EME (Moonbounce) Latest Topics

thinking about getting into EME, where do you even start

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:02:42 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 4 years now and somewhere along the way i fell down a rabbit hole watching videos of people doing moonbounce contacts and now i cant stop thinking about it. i know its a massive undertaking equipment wise but i genuinely dont know where the starting point is supposed to be.

from what i can gather you need a big dish or yagi array, a seriously low noise preamp right at the feedpoint, and high power — like were talking legal limit or close to it on most bands. i keep seeing people mention 2m EME being the most common starting point but then some guys are doing it on 70cm which seems even harder? and then theres the digital modes like JT65 which apparently changed everything because you dont need nearly as much antenna as you used to for cw eme.

my current setup is pretty modest, i have a 7 element yagi for 2m and a 100w amp which i know is laughably small for this but i just want to understand the realistic floor for making any contacts at all. is there a minimum setup that actually works with JT65B or whatever the current mode is, or am i looking at a complete rebuild of my station before i even try pointing at the moon

finally serious about EME, what am i actually getting into here

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 19:01:40 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 8 years, mostly HF stuff and some weak signal VHF but i keep coming back to the idea of doing EME properly. i did a few contacts years ago with a buddy's setup but never on my own gear. starting to think seriously about building toward it.

the thing is every time i start researching i get overwhelmed pretty fast. like i know the basics, signal goes up hits the moon comes back, round trip path loss is absolutely brutal, you're looking at like 252 dB or something on 2m. thats just an insane number to wrap your head around. but then i see guys working EME with 4 yagis and 1500 watts and it seems doable, and then someone else is talking about needing a dish the size of a small shed and i dont know where reality is anymore.

im thinking 2m to start since thats where most of the activity seems to be. i have a tower with a couple yagis up for terrestrial weak signal work already. current setup is 2x M2 2M5WL yagis stacked, about 400w at the feedpoint, sequencer, good coax. is that anywhere close to enough to even hear anything on EME let alone make contacts, or am i kidding myself. running WSJT-X for JT65 pretty regularly so at least that part isnt new to me.

finally thinking about getting into EME, where do i even start

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 15:04:26 +0000

so ive been a ham for about 12 years now mostly HF stuff, some 2m weak signal, and a buddy of mine at the club keeps going on about EME and how he worked like 40 countries last year just bouncing signals off the moon and i guess im finally curious enough to actually look into it seriously

the problem is every time i try to read up on it i get lost pretty fast. like i understand the basic concept obviously, signal goes up hits the moon comes back down, but the link budget math gets confusing when people start throwing around path losses of 250+ dB and im trying to figure out what that actually means in terms of what i need on the ground to make it work

right now i have a decent IC-9700 and a pair of M2 2m yagis stacked, running maybe 200w out, no preamp yet. is that anywhere close to enough to even hear anything or am i dreaming. ive seen people say you need a big dish or a huge yagi array and then other guys claim to work EME with like 4 yagis which sounds insane to me. also how does JT65 change the picture because i gather thats basically what everyone uses now

sorry if this is a dumb question, i know its a rabbit hole

finally got serious about EME — what am i actually getting into here

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:04:43 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 8 years and done a fair bit of DX on HF but lately ive been obsessed with the idea of doing EME on 2m. i know its a rabbit hole and ive been reading everything i can but theres a gap between reading about it and actually understanding what i need to get started without just throwing money at a wall.

my current 2m setup is just a pair of M2 2M5 yagis on a small az/el mount, running about 400w into them. i know thats pretty modest for EME but ive seen people claim you can work stations with JT65 and a single yagi if conditions are right and the other station is running a big array. is that actually realistic or is it one of those things people say but dont really mean

also the noise floor thing confuses me a bit — i understand you want as low a noise figure as possible at the preamp but how much does that actually matter in practice if the sky noise at moonrise is already elevated. like is going from a 0.5dB NF preamp to a 0.3dB NF preamp actually going to matter or is it splitting hairs at that point

any of you who've actually done EME contacts would appreciate hearing what your first contact was like and what you were running

finally thinking about getting into EME — where do I even start with the equipment

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:38:17 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and done a fair amount of HF DX and some weak signal VHF stuff on 2m and 70cm but EME has always been kind of this mythical thing in the background that i figured was way out of reach for a normal guy with a suburban lot. lately though ive been reading more about it and it seems like the JT65 and now Q65 modes have kind of changed what the minimum viable station looks like? at least thats the impression im getting.

