FULL STORY:

I arrived at Thursday around midnight to OM8A contest QTH. Tibor OM3RM waited me and helped find the right place in the night. Thanks Tibor. On Friday morning I started build the station, because WX forecast says rain and wind afternoon. I really did not expect so bad WX during whole EME ARLL contest. Around a Friday noon I had finish whole antenna and still sunny WX allowed visually find the right position of the dish. Afternoon I installed TRX and PC expected than immediately after Moon rise I will try first QSOs or own echo. WX where getting worse and worse. Strong wind moved with the dish like sugar tree. At Evening comes my friends from OM8A Tibor OM3RM, Jozef OM3NA and Milan OM5KM. They were looking forward how the EME traffic looks and for first signals. Second problem which I did not expect where trees. Exactly in position of 60°east they have couple really high trees and we were waiting for angle 10°elevation. So than we heard first EME signal. Franta OK1CA called us. After position correction we heard him speaker copy and worked 559/559 easy. Than called Howard G4CCH. Signal also very good 549. First time I got bad feeling that is happened something wrong because position of the dish I had correct with Sun noise to maximum and suddenly 3° in azimuth the position error. Thanks to strong Franta's signal I was able to find him and worked. So then I changed feed and units for 9cm and prepared all for the contest. I fall to the bed sleep little bit. First window I was expecting to be QRV on 9cm. During first period where raining so much and heavy clouds covered whole sky. Bad WX did not allowed worked more like two stations. LX1DB very strong 539 and OK1KIR peeking 339. So than I under very strong wind exchanged feed and unit for 13cm. Evening, during Moon rise, I was not able to find Moon. Whole time for VK I was looking for any week signal via Moon. Because I heard last night own echo, I got idea to setup calculated elevation angle and moved +/-dish from east to west around calculated Moon position and testing echo. After 1,/2 of hour I got my own echo and recognize that position of the dish is -10° east and +2° in elevation. With radiation angle 2° of the dish is this error so big. So after correction on SPID rotator scale I started work all available stations. Nice pile up on 13cm with very strong signals. HB9Q boomed 579. Than in US window I worked W5LUA and WD5AGO easy. My mistake was, that during calling on US segment I did nor try to receive in EU segment and due to this mistake I have miss Peter SM2CEW. Because WX was really poor I take decision to dismantle whole setup Sunday afternoon because forecast says more rain on Sunday evening. So at 14:00 UT on Sunday QRT and than trip to home QTH. Around midnight I was very tired at home.

WARNING:

- For next SHF pedition is necessary to construct new tripod, very stable, which will be possible use also in bad WX conditions

- Necessary to buy digital inclinometer for check minimally one right position of elevation angle ( to big problem resolve equation with two unknowns )

- Build mechanical 360°scale which will give a chance during night check position of dish position in azimuth without Sun, and be prepare that Moon is not always visible. ( How nice it was during pedition in 4O and Z3 )

- Be on the SHF EMEpedtion minimally one day early for whole day check dish position with Sun noise and fix all problems.

FINAL:

Guys from OM8A are contaminated with EME virus. I will go to OM again next year, maybe for DUBUS contest or any MW activity weekend and will be ready worked with everybody. I am expecting that OM8A guys will build soon any dish for EME and will be possible to work them each activity contest very soon.

See you in next pedition.