RECENT UPDATES
Weather November 2023
Watts up ? November 2023
Blog 13 June
Contesting 22 May
For Sale 20 May
EME listing 22 March
70cms updated Feb '15
Kits Jan 2015
Yagis and SWR Jan 2015
EME Introduction
Moonbounce presents the radio amateur with a significant technical and operating challenge, in fact it is only just possible. The moon is a long way away so the path loss is very high, and it is a poor reflector. In addition, the relative motion of the earth and moon introduces a variety of propagation anomalies which conspire to make life difficult.
I have been operational on 144MHz Moonbounce since the end of 2005. After making a few contacts using a single yagi without elevation, I was hooked !
In 2007 I purchased a Mini Versatower on eBay and with help from G1OGY and M0SPS it was dug up from the garden of its previous owner in Warwickshire and installed here in 2008. My web page "EME Aerials" illustrates the installation of a mini tower and aerials for EME.
EME in the UK can be a big challenge. Many of us have gardens the size of a postage stamp, close neighbours, and of course a 400w power limit.
I have managed to squeeze a box of 4 yagis from I0JXX into the garden (what else is a garden for ?), and I've done everything I can to ensure that as much power as possible gets from the amplifier to the aerials.
Inevitably there are occasions when the moon is behind trees, or behind the house, but life is full of compromises and we just have to be patient.
All my contacts are made using JT65B
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