Well, last Wednesday evening was the night. The moon was near Perigee, the sun was not in the way and my 2m amplifier came back from M2 Antenna Systems and was reinstalled.
2m Amplifier And Sequencer
I got everything hooked up and tested before the moon came up that night. Our Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) system consists of an Icom IC-9100 Transceiver and a microHAM MK2R+ for our Sound Card along with a single M2 Systems 2M18XXX Yagi Antenna (18 elements on a 36 foot boom at 112 feet), a tower mounted preamp system from M2, and M2’s EME Sequencers along with their 1.2 Kw 2m amplifier. For software, we’re using Joe Taylor’s WSJT Application and the Ham Radio Deluxe Satellite Tracking software to keep our antenna pointed at the moon.
The first test I did was to bounce some echoes off the moon just as it came up. With the amp on and set for its rated digital mode output of 900 watts on 2m (it will do 1.2 Kw in SSB mode), I heard my signals coming back from the moon for the very first time. The moon was between North America and Europe as it came up and I noticed that several stations from Europe were on 2m EME. After a few CQ calls using JT65B (WSJT mode for 2m EME), S52LM, Milos in Slovenia came back to me and I successfully completed my first EME QSO on 2m! I also worked two other stations on 2m EME from Europe – DK5SO (in Germany) and UT5UAS (in the Ukraine). I suspect some of these folks may have had pretty big EME stations as their signals were very strong. Here’s a snapshot of my first QSO with S52LM:
EME QSO With WSTJ
As you can see from the snapshot, the round trip delay to the moon and back was between 2 and 2.5 seconds. S52LM’s signal was pretty strong at -23 dB or so (he was also using close to 1 Kw on his end). At this level, I could not hear anything audible above the noise in my receiver. The following is what the WSJT waterfall looked like:
S52LM’s signal is the lines and dots between 0 and 200. These are fairly strong signals by EME standards. The WSJT software’s performance on such weak signals is pretty amazing. (The other lines on the waterfall are very weak “birdies”).
Most of the bigger EME stations use an array of long boom yagi’s so I am pretty lucky to get this done with a single antenna and no elevation rotator. Here’s a picture of a more typical antenna system for EME (this is DK5SO, the station in Germany that I worked):
DK5SO 2m EME Antennas
At this point, I am pretty happy with the performance of our 2m weak signal system.
I heard several stations in Australia a couple of mornings ago before I had my amplifier back. I will try to work them soon. Maybe someday an EME DXCC…. (3 down, 97 to go).
Fred (AB1OC)

SHF EME antannas



I have been active on 1.3 GHz EME from two different systems. First from a 5 meter homemade dish and later from a 8 M homemade dish.

In 2000, I designed and build a 8 meter dish for EME use. The dish was operational until 2003, were I kind of lost interest in the Ham Radio hobby (still have my call sign though, you never know)
During that time I was only active on 1.3 GHz, but the 8M dish was also used as a ground station to help the students from Aalborg University make contact with their first satellite (www.cubesat.aau.dk)!

The tower that supported the dish rotated around a solid steel post, 100 mm in diameter, 150 cm high. The tower turned 300 degrees on wheels that drove on a 2 meter (in diameter) solid bar, made of 30 x 50 mm steel. Azimuth drive was electrical, Elevation was hydraulic. Everything was computer controlled and could automatically follow the moon, sun and satellites.
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The dish is now being put into operation in Sweden at SM7GVF: SM7GVF Dish

The following pictures shows some of the steps during the building process of the dish
WSJT info >> Program setupInitial configurationPC to radio Interface
JT65B info >>Guide for beginnersQSO example #1QSO example #2

Do you have a directional antenna, a 2m SSB transceiver with 50 W output and a PC?

If your answer is YES then, believe it or not, you are capable of making a QSO with EA6VQ (and other stations) using the Moon as a reflector. Please continue reading this page and you will discover a new world of DX communications, where you can work stations all around the world on 144 MHz.

Antenna

Disclaimer: 2m EME communications can be addictive and if you try them you are likely to get side effects, like losing interest in other hobbies, in other bands and in other DX modes. If you don't want to take this risk you had better leave this page right now.

EME with a single Yagi and 50 W?

