EM49ua my fifth grid square!

This is the distant grain silo that reflected the signals from EM49ua!

Pointing towards EM49ua

A big thank you to Dave, KB0PE and John, WB9PNU for venturing out to the Dow site, EM49ua to put it on the air Saturday 15 September.  By six am they were up and running and they were able to work Garth, W0GR both CW and USB.  This makes another new grid for Garth!  Congrats guys.  Next they were able to hear Zack, W9SZ in EM50rl, but then his signal disappeared.  Evidently Zack's transverter went out of lock and they were unable to make a two-way, which was especially annoying because this is the first time John has been able to hear Zack from this particular site.  Drats. It is now around 7:00 am I am up and running and I am hearing the WB9PNU/b 5X7.    Telemetry indicates that at 12:58Z the beacon is putting out 2.45 watts, voltage is 12.94 volts, internal temp of 70.5 degrees and external PA temp of 49 degrees.  At 12:14Z I work Dave and John on CW with 599 signals.  At 13:06Z I work Dave and John on USB!  Propagation was so good that morning that I was able to hear Dave and John off the backside of my dish.  When I was swinging it back towards them I noticed that their signal peaked when my dish was pointed at a metal grain silo!  Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the angle of inflection equaled the angle of reflection!  Too cool!

Finally, I put Zack, W9SZ in the log!

I noticed on the Hepburn page that at 12:00Z on 3 September conditions between Girard and Urbana didn't look too bad. I phoned Zack and asked him if he'd be up for a sked. We decided to see what the morning looked like and then we'd decide.  Around 6:40 am my phone rang and Zack was on his way about one-half an hour south of his QTH to EM59wx.  I need to work EM59 so that sounded good.  Packing up my rig in the car, waiting for a train to cross IL Route 4 and getting some coffee for the trip, I was up and running by 12:45Z.  I normally can copy WB9PNU/b anywhere from S-1 all the way to S-9, but this morning I could only to pick out "peeps."  It was buried in the noise floor.  Not very promising.  The temp was around 72 degrees with a dew point close by because my windows kept fogging up and I noticed that the fog was increasing.  Zack reported clear skies at first, but later the overcast and fog I was experiencing affected him as well. 

I turned my dish towards Zack in EM59wx, a heading of 68.2 and a distance of 95.2 miles.  I transmitted and Zack wasn't able to hear me.  Next he transmitted and I was able to able to hear his transmissions!  Barely, but he was copyable!  I made a few dish adjustments and then he listened to me and he was able to hear me!  At 13:16Z we made the two-way on 10 GHz!

Hepburn page for 3 Sept, but for 18:00Z  at 12:00 Z it looked much the same, but the green area in IL didn't extend so far towards the east.

Waiting for the train to cross IL Route 4 near Virden.

WB9PNU/b is towards the rear of my dish and to the left of the barn.  Only heard "peeps" from it this morning.

Azimuth of 68.2 degrees towards Zack, W9SZ in EM59wx and 95.2 miles away.

Tnx Zack for going out this morning!  I now only need one more grid for VUCC!

EM59cl to EN51nv 10 GHz QSO

Woo-hoo again!  With the advancing of Hurricane Issac's remnants, I was hoping that the increased gulf moisture would aid us in a two-way 10 GHz QSO.  Ron said he was up for it.  When I stepped out this morning to load up my car with the rig; I sure could notice the big change in humidity.  The temperature was a bit warmer as well (79 F).  Rain was falling south of St. Louis, but nothing but overcast skies over Girard, IL.  Ron, W9ZIH reported partly cloudy skies and a big band opening to the east coast from 2 meters to 23 cm!  He wasn't hearing the WB9PNU/b.

I was up and running by 8:35 and I could copy John's beacon S-2 to S-7 but the FSK sounded a lot like auroral buzz.  Rain scatter, I understand, can make that happen.  According to my smartphone it was now raining in St. Louis, but just a few sprinkles in EM59cl.  I gave Ron a phone call and he told me he was just beginning to hear John's beacon.  Next he listened for me and was able to pick me up!  We made the two-way at 1405 Z on 10 GHz!   This is a distance of 195.8 miles!

Notice the orange/brown dotted line which is the surface trough.

Hepburn page for today's 10 GHz QSO with W9ZIH

Like my previous post, I am including some WX related charts.  I think the surface trough (orange/brown dotted line) may be significant.

10 GHz Q between EM38ax and EM59cl

Woo-hoo!  When I awoke this morning I noticed that Garth, W0GR had emailed that he was hearing WB9PNU/b over S-9 around 6:00 am.  It was now 7:15 am and when I telephoned Garth he said there was QSB, but he could still hear the beacon.  After seeing Debbie and Roman off to school, I trundled up to my new site in EM59cl and set up.  By 8:15 am I was up and running and I could hear WB9PNU/b only S-0 to S-1.  I wasn't expecting much this morning.  I pointed my dish towards 262 degrees towards Odessa, MO and tuned for Garth.  There he  was roaring in sending Vs!  I quickly gave Garth a call and he listened for me and we made the two-way QSO on 10 GHz!  Woo-hoo!  Tnx Garth for being there.  This is new distance record for me, 226.2 miles and a new grid square for both me and Garth!

I am including some WX related data related to today's QSO that may prove to be useful information.  The remnants of Hurricane Issac are expected in our area in about 24 hours, but perhaps the low associated with it is pumping up gulf moisture ahead of it which may be enhancing propagation.

GOES Satellite Water Vapor image.  Notice the front draped across the norther plains states and the remnants of Hurricane Issac centered over Louisiana.

NWS, STL WX radar

Hepburn page for this morning's QSO. Not spectacular, but the path was made.  It is very helpful when one op has a super station!

Today's WX surface map from NOAA.

EM59cl

For day two of the ARRL 10 GHz contest, KC9ULA and I went north of Girard to scout a new site.  About 7.5 miles northeast of Girard, IL, we found a soybean field that looked promising  I was able to hear the WB9PNU/b at S-9!  Herbert, AF4JF heard me pounding in on cw.  I have a clearer shot to the north towards Zack, W9SZ and Ron, W9ZIH.  This may be my new location from EM59.