The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter
©DF2ZC
…since 2003
www.df2zc.de
Issue 11/20144
6 Nov 2014
Cyprus on EME once again
From 10th Sep to 15th Chris SP4K, Johan PA3FPQ and René PE1L were QRV from Cyprus (KM64UX),
mainly on 2 m EME. Cyprus has not been QRV on EME for some years now therefore it was no
surprise that the demand for this DXCC has risen. So the team had to do something against this.
The equipment was the standard 2 x 8 element cross yagi and “good power” by ITALAB.
Chris SP4K had the longest travel, first from Poland to Amsterdam airport where he joined René
and Johan on 9th September and then from there to Cyprus. Upon arrival Chris and Johan tried to
locate the rented car while Rene and the equipment were collected by a driver with a mini-van
mini
and taken to the house where the landlord was waiting. He must have been a little irritated
because
use when he started to show to them the different rooms of the house, the first thing the
team did was running upstairs to inspect the roof garden. There they could see a nice super moon
shining at them and also noticed they might need some minimum elevation
elevation at rise and set.
The next morning they started setting up the 2 m antenna and installing the equipment in the
shack. Working outside was not easy as the temperature was already 28°C only at 0930 am local
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time. A break from work was necessary every now and then. At moon rise they all went to the roof
to enjoy the moon rising over the hill to make final adjustments to the antenna direction. Only, at
the radio they noticed huge noise until around 10 degrees of elevation. When this disappeared
they started CQing and had their usual pile-up. At the end of the first moon pass they had 133
QSOs in the log, with highlights HS, XE, CX and 4X.
Johan and René in operating position.
The next day operations started at 1830 UTC and lasted until moon-set at 0630 UTC the following
day, with a short break from 2330 to 0230 UTC. Altogether 92 stations were worked, adding to a
total of 225 initials. Highlights this pass were LU7FA, ZL3NW and OK1TEH (it is always a big
challenge to get Matej in the log) and the CW QSOs with OZ1HNE and SP7DCS.
After one day break for 23 cm activities they put the 2 m yagis back up. Then they travelled around
a little with the rented car – and finally saw something from the island: Until then all time was
spent doing radio, eating and sleeping. They also went to the SBA (Sovereign Basis Area) which
counts as a separate DXCC ZC4. One could still feel the tension at the border. The week before
departure to Cyprus René had constructed a portable setup with a single yagi for the vague
opportunity that they could find a way to get QRV from ZC4. Too bad, this was not possible this
trip. However, they found a location in KM65UA, a parking lot at club/taverna where they got
permission to stay overnight if they provide enough business.
So the final moon pass from Cyprus was done with a single 8 elements xpol yagi and a signal at
least 3 dB less. With that portable setup they using the call sign 5B/PA3FPQ 76 QSOs were made. It
was good to even see new initials.
Since that was very close to the UN buffer zone between the Northern and the Southern part of
Cyprus, they had to maintain a very low profile. The operation from the taverna was rather
smooth except for some issues with antenna positioning that was all manual. The food at the
taverna was ok but nothing special considering the price they had to pay as they were required to
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 2 of 7
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provide certain amount of business to the owner. As soon as the sun came up people came asking
questions. For that reason the operations had to cease earlier than planned.
The total score of the 5B activity is 404 QSOs with 313 initials on 144 MHz and 27 initials on 1296
MHz. All QSLs direct to PE1L.
At least one time at the beach: René and Chris. (Pictures PE1L)
DD0VF running portable EME attempts with QRPP
Past May Steffen DD0VF spent a week vacation in the Northern part of Germany, in JO64NN, on
the island Hiddensee (where no cars are permitted). Though there was not much space left in the
baggage he could manage to bring a 7 elements UA9TC (a bit modified and with 3,2 mm elements)
with 10,2 dBd at 2,70 m boom length and a SSPA with some 320 watts out. Altogether with the
attenuation of 3 m AIRCELL-7 this resulted in 2,8 kW ERP. That is not much by EME standards but
sufficient power for QSOs though.
However, to Steffen the result is still surprising: Within those few days QRV he completed with 22
stations, even though the degradation was at levels of some 6 dB most of the time. So the sheer
figure does not say all. One advantage rx-wise was definitely the very low noise floor on site. No
birdies, no nothing. In fact, Steffen even thought there was something wrong with his rx when the
band was so quiet after first switch-on. He believes with a little more time some 200 or more inits
would be possible with this rig from this place – or during a few days only if the island would be a
separate DXCC...
