GB0SNB/MX0SNB/M0SNB - Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker

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EME and MS Weekend

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 10:21 AM PDT
http://www.gb0snb.com/wordpress/2016/10/600/


Members of the Secret Nuclear Bunker Contest Group (SNBCG) assembled at
Kelvendon Hatch to try 144 MHz (Earth Moon Earth) EME and MS (Meteor
Scatter) over the weekend of the ARRL EME event As a group we have tried
with some success MS QSO and this helped lay the foundation for this
weekend’s EME event.



EME is particularly challenging due to the great distances involved and
extreme path loss of the signal after its travelled close on 500,000 miles!
The equipment and format of the QSO is similar to MS, we used the WSJT-X
1.7 (currently in Alpha) and Â*WSJT provided free from Joe Taylor K1JT
website.

The weekend of the ARRL EME event was selected as it provided the best
chance of working some of the EME “big guns�. Our equipment was quite
modest by comparison, but included a











9 Element LFA antennaÂ*designed by Justin G0KSC,

DG8 masthead preamp as designed by Ian GM3SEK with the kit available to
order from hupRF.

Linear amp UK Â*Gemini 2 VHF amplifier delivering 300w.

Low loss LBC600 / LMR600 coax.

Icom 9100.











We found we could often decode signals, and even the thrill of decoding
signals from the K2VEE in EM79Â*via the moon was incredible…then it happened.



We answered a CQ call by HB9Q and to our surprise they replied. This was
our first and it turned out only EME QSO that weekend.

We continued to have quite a few MS QSO working Italy, Slovenia, Denmark
and Norway and also a number of SSB contacts with 30 or so UK stations over
the course of the weekend.

It is always nice to try a new mode and to succeed, you must never
underestimate how difficult it is to achieve a QSO over that incredible
distance. We achieved our goal of making an EME QSO, and regular decoding
of signals via the moon. If this has inspired you to have a go I would
encourage you to check out Â*K4MSG guide to small station EME. Also have a
look at W5UNÂ*monster EME array that has bagged him over 11,000 EME QSO !

QST also published an interesting article “A Basic Approach to Moonbounce�
that you may find interesting.

Plans are already being made for the next EME event in November…