my question is basically what does a realistic entry level EME setup actually need to look like on 2m. ive got a IC-9700 already which i know is pretty capable on weak signal stuff. is the main limitation just antenna gain at that point or is the low noise preamp situation also critical. i keep seeing people say you need at least a pair of yagis minimum but then i also see guys claiming single yagi contacts with the big guns on the other end. how much of that is real and how much is people being generous with the definition of a contact

also is there any particular time of year or moon position where it gets significantly easier. i know the path loss changes somewhat with perigee vs apogee but i dont have a great feel for how much that actually matters in practice. anyway just trying to figure out if this is something i can realistically attempt without tearing up my backyard

finally trying to get into EME, where do i even start with equipment

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:15:51 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and mostly do HF stuff, some 2m weak signal when conditions are good but ive always been fascinated by EME. watched a few videos and read some stuff but the equipment requirements seem kind of all over the place depending on who you ask.

my current setup is a yaesu ft-991a and i have a 5 element yagi for 2m that i built last summer. i know thats almost certainly not gonna cut it for moonbounce but i dont really know what the minimum viable setup looks like. i see people talking about running 4 yagi arrays and kilowatt amplifiers and then other guys claiming they worked the moon on like a single long yagi with 100w which honestly sounds made up to me.

also the software side confuses me a bit, i know WSJT-X is involved but i see references to JT65A specifically for EME vs other modes and im not sure what the current consensus is on that. any pointers would be appreciated, dont need to be hand-held just point me in a direction

finally seriously looking at EME — what does a realistic starter setup actually need?

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:02:42 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 8 years and done a decent amount of HF DX but EME has always been this kind of mythical thing in the back of my head that i figured was only for guys with huge arrays and a dedicated building for equipment. recently talked to a guy at a hamfest who said he worked a handful of stations on 2m EME with a single yagi and 200 watts which kind of blew my mind a little.

now im actually trying to figure out what a realistic entry point looks like. i have a IC-9700 already so the radio side is mostly handled i think, and i could put up maybe a 9 or 11 element yagi on a decent az/el mount without the neighbors losing their minds. is that even enough to work anyone or am i just going to be listening to noise for months. also the low noise preamp situation confuses me — everyone says its critical but i dont know if we're talking like 0.3dB NF or if anything under 1dB is fine. and do i need a sequencer for a modest setup like this or is that more important when you're running higher power.

mostly want to do digital, JT65 i assume, not expecting to ragchew on moonbounce obviously but even making a handful of contacts would be incredible to me. any pointers appreciated, even if the answer is 'you need more antenna than that'

First EME attempt - minimum setup for 144 MHz moonbounce?

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:02:46 +0000

Looking to take the plunge into EME on 2m after years of terrestrial VHF work. Currently running an IC-9700 with about 100W output, and have space for maybe 4x17 element yagis. Seeing conflicting info online - some sources suggest 80-100W with modest antennas can work with digital modes, while others mention needing kilowatt stations. What's the realistic minimum for making first contact? Particularly interested in Q65 since it seems optimized for EME. Located in central US with decent clear horizon - any elmer guidance appreciated!

first EME attempt - what am I actually getting myself into here

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:29:06 +0000

so ive been on HF for about 6 years now and lately ive been getting really interested in trying EME on 2m. i know the basics conceptually, signal goes up, bounces off the moon, comes back down, path loss is insane, you need either a big dish or a yagi array, and everyone uses JT65B or Q65 now. but actually sitting down and figuring out what i need to do a first contact is kind of overwhelming.

right now i have a IC-9700 which i know is popular for weak signal stuff, and a single 9el yagi on a push-up mast that i use for local ssb. is that even in the ballpark or am i way off? i see guys talking about stacked arrays of like 4x9 or 4x11 el yagis and moonbounce dishes and i dont know if thats what you NEED or if thats what the serious guys run. also is there a minimum power level or is it really just about the antenna gain?

any pointers would be appreciated, i feel like ive been reading about this for months and still feel lost

finally trying EME, what am I actually getting into here

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:23:36 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 12 years and done a fair bit of DX on HF but a buddy of mine at the club keeps going on about EME and honestly i always thought it was for guys with like 10 element yagis and a NASA budget but he's telling me the digital modes have changed things a lot. im mostly a 2m operator and have a pretty decent station, running about 200w into a single 9 element yagi right now which i know is basically nothing for this but curious how far off i really am.

