PJ7/EA8DBM (FK88)

From November 1 to November 3, I’ll be attempting to activate PJ7, though only for a couple of days, as many have already worked it. As soon as I land, I’ll head straight to the hardware store to try and fix the feed holder, which couldn’t handle the sun on the foil-covered dish. If I manage to repair it, I’ll aim to be active on the morning of November 2, just as the moon rises.

Arrived at the location, and the QTH looks decent, though the antenna needs to go up on the observation deck on the top floor—looks like I’ll be breaking a sweat. In the evening, I headed straight to a proper hardware store to try fixing the feed support. After some creative engineering with three water pipe connectors, a file, and epoxy glue, it seems to be holding up, though it took two more trips to the store to get it right.

Several EME spectators have emerged from the neighboring home.

A monkey showed up, but it darted off before I could snap a photo. The antenna took quite a beating during transport, so I had to spend a couple of hours getting it back in shape.

It became prettier after a little makeover

Everything seems set. In the morning, I’ll attach the plastic cone, check the sun noise, and try to activate during moonrise. Since the repairs took longer than expected and the fatigue is adding up, I’m postponing the next trip to PJ5 from Monday to Wednesday.

I got up early this morning to check everything thoroughly without rushing. Yesterday, I intentionally didn’t replace the foil on the dish to see how much the characteristics had worsened after folding, transporting, and unfolding it.

As expected, the aluminum foil was wrinkled and torn in several places. I applied new sheets on top and smoothed it out by hand as best I could.

In the morning, I turned on the new LNA from Petr AG6EE. At first, I was puzzled by the low level of overall noise—it only increased by 2-3 dB compared to the previous 20 dB with the G4DDK LNA. But with moonrise approaching, I decided to proceed as-is.

The antenna is positioned right over a wooden railing, which blocks part of the aperture, but there’s no workaround—just patience until the moon rises higher.

With the moon’s low declination, many are having to work through trees or buildings. I imagine some are frustrated with the timing of this activation, but the reality is that flying back and forth every two weeks isn’t practical, logistically or financially. So, I’m treating these low-declination days as a “vacation activity.”

The start was promising, and it seems I’m hearing better than I’m being heard. The day is extremely hot, and the amplifier began overheating, triggering the automatic protection after 35-40 seconds of transmission. This likely explains why some couldn’t decode me, even though I could hear them clearly. I moved the PA suitcase inside the awning for quick protection in case of rain, then lined the awning with aluminum foil to reflect the sun’s heat. But after 3-4 cycles, it overheats again and goes into protection mode. So I’ve started transmitting only in response when I see a signal.

Current log: 15 QSOs.

2024-11-03,12:03:00,2024-11-03,12:06:00,ON4AOI,JO21,1296.100999,Q65,-21,-22,,,,
2024-11-03,12:05:00,2024-11-03,12:10:00,UA3PTW,,1296.100999,Q65,-18,-20,,,,
2024-11-03,12:12:00,2024-11-03,12:14:00,OK1KIR,JN79,1296.100999,Q65,-22,-23,,,,
2024-11-03,12:15:00,2024-11-03,12:18:00,OK1UGA,JO80,1296.100999,Q65,-31,-24,,,,
2024-11-03,12:19:00,2024-11-03,12:24:00,DL4DTU,,1296.100999,Q65,-29,-24,,,,
2024-11-03,12:26:00,2024-11-03,12:30:00,DG5CST,JO60,1296.100999,Q65,-15,-17,,,,
2024-11-03,12:31:00,2024-11-03,12:34:00,PA3DZL,,1296.100999,Q65,-20,-22,,,,
2024-11-03,12:39:00,2024-11-03,12:42:00,DK4RC,,1296.100999,Q65,-15,-18,,,,
2024-11-03,13:07:00,2024-11-03,13:10:00,YO2LAM,KN05,1296.100999,Q65,-21,-23,,,,
2024-11-03,13:11:00,2024-11-03,13:14:00,G4CCH,,1296.100999,Q65,-21,-25,,,,
2024-11-03,13:18:00,2024-11-03,13:18:00,OK1DFC,,1296.100999,Q65,-19,-12,,,,
2024-11-03,13:33:00,2024-11-03,13:34:00,PA0BAT,,1296.100999,Q65,-24,-23,,,,
2024-11-03,13:36:00,2024-11-03,13:38:00,PY2BS,GG66,1296.100999,Q65,-19,-24,,,,
2024-11-03,13:48:00,2024-11-03,13:48:00,ZS4TX,KG30,1296.100999,Q65,-25,-28,,,,
2024-11-03,17:30:00,2024-11-03,17:36:00,NC1I,FN32,1296.100999,Q65,-19,-15,,,,

Then the wind picked up and tore into my aluminum covering, which worsened reception. My plan now is to replace the aluminum foil with aluminum tape. I also picked up a portable fan at the store to help circulate the hot air inside the tent.

