[AReU] Microwave activity in the UK

[w4tas]

I thought you might fine this interesting as to how other amateurs are using 
the higher microwave bands. 

73

Tony

UK Radio Amateurs Set New Distance Record on 76GHz
A new distance record of 129km was achieved on 76GHz Saturday 23rd 
November 2013, contacts between Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire 
(IO82QL) and Winter Hill, Lancashire (IO83RO).
Operating on three mm-bands, 24, 47 and 76GHz, wereIan Lamb 
G8KQW and John Hazell G8ACEat Brown Clee Hill and also on the three 
bands at Winter Hill wereRoger Ray G8CUB with John Wood G4EAT.
Contacts on all three bands were made using NBFM, signals on 76GHz 
were exchanged for one hour with some QSB at time primarily due to 
changes in atmospheric conditions along the path.
This tremendous success follows closely after the previous distance 
record was set by Ian Lamb and John Hazell on 14th September 2013 with 
a contact of 102km. Earlier in 2013 the existing 79km distance record 
had been bettered 3 times, this reflecting the increasing level of interest 
in mm-band operating in UK and the culmination of much hard work 
on-going to improve system performance.
By calculating the link budget and path loss of this path it was possible to 
predict what environmental conditions would potentially give sufficient 
margin for success. The weather forecasts (specifically the dew-point 
temperature) were carefully monitored during the preceding week to 
ensure the conditions on the day would allow the possibility to establish 
contact over the distance.
The team are indebted to Jim G8UGL and the Telford and District Radio 
Society, without their kind assistance in arranging access to Brown Clee 
and support on the day this would not have been possible.

73s John G8ACE