ke9v.net

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Moonbeams

Posted: 30 Apr 2016 10:31 AM PDT
https://ke9v.net/2016/04/30/moonbeams/


I have frequently mentioned my interest in Moon bounce (EME) communication.
The concept isn’t new, dating back to at least the end of the Second World
War.Â*But for reasons real or imagined, Ive always considered it the
ultimate radio adventure.Â*

Transmitting a signal a quarter million miles into space and having some
portion of that energy reflected off the lunar surface, returning that
quarter million mile path, and being detected by hobbyists on earth seems
like the stuff of science-fiction to me — even in this new century.

It’s something I intend to do but it’s been ‘something in my future,
perhaps to pursue after I retire.

Then I read aboutÂ*two hams who recently ‘Shot the Moon from a National Park
using battery power to generate 50 watts to a single 22 element Yagi
apparently pointed by hand, and on 432MHz no less.

That got my attention and accelerated my planning.I still need everything
to make it work. An all-mode VHF/UHF transceiver, directional antenna,
pre-amplifier, low-loss cable, and an RF amplifier. Long-term my goal is
not to settle for just a portable EME station in the backyard, but now Im
convinced that I can forego the azimuth and elevation rotor and stacked
antennas for the moment while proofing the concept and, hopefully, making a
few EME contacts from the backyard.

Oh, and did I mention there’s a little hamfest taking place in about three
weeks where I can pick up everything needed?