6m EME information : A35RS Tonga : Grid AG28 : 14 until 26 May 2026

Equipment: IC-705 >> HB LDMOS PA >> 20m 10D-FB coax >> HB 8 element Yagi with elevation to 60 degrees

Mode: Q65-60A with A35RS TX even/1st at 1500Hz. 'Q65 Pileup' QSO format will be used to speed up the EME QSOs. The Grid is AG28.
Reliable Internet should be available (a Starlink Mini terminal) to arrange a QRN-free frequency and confirm QRV times via the ON4KST EME Chat.
Please let me know 'live' via the ON4KST EME Chat if you have QRN on the frequency in use so we can consider QSY to a clear one.

Antenna: This trip will use a new 8 element 6m Yagi ... a light-weight version of the low noise wideband DG7YBN 6m Yagi used at home for several years. This design has more gain than my previous Yagi and a directly fed 50 Ohm driven element eliminating the old Yagi's impedance transformer and a connector set (less loss). The feed line has also been upgraded with lower loss coax. In theory an overall improvement of nearly 1dB over my previous 6m DXpedition package.

Operating site: A remote/rural QTH with 'take off' across flat fertile farm land and no obstructions from MR to MS (except scattered coconut trees). The Yagi has elevation to 60 degrees to take advantage of the NA MS 'window'. Here are the simulated radiation patterns over 'fertile ground' with the expected 'ground gain enhancement' at MR and MS. Note the well suppressed minor lobes in both the Vertical plane and Horizontal plane which should enhance the RX side ...

Donations supporting this DXpedition are gratefully accepted via (ZL1RS@yahoo.com)

Confirmations of successful EME QSOs: A colour picture QSL will be sent through the mail to all 6m EME stations who make a successful two-way EME contact (thanks, but I don't need a card in return). The cards will be sent to the address on QRZ.com ... but if there is no address there, a card will not be sent. The EME QSO confirmation will also be uploaded to LoTW. Donors will also receive a QSL card and LoTW confirmation of any ionospheric QSOs made.

Echo testing the DXpedition Yagi:

Echo testing 2026-05-08 at 21 UTC with EME path degradation of 4.2dB and no ground gain (obviously) ... EME echo returns using WSJT-X Echo test mode were coming and going with QSB, but periodically were up to -24dB and visible on the waterfall. Note that there was 20m of extra feedline to reach the shack and I wasn't running "full power", so the echo test returns from the actual DXpedition station should be about 2dB stronger. The photo shows that some alignment of D3 and D4 is still required ...

Return to the primary A35RS DXpedition information at QRZ.com