March Rainscatter Attempt

 Saturday, 27 March:  By 3:15 pm, Ron KO0Z and Toula made the trek to Louisiana, MO, Riverview Park, EM49lk to attempt a rainscatter QSO with Gedas, W8BYA.  A line of T-storms were lining up from MO to Peoria, but the T-storms began to fizzle out over Peoria.  So, Ron and Gedas didn't make a two-way QSO on 10 GHz.  On the way back to St. Peters, a big T-storm over Springfield, IL stayed intact and Ron pulled over near Winfield to attempt a Q with W8BYA.  Regrettably, some of his rig connections broke on the way back home and we lost an opportunity.  Next time!

WB9PNU/b and Rainscatter

 I'm glad the WB9PNU/b is back up and running on 10.368.900.  Today, Tuesday, Septermber 8 around 2 pm, I noticed there were thunderstorms north of my St. Peters, MO EM48qs QTH.  This afforded me the perfect opportunity to take a break from remote learning with my grandkids and to see if I could hear the beacon via rainscatter.  I was able to copy it rather well.  Although the beacon is only 10 miles away (16.7 km) from my QTH, I don't have a line of sight path.

73 de Ron KO0Z

ARRL June VHF Contest

I am getting more and more into contesting.  It's addictive!  VHF contests can be either very exciting or somewhat boring depending on propagation.    The weekend of June 11-12 was a boon for six meters!  I made it a point to work 2 meters, 70 cm and 23 cm, but the main action was on six, which shifted the focus from the higher bands onto six.  I had a lot of fun.  I went to the Egyptian Hamfest and had breakfast at Uncle Lennie's and then onto to Ohlman Cemetery, EM59ji, which as it tuns out, cost me points in the contest.  But I attended knowing that was a possibility.  Seeing everyone at breakfast and learning more about the microwave signal source was well worth it!

When I arrived at EM59ji, it was hot, humid, sticky and very miserable.  Temp was 94 degrees.  I set up my 3 cm rig and tried to copy the WB9PNU beacon but nothing was heard.  It was 1:00 pm and usually that is the case around that time.  I tried working Ron, W9ZIH but we couldn't hear each other.  Zack, W9SZ was QRT.  So I packed up and got home in EM 59ck just before a T-storm moved overhead from out of the northeast to the southwest.  I checked W0SM's rainscatter and I had a path back to the beacon.  I set up my 3 cm rig in the garage, pointed the dish northeast and I was able to copy the WB9PNU beacon via rainscatter!  It didn't last all that long and my 10 MHz oscillator wasn't up to temp so the signal sounds even "wattery" than usual with rainscatter.  I posted the rainscatter video on my facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/ron.ochu

WB9PNU/B QSN on 14 April

Yep, I do believe I can hear the beacon from EM48ss to EM59ck due to rain scatter. Last night, after the rain stopped, I listened for the beacon before going to bed and I didn't hear a peep. This morning around 9:00 am and with light to moderate rain falling along with the rumble of distant thunder I listened again and there it was around S-2! Telemetry indicated 2.69 watts out, 12.9 volts, internal temp of 58.8 degrees and a PA temp of 68.6 degrees.

73,

Ron, KO0Z