[Meteor-Scatter] First JT44 EME contact - screen grab available

[Shelby Ennis, W8WN]

I've just updated the MS Hot News page with a screen grab shot (click on it 
to enlarge) of K9KNW this morning as he called K0SM via EME, using JT44.
  http://www.qsl.net/w8wn/hscw/papers/hot_news.html

Failed to get a screen grab last nite due to a computer crash, but WB5APD 
has one at
http://www.qsl.net/wb5apd

Last nite's contact between K9KNW and myself is the first JT44-mode EME 
contact, I believe.  Both of us were running 1000 watts to small to medium 
size quad Yagi arrays.  Moon conditions were poor.  None of the several 
stations aurally heard anything from the moon, even when WSJT was producing 
solid copy.

It is not exceptional for stations of this size to be able to work via 
EME.  But to do so when *no* signal was heard aurally is a little 
different.  The interesting tests will come when lower power and single 
Yagi stations are able to try when the moon returns to perigee.

A number of other stations have reported some copy on W8WN and K9KNW, 
including K0SM with a small single Yagi.  Most interestingly, the contact, 
and most of the reception reports, were made when the moon was at 15� or 
higher elevation at most of the stations (including, I believe K9KNW and 
K0SM), and were readable for a longer period of time than expected.  (Only 
W8WN has elevation capabilities).   So it seems unlikely that any ground 
gain was involved.

Later this month, K1JT plans to release a version of WSJT that includes 
both the FSK441 high speed meteor scatter mode and also the JT44 
weak-signal mode.  Watch the HSMS Reflector or the Hot News Web page for an 
announcement.

Must run.  Claude, Joe, etc, will try to answer your E-mails when I get 
back home.
73, Shelby, W8WN

Shelby Ennis, W8WN - EM77bq - KY
          w8wn@arrl.net
         w8wn@amsat.org
  Web: http://www.qsl.net/w8wn/
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