Arecibo Radio Telescope - Photo credit by courtesy of the NAIC - Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF
The 305 m Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico is QRV again on moonbounce on 432 MHz. The last time was in 1988.
Paul, WA6PY then living in Stockholm, Sweden wrote on Moon-net on February 20, 2010:
Many years ago, if I remember right 1988 when I was still in Stockholm, KP4I from Arecibo came on 432 during the ARRL EME contest without any prior announcement. I almost missed them because I was sure that this was one of the local stations. I was tuning around this signal few times without paying attention who it was. Signals were huge S9+40dB on S-meter and I heard noise floor elevated around their signal. Maybe it was just phase noise of my RX system. My brother Mike SP5CJT was visiting me at that time. Fortunately when I swept the frequency he caught callsign KP4I. If I remember right KP4I did not use very high power at that time.
I will look forward for Arecibo activity.
Now again the first QSO´s took place yesterday on March 19. Joe, K1JT wrote on Moon-net:
The Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club, using callsign KP4AO, has been working an EME pile-up on 432.045 since about 1850 UTC today, using the 1000-ft radio telescope and a barefoot TS-2000. They were 599+ at K2UYH (where I was operating to help them getting started). Their signal had a very little Doppler spreading or QSB. They are excellent CW ops and worked many stations; I stopped keeping a log after the first half hour or so.
Flavio, PY2ZX wrote on Moon-net March 20:
I just wake up about the tests when they were running on and I did not
had even the antenna installed! I have to think fast to made a
temporarily system to suport K1FO/PY2NI 15 elements Yagi with elevation.
It was just the time to solve it, plug the cable to IC-706MKIIG and
tuning to hear the EME CW! The signals were strong and stable. I put
some files on the following page. I made a mistake with my audio
recorder and the original sounds aren´t good, but I edited two of
then to better identify the KP4AO CW. Congratulations
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