Arecibo dish

Back in 1964 (corrected - thanks John!), the amateur community benefited from 2m and 70cm EME QSOs using the huge dish in Puerto Rico usually used for astronomy research. At the time it was the biggest radio telescope in the world. Many people managed EME QSOs that would have been impossible with smaller antennas.

Sadly the antenna collapsed and will not be rebuilt.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_Observatory.

Huge EME dish going

Back in the mid 1960s, the huge dish at Arecibo, Puerto Rico was used for amateur EME experiments. As the gain was so large, this gave more modest stations a chance "via the moon". Sadly the dish was badly damaged in a storm and it is to be decommissioned according to a piece in Southgate News. FT8 and other digital modes have opened up EME to others now, but this is sad news.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/november/arecibo-dish-to-be-decommissioned.htm#.X7fYl2iTLrc

Arecibo dish disaster

Earlier, I read that one of the supports holding the large Arecibo dish in the Caribbean had broken. The main use of this 50 year dish radio telescope was for research by the University of Florida. Until this dish is repaired (no mean task) no work can carry on.

Back in the 1960s, this dish was used for amateur 70cm EME tests. Because of its huge size, it allowed access to EME QSOs not possible at the time with more modest stations. It appeared on the cover of the RSGB Bulletin. I think this was 1965.

See https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/arecibo-radio-telescope-goes-dark-after-snapped-cable-shreds-dish

Arecibo EME in 1964?

Way back in my youth, I recall that USA amateurs got access to the huge 1000 foot dish at Arecibo in Puerto Rico for early EME (moonbounce) tests. This was extensively reported in QST and the RSGB Bulletin at the time. I think this was 1964 or 1965.  As the dish was huge, it gave smaller stations a chance with EME. EME started soon after WW2 I believe but for many this was their first chance.

In more recent times there have been other activations. EME takes real dedication but recent advances in digital techniques have made EME more accessible to smaller stations. It still needs a lot more power and antenna gain than I have!  Some of these activations are on YouTube.  See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1agnioRKJw .