Subj : Re: Moon bounce
To   : alt.ham-radio.vhf-uhf
From : Dale Parfitt
Date : Sat Oct 15 2005 01:38:28

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.vhf-uhf


"Chris W" <1qazse4@cox.net> wrote in message 
news:1NU3f.62$v_5.59@dukeread07...
>I have been reading about moon bounce on the net.  There is a lot of very 
>conflicting data.  Some say it takes 2,000 watts and the best antenna array 
>money can buy.  Others say it can be done with 10 watts.  Is there anyone 
>here that does it on a regular basis that can tell me what it really takes? 
>Also a lot of what I have read talks about using 2M to do the moon bounce, 
>wouldn't a higher frequency work better?
>
> -- 
> Chris W
>
Hi Chris,
EME is currently divided between the stations that work each other by 
actually hearing each other and then the digital gang that use a computer to 
process the signals that are buried in the noise. Personally, I would have 
very litle interest if I could not hear the stations.
As other have pointed out, it comes down to system gain. If you are working 
W5UN with his legal limit and  I believe 24 or 36 Yagis- you won't need much 
on your end. Go to the ARRL Handbook to see the equations necessary to 
complete.

There are a number of factors that make bands like 23cM more suitable.

2M for instance is plagued by computer birdies and power lin noise. Add to 
this the fact that 2M and 70cM stations run linear polarity- Faraday 
rotation can lock you out of Europe for instance for hours at a time.

On 23cM we all use circular polarity- making Farady a nonissue. Antenna gain 
is easy to come by with dishes. Low noise preamps are also readily 
available- mine is 0.18dB NF mounted right at the feedhorn and a 14' dish. 
Even modest stations are well out of the noise- and the bigger guns like 
HB9BBD, K5JL etc run S9- making SSB arm chair copy. Not at all unusual to 
hear 3 and 4 way SSB QSO's ragchewing off the moon on activity weekend.
Compare that to looking at a computer screen- waiting for decode.
The smallest 23cM station that will yield some fun ( more than working the 
handful of big guns) would be a 10' surface and 200W

Dale W4OP

.