KA6U Update - January 27, 2023 - 1500UTC I will not be activating LA, MS and AL on this trip. The weather forecast in the area is heavy rain. I plan to be back in the area on March 4th and 5th and plan to activate AL, MS and LA on 23cm, 70cm and 222 EME on those days, weather permitting. Peter KA6U
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KA6U Update - January 23, 2023 - 1830UTC I will not be activating MS and AL today, January 23rd. I am staying in Texas for another week. I may be able activate MS and AL on Sunday Jan 29 at about 2000UTC. Plan would be to activate 23cm and 70cm at same time. Please check here later in week. Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 13, 2023 - 1330UTC Uploaded: Colorado 23cm Activation 0520UTC January 13 UTC I have uploaded the QSOs from CO earlier this morning. The Grid was DM87 not DM97. If you have a problem with confirmation please send me an email. Next planned operations are from LA and MS on January 23, 2023 on 23cm. Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 13, 2023 - 0030UTC Confirmed: Colorado 23cm Activation 0520UTC January 13 UTC Weather will be goodish tonight. Clear skies, -5C and light winds. Activation location is another flat as far as you can see... in all directions place. The plan is as follows: Colorado - DM97xd 23cm EME - 0520UTC - 0900UTC Jan 13, 2023 (Thursday night local time) 23cm only tonight. The 70cm preamp failed in New Mexico. My spare preamp is not working. I plan to return to this area in the Spring to activate 70cm. Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 11, 2023 - 1430UTC Colorado 23cm Activation 0520UTC January 13 UTC Thank-you everyone who called last night for operations in Kansas and Oklahoma. I set up the station near the Kansas and Oklahoma border. After operations in KS I moved 10 feet South into Oklahoma. Congratulations to DL7UDA for completion of 23cm WAS. On Kansas and Oklahoma border looking in Moonrise direction After Moonrise My RX performance on 23cm is the best I have experienced. The updated folding dish from W2HRO Paul is working very well. With one exception I was able to easily work all callers. Most QSOs were completed with no retransmissions. The updated plan is as follows: Colorado - DM97xd 23cm EME - 0520UTC - 0900UTC Jan 13, 2023 (Thursday night local time) The 70cm preamp failed in New Mexico. My spare preamp is not working. When I return to Texas on the weekend I will replace the 70cm preamp. I plan to return to this area in the Spring to activate 70cm. Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 10, 2023 - 2200UTC Kansas 23cm Activation on January 11 UTC Adding 23cm Oklahoma Activation January 11 UTC I will only operate 23cm tonight. Can't fix 70cm on the road. I am two miles from the KS/OK border. I will set up in a lot on the KS/OK border. Operation from KS first then move across the border to OK (drag dish/move car) to OK The updated plan is as follows: Kansas - DM97NA near Liberal, Kansas 23cm EME - 0330UTC - 0530UTC Jan 11, 2023 (Tuesday night local time) Oklahoma - DM96NX south of Liberal, Kansas 23cm EME - 0545UTC - 0700UTC Jan 11, 2023 (Tuesday night local time) Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 10, 2023 - 1600UTC Kansas Activation on January 11 UTC Last night my 70cm preamp had a mechanical failure. The input connector fell off the cavity on the preamp. I tried to replace the preamp but was not successful. I will need to modify the 70cm installation to make it easy to swap preamps. The new antennas and PA/TX chain worked great, but I could only hear the mega-stations. For the activation tonight (local time) I may not be active on 70cm, probably only 23cm. I plan to be back to this area in the Spring including a tested and reliable 70cm station. The updated plan is as follows: Kansas - DM97NA near Liberal, Kansas 23cm EME - 0400UTC - 0800UTC Jan 11, 2023 (Tuesday night local time) (Maybe) 70cm EME with updated station 500W 2x21HV - 0400UTC - 0800UTC Jan 11, 2023 Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 9, 2023 - 1900UTC Adding Kansas Activation on January 11 UTC New Mexico EME activation January 10 UTC Weather forecast has improved. 9 degrees C and light winds are forecast for Monday night local time in DM85el in New Mexico. Weather forecast looks ok for Tuesday night local time so I will attempt an activation in Kansas on my way back to eastern Texas. The updated plan is as follows: New Mexico - DM85el - Northeast corner of state no power limits 23cm EME - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 10, 2023 (Monday night local time) 70cm EME with updated station 500W 2x21HV - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 11, 2023 Kansas - DM97NA near Liberal, Kansas 23cm EME - 0400UTC - 0800UTC Jan 11, 2023 (Tuesday night local time) 70cm EME with updated station 500W 2x21HV - 0400UTC - 0800UTC Jan 11, 2023 I plan to run 23cm and 70cm at the same time. Peter KA6U
KA6U Update - January 9, 2023 - 1300UTC New Mexico EME activation January 10 UTC Weather forecast has improved. 9 degrees C and light winds are forecast for Monday night local time in DM85el in New Mexico. I did a test activation last night on 23cm because of concern about noise from very large wind power farms in this area. I confirmed that the windmills generated very high RFI. The noise blanker on my IC705 almost completely removed the noise. I was able to work several stations but expected RX signal levels were degraded some. I am moving the activation location to an area with low hills in the direction of moonrise which should block the view in the moonrise direction toward the wind power farms. The updated plan is as follows: New Mexico - DM85el - Northeast corner of state no power limits 23cm EME - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 10, 2023 (Monday night local time) 70cm EME with updated station 500W 2x21HV - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 10, 2023 I plan to run 23cm and 70cm at the same ti
KA6U Update - January 6, 2023 - 1230UTC New Mexico EME activation date is changed to January 10 UTC High winds are forecast in northeast New Mexico from Jan 12 - Jan 18. Because of this weather I am moving up the NM activation to Tuesday morning UTC, Monday night local time in DM85el in New Mexico. The updated plan is as follows: New Mexico - DM85el - Northeast corner of state no power limits 23cm EME - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 10, 2023 (Monday night local time) 70cm EME with updated station 500W 2x21HV - 0300UTC - 0700UTC Jan 10, 2023 I plan to run 23cm and 70cm at the same time. Weather forecast is -3C and light wind I will watch the weather closely and update here. This earlier date provides a good window for EU Peter KA6U