Since obtaining my operating license on July 18, 2023, it has been exactly six months. Tomorrow, I should be able to submit the application for taking the B exam. QGX has been quite busy in the "newcomer village" over these past six months, and here is a brief summary: www
Actually, the earliest reason I got interested in amateur radio was to have an additional way of emergency communication (I was really focused on survival during the pandemic 🤣). When I was studying for my license, I came across a question about "U-band local communication should avoid frequencies," and out of curiosity, I researched it further. I learned about "amateur satellites" and "moon surface reflection." This opened up a whole new world for me.
The first piece of equipment QGX acquired was the UV-K6, which at the time was not very common but is now ubiquitous. On August 15th, they successfully made their first local contact and immediately arranged for a U5V3 Yagi antenna from JYR. After several failed attempts on the 20th, they finally received a reply from JN2QCV, a Japanese amateur radio operator, via the TEVEL-3 satellite, achieving their first satellite contact.&My first successful international DX! I was so excited at the time, as satellites had previously seemed like an unattainable concept.
Since then, I have consistently maintained at least one star operation per weekend, and by September, I had become quite proficient in using the equipment. To further improve satellite communication, I also replaced the U5V3 with the U7V4, and added a new UV9D Mate 10W dual-band handheld radio.
At the end of September, I purchased a handheld Moxon antenna from BH2RSJ, who specializes in lactic acid bacteria, because I needed a smaller antenna.&Without the process of disassembling and adjusting the antenna, the star-hopping became much easier. It was possible to pick up the antenna and start transmitting right away, or even transmit from a windowsill (X gradually lost interest in FM amateur satellites, shifting his focus to long-term QSO card collection).
I also found that QGX joined the school's amateur radio club (BY1QH), but since the "collective station" is currently focused on shortwave activities, QGX doesn't have many opportunities to operate independently. The club has organized several ISS and FO-99 satellite SSTV receiving events this year, and although QGX is still a beginner, he also participated in event organization and training new members.
However, what may have had a greater impact on QGX was learning about the existence of the EME organization and starting to participate in it. Furthermore, through various theoretical analyses, they gradually realized that achieving success with their own efforts was not only possible but also feasible, transforming EME from an unlikely miracle into a viable plan.
Subsequent acquisition and testing of various subsystems were primarily focused on the 432MHz digital mode EME, including UV full-mode stations, LNAs, and the 4-meter main Yagi antenna used by BG7XWF. The initial plan was to first attempt communication with geostationary satellites (specifically GC), and then consider attempting communication with the Moon. However, considering the scale of the event, astronomical conditions, and weather factors (it was winter, so it would be difficult to set up equipment outdoors), we ultimately decided to move the initial test to 11/26, 2023, which was the last day of the ARRL EME Contest. That day, we had incredible luck and were able to receive and decode a CQ call from the famous EME station DL7APV without any pre-arranged schedule. We also successfully achieved two-way communication with Q65.
Later, the weather turned cooler, and QGX was also busy with his doctoral research. As a result, he stopped conducting so many experiments. However, there were still some improvements: He developed basic CW listening and transmitting capabilities, successfully received linear satellite CW downlink signals (although he hadn't yet tried transmitting); he installed a BY1QH 6-meter Yagi antenna and learned a lot about VHF DX communication using meteor scatter; next spring, I might be able to contact you or as BY1QH on 2m and 6m FT8/MSK144; my own and the collective station's 1.2 GHz band radio stations are now basically set up, and we hope to take our first step towards the GHz frequency range soon (x
In a way, I'm grateful for these six months of being a beginner, as it allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of frequencies beyond the simplistic notion that "shortwave is good, UV is bad," or "UV is just about socializing with fellow enthusiasts and old friends."
Instead, it offers the opportunity to explore the entire 30-3000 MHz amateur radio world through repeated "open-world adventures," encountering diverse and unique DX stations in free contesting and VHF, and working together to overcome propagation impairments and reunite lost grids.
— Simultaneously, gradually uncover the truth about "Moon Shot" (heavy fog).
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