Oct 2007 

Decided to take the equipment for 10 bands off the tower and just put up the four 432MHz yagis. Renovating the yagis, which had not been used for 8 years  required replacing 51% of the star washers holding the elements which had disintegrated. To test the sytem worked K1RQG on sked 559/549 so things looked hopeful. just 4 x FO25 yagis with full az/el control using a G6LVB PIC Tracker

To check out the system I worked K1RQG 559/559 (#23) on Oct 24; things looked promising. However for the contest weekend condx were bad. Echoes non existant. Only worked OH2PO. CWNR K1JT DL9KR VE6TA KL6M. Heard K0RZ SV1BTR. SV1BTR was the loudest signal heard all weekend

Of course 4 hours after the contest finished 432 condx were better! Had a sked at 0400 with KL6M 559/549 (#24) AND could hear my echoes in ssb b/w!. 

Equipment issues were that the transverter was FMing at full output... I could even see my echos drifting. Talking with Steve he said that the old transverters like mine whwn running the 35W module had trouble with rf from the output getting onto the oscillator supply rail. Experimenting  I found that 470pf chip capacitors on the regulators input and output cured the problem. Due to the small size the transverter gets very hot in EME Usage, obviously need a bigger heatsinked transverter

Nov 2007 

Built a DownEast 432HP transverter which having 60W output will remove the need for an intermediate 100W amplifier amp Used the 2nd oscillator position to allow me to feed in an external 101MHz GPS locked signal to ensure LO stability

Was QRV for 2nd leg of ARRL contest. Conditions were much better. Worked DL9KR, DK3WG, DL1YMK #25, KL6M, SM3AKW #26, W8TXT #27, VK3UM #28,  GRID #100!  K0RZ and OZ4MM

Dec 2007 

Dec 1 worked G3LTF  #29 and VK4AFL #30 on skeds. Dec 2 worked SM2CEW #31 on sked and K4EME #32 on JT65B for my 1st digital QSO. Dec 16 worked G4RGK #33 on JT65B sked, HB9Q on JT65B random then worked HB9Q #34 on SSB 55/53! After a short shopping expedition came back to work K7XQ #35 and KE7NR #36 on JT65C

Jan/Feb/Mar 2008 

 Jan 19 worked SV1BTR #33, DXCC #15 on a sked, before the start of the activity period. During activity period only worked OZ4MM but also heard DL9KR, DF3RU, SV1BTR, W7CI, KL6M and probably DL7APV. After the ATP I worked K1RQG. On 17 Jan worked K2UYH on JT65b and CW for our initial on JT.. Feb 24 worked VE6TA #34. 

Mar 2008

Replaced DJ9BV MGF1302 preamp (0.5db) with KB2AH preamp fitted with FHX35 (0.35dB). During Dubus contest on Mar 15 worked NC1I #35 and KL6M.CWNR K2UYH, VK3UM On Mar 16 worked K2UYH and HB9Q, the loudest signal of the weekend. CWNR SV1BTR (15 mins) I1NDP (15 mins... got QRZ), DF3RU. Also heard NC1I, KL6M, OK1DFC, UA3TPW.  On Mar 16 worked OK1DFC (#36) who came back first call which was nice as I had just spent 30 minutes calling DL9KR with no success.

May/June 2008

During the ATP on May 4 worked I1NDP #37, G3LTF, DL9KR . My echoes were good, even at moonrise and the EU signals were huge for a change. Jun 7, Worked SM3BYA #38 , on sked.

Equipment: 

RX: DJ9BV MGF1402 preamp + Down East Microwave 432-28HP Transverter + TS850SAT

TX: TS850SAT + Down East Microwave 432-28HP Transverter (50W)+ N7ART "AUDREY II" amplifier (2 x 3CX800A7, 1200W) 

ANTENNA: 4 times Directive systems FO25 yagis with coax feed.

TRACKING: G6LVB PIC controller + Kenpro KR5400 az/el rotator

Initial QSOS: 

JT65B

RED = QSL CARD STILL AWAITED

YELLOW = QSL CARD SENT

GREEN = QSL RECEIVED

This page last updated Jul 5 2008