Doppler effect. Normally Dough was 559-569 (very good copy), but in exact sinus period on time was his signal coming down and up. I had more problems with the Trevor’s VK4AFL signal. Trevor wasn't as strong as Dough, but QSB was terrible. Same effect I had observed with JAs however the QSB was not so deep. Working with W was opposite. AL7RT have to thing that DFC is crazy because his signal was quite strong for easy QSO, but I wasn't able to completed a call. Each letter was damaged to many different letters and I had really serious problem to complete his call. Please trust me “no alcohol policy during contest” :-))) but it is fact. Maybe, something was happened with electromagnetic field of Earth at the moment. Many stations, close to polls KL7, VE, VK, were in deep QSBs or slashed letters. Problem with AL7RT was, that his CW cadence was exactly in the same cadence of slashing or fading. Actually, I am not able to find any right word for it. The same problem I had with some VE station, he left my 2^nd QRZ without answer and moved to some better operator :-(((. Anyway, thanks everybody for nice contest. I was QRV, thanks to cooperating WX whole the time and reached my personal record in first leg. Totally, I have worked with 70 stations and 34 multipliers. It was really great time. I heard and did not work only with WD5AGO and WB2BYP. I worked with new 11# on 1296 MHz and in total I have #186 today. More details and calls in NL report . I would like to highlight operation with N9JIM. Firstly, I worked with Jim SSB 57 and second night we worked again CW 599 – full S-meter on my FT1000 and we enjoyed little SSB chat with unexpected 59 signal. I can say that better than on HF, where are usually stations from CA with big tremolo :-))). Other SSB QSO I had with Alex RW1AW and I thing that it was probably first EME SSB QSO in Russian language on 23cm :-))). Alex was also very strong 58. Other full S-meter scale I got from Darrell K9SLQ. Signal 599 CW and strongest in one moment as N9JIM. Anyway, thanks again for very nice QSOs, GL and I hope that WX will permit to operate my dish in next leg too.
Now you can see, who is logged in my 1st leg part. K2DH, K9SLQ, SM4DHN, G4CCH, LA9NEA, G3LTF, ON4BCB#, RA3AQ, RW1AW, OH2DG, K5JL, SM3AKW, OK1KIR, ES5PC, K4QI, N9JIM #, N0OY #, OZ6OL, WA6PY, OE5JFL, K7XQ, IZ1BPN#, SP6JLW, LA2Z, DF3RU, SK0UX, HB9Q, WW2R, DL4MEA, DL1YMK, AL7RT, OK1CA, RD3DA, SM3LBN, RW1AW, DL4DTU, F5JWF #, SM5LE, IW2FZR, JR4AEP, IK2MMB, IK3COJ, JA8ERE, JA4LJB, JA6AHB, JH5LUZ, PA3DZL, F5FEN, JA8IAD, JA4BLC, N2UO, K1JT, VE3KRP, K9BCT, K9SLQ, VE6TA, W5LUA, OZ4MM, VA7MM, N9JIM SSB 59/59, SP7DCS #, VK3UM, JF3HUC #, VK4AFL, LX1DB, SV1OE, EA3UM, I5MPK, G3LQR	Operated: - 10m dish with new AZ and EL drivers, upgraded septum feed and LNA FHX35LGA 0,25 dB N/F. PA TH327 – around 1,5kW on the feed in second night. First night only driver 600W.
Comments for 2nd leg:
For second leg I prepared new set up. FT1000MP is changed and I got in advance Christmas present as an IC756PROIII. I can say, that lot of advantages in this unit for EME traffic. Especially DSP in this unit is really working great. Also combination with Digi interface micro HAM II brings lot of new possibilities. Especially SSB Digi mode wit 1,2kHz filter and special sound card in micro HAM II open chance to work very small stations like for a sample UA3MBJ. I did not have chance in previous time to decode anything. Now, signal is not visible on the screen, but value –31dB is possible to decode. I know that guys from DinoClub are surprise what I am typing here, but it was really nice to experiment little bit also with TV watching. I can say that it is not so difficult like read stations on the noise level, but bring some fun :-). After the microHam II installation and configuration I have worked:
ES5PC easy copy –13dB, PA3FXB –12dB, RD3DA –10dB , M0DTS small station and easy copy –24dB, G4RGK good copy –12dB, OM1TF big surprise for me and first EME 1296 MHz for Stefan, worked with 2,4m and 30W, easy copy –28dB, UA3MBJ hard copy, very small station –31dB, only single Yagi antenna 39el. After couple JT65 tests I try to set up also unit for CW. Worked between legs: I5MPK, G4CCH, IK5WJD#, G4RGK#, HB9Q, SV1OE
So and started second leg. I was very much care about WX, because forecast for could front over EU marked possible problem with wind. So I was waiting what happen. Contest start great with new # and DXCC 47 with P43L, Al was nice copy 559 here, but time-to-time problem with fading, I thing any problem with pointing to the Moon or trees. We will see in Al’s report, following NA4N, PA3FXN #, W7BBM, IQ4DF #, WA6PY, WB2BYP #, K5SO, VE3KRP, OZ4MM, LA9NEA, G3LTF, HB9BBD, HB9BBD SSB 59/59, SM5LE, VK7MO JT65-13db but calling only to move Rex for CW, VK7MO – CW “O”, DF3RU, ON5RR, JA6CZD, JH1KRC, KL6M, ON7UN, HB9SV 59!, JR4AEP, UA3DJG#, G4RGK, SV1OE, I5MPK, F5HRY#, SM3AKW, W2DRZ, LA5ZK#, IK2RTI, K9SLQ, VE6TA, F6KHM. After the QSO with Xavier I recognize that digits on dish position are so fast moving. Open window and all was clear, wind, snowing. Wind was really strong, trees around where bending to angle 45°and I was parking dish with problems. Only thanks to new AZ and EL drivers I was able to move dish back to parking position and fix it with screws to the mast. So I lost last 40°Moon in west and of course also Moonrise on Sunday. Pity, I was really happy how is system working and expected better result. My official score is 88 x 38 what bring totally 334.400 points. I heard and did not work YL3GA, W6BY. If anybody called me with no reply from my site, please let me know and send me also info about your setup. I would like to know where is now my limit of size station. I am now ending #198 initial and 47 DXCC on 1296 MHz. Thanks very much to all for calling and many nice QSOs.
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