Amateurfunk am Radio Telescope

International amateur radio at the radio telescope

DLØEF (“Delta Lima Zero Echo Foxtrott”) has been the international call sign for the amateur radio club station at the Astropeiler Stockert since the founding of the club.

This is not unusual, as for example, the radio amateurs of the world-famous Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico with its fixed 305-meter mirror also used the amateur radio call sign KP4AO. Our neighboring 25-meter radio telescope Dwingeloo in the Netherlands is active with the amateur radio call sign PI9CAM.

While radio technology in radio astronomy serves exclusively for scientific research, amateur radio is a worldwide radio service. The fascination with radio waves and their possibilities is the bridge between radio technologies for a group of radio astronomy interested club radio amateurs.

The club station DLØEF is affiliated with the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC), local chapter Gemünd/Eifel (G22). The main activities of the radio amateurs at the radio observatory are focused on radio contests (contests), the maintenance of the historic Morse code (CW), electronics tinkering, and courses to prepare for the professional exam for amateur radio (amateur radio license). Within the framework of radio technical and operational possibilities, they experiment with high-quality high-frequency measurement technology, as well as with the existing radio astronomical receiving and transmitting options, and accompany and support (field day) visitors from interested radio clubs. They are part of the public relations work of the Astropeiler and are active on the regional amateur radio repeater DBØSE (438.95 MHz).

In the nearby Sonnenhaus, a shortwave and a VHF station are available. A Windom antenna for 160 m, 80 m, 40 m, and 30 m, and a 3-element beam for 20 m, 15 m, and 10 m are used as KW antennas. For 2 m, 2 x 11 element and for 70 cm 2 x 19 element Yagis are available. We gladly make this station available to radio amateurs upon request for a fee.

Although the site of the observatory (QTH locator: JO30IN) is largely surrounded by trees, if you go beyond that (e.g., with a telescoping mast) or use profitable antennas, the Stockert with its 434 meters above sea level is a very good location for field days on VHF, especially for northern antenna directions. Therefore, we gladly provide a suitable field upon request, toilets, and electricity if desired. However, the highlight of local amateur radio use lies in Earth-Moon-Earth connections (EME).

On the technical recreational level, radio astronomy is traditionally associated with the amateur radio service. However, radio astronomical activities always take precedence over amateur radio. Therefore, the 10-meter telescope is also used for other celestial observations, and temporary restrictions for actively transmitting radio amateurs may arise during sensitive radio measurements at the Stockert.