Tomorrow, I’ll be active at moonrise.

After 5 hours of covering the antenna with aluminum tape, at midnight the tape ran out and the antenna looks like this (for about another hour of work).

Moonrise missed by an hour, but the antenna looks like an almost solid aluminum satellite dish, in anticipation of receiving 10-11-12 dB of noise from the sun, I rub my hands and jump with impatience ... I turn on the LNA + transverter, somehow the noise remained the same at 45 dB. More than strange, I accidentally touch the phone charging cable (from the same power suplay from Rigexpert ) and the noise changes. Fortunately, the IC-705 has a battery, I just turn it off, cook suply ... .. except for the obscene FU .... nothing comes to mind !!!! 12 dB of noise shit right into my receiver input from the “coolest” Shackmaster 500 Power Supply, 13.8V/36A for 500 euros!

I quickly change this “Ferrari” for a good old village MFJ for 80 bucks and ….. purest air!!!! No words.

Alright, one problem solved—the air is now hissing at a solid +19 dB. I turn on the LNA and get +31 dB; everything seems fine. I aim at the sun… still +31 dB. I make several calls, but no one picks me up.

Right now, the only theory I have is that the narrow 5 and 8 cm strips of foil aren’t working as a unified surface. So, I’m going to try layering larger foil pieces, like I did a few days ago, and see if that improves reception.

To avoid missing the lunar pass to the USA, I decided to quickly cover the dish with regular aluminum foil on top of the existing tape, hoping to work with those eager to connect and test my theory—that the issue lies in the narrow strips of foil not making full contact, or perhaps something else.

In a rush, I managed to cover the lower part with foil in about an hour. Luckily, the sun broke through the clouds for the first time this morning, giving me a chance to aim. I quickly adjusted the controller and saw about a 30-degree smear in azimuth, likely from a gust of wind overnight that shifted the antenna. This makes it unclear whether the poor results are due to the misalignment or the foil strips not working as a single surface.

To play it safe, I’ll fully cover the dish with foil for tomorrow’s moonrise. If it starts to fall off by the time I reach PJ5 on Thursday, we’ll see what happens.

In log 4 QSO :

2024-11-04,17:17:00,2024-11-04,17:22:00,W2HRO,FN20,1296.100999,Q65,-25,-27,,,,
2024-11-04,17:57:00,2024-11-04,18:00:00,K5DOG,,1296.101488,Q65,-22,-24,,,,
2024-11-04,18:01:00,2024-11-04,18:04:00,N1AV,DM43,1296.101488,Q65,-25,-26,,,,
2024-11-04,18:58:00,2024-11-04,18:58:00,EA8DBM,,1296.101488,Q65,-27,-26,,,,

2 hours and voila! Brand new aluminum lining!

The moon is very low, but we managed to make contacts with two more lucky operators:

2024-11-05, 14:16:00, IK2DDR, JN55, 1296.100993, Q65, -25, -26

2024-11-05, 14:50:27, DL7UDA, JO62, 1296.100993, Q65, -29, -26

Total: 21 QSOs

Apologies to those I couldn’t connect with—minor breakdowns and quirks kept cropping up, like the PA’s protective shutdown, counterweight issues, and a seemingly endless list of other small glitches. There’s barely a single piece of gear left untouched by breakdowns! Even the dish fabric has become sulfated and stopped working.

Today, I’m starting to pack up, and tomorrow I’ll catch the ferry to St. Eustatius. I’ll arrive around 7 p.m., so realistically, I won’t get set up until the next day. The moon’s declination is still very low, and as experience has shown, rushing only leads to mistakes, which in turn lead to breakdowns.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible:

• Paul W2HRO

• Petr AG6EE

• Dwayne Sinclair