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From: owner-sbms@altadena.net
on behalf of W0EOM@aol.com
Sent: 10 December 1999 00:48
Yesterday, 8 Dec 1999, after some testing the last month or so, and waiting for the right day, Bob, KF6KVG and I headed out to try to extend the 47GHz record. I went to Mt Vaca, (CM88WJ) near Vacaville, CA and Bob went to Loma Prieta Mountain (CM97BC), south of San Jose. We calculate distance to be 137 km.
We acquired about 2:15 pm., signals about 1 s-unit out of noise. About 10 min later, Bob found he was on a side lobe and signals jumped up to S8 on both ends.
We both have 23 inch dishes and 5 dB noise figures. Bob has =11 dBm and I have =16 dBm output from a new x4 multiplier just found among some 39GHz stuff.
We estimate moisture loss at 0.3 dB/km and believe we have enough margin to give the world record (presently 268km) a shot ... we have found a path of 290 km.
Fades were about 1 S unit over an hour's time. The weather was 50 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity about 60 percent, and high clouds. I'm still not happy with the compasses we use.
73, Will Jensby, W0EOM, Santa Clara, CA
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VHF-UHF pioneer Paul Wilson, W4HHK, of Collierville,Tennessee, died November 29. He was 75.
A stalwart in the 144-MHz and Microwave
Standings, Wilson remained active right up until his health deteriorated
earlier this year. In early July,
he completed his VUCC on 10GHz. He celebrated his 75th birthday in September
by making his first contact on 24 GHz.
''Paul's life should inspire every
amateur to strive toalways try something new in Amateur Radio, regardless
of age
or health,'' said ARRL Vice President
Joel Harrison, W5ZN--afriend of Wilson's. ''He has definitely been an example
for me.''
Wilson got his ham ticket in 1941 at the age of 16. While still in high school, he began experimenting on the old 2-1/2 meter band (112 MHz). After World War II, he rekindled hisinterest in VHF and UHF, becoming a major figure on the then new 2-meter band.
During the 1950s, he got involved in meteor scatter propagation. In 1954, W4HHK and Tommy Thomas, W2UK in New Jersey sent and received reports via 2-meter meteor scatter over a 950-mile (1520 km) path--a first! W4HHK and W2UK wonthe ARRL Technical Merit Award for 1955.
Wilson took on the challenge of Earth-Moon-Earth propagation as well, and in 1961 he began work on an 18-foot dish. He was among those making their first 70-cm EME contacts in July 1965. From that frontier, he moved on to attempt 2304 MHz moonbounce, and he won the ARRL Technical Merit Award for 1969 for his work on that band. In 1970, W4HHK and W3GKP claimed a new record--the first 2304-MHz EME contact.
In 1972, Wilson used his 18-foot dish to monitor the Apollo X command module on 2.2 GHz as the astronauts orbited the moon. He received a NASA confirmation of his reports in the form of a photograph signed by all the astronauts on the mission.
Noted VHF-UHFer Al Ward, W5LUA, called Wilson ''a true VHF pioneer and said he would be missed. ''Paul's signal on 2304 EME was like a beacon station, and his presence will be missed by all who have worked him in the last 29 years off the moon,'' Ward said.
Wilson retired in 1980 after 30 years as an engineer for TV station WMC in Memphis. His wife ''DB''--to whom he was married for 54 years--is W4UDQ. His son, Steven, is N4HHK.
A staunch League supporter and ARRL Technical Adviser, Wilson was frequently in the pages of QST over the years--both as an author and as a subject. In his December 1999 QST ''It Seems to Us . . .'' editorial, ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, singled out Wilson as an Amateur Radio hero for his pioneering accomplishments.
The Central States VHF Society awarded Wilson its Chambers Award in 1986 for ''his continuing technical contributions to UHF, especially EME on 13cm.''
A service WAS held December 2 in Collierville.