There is still some confusion about Moon Bounce operation and the station requirements for making a QSO in the VHF bands using the Moon as a reflector. Might be you have read in the past that only very large stations with four antenna arrays and Kw amplifiers (and skilled CW operators) were capable of working via EME (Earth-Moon-Earth). This was true till 2002, but nowadays thanks to the JT65B digital mode provided by the WSJT program, any station having an 2m. SSB transceiver capable of delivering 50 W and a directional antenna can make successful contacts via EME. And furthermore, no CW knowledge is required!

But, I can't elevate the antenna to track the moon..

In order to make an EME QSO, the most important requirement is (obviously) that both stations can see the Moon simultaneously (what is called 'to have a common window'). If you have a typical tropo/MS antenna you are likely not to be capable of elevating it, but YOU STILL CAN make EME contacts when the moon is near the horizon.

A single Yagi antenna pointing to the horizon normally allows to work EME till the Moon is up to 15 or 18 degrees above the horizon. If you have a clear take off towards your moonrise/moonset this means about 90+90 minutes (3 hours) of possible operation every day!

Do I need a good preamplifier?

A preamplifier with a low noise figure, mounted as close to the antenna as possible is always a very good help, but it's not strictly necessary to make your first contacts. The larger EME stations are normally using a lot of power and somehow this will compensate your little reception. You can always get a preamplifier later, when you decide it's time to improve your reception.

You are only 7 steps away from making your first MoonBounce QSO! Keep reading..

Moon

Ham Radio Eme Antenna Moon Reflections

Step 1. Get the WSJT free program

WSJT is a digital communications program written by K1JT and specially intended for weak signal communications in the VHF&up bands. It provides different modes adapted to different modes of propagation and bands. For 2m MoonBounce you will use the JT65B mode. You can download it from K1JT's WEB site.

Once you have downloaded the setup program you will have to install it your PC. If you are familiar with installing Windows applications this will be very easy, as you simply have to accept the default options offered by the setup program, however if you want you can also have a look at the WSJT setup procedure. Dark lord of the sith.

Step 2. Connect the PC to the radio.

If you have already worked some kind of digital communications (RTTY, Packet, PSK-31,etc) you will possibly be able to use the same interface for the WSJT program, and you could skip this step.

If you have never connected your PC to the transceiver then you will need some kind of interface to connect them. If you can afford it the best is to buy a commercial interface, such as the RigBlaster (available at West Mountain Radio).

If you want to build your own interface, you will need to make the serial port cable from your computer be able to key the PTT line of your transmitter. You also must isolate and attenuate the audio from the computer sound card (Line output / Speaker), so it can be connected to the transmitter MIC input. Information on how to do this can be found in many places, but here you have two simple designs.

And finally, you will have to split the audio output from your receiver, and run an audio line over to your computer sound card (Line input / Mic). This will permit your computer to also hear your receiver, and process the signals coming in.

Step 3. Automatically synchronize the PC Time.

WSJT modes (and specially the JT65x) require of a very accurate PC time in order to achieve good results. So accurate that in fact it's not enough to update the PC time manually. It's necessary to update it automatically according to some reliable source.

The most common way to do it is through Internet by using a Time Synchronization program, such as Dimension 4 or Automachron, and configuring them to synchronize the time every 5 minutes or so.

It is important that you select one of the time servers that will provide accurate and reliable time corrections to your computer from your particular location and internet connection. You can verify that the time has been properly set within a half second, by listening to WWV and watching the seconds display on the Dimension 4 program screen. If the time server you select doesn't seem to match WWV, or there seem to be corrections >.1 second when you repeatedly manually set the time with Dimension 4 or Automachron, try selecting a different time server from the optional list provided.

However, if you don't have an Internet connection in your radio shack then you still have other alternatives to achieve an accurate PC time synchronization:

Step 4. Run WSJT for the first time and Configure it

Configuring the WSJT options properly is important in order to make successful QSO, so please read carefully the page on configuration.

Step 5. Rig setup

Make sure your transmitter is set to USB position and that the receiver is set to the widest filter width. If you have bandpass adjustment on your receiver, make sure it is set to pass tones from 1200 Hz - 1800 Hz (usually by turning the bandpass off). In general you could leave the noise blanker active, but make sure you turn the AGC off. If your rig has a Mic. compressor or speech. processor button you should also activate it, to insure that you are sending each of the tones at full power.

Step 6. Program operation

You should definitively read the operating manual provided with the program as it covers almost all details you need to know, however you could also find interesting to watch the following visual examples of real JT65B EME QSO.

