[NLRS] Fw: Announcement of the first QSOs via the moon on 47 GHz.

[Barry VE4MA]

For the benefit of those that do not see the microwave or moonbounce 
reflectors

Barry VE4MA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <al_ward at agilent.com>
To: <k1rqg at aol.com>; <a.katz at ieee.org>; <w5zn at arrl.org>; <wb8imy at arrl.org>; 
<n6cl at fuller.edu>
Cc: <ad6fp at lbachs.com>; <texasrf at aol.com>; <rw3bp at co.ru>; <ve4ma at shaw.ca>
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 8:13 PM
Subject: Announcement of the first QSOs via the moon on 47 GHz.


April 16, 2005 - Announcement of the first QSOs via the moon on 47 GHz.

The team of RW3BP, AD6FP, W5LUA, and VE4MA would like to announce that the 
first 47 GHz contacts via the moon have been completed. As you may recall, 
RW3BP heard the first lunar echoes on 47 GHz back in August of 2004. At that 
time he was heard by AD6FP, W5LUA, VE4MA and VE7CLD.  Since the receipt of 
the first 47 GHz echoes via the moon, numerous tests between RW3BP and
AD6FP led to improvements by RW3BP allowing him to copy calls from the lower 
power signal of AD6FP in January of 2005.

As of April 16, 2005 the team of AD6FP, W5LUA and VE4MA have each completed 
a CW QSO via the moon with RW3BP.

The station at RW3BP consists of a 2.4M offset fed dish and 100 plus watts 
while the station at AD6FP consists of a 1.8M offset fed dish and 30 watts. 
At W5LUA and VE4MA 2.4M offset fed dishes and 30 watt TWTs were used. Noise 
figures of all stations are in the 3.5 to 4.7 dB range.

Since the doppler shift can be as much as 100 + kHz at 47 GHz, one must 
continuously adjust the receive frequency to keep the station centered in 
the passband. Precision frequency control was obtained by using GPS 
controlled, Rubidium locked, or TV sync controlled phase locked local 
oscillators. Various techniques were in use to keep the Doppler shifted 
frequency in the passband of the receivers.

Submitted by RW3BP, AD6FP, W5LUA and VE4MA