i guess my main question is what's the realistic minimum to actually make contacts, not just hear someone occasionally but actually complete a QSO. ive read some stuff that says JT65B changed everything but that was written like 10 years ago so not sure if Q65 is the thing now or what. and is there any point even trying 2m or should i look at 23cm where i hear the path loss is actually worse so that probably answers itself.

also does antenna polarization matter as much as people say or is that one of those things that sounds important in theory but you compensate with power anyway

First EME attempt - need help with minimal 2M setup requirements

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:39:43 +0000

I've been running a decent 2M tropo setup for years (single 17-element Yagi, IC-9700, 200W) and want to try EME. JT65 with about 80W using a 12-15 dBi Yagi works well for EME according to what I've read, but I'm seeing conflicting info on digital modes.

Current setup: horizontal 17-el at 15m, can't elevate but moon passes 10-20° above horizon regularly. Single Yagi pointing to horizon allows EME contacts till Moon is 15-18 degrees above horizon. Should I stick with JT65B or move to Q65? What's the real-world minimum for first contact attempts?

finally thinking about trying EME, where do i even start with this

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:08:11 +0000

so ive been a licensed ham for about 6 years now and mostly do HF stuff, some 2m SSB when conditions are good, but ive always been kind of obsessed with the idea of EME. bouncing signals off the moon just sounds insane to me and i want to try it before i get too old to climb towers lol

the thing is i dont really know where to start in terms of gear. ive seen people say you need a massive yagi array and a kilowatt and a really low noise preamp and all this stuff, but then i also see people talking about JT65 and working EME with like a single yagi? which is it, is there a realistic minimum setup or are those single yagi guys just super lucky

right now i have an IC-9700 which i know is decent for weak signal work, and i have a 9 element M2 yagi thats mostly used for satellite. feedline is about 40 feet of LMR-400. is any of that usable as a starting point or am i basically starting from scratch for EME

any input from people actually doing this would be great, im not in a hurry just trying to understand the scope of what im looking at

finally trying to get into EME — what am i actually getting myself into here

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 18:03:15 +0000

so ive been licensed about 6 years now and done a fair bit of HF stuff, some meteor scatter on 6m, and i keep seeing people talk about EME and honestly it just sounds insane to me in the best possible way. bouncing signals off the moon. like what even is that.

anyway i started reading into it more seriously over the past few months and i guess my question is what does a realistic entry-level setup actually look like these days. i keep seeing people say you need a massive dish or like a 4x4 yagi array and a kilowatt and some kind of low noise preamp right at the feedpoint and honestly it sounds like it costs as much as a car. is that still true or has the digital mode stuff (JT65 i assume?) changed that at all. i have a pretty solid station already, running about 500w on 2m with a pair of M2 yagis stacked, and a decent SSB rig. wondering if thats even close to usable or if im way off base.

also curious how you even find people to work, like is there a specific calling frequency or do people schedule these things in advance. sorry if this is basic stuff, i just dont want to spend a ton of time going down the wrong rabbit hole before i at least understand what im dealing with.

finally thinking about getting into EME — where do you even start with this

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 15:59:23 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and mostly do HF stuff, some 2m SSB when the band opens up, but ive always been kind of obsessed with the idea of moonbounce. like bouncing a signal off the actual moon is just insane to me and i want to try it before i get too old to build all the hardware lol

the problem is every time i start reading about it i get completely overwhelmed. some guys say you need a massive array and a kilowatt minimum, other guys are talking about doing JT65 contacts with a single yagi and like 100 watts. i dont know who to believe. i have a decent 2m setup already — ic-9700, a pair of M2 2M5WL yagis stacked, and a good preamp at the feedline. az/el rotor is already on the list because i know i need that

mainly wondering if anyone here has actually done EME with modest gear and what kind of results you got. is it worth building toward or is it one of those things where you really do need the big guns to work anyone meaningful

finally trying to get into EME, where do i even start with equipment

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:41:44 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and done a fair bit of HF work, some weak signal VHF stuff on 2m, but EME has always been this thing on the back of my mind that seems completely out of reach and i dont really know why i keep putting it off. i think part of it is i genuinely dont know if my setup is even close to viable.

