[Laser] Re: Our 100 + miles optical DX record.

[Zack Widup]

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005, Chris L wrote:

> 
> (3) As far as eligibility for ARRL records goes, I think I speak for Dr 
> Groth (VK7MJ) and myself in stating, like Rhett Butler, "Frankly, Miss 
> Charlotte, I couldn't give a damn!" Dr Groth is a licensed ham, I am not, 
> though I have a professional engineering background. Any system that 
> requires no license is, to me, a boon - as it must be for all those of the 
> increasing public gang using 2.4 GHz LAN freeband! All I want is a system 
> that works, cheaply, effectively, broadband and through a dynamic and 
> changing atmospheric medium. 

I don't know if anyone has gone into this here before, but I think quite a 
few of us on this group are what we call "ham radio contesters". I know 
this group was originally established for radio amateurs who were 
interested in laser communications.  All are welcome and the added input 
from people who are knowledgeable in laser comm who are not hams is 
valuable.

But for me and for those who are also ham radio contesters, the times we 
really get to use laser comm is mostly in contests.  These are time 
periods when we attempt to contact as many other radio amateurs as 
possible on certain ham bands.  In the case of laser contacts, these are 
usually within the framework of VHF/UHF/microwave contests.

During several weekends of the year, I will pack equipment for as many as 
10-12 bands into my little Toyota Corolla (quite a feat!) and head for a 
nearby hill which appears to be a good choice for establishing contact 
with other radio amateurs on VHF+ bands.  The bands I use are 50, 144, 
222, 432, 903, 1296, 2304, 3456, 5760, 10368 MHz and sometimes light.  I'm 
building equipment for 24 GHz.  Some people also have equipment for 47 and 
76 GHz. I haven't gotten that far yet (give me a couple years). My 
favorite hilltop is about 15 miles northeast of Urbana, Illinois.

The equipment I use for all these bands (except light) consists of a 
transverter for each band and an "IF rig".  The transverter converts the 
signals from the VHF, UHF or microwave band to the IF frequency.  The 
commonly-used IF frequencies are 28 MHz for the 50 through 432 MHz bands, 
144 MHz for the 903 through 10368 MHz bands, and above that anything 
goes.  I prefer 1296 MHz as the IF for 24192 MHz.  The modes used are 
either CW (Morse code) or SSB.

The bulk of the contacts made in these contests is on 50 or 144 MHz.  Once 
I contact someone on one of these bands, I attempt to "work someone up the 
bands".  Hopefully, the person I'm contacting has more than one band.  A 
very few stations in this area have as many as I do, so after a contact on 
144 MHz, we then try for 222, 432, 903, 1296, 2304, 5760, 10368 and maybe 
laser if I'm lucky and the other guy has a laser setup and is on a 
hilltop visible from my location.

So that's the framework in which I am usually able to use laser 
communication.  I'm doing a presentation at the local club about VHF+ 
operation in a couple months, so maybe I can get a few more local people 
interested.  It's always great to have someone to talk to other than 
yourself!  :-)

73, Zack W9SZ