OE4VIE and KF6A report excellent EME capabilities with their LFAs
KF6A has just completed his 14 element 2m LFA and had concluded the antenna a success !! This is after 2 great evenings EME with just 350w output and the reflector of this antenna just one foot above ground.
The KF6A EME set-up
Dan reports...
'Hi Justin,
Looks like the antenna is working FB. Even though the moon degradation was -3.8db I worked 7 stations last night via EME, DK3WG, I2RV, I2FAK, DK2PH, DK3EE, K9MRI, and F6FHP before I ran out of space to turn the antenna. I have very limited turning room and can only steer the antenna maybe +/-10deg Az because it is on a temporary support, although I did elevate it. The wind was blowing 66kph last night so I had LOTS of horrible power line noise. I had to wait for the moon to get some distance above the horizon so I could avoid the noise so most, if not all of the stations, were worked at an elevation of more than 25deg and not much ground gain would have been involved, with the best signals of -18db from DK3EE and I2FAK.
I'll probably try to work more EME tonight since I did pretty well last night.
This was done using the built-in preamp in my TE 1452G SS amp with ~350w.
When I build my 6m OWA yagi I might just try to do the same thing with it and try to work a little EME from my roof tower. That would be neat.'
KF6A
And one day later I had this from Dan....
'I worked more EME tonight. The degradation was -4.6db and I worked HA6NQ, OH7PI, DL1DWI, DF2ZC, SM5DIC, SP2OFW, DK5SO, DK3EE (again) and F8DO. A few guys were speaker copy too. I ran out of elevation toward the end and the last couple of guys were worked with my reflector barely a foot off the ground, hi. The antenna is officially broken in and declared a success. Thanks for the great design!'
Dan KF6A
Dan's antenna can be found here
These successes are not limited to 2m. OE4VIE managed to work ZL3NW via EME with his single 7 element 9.8m long 7LFA6VHF LFA.
OE4VIE in EME QSO on 6m with ZL3NW - A single 7el LFA was used
Joe reports:
'Today was a great day, I worked ZL3NW on 6m EME.... his best signal was -19dB, I am still waiting for his screenshots to see how strong he received me....that was my first ever 6 EME contact....and the single 7 ele. LFA even works great via moon. As far as I now ZL3NW also only use a single yagi antenna without elevation.
Have a nice weekend!'
73 Jo OE4VIE
The 7el 6m LFA installed at OE4VIE
Find out what you could do via the moon by building your own LFA today !! |
