[50mhz] Fw: LUCK WAS ON OUR SIDE !

[Ray Brown]

  FYI...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Lance Collister <w7gj@bigskyspaces.com>

> Hi Hal,
> 
> TNX for the note.
> 
> 
> Hal ZS6WB wrote:
> > 
> > Hi Lance
> > 
> > Wonder what rare and exotic stuff you've been working since our QSO the
> > other night. Been relatively quiet here with just a few southern Europeans
> > in the evening. I see that ZS6TWB/B (near ZS6NK and 150 miles north of me)
> > was heard in JA this morning but don't know if any QSOs were made.
> 
> 
> NOthing going on here at all.  I did play a little bit with JT44 locally the other
> night, and am getting more experience with it.  Worked N7CZ (a few grid squares
> away, on the other side of the Continental Divide and running 10w) on 6m.  Our very
> positive experience has really convinced me that it is the way to go!  I can
> immediately list a half dozen DXCC countries that would be in the log if my skeds
> had been on JT44 instead of CW!
> 
> > What European countries have you worked on 50 MHz, EME or otherwise? 
> 
> First of all, I have worked no EU countries otherwise.  The only EU countries I have
> worked so far have been CW on EME.  I hope to be able to get more stations over
> there going on JT44 so we can complete on EME.  The problem is that most of EU is so
> lucky to have DX openings all the time on F2, that they have not jumped on the JT44
> bandwagon yet!  What a shame!  I agree - there should be MANY stations such as yours
> that would be easy contacts for me on 6m EME using JT44....In fact, I think I could
> go down at least a few dB from your station and still complete the contact
> relatively easily.  You have a great advantage for EME by using a big single yagi,
> since you get the benefit of several good ground gain lobes.  You will recall that I
> heard you during your first transmission when the moon was up at 14 degrees ;-)  I
> have found that, often, signals can be disturbed when the moon gets down right on
> the horizon for moonset stations, and often that higher lobe is really an asset.  It
> looks through much less ionosphere, troposphere, etc., and often gets the signal out
> when the main lobe closer to the horizon is totally useless!  I always recommend to
> people that they put up the biggest single yagi they can ;-)
> 
> I have worked 8 European countries from here on CW EME.  If I can get them to run
> JT44, my skeds with five others would definitely be in the log already.
> 
> There
> > should be quite a number in Europe with stations equivelant to mine that
> > could be worked on JT44. I know that ON4ANT is active and he has a four
> > long-Yagi array.
> 
> Johan has very excellent ground gain (although his window is very short - HI), and I
> worked him and his brother easily with my single yagi. 
> 
> > My neighbor ZS6EZ would like to have a shot at working you on 50 MHz EME but
> > would rather try on CW using my station. Is it worth a try and if you think
> > so perhaps you could pick a couple of times next month or even still during
> > this window if conditions are still favorable) when conditions would
> > be optimal for a sked. You migh like to communicate directly with him
> > regarding this and just info me. His web page is http://zs6ez.za.org/  I
> > don't know why he wants to try, he insists that he is a contester and not a
> > DXer but possibly has future EME contest in mind.
> 
> No, I am not interested in a sked with him.  I have run many 6m EME skeds, and there
> is absolutely no way I can complete with a station your size on CW.  I would be
> happy to run JT44, but there is no point in wasting our mutual time on code
> practice.  In fact, I have run multiple failed CW skeds with stations running over 6
> dB more power than you.
> 
> > If any west coast big station calls come to mind that might like to try a
> > moonrise/moonset QSO next month please let me know. Would like to contact
> > them regarding giving it a try.
> 
> Most big USA west coast stations have, I think, already worked ZS in previous
> sunspot cycles.  Often, California and southern W7 (Arizona and Nevada) often have
> good F2 propagation.  However, there may be some stations, especially up in the
> Pacific Northwest, who still need ZS and would be interested in running with you.  I
> have copied some of them on this email, so you can see their calls and contact them
> directly.  I am confident that you can complete EME contacts with these stations,
> especially if you use JT44, simply by chooseing a time when their moonrise
> corresponds with your moonset.  That gives you both the advantage of ground gain,
> and makes single yagi stations on each end act like 4 yagi arrays.
> 
> 
> > Have you been flooded by schedule requests yet. I've had no takers here.
> > 
> > 73   -   Hal
> > 
> 
> No, I have only received requests from other ZS6 stations!  I am hoping the word
> gets out about JT44 and that it becomes popular with 6m DX stations.  I don't think
> many 6m stations are even aware of how useful JT44 can be in achieving weak signal
> contacts, or how it is making 6m EME a really viable option!  I suspect it is
> because the rest of the world (outside of Montana) has so much propagation on
> 6m....Pehaps in a year or two when they are in the same boat as we are up here in
> Montana, there will be more interest in working 6m EME with JT44 to complete DX
> contacts!  
> 
> Based on my experience running many CW skeds with stations on 6m EME, and watching
> the traces of their signals on Spectran, I now am convinced I can complete with good
> 100w stations running good antennas under ideal conditions, and am very interested
> in finding more JT44 6m DX stations to run with during the prime time of each
> month.  However, one of the key elements in completing with a small station is to
> make sure they also are using a good preamp (such as the very inexpensive Hamtronics
> unit) on their receivers.  So many 6m stations are only using "off the shelf"
> transceivers and have no idea how poor their front ends really are (because they
> hear so many loud signals during band openings).  If only they would install a good
> preamp, and hook up JT44, many would be capable of 6m EME!
> 
> For years, it seemed that 6m EME was really impractical and beyond the possibility
> for most stations.  Now, however, JT44 has provided the tool we have needed to
> "close the path loss gap" and make such contacts commonplace! Of course, the
> stations still have to be optimized, and the best time of months still have to be
> selected, but at least now such contacts are quite possible (instead of freak
> exceptions).  
> 
> Good luck to you and thanks again for the exciting introduction to JT44 ;-)  VY 73,
> Lance
> 
> -- 
> Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WN3GPL, WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8)
> P.O. Box 73
> Frenchtown, MT  59834  USA
> QTH: DN27UB
> TEL: (406) 626-5728   FAX:(406) 728-6320
> URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj