[NLRS] Improving Your Best 2 M DX (Stns wked on 144 EME )

[kboston6 at wi.rr.com]

Hi Ron;

Happy to hear your story.  I have been using JT65B on 144 EME for a few years now, and have been doing this more ala K0AWU.  I have a portable antenna, which is a pair of 9 element M2s, or I can use a pair of 12 element M2s. (which is a little dicey in the breeze)

With this system, an old Kenwood TS711, m2 preamp and my Henry 2002A with abt 600 w, I have worked about 150 stations in the US and foreign.  What makes this more special, is that I usually erect the antenna, point it manually, and leave it up in the yard for a weekend and then take it down.  Unfortunately, I had it up for a weekend this past winter, in order to obtain a QSO with KH7Y, and the wind picked up and started to blow the antennas around right after working him.  They did fall, and I damaged the cross boom, and one of the antennas.  So I have not been back on EME since then, as I have been busy. I have the array repaired, but have yet to 'deploy' it this year.  When you do get on, you become 'fresh meat' and the stations actively pinging the logger pages look for you. It sure is lots of fun.

I am currently using a pair of 5 ele M2s, a pair of 3cx800s and my Yaesu FT1000 for fully elevatable EME on 50 MHz.  I can tell you, this is significantly harder to make QSOs than the simple 144 system mentioned above.  It has also had some issues with elevation that I have to fix, so I can get back to my 'country chase' on 50 meg.

Good luck and have fun.
Ken W9GA
---- Ronald Bergantzel <ka0ryt1 at yahoo.com> wrote: 
> 
> 
> Hello !! I wanted to share with the group that 2 meter EME can be accomplished with just a single 12 element / 19.5 ft yagi !! I took the opportunity to participate this weekend in the ARRL 2013 EME Contest and had a real blast !! On Friday evening on moonrise (aprox 12:30am local time ) , I was able to complete 2 QSOs - I2FAK (JN45) and got  a partial QSO with UA3PTW (JO44) -not completed, then I worked OZ1LPR (JO44)  .... next  on Saturday afternoon  moonset , I did easily work KB8RQ (EM79 ) with a CWNR -called with no reply -on K7MAC (DN13)...... On Saturday evening at my moonrise , I managed to complete with the following stations - LZ1DP (KN22) , RX1AS (KO59) , RW3AC (KO86) , RK3FG (KO86) , UR3EE (KN88) , RU1AA (KO48) , UA4AQL (LO22) , and OH7PI (KP32) with another incomplete QSO - SK6EI (JO68) ....... I did not go back out to the farm QTH for moonset on Saturday afternoon .     I did beat my old 144 mhz Best DX by completing with the UA4AQL in LO22
>  , at 5338 miles ..... This all was using JT65a , aprox. half of the stations worked were audible enough for a CW QSO , but I found that almost all activity was digital . While the 'EME Gods' were favoring me and I was working stations one right after the other , I saved screen shots - I can see clearly that there were over 12 stations were on my freq (a pile - up ??? - I found that US activity was down  comparing to EU stns ) .....      Beating my old DX Best was a chore , but there are many of you could do the same !!! 73 !! Ron KA0RYT ( EN35ct)
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