right now i have a 7 element yagi for 2m and a solid preamp, running about 200 watts out of an old Kenwood. from what ive read youre basically looking at needing a big dish or a yagi array to make contacts but ive also seen people claim they worked the moon with modest setups using JT65B or whatever the current mode is. so whats actually realistic here. do i need to go full 4x11 element array or can i squeak by with what i have for at least a first contact, even if its only with the big guns on the other end doing all the heavy lifting

also the EME delay thing, does the software handle that automatically or is that something you have to manually account for. i know the signal takes a little over 2 seconds round trip and i assume WSJT-X knows about this but im not totally sure

finally trying to get into EME, not sure where to even start with the antenna situation

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 09:44:44 +0000

so ive been reading about EME for probably two years now and i keep putting it off because the antenna requirements always scared me off. running about 500w on 2m right now with a pretty decent yagi setup for terrestrial stuff but i know thats nowhere near enough for moonbounce. been looking at the WSJT-X digital modes since i know JT65 is basically what everyone uses for this now and that helps a lot with the weak signal side of things but im still fuzzy on whether a single long yagi is ever going to cut it or if i absolutely need to go array.

the path loss numbers are just absurd when you actually sit down and calculate them, like 250+ dB round trip is not something i was prepared for when i first looked into this. i get that the moon is a terrible reflector too, only bouncing back like 7% of what hits it or something like that. so between the path loss and the inefficiency of the moon itself you need a ton of EIRP and a really low noise figure on receive.

current setup is a 17 element yagi at about 40 feet, preamp is a down east microwave unit right at the feedpoint which i think is around 0.5 dB NF, and the 500w solid state amp. is there any realistic path to making contacts with this or am i just kidding myself until i build a 4-bay array

finally trying to get into EME, what am i actually getting myself into here

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 06:25:14 +0000

so ive been on HF for about 8 years now and done a fair bit of VHF contesting, mostly 2m and 6m, and the EME thing has always been in the back of my mind as like the ultimate challenge. i finally started reading more seriously about it and honestly i feel like im looking at a completely different hobby at this point.

im on 2m, running a single 9 element yagi right now which i know is basically nothing for EME but i figured id ask what the realistic minimum looks like these days. i keep reading about people doing it with 4 yagis and a decent preamp but then other people say youre gonna sit there hearing nothing for hours. is JT65B still the go-to mode or has that shifted, i see some mention of Q65 now and im not totally sure what the difference means practically.

also the az/el rotator situation is kind of daunting. my current setup is az only and i know i need to add elevation but the mast situation at my house is gonna make that a real project. anyone done EME with like a marginal station and actually made contacts, or is it basically just the big gun guys working each other most of the time

finally trying to get into EME, have no idea where to start equipment wise

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 07:59:48 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and worked a ton of HF stuff, some 6m sporadic-e, even dabbled in meteor scatter on JT65B but EME has always been this kind of mythical thing to me. figured id finally try to get serious about it but honestly the more i read the more overwhelmed i get.

right now im thinking 2m EME as a starting point since thats where most of the activity seems to be and theres a lot more station density for initial contacts. i have a decent yagi situation i could build on — currently running a pair of M2 2M5WL for a terrestrial moonbounce setup and access to a legal limit amp (ACOM 1010) so the power side is probably okay. but from what i can tell the antenna gain is going to be my bottleneck, like way more so than power.

path loss on 2m EME is what, around 252 dB? i keep seeing people say you really want at least 4 yagis to have a reasonable shot at working other stations without them needing a giant array on their end too. is that actually true or can i squeak by with 2 long yagis and good digital modes? im running WSJT-X with JT65B capability already so the software side isnt totally foreign to me. mainly just wondering what the realistic minimum viable setup looks like these days with Q65 in the picture

finally trying to get into EME, where do i even start with the antenna side

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 01:19:27 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and done a fair bit of HF DX but a buddy of mine at the club just did his first moonbounce QSO on 2m and now i cant stop thinking about it. i know its a massive undertaking and the path loss is insane, somewhere around 250dB if i remember right, but the idea of bouncing a signal off the moon and having someone hear it on the other side of the world is just... i dunno it hits different than a normal pile-up.

anyway im trying to figure out the antenna situation first because i know thats usually the biggest limiting factor. i have room for something decent in the backyard, maybe a 4-yagi array if i push it. i see a lot of guys running 4x9el or 4x12el setups on 144 MHz, is that the realistic minimum to actually make contacts these days or do you need more. and is the H-frame vs X-frame mounting thing a real performance difference or just aesthetics. also running a single large yagi and just doing JT65 EME contacts, is that even feasible anymore or is it a waste of time trying.

