12/25/2007 | JH1KRC After our 8N1EME BIG-DISH events, which was really a tough job, I wanted to participate in the ARRL EME Competition this year.
Since I was permitted to setup a high power EME system on 5760 and 10450 MHz bands, I prepared a wave-guide feed horn in the center of my 4.4-m TVRO dish. Too bad, every logic circuit of my TWTA's has got troubled, and it directly means that the station insptection by Japanese telecomm. officisals are delayed, and I cannnot remove the microwave feed horn until my microwave system becomes perfect!! (Otherwise they cannot give me the complete license.)
Finally I decided to 'offset' my microwave wave-guide feed from the focal point in front of the 1296 feed horn. See the photo.
Unlike I expected, my TVRO dish does not work perfectly. The bulky wave-guide feed and wave-guide (WR-137 equiv.) might perhaps disturb the total illumination of the main reflector. EME signals and my own echo also were not very good at all, though, I enjoyed 18 QSOs. -- JH1KRC