"A brief history of early 432 MHz. activity in Florence"

 

EME activity in Florence goes back quite a long time. Apart from some previous speculative interest,the first attempts date back to the WA6LET experiments using the Stanford dish in 1974/75,on 144 and 432 MHz.

At that time, I5MSH already owned an 11 meter AZ/EL steerable dish, built for commercial purposes and located in downtown Florence, not an ideal location for a quiet electrical environment.

But Piero Moroni, I5TDJ, decided it was worth a try, and arranged for the use of the dish. After building illuminators for the two bands and making ready for the test, signals were detected on both, but, as was to be expected, they were much louder on 432. The initial EME QSO from Italy was made on 432 with PA0SSB, followed by several others, on Nov.21,1975. It was then decided to continue on that band, with the help of other enthusiasts, among them I5MSH and I5CTE. Roberto, I5KRD was also a great help with lab equipment he contributed. A number of LNA’s were built, using the technology of those days, first with silicon transistors (BFR91 and later NE645), then with GAASFets (V244,etc.) as soon as they became available (and affordable).

The I5MSH dish had a gain of approximately 27 Dbd on 432, and, on an average day, the sun noise level read anywhere between 13 and 18 Db. We succeeded in getting I8CVS, in Naples, interested and he was soon active with 16 F9FT yagis, until he lost his antenna system in a storm some three years later.

Activity went on at I5MSH on EME weekends and contests, until the dish was dismantled in the early 90’s to make room for several satellite TV dishes for commercial use.

Piero then put together a group of four modified DL9KR yagis and continued to be active from his home to the end of his life in 2001;at that time he was in the initial stages of making the transition to 1296.

Other stations active on 70 cms. in the late seventies and eighties from the Florence area, were I5CTE and IK5WJD. They still operate on EME.

 

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