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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Sent: 4/9/2010 1:50:00 A.M. Mountain Standard Time<BR>Subj:
Moonbounce for everyone<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV> </DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><BR>Moonbounce for Everyone -- Courtesy of the Arecibo Radio
Telescope!<BR><BR>If you've never thought about doing moonbounce (EME) before,
now's <BR>your chance! Join Joe Taylor, K1JT, and a team from KP4AO, the
Arecibo <BR>Observatory Radio Club, as they bounce massive signals off
the moon <BR>from Arecibo Observatory -- the world's largest radio
telescope --in <BR>Puerto Rico later this month. [Photo courtesy of the
NAIC-Arecibo <BR>Observatory, a facility of the National Science
Foundation]<BR>Sending Amateur Radio signals to the Moon and back has never
been <BR>easy. After roundtrip journeys of nearly half a million miles,
even <BR>the most powerful signals generated by hams are exquisitely
weak on <BR>arrival. Because of the equipment and expertise necessary
for <BR>successful "moonbounce" operating, this facet of Amateur Radio
has <BR>been traditionally confined to a small audience.But for three
days in <BR>April even hams with very modest stations will have the
opportunity to <BR>experience the thrill of moonbounce, thanks to the
giant radio <BR>telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto
Rico.<BR><BR>Joe Taylor, K1JT -- along with the Arecibo Observatory Radio
Club, <BR>KP4AO -- will be on the air running 400 W to the telescope's
1000 foot <BR>antenna. Their scheduled times of operation are 1645-1930
on April 16, <BR>1740-2020 on April 17 and 1840-2125 on April 18 (all
times UTC). They <BR>will be using the call sign KP4AO and operating
SSB, CW and the JT65B <BR>digital mode developed by Taylor. They will be
transmitting at 432.045 <BR>MHz and listening for stations between
432.050 and 432.060 MHz.<BR><BR>Taylor says that it should be possible to hear
the Arecibo moonbounce <BR>transmissions with little more than a
handheld 5-element Yagi antenna <BR>and a radio with 70 cm SSB receive
capability -- all the listener has <BR>to do is aim at the Moon! With a
longer 15 dBi antenna and 100 W <BR>output, Taylor said he believes it
will be possible for many hams to <BR>work KP4AO on CW.<BR><BR>Each
session will start with a brief announcement and a CQ in SSB. SSB
<BR>QSOs may continue for 30 minutes to an hour if the QSO rate remains
<BR>high; the operators will then shift to CW. JT65B operations will
<BR>probably occur on April 18.<BR><BR>The KP4AO crew is anticipating
DXpedition-style pileups and will <BR>operate accordingly. To give all
amateurs a fair chance at this rare <BR>opportunity, they are asking
everyone to limit themselves to a single <BR>contact, regardless of
mode. In other words, don't attempt to work <BR>KP4AO on every mode.
Taylor also stated, "If we call "CQ QRP," we will <BR>listen for
stations running 100 W or less to a single Yagi antenna. <BR>Please
don't answer a QRP CQ if you are running more power or have a <BR>larger
antenna."<BR><BR>Calling it "extremely fortunate" to have access to Arecibo --
the <BR>world's largest radio telescope -- for this Amateur Radio
good-will <BR>event, Taylor said that they look forward to working as
many stations <BR>as possible in the allotted time.<BR><BR>If you make
contact, send your QSL -- along with a self-addressed, <BR>stamped
envelope -- to the KP4AO QSL manager: Joseph Arcure, W3HNK, <BR>115 Buck
Run Rd, Lincoln University, PA 19352.</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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