Friday 24 July 2015

GJ/GU on 47GHz

As Keith,GW3TKH and I were going to Jersey to take part in the July 5.7GHz/10GHz contest, we decided to take our 47GHz equipment and try making a contact between Jersey and Guernsey. Path loss predictions showed that the path should go quite easily if we could find each other's signal. As it's now the holiday season the ferries were full and the only chance we had was Friday although the weather forecast was dreadful. I got set up late morning on Guernsey operating as GU4HQX/P and started listening for Keith GJ3TKH/P. We were both locked to 10MHz references and after a couple of minutes found Keith's signal. After peaking both antennas we worked on FM with 59 signals both ways. I then had a quick QSO with Robin GJ3TKF/P for his first contact above 23cm! and a quick 10Ghz contact with Keith using open waveguide as his antenna. As soon as we finished the heavens opened and I packed up after a successful mini expedition!


                                        Operating from car park at Jerbourg Point

                                               Close up of my 47GHz equipment 

View toward Jersey

Friday 3 July 2015

G/GW on 47GHz

Not the first G/GW Contact on 47GHz but my first contact with Keith GW3TKH/P,
again from Coaley Peak Viewpoint in Gloucestershire to Wenault Hill, Cardiff. Equipment at my end was a DB6NT transverter & Oscillator - not frequency locked as I had forgotten the lead! Power output at my end was about 150uW into a 40cm dish. Keith was running about 100mW or so into a slightly smaller dish and frequency locked to a Rubidium source. After 5 minutes hunting around in frequency & azimuth I heard Keith's test transmission. Having peaked our dishes we exchanged 53/58 reports on SSB over the 67km path. All done in about 10 minutes but very satisfying as the path was slightly obscured at the Cardiff end by treetops.