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!

BARS September 30, 2017 Lunch

Litchfield, IL, I-55 exit 52, Maverick Steak House and Spirits restaurant, Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 10 am.  Herbert, AF4JF, Zack, W9SZ and Ron, KO0Z met at the restaurant parking lot and moved a quarter-mile north to parking lot overlooking a field and Zack drove northward to a parking lot at the opposite end of the field, approximately 1 km to test out Herbert's 24 GHz transverter with a 432 MHz IF.

Zack and Herbert were able to hear each other quite well!  A successful test for AF4JF!  Ron, KO0Z is still working on his 24 GHz rig.  He needs to get a 12 GHz doubler to proceed further.

It was a beautiful, fall Saturday with temps in the 70s and low humidity.  A good day to microwave.  After the test, we ate a big lunch at Maverick's and made plans for the upcoming microwave sprint/MAD on Saturday October 7th. Both Zack and Ron were able to copy the WB9PNU beacon in Bridgeton, MO with S-1 signals.  Not very strong, but detectable.  We had the I-55 off ramp ridge between us about a half-mile away which could have been blocking signals.

                   Herbert, AF4JF setting up 24 GHz to work Zack, W9SZ across the field

Zack, W9SZ looking south, across the field, towards Herbert, AF4JF

 
                                      Initial contact between AF4JF and W9SZ on 24 GHz

 

 

                                         24 GHz QSO between AF4JF and W9SZ EM59de

                               Zack, W9SZ and Herbert AF4JF chatting in Maverick's parking lot

                                                 AF4JF's 24 GHz dish with splash feed point

                   Herbert, AF4JF setting up while Zack, W9SZ is doing likewise across the field.

                                           Close up of  the 24 GHz splash feed 

                                                      AF4JF's 24 GHz transverter 

                                             Herbert ready to make a 24 QSO test with Zack!
 

               
                                                      Herbert's 1.2 GHz transverter 

                          Zack, W9SZ set up at the north end of field with his 24 GHz rig. 

                    A successful 24 GHz QSO, now time for lunch at Maverick's in Litchfield.