DK0SB Bochum 9cm EME 2017-08-26

(2017-08-27) PE1ITR
On August 26, 2017 we have activated the 20m dish of the Sternwarte Bochum at 9cm (3400 MHz) with moonbounce. The callsign was DK0SB, locator JO31OK.

That day the team consisted of Frans PA3CQE, Michael DD5ER and Rob PE1ITR. Frans and I arrived around 7:30UTC at the dish. At the same time, Michael also arrived so we could get in right away. After brief consultation on how to install the feed, we started building up the station.

First, the feed and 50w transverter were installed in the feed point in the feedpoint room. Michael mounted a pole in the feedpoint room. I had improvised a feed of a ra3aq septum feed and a 60cm offset dish that we could attach to this pole. With glue clips, the transverter was attached to the feed table.

We measured 18db sunnoise. I expected to be around the 23 a 24db. This was far too low, but again 3db more than with the patch antenna that we used in early June. At least enough to make qso's. :-)
Cassiopeia A was 0.4db above the noiselevel.

We were ready for moonrise. We already had beautiful ssb echoes at moonrise and at 10:44UTC we made our first qso with Jac PA3DZL.

We worked 10 stations:
PA3DZL 569 569 CW, OK1DFC CW 539 569 CW, G4CCH 569, 589 CW, OF2DG 559 579 CW, PA3DZL 53 53 SSB, G4CCH 569 589 CW,
OK1KIR 569 589 CW, PY2BS 569 569 CW, SP3XBO 539 559 CW, SM6PGP 559 569 CW, G3LTF 579 579 CW, K2UYH 559 569 CW.

In the beginning, VK4CDI heard our signals with 569, but unfortunately we could not hear him at 3398,117MHz. Curiously, we did not work GB6GHY that day, but we had already worked on June 6th.
We think that we worked everyone that was qrv. At 17:30UTC, we stopped and dismantled the station.

Tnx for all the qso's and special thanks to AMSAT-DL / Sternwarte Bochum that we could use the 20m dish.

73 Rob PE1ITR

PS: DK0SB in the 432 AND ABOVE EME NEWS SEPTEMBER 2017 VOL 46 #8


Fig 1: Improvised 9cm Feed pointing to cassegrain reflector



Fig 2: Transverter 50w



Fig 3: Frans PA3CQE in operating position



Fig 4: The left feed is 3400MHz. The right one is for 2400MHz and is used with the venus bounce experiment.



Fig 5: Nice view of the feed system and cassegrain reflector



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