Reprinted from the ARRL bulletin
of Wednesday December 1, 1999
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|
~ downloadable 320KB MP3 audio file 
(Thanks to Martin, G7MRF, for the recording) |
From: g7mrf@compuserve.com:
A resume of activity for station
GW7MRF/P located at IO83JA88 Cyrn-Y-Brain:
G0HNW/P at Birkrigg Common IO84KD
125.2 Km 59 both ways on FM on 24GHz
G0HNW/P at Birkrigg Common IO84KD
125.2 Km 53 with Paul & 41 with me on FM on 47GHz
G0IVA/P at Merryton Low IO93AD 82
Km 59 both ways on FM on 24GHz
G3PHO/P at Merryton Low IO93AD 82
Km 59 with Peter & 57 with me, both SSB on 24GHz
G0IVA/P at Merryton Low IO93AD 82
Km 57 with David & 59 with me on FM on 47GHz
G0HNW/P
at Shap IO84PK 160.8 Km 59 with Paul & 57 with me on FM on 24GHz
# new UK record
G0HNW/P
at Shap IO84PK 160.8 Km 52 with Paul (CW) & 57 (FM) with me on
47GHz # new UK record
G8IFT/P at Brown Clee IO82QL 73.3
Km 59 with Ian & 57 with me on 24GHz
G8IFT/P at Brown Clee IO82QL 73.3
Km 57 both ways on FM on 47GHz
All stations that we tried to work were worked. The contact to Paul over the 161Km path was done using my 10"( 25cm) dish and the DB6NT transverter. Paul was using 90cm prime focus dish. Paul was heard on his barefoot transverter and we could have done the contact on CW both ways but in the end we settled for the powerful 25mW beacon transmitter that he uses. I think that we are getting towards the limits that can be achieved with the tiny diode and we may need to look at more power. The weather was cool but sunny at our end with temperatures around 13 degrees C and about 70% humidity. Visibility was good as we could see the Isle of Man and also Heysham Power station with Blackpool Tower in the distance.
MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THREE OPERATORS….
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From: Michel E. Vonlanthen [mvonlanthen@vtx.ch] Sent: 03 August 1999 13:41
ATV WORLD RECORD NOTIFICATION
Three new ATV world records are registered this summer by the SWISS ATV group:
5.7 GHz:
216 km: 15 June 1999
One-way qso between TK2SHF and
F/ HB9RXV /P B5
TK2SHF: JN42HF, 15 W, 90 cm offset
parabola
F/HB9RXV/P: JN33KQ
10 GHz:
1031 km: 17 June 1999 at 0730z
EA/ F1AAM /P (IM98XU, Monte Pego,
Spain, 220m) and I5/ HB9AFO /P (JN54BC, Rifugio Carrara, Italia, 1320m)
Bi-directional B3-B5 QSO
F1AAM: DRO + 12 W TOP, 1 meter offset
parabola
HB9AFO: DRO + 12 W TOP, 1 meter
offset parabola, modified LNB + narrow band receiver + home made wide band
receiver with automatic research of stations
47 GHz:
188 km: 30 July 1999 at 0630z
HB9DLH-F1JSR, one-way B5 qso
HB9DLH: at Mont Chasseral BE (JN37MD),
at 1550 m
90 cm modified offset parabola.
TX 10 mW on 47088
F1JSR: at Mont du Chat (dpt 73,
JN25VQ)
90 cm modified offset parabola.
Phonie transverter NF 9 db
+ sat converter, sat pointer, TV
sat rx (narrow band)
You can find all details and pictures
on the SWISS ATV web site:
(in french and in english)
You can also have the historic
of all registered records and
the details of the methodology
used to register.
73
Michel Vonlanthen HB9AFO
SWISS ATV president
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FRENCH
MILLIMETRE MEN "INVADE" UK
TO CLAIM
THE FIRST G TO F 47GHz QSO
Is the contact described below the first G to F or is the one by G3PYB and G8ACE (see next news item) the real one.... take your pick!
From: jean francis buée [f4aqh@club-internet.fr] ..........
A FIRST
FRENCH - ENGLISH QSO ON 47GHz
The first 47GHz contact across the
English Channel was realised at 0730utc on the 18th April 1999.
The participating operators were:
G/F5KMB/P located on the Dover Cliffs (JO01PC) and F6DWG/P with F4AQH/P.
The distance involved was 32km.
A one -way ATV contact on 10GHz was
also made at the same time, reports of B4 being exchanged.
A change of site to JO00SF was made
in order to try to increase the 47GHz distance but no contact resulted.
Equipment details (UK end of contact):
10GHz SSB 10 watts to a 48cm
dish
24GHz 140milliwatts to a 48cm dish
47GHz 150 microwatts (barefoot
DB6NT mixer) to a 25cm dish
10GHz ATV 40 milliwatts to
a 48cm dish
Equipment details (French operators):
Similar transceivers to UK end but
to 85cm offset dishes
Many thanks to F4AQH for the photographs and information
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UK MICROWAVERS WORK OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST TIMEON 47GHz
What is believed to be the first 47GHz contact by G stations between the UK and an overseas country took place on Friday, 25 June 1999, when G3PYB/P and G8ACE/P (the UK 47GHz record holders) worked Hans, F/PA0EHG who was located across the English Channel at Cap Blanc Nez, some 34km from the two G stations who were just a few hundred metres from Dover Castle in Kent. The contacts took place around lunchtime (G3PYB/P at 1212GMT and G8ACE/P at 1220GMT. Signals were exceedingly strong both ways and F/PA0EHG was able to copy G8ACE/P's 150 microwatts SSB on just a feedhorn removed from his dish! Hans transmitted CW though SSB would have been easily read.
