31 August GOES satellite

GOES satellite 31 August water vapor.  Remnants of Hurrican Issac now over Missouri and Illinois.

I forgot to include the GOES Satellite water vapor image for today's QSO with W9ZIH

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.

Next SLAMS Breakfast

Our next SLAMS Breakfast meeting will be Sunday September 2 at 8:00am.

Location will again be at Denny’s (I-270 and Dorsett Road).

 

We should spend some time discussing our plans for upcoming contests.

 

Who can make it?

 

73, John WB9PNU

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.

ARRL "10GHz And Up" contest by AF4JF

I have set up in EM49pa near Winfield, MO for the first day of the contest (Saturday 08/18). The intention was to find new location in EM49 closer to my house than the AT&T tower near Dow in Illinois where we usually go.

I have worked N5MU from EM48sq (27 miles) and WA0CNS from EM48rl (38 miles). Didn't work anybody East of me, probably thanks to the higher ground on the Illinois side of the Mississippi river.

--

I have set up at YMCA in West St. Louis County (in EM48sq) on Sunday 08/19. It was raining a little when I arrived at the hill, so I have "installed" an "all-weather-option" on top of my 10GHz station:

I have encountered Mr. Murphy today - found a damaged transfer relay at my dish antenna. The relay was switching (means clicking), but the "TX" path didn't connect. I have to check my sequencer before replacing that relay.

More details here and here.

73 Herbert

AF4JF

I appreciate everyone that went out today to participate in the contest.  The corn was too high at my EM59bc location so I went to the soybean field in EM59bd which is less than 300 meters away from the other site.  I worked Harry, WA0CNS and Jim, N5MU this morning!  I didn't hear Herbert, AF4JF in EM49 nor did I hear Zack, W9SZ in EM59.  Too bad Zack found a rough road that, I am sure, helped devour his exhaust pipe.  Tnx for the effort Zack!  I heard the WB9PNU/b the entire time I was there.  Most of the time it was S-9, but by 10:00 am it was S-2 to S-5 with lots of QSB.  Later I went to a cable TV site east of Gillespie, and I was able to hear the beacon, but only S-0.  Perhaps tomorrow will be better!

ARRL 10GHz And Up

SLAMS will participate in the upcoming  "ARRL 10GHz And Up" contest:

   http://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up

From the ARRL web site:

Third full weekend of August and September. The dates are August 18-19, 2012 and September 15-16, 2012. Operations may take place for 24 hours total on each contest weekend. Each weekend begins at 6:00 AM local Saturday though 12:00 midnight local Sunday.

We will attend on both days. Currently, our intention is to form several groups and drive around our area to activate nearby grids.

73 Herbert
AF4JF

Congratulations to Herbert, AF4JF on working Ron, W9ZIH this morning on not just 432 MHz and 1.2 GHz, but 10 GHz as well!!! Way to go H!!!

Here is a screen capture of the Hepburn Tropo forecast for 12:00Z on 5 August 2012.  Notice the blue section towards Malta where Ron, W9ZIH resides.  The front was just to the south east of St. Louis.  Herbert sure called this one correctly!