[NLRS] 10 GHz & Up Contest

[Barry Malowanchuk]

Good Morning All,

It was a very challenging contest ! I wanted to concentrate on 47 & 78 GHz so  I did not solicit any QSO's from the few W0's that are within 250 km.   Preparations started months ago with acquisition of a new Kuhne 47 GHz transverter and 1 W power amp to use to upgrade one of the two 47 GHz rigs. The second 47 GHz rig only had 140 mW but both 47 GHz rigs now use 14 inch shrouded dishes.  Both 78 GHz stations use 1 ft dishes and 5 mW.  Of course this took more time than expected....so it was a challenge to get it all together for the first weekend and check out both the 47 and 78 GHz rigs.  We tested all rigs just before packing up to go out on the first day.  One 78 GHz rig stopped working in RX but was OK on TX..then it stopped working all together.  This was due to a bad mixer so it was game over for the weekend.  VE4DDZ and VE4MO just took the 47 rig out locally at 1 km.  Signals were so strong that even with antennas at 90 degrees to the path at both ends, resulted in S9 signals.

For the Second Weekend, we gained access to a 5 story building ( there are no real mountains in VE4 land) which unfortunately is beside an electricity station  and they needed to shoot through steel power line towers and lines . Unfortunately I left my high power 10 G portable station in AZ, so we did not have 10 G to use at both ends to help with antenna pointing.  We planned to proceed in a somewhat direct manner away from the site and towards a 243m rise out of the ancient lake bed that is some 106 km distant.  The terrain is very flat farmland with some trees near rivers and around farms.

Our first 47 GHz QSO was only at 15.2 km but we had to move about 200 m to get to shoot through an opening in the trees.  We completed a 78 GHz QSO from there as well. 

We looked for a good location clear of trees.  With the narrow beamwidth of the antennas (47GHz ( 1.25 deg) and 0.9 deg on 78 GHz) we did not find that we could "get over" trees that would be no problem with the 3-4 degree 10 GHz antennas. We set up at 38 km distant and heard weak CW in one direction only ( power in other direction is down 6 dB) . So we back tracked trying to find a clear spot in closer.  We gave up and moved radially trying to find one on gravel/ mud roads in the farm lands.  It had rained the day before, so the roads were soft, and a rear wheel drive Mustang was not up to the task...so we kept to the gravel !

We found another location on a road atop  a flood dike ( approx 8 m high).   This was only 23.9 km and we completed on 47 GHz but not on 78.  I think the trees in the foreground  prevented that.

On Sunday I wanted to complete 10 and 24 GHz QSO's, but Murphy's Law struck again and I had water in my 24 GHz home station waveguide.  I did complete a 10 GHz QSO at 1 km  but nothing on 24 :-(

So my score is very small 94 distance points and 400 QSO points, with only 3 bands used.

We are planning for next year and hope to use a  22 story or greater building as the fixed station, and use 10, 24, 47 and 78 GHz and follow a different route to the same rise out of the Red River valley.

I would like to thank VE4DDZ, VE4MO and VE4SA for their help in setting up and operating

Best 73
Barry VE4MA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jill Wadsworth via Microwave" <microwave at mailmanlists.us>
To: microwave at mailmanlists.us
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2016 12:22:03 PM
Subject: [Mw] 10 GHz & Up Contest News

Hope everyone had a good two weekends on microwaves.
I am putting together notes for the QST contest results article and would appreciate any adventures, comments, or pictures you would like to share. Anything related to your activity in the contest is welcome.
Please reply offline at ki5wl at arrl.net. 
73,
Jeff  KI5WL
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