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 3 of 7
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The smallest station worked was NC2V with 2x14XP and smallest heard/seen only was KB5WIA
with -25 with his 2x7 and 1 kW. Several stations were even audible thanks to the low noise.
DD0VF/P’s small but yet efficient EME antenna in JO64NN
Later that year Steffen also worked from OE at the lake of Constance (JN47VN), however with less
success on EME: he had no ground gain, 6...10dB noise from 115° to 145° and from time to time
up to 6 dB additional noise in any direction. Even though, he still made 16 complete EME QSOs
from 22 June to 4 July. Only, the highlight was a meteor scatter contact with EA8TJ who with the
help of tropospheric enhancement was worked at a distance of 3114 km, random. The longest
burst from Domingo was 10 seconds!
More information and pictures about Steffen’s successful QRP EME attempts are on his website at
http://www.qslnet.de/member/dd0vf/JO64NN.html
http://www.qslnet.de/member/dd0vf/JN47VN_2014.html
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 4 of 7
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The 7 elements and the lake of Contstance in the background (Pictures DD0VF)
Upcoming DXpeditions
For more information on current and upcoming DXpeditions please have a look at
www.mmmonvhf.de from where most of the information here was gathered.
EME from Zimbabwe: Z21EME
Lins PA3CMC, John ZS6JON, Chris PA2CHR and Paul ZS6NK are currently QRV until 8thNovember
from Zimbabwe and are running 2 m EME in pile-up mode. Z21EME is being copied with very good
sigs, so those who are still in need of that DXCC should hurry up and work them. Frequency is
144,128 MHz.
Equipment Test in Luxemburg
The X-Team - Frank DH7FB and Bernd DF2ZC – plan to test their new dxpedition setup (which now
includes also vpol) for their next “real” dxpedition in 2015. Instead of doing this in the garden they
decided to travel to Luxemburg. Though this DXCC entity has been activated every now and then,
there are still some stations in need of it. They will arrive on site in JN29XX on 15th November and
plan to be QRV at the next moon rise which is at 0010Z on 16th November.
Rig is 2 x 8 ele DK7ZB xpol, FT-857, MGF1302 preamp and a Tajfun SSPA (Freescale).
Working frequency is 144,114 MHz and LX is always first.
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 5 of 7
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They have set up a special website at http://df2zc.darc.de with latest news.
EME DXpediton to Surinam
From 26th November until 8th December Hermann DL2NUD and Wolf DL4WO will be QRV from
Suriname, using the call signs PZ5UD and PZ5EME. Their QTH will be in the locator grid GJ25.
Equipment used will be a 17 elements yagi and 1 kW out. from past experience it should not be a
problem copying the team’s signal.
Frequency will be determined on site and PZ is always tx 1st.
Hermann and Wolf will also be QRV on 70 cm and 23 cm at times. Latest news can be found at
http://www.emelogger.com/pz/index.html
FW5JJ (AH16VS) QRV from Wallis Island
Jean-Jacques, ex TK5JJ now FW5JJ has started his 2 m EME activity from Wallis Island. Running
some 800 watts to only a single 12 elements and not yet two of them he has though completed his
first QSOs via moon. The good news is that this is not a dxpedition so there is sufficient time to
work Jean-Jacques.
Time Table
8/9 Nov 2014
6/7 Dec 2014
8 Dec 2014
ARRL EME Contest
ARRL EME Contest
December Issue of the 144 MHz EME NewsLetter ready
for download at www.df2zc.de/newsletter
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter
is produced monthly since 2003.
Copyright is by Bernd J. Mischlewski,
DF2ZC.
Permission to quote or reprint
material from the newsletter is
granted under the condition that it is
only for non-commercial, personal
use.
For a permission to make commercial
use send a written request to
[email protected]
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 6 of 7
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Moon Graph November 2014:
Moon Graph December 2014:
(Courtesy of David GM4JJJ (www.gm4jjj.co.uk/MoonSked/moonsked.htm)
The 144 MHz EME NewsLetter by DF2ZC
Issue 11/2014, Page 7 of 7