[NLRS] 10GHz Sunday

[wb0ljc@juno.com]

Hi all,

Dave had a quick write up about our activities Sunday.
Here is a more detailed account.

Jon, W0ZQ, and Donn, WA2VOI, started at Monticello. 
Bob, W0AUS, was at Ridgeway Park overlooking downtown
Minneapolis. Dave, N0KP, went to a potential site I had found
north of St Bonifacius. The site is on Nike Road, which runs west 
from county 92. This is a nice high area, but I haven't been
able to see the Minneapolis buildings when I've been there. 
Radio Mobile shows a line of site path, but the clearance is only
about 8 meters. Eight meters doesn't allow for very tall trees. My 
location was about midway between Hastings and Red Wing. I had 
scouted this site before but thought there was a thin line of trees
blocking the view to the NW. This time I had binoculars and more
time to look. I found a direct view of the Minneapolis buildings. 
Gary, W0GHZ, also got on briefly from home.

Later in the day Donn and Jon traveled to Elk River, and then Fletcher.
Bob traveled back home. While Dave looked for other possible 
locations in the St Bonny area. Near the end of the day Dave moved
to a site in Shakopee.

Dave worked Bob at Ridgeway on the direct path with good signals. 
The direct bearing is only about 5 degrees north of the Minneapolis
buildings. Dave also worked bounces to Donn and Jon at all the sites. 
Then they worked direct shots which had better signal strength. 

I worked Bob at Ridgeway with good signals on a bounce. Bob's
signals from home were useable, but much weaker at 52. Gary also
bounced off the Minneapolis buildings with weak signals. When he
turned the dish further south he found something else to bounce 
off. Signals were now much stronger at  59.

Dave and I tried the bounce path from St Bonny for some time, but 
his 4W signal wasn't very strong and he didn't copy my 1W well 
enough to make a contact. I did occasionally hear Dave's signal up to
57. It didn't last long so I think he was bouncing off of planes that 
were on a landing approach from the west. We didn't try a direct 
path because Dave couldn't find a clear shot in my direction. Later, 
when Dave was a Shakopee, signals were 59. Shakopee must have 
a better bounce angle.

Donn and Jon had 59+ signals from Monti and 57 from Fletcher. 
However signals from Elk River were weaker for both ends, 53 to
in the noise depending on QSB. These are all direct paths that pass
over the Minneapolis buildings and because of the angle aren't really 
effective for bounces at such shallow angles.

If you have ideas for sites with views of the Minneapolis buildings
please let us know so we can try them.

If the weather is nice next weekend I'm sure we will have more
10G activity. There should be activity on the bands from 900MHz
on up Saturday morning during the Microwave sprint. Watch the
reflector for details. You are welcome to join in the fun.

73,  Gary  WB0LJC


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