PE1RDP

HAM radio station - Veldhoven - JO21QK
EME or Moonbounce !
EME is an abbreviation for Earth Moon Earth and is also known as Moonbounce. On VHF, UHF and SHF, radio signals are send to the moon, will be reflected on his surface and send back to earth. The most common frequencies are 144 MHz (2 meterband), 432 MHz (70 cm band) and 1296 MHz (23 cm band) but EME is possible on other bands too. The radio signal has to travel almost 1 million km through space and have to enter the earth's atmosphere twice. This makes the signal very thin and seriousily EME can only be done from a noise free location.

My first EME contact was made in 2000 with I2FAK via the new digital mode JT44. This was done with 1 single yagi without elevation. After I was moved to my new QTH, I had space for a second yagi and elevation. The result was a lot of contacts on 144MHz via the moon. Mostly in JT65 (the successor of JT44) but also in good old CW and even in SSB.

Man made noise, QRM, was increasing very much and level was so high that EME on 2m was no longer possible a few years later. I removed all the 2m EME antennae from my roof and made a new station, now for 70cm with 4 yagi's. This band was still clean and during good conditions, I could see my own echo's very clearly and sometimes even been heard through the speaker.

But a few years later, QRM made an end on 70cm too. At this moment (2018), all the stuff is still in my shack and and the roof, but I cannot make any EME qso anymore. The rig is now in use for terrestrial QSO's.

During the years, I collected 8x 21 elements yagi of the very famous brand Tonna or F9FT. Together with my neigbour Rob, PE1ITR, were participate in an EME contest and we could hear our own echo's clearly.


73 Arno - PE1RDP - Veldhoven - JO21QK