First 23cm EME QSL - KB7Q

After completing 50 "Initial" QSO's (contacts with 50 "different" stations) in just 2 days of operation, I was really looking forward to receiving some 23cm EME QSL's.  Well, Gene, KB7Q, was the first to satisfy that "itch" by sending me his QSL (See above.  You can click on the image to see it larger.)  What a THRILL!  This is my FIRST EVER QSL for 1296 MHz and my first EVER for an EME contact on that band.  WOW!  Thanks so much Gene.

I should also mention that over the past several months I have leaned heavily on Gene for advice on putting together my 23cm EME station.  He has always been there for me with the answer to nearly every question I posed.  So, a BIG THANK YOU, Gene for being my mentor on this new adventure.  I really appreciate your efforts.

23cm EME QSL

Now that I have made multiple QSO's on 23cm EME, I realized I would need a new QSL.  So, I quickly ordered them from UX5UO QSL who I have used several time in the past.  Gennady is AWESOME and returned proofs to me actually just 2 hours, 20 minutes after I sent my order!

He said I could expect delivery in 3-5 weeks which is amazing to me, especially considering he is located in Kyiv, Ukraine!  While I'm waiting on the cards to arrive I'll be printing some envelopes so I can get the new cards in the mail ASAP.

As always, you can click on any image to see it a bit larger.

The "Diamond Ring" image of the moon on the QSL is a photo I took during the 2017-08-21 Solar Eclipse in Sweetwater, TN.  One of the top 5 events of my life! 

The other image on the QSL shows the operating position on my driveway.  The laptop is inside the Sun Shield so that I can more easily see the screen in daylight.

23cm EME Project - SUCCESS!

WHEEEEEE!  My efforts on building the 23cm EME station have been rewarded in a spectacular manner.  I am now active on 23cm EME for the VERY first time.  Over the last 37 years I have made EME QSO's on 6m, 2m, and 70cm but now with a 2.4m Sub-Lunar folding dish, I have managed my first EME contacts on this new (to me) band.  I was only able to be on for the 2nd night of the October ARRL contest weekend (2025-10-12) but managed 37 contacts, all new initials, in 17 DXCC's with OE9ERC, OK1DFC, RD4D, OK1UGA, K0PRT, G4YTL, N1AV, SP5GDM, HB9Q, OK1KIR, SM6CKU, ES3RF, OK2AQ, DF2VJ, KB2SA, YO2LAM, OK1USW, DK3WG, PA3FXB, GM0PJD, UA1ALD, WA3RGQ, DL0SHF, OH3LWP, SP3YDE, G4CCH, PA0TBR, AA6I, CT1FFU, KH6FA, W3TI, N0AKC, OH1LRY, AC2AC, K5N, W2ZQ, and JJ3JHP.  I had 7 decodes of PYØFBS as strong as -23 and 12 consecutive decodes of HL2/LY3UM (4 of those at -23) but no QSO's resulted with either of these fine DX'peditions. 

Operating Position on my Driveway

Because my QTH is blocked by trees to the East, my operating location is "portable" on my driveway.  The equipment is kept on a 3-shelf rolling cart which I wheel out of the garage to operate.  I am not able to see the moon until it clears my roof at about 22° elevation but I can see it almost down to the western horizon.  My QTH is EM98al in the state of West Virginia (WV).  

My equipment consists of: a 2,4m Sub-Lunar folding dish, OK1DFC Lightweight Septum Feed, Sub-Lunar SL-1 Az-El Rotors, N8CQ's WinTrack, IC-9700 w/Leo Bodnar GPSDO, AG6EE preamp, 200-watts from an AG6EE Power Amplifier, and 6,5m feed lines from Messi & Paoloni in Italy. However, since the station is "portable" there is the possibility that I can operate from other locations.  

I operated the next Saturday (2025-10-18) and made 16 QSO's including 13 more Initials: G0LBK, CX9BT, DL4DTU, PA0PLY, KA1GT, I2FAK, KB7Q, NY1V, OK1VUM, N5TM, F5KUG, VK2JDS, and XE1XA.  That brings me up to 53 QSO's, 50 Initials, and 22 DXCC's after only 2 days of operation on the moon.  Boy, am I fired up with those results!  I know I worked at least a couple of stations using 1,5m "Solar-Cooker" dishes and I worked KB2SA with his 1,0m dish, TWICE!  On the first KB2SA QSO reports were: Sent -21 / Rcvd -24. And, I easily completed a Q65-15A QSO with KA1GT, Sent -17 / Rcvd -15. 

With the overnight temperatures around 7°C both times, I have now ordered a portable hunting shelter to keep the operating position a bit more comfortable!  But, it has now occurred to me that I can actually operate the station remotely from INSIDE the house!  I will be working on that idea next.

Even though I have made hundreds of moonbounce QSO's over nearly 4 decades, the THRILL is still there!  Had any of my neighbors been awake at 12:45 a.m. when I made that first 23cm EME contact, I'm sure they would have heard my yell as I jumped up and down on the driveway!  WHOPEEE!

New Feed Lines for 23cm EME

New feed lines were going to be required for my 23cm EME station.  For transmit I needed something that could handle as much as 700-watts on 23cm.  For several years I have depended on coaxial cable which is built in Italy by Messi & Paoloni.   They have been producing cables since 1984 and have received very good reviews.  I have made multiple purchases from M&P and have always been amazed at the quality of their cable and connectors.  For my transmit cables I decided on their HYPERFLEX 13 /.500" which is rated to handle 786 watts on 1296 MHz.  For my receive cable I chose their ULTRAFLEX 10 /.400" which is a little smaller and lighter.  I ordered a 6.5 m section of each cable with Solder type "N" connectors installed on BOTH ends.  I also ordered a 1.1 m piece of the larger cable as a jumper from the amp to the wattmeter.

The center conductor of the HYPERFLEX 13 contains 37 wires!  That makes it a very flexible cable. Click Here for a video showing how they install a soldered (or solderless) "N" Connector.  Their connectors are designed specifically for their cables.

I placed my order by email in the evening on September 29th, well after M&P had closed for the day.  In the morning of October 1st (1-1/2 days later) I had a response where they told me the HYPERFLEX cable with the black jacket was out of stock but they could supply their HYPERFLEX 13 Sahara with a white jacket.  Both cables have the same specifications but the Sahara cable has a white jacket to help reduce the attenuation degrading which a black cable can experience as the ambient temperature increases.  I quickly agreed to have the white jacketed cable substituted in my order for the HYPERFLEX 13 cables.  Just after midnight (my time) on October 2nd, I received the order confirmation and a PayPal link for me to make the payment.

Unbelievably the cables arrived at my QTH in the afternoon of October 6th.  Just 7 days after I placed the order!  WOOF!  Can you believe three custom-built coaxes with Soldered "N" connectors installed, were produced and DELIVERED from Italy in just 6 days?  Well, in my experience, this is NOT unusual!  My previous orders have taken only 6 or even 5 days to have connectors installed on custom lengths of cable and shipped from Italy to West Virginia.  

Click on the photo of the cables on the right for a larger view.  You can easily see the quality of the Soldered "N" connectors.  I continue to be very happy with the cables and connectors I purchase from M&P.  And I do not hesitate to recommend them.