Step 7. Get on the air

Now you are ready for your first WSJT EME QSO. However here there are some additional suggestions for you:
If you have some doubt or you need any additional information don't hesitate to send me an E-Mail
A Romanian translation of this JT65B / WSJT tutorial, provided by YO6XK, is available here.
WSJT info >> Program setupInitial configurationPC to radio Interface
JT65B info >>Guide for beginnersQSO example #1QSO example #2
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14 user comments
Nagyon fontos és végtelenül szakszerü leírás. Indítást kaptam felhasználására.
Köszönettel: Bandi HA1SD.
Is it possible to recive [no transmit] eme jt65 signals using handheld 2m radio and simple (small) antenna?
its always good when some one explains things in easy terms hi hi i got an interface set my eleven element long yagi up on a tripod in the back yard ft847 50w and worked dave w5un :-)im hooked!!!!!!
Have always wanted to try EME, so with two weeks off for Christmas 2010, I assembled a working 2 meter EME station consisting of a KLM 16lbx mounted on a wooden pallet using a 5 foot tripod for support, and a 15 foot mast with 50 feet of 1/2 hardline. AZ/EL adjustments are done manually by hand when I can see the Moon to point the antenna. I used a Kenwood TS 2000x running 10 watts into a Tokyo High Power Labs HL-350v running 350 watts out. Over the course of two clear nights I worked 8 initial contacts to Europe and 2 initials in the USA. Many of the Stations could be heard in my speaker audio. Consisdering I live on the west side of a 1600 foot Mountain and my moonrise is above 20 degrees I am definetly hooked on EME. Next step is to add some rotors to my single yagi setup so I can find the Moon when it cant be seen due to cloud cover and make more contacts.
Excellent,will try to be on by spring. How about 6 meters,isit ever used for EME?
I need some tips on the minimum yagi I will need. I currently have an Arrow hand held LEO Satellite Antenna - 3 Elements for 2 Meters crossed with 7 Elements for 70 cm. I have a HOA restricted home, so I have to remove my antenna when done for the day. I mount on an 8 foot tripod. I was thinking of getting the M2 432-12EME Yagi 12 elements and 14.4dbd gain which would fit on my tripod with a 10 foot boom. Someone said however, there is not much 'big gun' activity on 440, and I had better go with two meters. M2 has a 7 element 2M with a 10 foot boom. Hi gain is over 20 foot boom, too unwieldy for me.
My questions: Is 440 not active with big guns? How big of a 2M yagi would be the minimum?
Hello any schedulle for argentina?.
I run 100 W and a 8 elemente antena with low noise preamp on mast. Traking via LVBtrack.
QRV from 00 to 03:00 UTC evry day.
Fernando
LU1HKIO
FF78
FWIW: I now have 446 Initial QSO's on 2M using a single 21el (8wl) M2 yagi. Included are 45 with other 1-yagi stations. Give EME a try!
Are there any other 2m EME loggers/chats? JT65 EME Chat doesn't work with a server error, ON4KST chat is rarely used, and LiveCQ 144MHz is used even less! The EME guys must hang out online somewhere to arrange skeds - but where?
Are there any other 2m EME loggers/chats? JT65 EME Chat doesn't work with a server error, ON4KST chat is rarely used, and LiveCQ 144MHz is used even less! The EME guys must hang out online somewhere to arrange skeds - but where?
On April 21, 2010, I was able to work KB8RQ using JT65B/WSJT running 100W on a single 11EL Yagi (VHF). This is really exciting!
The information on the frequencies to monitor is explained in step 7.
I have tried a lot of modes etc since the old AM days,moon bounce i always put as out of my reach,untill reading your page.The missing info is which frequencies to monitor,for 2 meters ??
Nice article. Now I am thinking doing eme. All I need is homebrewing a 144Mhz beam. Thanks for explaining the magic.
73, Fazlay
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Communicating over great distances via VHF continues to fascinate many amateurs. EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) communication, also known as 'moonbounce', meteor scatter, and VHF cw DX are some of the techniques used. In the case of EME and meteor scatter, the concept is simple: use the moon or the ionized trail of a meteor as a passive reflector for VHF and UHF signals. A simple but effective station is within the reach of most amateur experimenters. With the advent of very sensitive receiving preamplifiers and commercially available high-gain Yagi antennas, many VHF operators are enjoying successful weak signal contacts. With a total path length of about 500,000 miles, EME is the ultimate DX -- for the time being! Weak signal VHF work is discussed in a operational way at the Weak Signal Operating page.