Equipment at
the UK end is believed to be a 15mW tx/rx (G3PYB/P) and a barefoot DB6NT
47GHz mixer (G8ACE/P). No details of the antennas are available as yet.
This contact is believed to be a G-F 47GHz first although a similar path was worked by two groups of Frenchman in April this year, as outlined in a recent email from Eric, F1GHB:
From: ERIC MOUTET [mailto:ericmoutet@minitel.net]
Sent: 26 June 1999 15:58
To: peter@g3pho.free-online.co.uk Subject: [Re: England to France
on 47GHz!]
"Thanks for the information and
congratulations for the UK team for this contact But it is not the first
UK to France on 47 , as on April 18th , G/F5KMB/P ( a team with F1LHL andF1PKU
) has worked F4AQH/P and F6DWG/P ( 33 km path ) , I don't know which of
these two last stations was the 1st."
Peter, G3PYB emailed us with more
complete details of his contact with F/PA0EHG:
The first (SEE EARLIER ENMAIL
FROM F1GHB -- EDITOR) UK to F cross channel contact took place
on 25th June 1999 between F/PA0EHG, Hans, at Cap BlancNez, near Calais
and G3PYB with G8ACE 300m above the port of Dover on the White cliffs.
Earlier this year, G3PYB met Hans at Schipol airport to discuss 47GHz activity
in Holland. From this meeting we resolved to be the first, if possible
the have a contact across the Channel. Hans had already several first from
earlier activity and was particularly interested in a test.
Several dates
were set but, due to work pressures, they fell by the way-side.Finally
it came down to taking some holiday time.Hans made the 4hour drive from
Holland, arriving an hour earlier than expected. We used 24GHz to set the
initial bearings. Signal were very big on the 34km path, the site in France
being just visible from Dover. Hans then found the 47GHz signal from G3PYB
very quickly. After a quick final alignment (with 1degree beam widths)
the first contact with G3PYB was made at 1412 CET followed a few minutes
later with a contact with G8ACE. Signals were very large, with reports
of 5 & 9 both ways using 15mw transmitters. G8ACE's lower power DB6NT
rig was 2 or 3 'S' points lower.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE OPERATORS INVOLVED IN BOTH THE FRENCH AND THE UK EXPEDITIONS
ON 47GHz....
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UK 47GHz RECORD BROKEN FOR THE FIFTH TIME THIS YEAR
The big 47GHz news is that the UK record has been broken yet again, this time by G3FYX/P, G8ACE/P and G3PYB/P during the June 24/47GHz RSGB Microwave Contest. They raised the record set up just a few weeks ago by G7MRF, G0IVA and G0HNW by some 4km to the new record of 137km. We will let a email from one of the new record holders tell the story…….
From G8ACE,
John [hazell@mcmail.com] Sent: 14 June 1999
“Just a quickie
to confirm that the G3PYB/G8ACE duo had 47GHz contacts with Roy, G3FYX/P
(located on Cleeve Common) . A one-way from Winsford Hill at 143.7km
and two way from Dunkery. The NGR data for the one way contact Winsford
Hill to Cleeve Common on 47GHz is:
Winsford Hill:
SS87653420
Cleeve Common:
SO99702460
Distance:
143.8km
For the two way contact, NGR for Dunkery Hill is:
Dunkery Hill:
SS90254175
Distance:
137km
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CONCERNED!
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After all the exciting 6mm happenings over the Easter period you might have thought that the 100km barrier on 47GHz would soon be broken by the same group. You'd be very right! On May 2nd, 1999, G7MRF, G0IVA, G0HNW and G8VZT were out on the hills yet again, determined to beat their 90km distance record.... and break it they did, by a substantial amount. We'll let Dave Woodward (G0IVA) tell the story.....
Martin G7MRF, Dave G8VZT (both with G3ZME group), Paul G0HNW and myself (G0IVA) went out today (2 May 99) for some further tests on 47GHz.
