World Amateur Radio Day!

Today is world amateur radio day!  The following is from the ARRL website, www.arrl.org:

“April 18 is the day for all of Amateur Radio to celebrate and tell the world about the science we can help teach, the community service we can provide, and the fun we have,” IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, said. “I encourage all radio amateurs to join in the celebrations and promote Amateur Radio on the air or in your community.”
Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the shortwave spectrum was not the wasteland that experts of the day considered it to be but a resource that could support worldwide propagation. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, Amateur Radio was “in grave danger of being pushed aside,” the IARU’s history notes. Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the IARU to support Amateur Radio around the globe, and that effort continues to this day.

April 13th Meeting - 24 GHz Outing

Saturday, April 13, bright and early.  Zack W9SZ loaded his Ford in Champaign and headed southwest towards Dennys in Litchfield.  Likewise, Herbert AF4JF loaded up his Traverse and left St. Peters, MO for Litchfield.  Ron KO0Z soon joined them at the Litchfield Dennys for coffee, breakfast and good company at 7:15 am.

Our next stop was Ohlman cemetery, EM59ji to test Herbert's 24 GHz station.  Since crops are not up, almost any direction was a good one to test 24 GHz.  We arrived at the cemetery sometime around 9:30am.  After testing the rigs in the cemetery, Zack drove a mile away and both he and Herbert were able to easily copy each other.

Zack and Herbert then made a 2 mile 24 GHz contact.  Zack moved again for a distance of over 5 miles and both he and Herbert were able to make the two-way CW QSO!  What makes this especially sweet is Herbert AF4JF was running 300 MICROWATTS to a splash feed antenna and his dish!

A good day indeed!

We celebrated by going to the Rosebud Café, just east of Pana on IL Hwy 16 and Hwy 51.  After a good lunch, Zack left for Champaign, Herbert to St. Peters and I to Girard, but not before revisiting Ohlman Cemetery to chat with Zack on 146.52 FM simplex.  At the time he was about 15 miles south of Decatur.  Both of us were using mag mount antennas.  I set up my 10 GHz rig and I was able to copy the WB9PNU/b just above the noise sometime around 3 pm.

KO0Z's 10 GHz rig at Ohlman Cemetery, EM59ji, aimed in the direction of the WB9PNU/b in St. Louis over 78 miles away.  I could hear the beacon above the noise floor.

Zack W9SZ unloading his 24 GHz rig at Ohlman Cemetery to work Herbert AF4JF about 150 feet away to see if both rigs were working.  Zack was testing a different IF rig, a Yaesu FT-817.

                                       W9SZ ready to copy some  24 GHz  signals!

                                                       Ron KO0Z's 10 GHz setup.

             
                           Herbert AF4JF about 150 feet away on the northside of the cemetery, EM59ji

                           
                           Herbert AF4JF's 24 GHz rig aimed north from Ohlman Cemetery EM59ji

                    Herbert's travel companion, Darcey, found a friend, but he wasn't all that animated!

   Zack W9SZ raising dust ahead of me on our way back to Ohlman cemetery. We are heading south.  The cemetery is the hill off to the right of the road.  This picture was taken about a mile or two north of the cemetery.

    Herbert's big grin after working Zack W9SZ, 5 miles away on 24 GHz with 300 microwatts of power at his end.!

   Zack is packing up his rig, 5 miles north of Ohlman cemetery.  This shot is looking south back towards the cemetery which isn't even visible in this picture.

Here is a map with elevation profile of the 5 mile path accomplished today on 24 GHz!  Ohlman Cemetery is located on the right hand side of the elevation display and Zack's spot is on the left.

Herbert AF4JF is sending to Zack and Zack is sending back to Herbert  on 24 GHz CW

        Zack W9SZ is receiving Herbert AF4JF's 24 GHz, 300 microwatt signal over 5 miles away!