SLAMS Breakfast and MAD Activity in July

Next SLAMS breakfast takes place on Sunday 07/01. If you are member of THE_SLAMS email group, you have already received an invitation.

Next MAD will be held one week later, on Saturday 07/07, because that is the first Saturday onf the month.

You always find next SLAMS breakfast and next MAD Day schedule at the very bottom of the main SLAMS blog page: http://slams-stlouis.blogspot.com/.

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Time to start making plans for next MAD. I intend to be at YMCA (EM48sq) with my 10GHz. I intend to bring a laptop and try to monitor the 10GHz band on its screen. This should detect even weaker signals that can't be heard by human ears. I also intend to test a portable PA for 23cm (approx. 20W). Furthermore, I will also bring an omnidirectional antenna for 144MHz ("eggbeater") for liaison frequency of 144.260MHz.

Hope to see you there or work you from there!

  

Herbert, AF4JF

SLAMS JUNE BREAKFAST

Herbert noted that 13 ops attended the June SLAMS breakfast which is a new attendance record!  In attendance were Kevin, W9GKA; Debbie, KC9ULA; Ron, KO0Z; Herbert, AF4JF; Mel, K0PFX; Sam, W0PCE; Jim, KK0JIM; Harry, WA0CNS; Bob, N0IS; John, WB9PNU; Jim, N0OBG; Rich, N0PQU and Jim, N5MU.

MAD (2), June 2, 2012

Mel K0PFX, Jim N0OBG, Jim N5MU, Rich N0PQU and Herbert AF4JF met at the YMCA in Westport (EM48sq) for MAD activity today. Ron KO0Z was in EM59bc and Zack W9SZ in EN50rl and everybody was hoping to work everybody on all bands. Well ...

First of all, Herbert has forgotten his 2m antenna, so we didn't have liaison frequency. Sure enough, Ron KO0Z was calling us on 144.260 for a while before switching to cellular. Sorry .. will try to remember next time.

We set up 3 stations for 10GHz and 2 for 1296MHz:

Jim N0OBG tested his 10GHz transverter:

Jim N5MU brought 10GHz and 1296MHz:

Note Jim's "high-tech" solution for 23cm antenna stand. It actually worked better than Herbert's solution - his antenna kept turning around during transmit period:

We have worked Zack on 23cm. Have heard a few beeps from Zack several times on 10GHz and he heard us at the first attempt, but the propagation was deteriorating later in the morning. Not enough for a QSO. After all, > 160 miles (250km) is quite a DX on any microwave band! We will keep trying.

Situation with Ron was quite different today. We didn't hear each other at the begin, but later when cloudy weather was replaced with sunshine, Ron's signal strength went up and we finally worked each other SSB on all 3 stations with full scale signals! Distance was 42.6 mile (68.5km), not bad either. This was nice example how propagation can enhance the signal.

 

 

73 de AF4JF

MAD, June 2, 2012

In partial preparation for June Microwave Activity Day, Debbie, KC9ULA, Roman and myself camped out at Lake Gillespie Friday night so that I would be less than 3 miles away from my microwave site just west of Gillespie on IL Route 16.  Saturday dawned with somewhat cool temperatures, but I still made it out to the site, warmed up the 10 MHz oscillator and I was ready to operate by 7:00 am!  Herbert and I tried around 7:30 am but no luck between EM59bc and EM48sq.  H, told me that Zack would arrive at EN50rl in about 45 minutes so I read while I waited.  Before too long it started to drizzle at my site, so I turned the dish back towards St. Louis and I was no able to hear WB9PNU's beacon at S-9!  I called up Mel, K0PFX and told them to turn their beams towards me for the path just may be open!  Soon, Mel, K0PFX was in the log as was Jim, N0OBG, Jim, N5MU, and Herbert, AF4JF!  These ops were roaring in on CW!  I next tried Mel on USB and he told me that it sounded like I was overdriving my signal a bit, but we worked as did both Jims on SSB.  This was a 42.5 mile path today! Unfortunately I wasn't able to put Zack W9SZ in the log today.  We tried but no luck.  Zack told me over the phone that earlier in the morning it may have been possible for he was hearing the 1.2 and 2.4 Chicago beacons, but around 10:00 am there were gone.  Next time Zack!

All in all this was a very rewarding and fun third MAD for me!   The first picture is where KC9ULA and I camped near Lake Gillespie in EM59.  The next picture is of the old AT&T microwave relay site at EM49bc, the third picture is of my van and 10 GHz rig.  Zack's heading to EN50rl is just to left of the tower.  The final picture is the path towards EM48sq!