Paths worked:-
G7MRF/P &
G8VZT/P (& G3ZME/P) Brown Clee (SO594865) to G0HNW/P & G0IVA/P
Winter Hill (Matchmoor Lane SD667120)
126 km sigs 41 to 52 SSB (and 57 ish with HNW's hi pwr NBFM)
G3ZME/P, G7MRF & G8VZT/P Brown Clee (Loc: IO82QL83) to G0HNW/P & G0IVA/P Rooley Moor Nr Rochdale (SD866166...Loc: IO83VP54 )
133 km sigs 419 to 529 CW (and 57 ish with HNW's hi pwr NBFM)
SSB was not quite copiable but no problem with CW.
This 133km contact is now jointly claimed by the operators above as a new UK 47GHz record.
For both paths G0HNW's "high power", 25mW, beacon TX was used to great effect for initial alignment/netting.
73 from
David G0IVA
Webmaster's
comments: Hearty congratulations once again to all those involved.
These results are even more remarkable when you consider that the tranverters
produce only 150 microwatts or so..."flea power" !!!
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UK
47GHz DISTANCE RECORD BROKEN BY NORTHERN AMATEURS TWICE IN TWO WEEKS!
The
first half of April 1999 saw a small group of amateurs from the West and
Northern part of England make some excellent narrowband contacts on 47GHz.
This activity
resulted in a series of new UK records for the 47GHz band!
Congratulations
to all operators involved
Dave, G0IVA/P, Martin, G7MRF/P and Paul, G0HNW/P whose earlier experiments and equipment are already described elsewhere in these webpages continued their attempts to work some real DX on this band.
The following email report from Dave explains the first record attempt:
From: David Woodward [g0iva@dmwoodward.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: 05 April 1999
G0HNW, G7MRF, G8VZT and G0IVA (with G7OKU) went out on Good Friday (2 April) for some further 47 GHz tests.
Sites used :-
Winter Hill SD667120 IO83RO G0HNW/P
Sutton Common SJ934677 IO83WE G0IVA/P
Mow Cop (northern end) SJ868587 IO83VC G7MRF/P, G8VZT/P, G0IVA/P
Esclusham Mountain SJ262514 IO83KB GW0IVA/P
Paths
worked:-
Winter Hill - Sutton Common 51.7 km 59 both ways SSB and NBFM
Winter Hill - Mow Cop 57.0 km 59 both ways NBFM G0IVA
59 high power TX G7MRF& G8VZT
51/57 SSB " "
41/56 NBFM" "
(BUT SEE BELOW! THIS DISTANCE RECORD WAS BROKEN AGAIN, TWO WEEKS LATER!)
Esclusham Mtn - Mow Cop 61.0 km 53/54 both ways SSB and NBFM
Weather:-
Very wet at start with fog/mist/cloud. Cleared up a bit later with sunshine but very poor visibility due to haze and mist. Temperatures about 19 deg C.
Conclusions:-
As can be seen
above there is a question mark over why G7MRF and G8VZT were weaker than
G0HNW when working GW0IVA. Also when G0IVA was co-located with G7MRF and
G8VZT, G0IVA and G0HNW were working each other with much stronger signals.
This suggests there may be a problem in the 1296 MHz matching network used
by G7MRF and G8VZT (using G4CBW's transverter head unit) and also the large
pcb pad on the IF port of the mixer pcb. G0HNW had previously made some
measurements and reduced the pad size, discarding the matching network.
This is currently under investigation by G7MRF.
Based on the signals exchanged between GW0IVA/P and G0HNW/P there was considerable
strength in hand. In fact G0HNW could still just copy IVA's signal on open
waveguide suggesting signals at least 35 dB above noise over
73 km!
Click
on this link for a description of G0HNW's equipment.
TWO WEEKS LATER...............
The 18th of April saw the RSGB Microwave Committee 24/47GHz Contest take place. Several 47GHz stations were out portable. G0IVA/P (Merryton Low, IO93AD) made a 90km contact with G7MRF/P (located at Stiper Stones, IO82MN), thus comfortably exceeding G0IVA's record of 73km made on April 2nd. The ssb contact exchanged reports of RS55 both ways. In fact some 40dB of attenuation was needed at G7MFR/P to reduce G0IVA's signal to zero! There seems to be plenty in hand therefore to make a +100km contact in the near future..
Congratulations to both stations..
If this were not enough, just a few minutes earlier than the new record, G4KNZ/P and G3FYX/P were breaking the 73km record themselves! They worked each other from Stokenchurch to Cleeve Common over a 78 kilometre path, using wideband Gunn diode transceivers of approximately 100mW output. They were not to know, in the midst of their euphoria that their new record was to be so short lived!
SUCH IS THE COMPETITION ON 47GHz THESE DAYS.................
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