The first weekend of the ARRL 10GHz and Up Contest starts tomorrow (August 19) at 0600 local. https://contests.arrl.org/10g/ There will be plenty of activity in California, and probably other regions. It’s a fun contest, and everyone should get on the band!
I’ll be on a SOTA summit (W6/NC-151) on Saturday, not sure if I’ll be able to get out on Sunday.
So a bunch of amateurs are going to be broadcasting? Is this like HAM radio? Is there a way for someone like me who doesn’t know anything about this to tune in (I’m in Las Vegas) such as by buying a cheap device?
Yes, it is ham radio. I think some people were planning to go up Potosi, but changed their plans with the incoming hurricane. That’s too far and too many mountains for NorCal, so I haven’t been watching their plans closely.
Theoretically you could listen in, but you’d need to be somewhere in the beam of the stations. At 10GHz an 18" dish had a beamwidth of only a few degrees, so if you’re even a little off you’ll hear nothing.
I believe there are LNBs people have used to get on the band. Those are probably the cheapest. SBMS is probably the closest microwave club, is check out their website.
I have a video on YouTube of last year’s contest: https://youtu.be/Ch_j_zfCYgI
Oh interesting, so you guys are like point-to-point or need LOS? So I’d have to know where someone else is pointing?
Yes. Usually one person is on a mountain top, and the other is on a different mountain or the valley. Microwaves are mostly LOS, but can and do go farther. Mt Diablo to Frazier Mountain is a popular path here in CA. Last year I heard people coordinating contracts from Frazier to somewhere near Quartzite.
This weekend might provide a lot of rain scatter opportunities for the SoCal hams.
Cool, I’d love to hear how it went if you post anything about it.
I made some decent contacts. My setup seems a bit deaf, so I’ll have to figure out why.
Cool, did rain mess things up or do the drops expand your range by reflecting or something?
No rain in NorCal, but people down south were making rain scatter contacts.