12/10/2007 | K1JT We operated under the contest's "neighborhood multi-op" rule,
making 144 MHz QSOs at the K1JT station and 432, 1296, and 2304
MHz QSOs at the station of K2UYH. We used both CW and JT65,
without assistance. On the four bands we made a total of 306 QSOs
(146 CW and 160 JT65) and 139 multipliers, for a claimed score
of about 4.2 M.

We were somewhat slow off the mark in September, and did not yet
have our full operating team assembled. We might have
managed a few more 13 cm QSOs and multipliers if our two most
senior (in years) team members had only managed their time better
and been able to stay awake for two full moon passes.

In October the team was augmented to three, with KC2TA joining
K2UYH at the 432/1296 MHz controls. On the November contest
weekend K2UYH was operating as P43L, in Aruba; but K2LNS and K1DS
stepped in to keep the 432/1296 station on the air, while N4HY
and AB2KT joined K1JT at the 144 MHz station. For five of our
seven operators, the total number of EME QSOs made previous to
this contest was only a few dozen. It was a great thrill to add
many more to those totals!

Mr. Murphy made his expected visits, starting with a baffling
intermittent in the 2304 MHz PA in September. Thankfully, Murphy
must have been visiting elsewhere in October. He did take out a
T/R relay at K1JT one week before the November weekend. (Maybe he
was confused about which was the contest weekend?) Anyway, a
jury-rigged replacement was cobbled together by 0000 UTC on the
24th, and it performed well. On November 25th, with owner Al some 3100 km away in the
sunny Caribbean, the azimuth drive at K2UYH died around 02:15
local time. Rather than attempting repairs on unfamiliar
equipment in the dark, Herb and Rick wisely opted for some
sleep. When daylight arrived, they traced the problem to
corroded terminals on a motor starting capacitor, and were soon
back in business.

On 144 MHz we ran 1200 W to an array of four 14-element, dual
polarization yagis. On the higher bands we used an 8.5 m dish.
The 432 feed provided rotatable linear polarization; on the
higher bands we used circular polarization. TX power was
1000 W on 432, 500 W on 1296, and 80 W on 2304 MHz. For our digital QSOs we used the Linrad/MAP65 software
combination on 144 MHz, and WSJT on 432 and 1296 MHz.

73 to all from Al (K2UYH), Joe (K1JT), Herb (K2LNS), Rick (K1DS),
Hank (KC2TA), Bob (N4HY), and Frank (AB2KT) -- K1JT