i know i have a lot of questions, i just want to make sure i go in with a reasonable understanding before i start spending money on this stuff

Q65 vs JT65 performance comparison - real world EME results

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:33:15 +0000

Recent tests suggest Q65 has several advantages over JT65 for EME, with better performance on very weak signals and potentially replacing JT65 for moonbounce work. Q65 offers variable T/R sequence lengths and tone spacings specifically optimized for EME and other weak signal applications. The new MAP65/QMAP software provides automatic polarization-matched reception across 90 kHz sub-bands for both modes. Looking for input from operators who've made side-by-side comparisons. Are we seeing the migration from JT65B to Q65 that was predicted? Reports indicate Q65 can decode down to -28dB S/N ratio.

First EME contact using 80W + single 12dBi Yagi - advice needed

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:33:35 +0000

After reading about successful 70cm EME contacts using just 80W and a 12-15 dBi Yagi with JT65, I'm considering taking the plunge. Currently have an IC-9700 and could build a modest 70cm Yagi setup. Recent advances in digital signal processing have allowed EME contacts to take place with powers in the order of 100 watts and a single Yagi. What's the minimum viable setup for my first moonbounce contact? Should I start with 2m or 70cm for best results?

Q65 vs JT65 for 70cm EME - performance comparison needed

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:21 +0000

WSJT-X documentation recommends Q65-60B at 432 MHz for EME, but I see many stations still using JT65B. Running 4x17el array with 1kW and want to optimize for weak signal work. Technical question: What's the actual sensitivity difference between these modes? Q65 uses 1/3 the bandwidth of JT65B and numerical signal reports, but does this translate to real-world performance gains on 70cm EME?

finally trying to get into EME, completely lost on where to start

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:12:18 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 6 years now and done a fair bit of HF DX but someone at the club meeting last month got me really interested in EME and now i cant stop reading about it. the thing is the more i read the more overwhelmed i get because it seems like you either need this massive yagi array or youre just not gonna make any contacts at all.

my current setup is a 100w rig and i have a decent sized yard so antenna wise i have some flexibility. i was looking at 2m EME as a starting point since thats where most of the activity seems to be but im not sure if a single long yagi even has a shot at working anyone or if i need to go full dish situation. also whats the deal with JT65 vs the older CW EME contacts, is JT65 pretty much the only realistic mode for smaller stations now? and if anyone has actually made EME contacts i would love to hear what the bare minimum setup looked like on your end.

finally trying to get into EME, where do i even start with the antenna side

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:19:40 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 8 years now and done a lot of HF stuff, some VHF contesting, but EME has always seemed kind of like this mythical thing that only guys with massive arrays in their backyard could do. recently started reading more about it and apparently single yagi EME is actually a thing now? at least on 2m with the weak signal digital modes.

my current setup is a single 9el yagi for 2m pointed fixed at the horizon for local stuff, obviously thats not gonna cut it for moonbounce. from what i can tell i need at minimum a longer boom yagi or maybe a pair of them, a decent preamp right at the feedpoint, and then running JT65 through WSJT-X. my radio is an IC-9700 so that part should be okay i think.

what i cant figure out is the practical minimum. like is a single long yagi like a 15 or 17 element actually going to get me any contacts or am i just wasting time chasing the moon with no real chance. the prop delay and doppler are handled by the software right? i feel like im missing something obvious about the timing or the moon tracking side of things

finally trying to get into EME, have no idea where to start with the antenna situation

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:09:11 +0000

so ive been licensed for about 12 years and mostly do HF stuff, some 2m weak signal when conditions are good, but ive always wanted to try moonbounce and i think im finally at a point where i could actually put something together for it. problem is every time i start reading about it i get overwhelmed pretty fast.

right now i have a pair of M2 2M5WL yagis that i use for terrestrial weak signal and occasional aurora stuff. from what i understand thats nowhere near enough gain for EME on 2m, most people seem to be running arrays of 4 or even 8 yagis plus running legal limit. is that pretty much the minimum or are there guys making contacts with smaller setups these days? i know JT65 changed everything but im not sure exactly how much it changed the antenna requirements.

also the preamp situation confuses me a bit, i know you want the lowest possible noise figure right at the feedpoint but im not sure what people are actually using. ive seen references to MGF1302 based preamps and also some of the newer PHEMT stuff. any thoughts on what actually works well here would be appreciated, im not in a huge rush just trying to understand what a realistic entry level EME setup looks like in 2024