Moonbounce - What's that?

The technical and operating challenge!

Earth-Moon-Earth communication, also known as "moonbounce" is (was?) one of the most fascinatig parts of our hobby. The concept is simple: the moon is used as a passive reflector for VHF, UHF and SHF signals. With a total path length of about 800.000 km EME is the ultimate DX.

EME activity is (was?) primarily a CW mode. However, improvements in station equipment now allow the best-equipped stations to make SSB contacts under the right conditions.

Regardless of the transmission mode successful EME operating requires...

• Power output as close to the legal limit as possible.


• A good-sized antenna array. Arrays of 4, 8, 16 or more Yagis are common as well as large parabolic dish antennas.


• Accurate azimuth and elevation tracking.


• Minimal transmission line losses.


• The best possible receiving equipment, generally a receiver with a low system noise figure and a low-noise preamplifier mounted at the antenna.


• And finally very good ears...