[NLRS] 10Ghz Observation/comment

[Bill K0AWU]

GM All

  Jon W0ZQ and I had a VERY interesting 10Ghz RS contact last night. 
The reasons I post this here is it's length and the lack of activity on 10Ghz 
last night.

I know that many are burned out after the contest and find working 
K0AWU again ... well not a real turn on. However ...

What made Jon and my contact quite interesting was that he made the 
contact from his driveway over a VERY obscured path (lots of trees). His 
technique was interesting .... peak on the beacon (Az, El) and then drop 
to "100" and beacon. Jon ended up with an unknown (to me) Az but with 
an elevation on 16deg. I spotted him on the SDReceiver panagraph 
display while I was slewing the dish looking for signals. An EASY 5-5 CW 
contact followed. We had no high level coordination, it was a random Q. 
He knew that I had been on and was still around and I knew he was at 
home and might beacon. 159mile Q when Jon (very experienced) didn't 
think there was much of a chance at all.

In my early internet searchs looking for rainscatter information I 
encountered several references to "my only rainscatter contact is with 
XXXX and it was looking straight up"  etc...

Prior to having my tower system up, I recall several times handholding the 
system and pointing at VERY high elevations and hearing at times GOOD 
RS signals from EN34/35.

What can be MORE fun than working 10GHz from HOME? No lightning? 
Why not set up in the garage (door open please ;-)  or under the over 
hang, through an OPEN window and play a bit. It will be very interesting to 
try the "peak on the beacon" method and see of that is a reproducible 
method. Jon and I did not (to my knowledge) try to optimize the path. The 
challenge is contacts and GRIDs FROM HOME!

Using the SDReceiver panograph I am free to "pan and tilt" without having 
any concern about tuning. It is now possible with coordination to really 
PLAY with some non traditional paths with a good chance of success if a 
path is there.

 Most of us have been "blown away" with what we as individuals have 
seen and done on 10Ghz.. there is more to do and learn.

Good DX and see you at CSVHF (please register soon).

Bill  K0AWU  EN37ed

Strom on top of U ... maybe it's TIME to play (be safe)..