Other parts in this series:
Part Two: https://tauntonarc.blogspot.com/2026/05/tackling-microwave-bands-part-two.html
Part Three: https://tauntonarc.blogspot.com/2026/05/tackling-microwave-bands-part-three.html
One of our members, G7BEH, recently got started on the microwave bands. In a bid to help others get started, David tells us about the process of getting on to the 3cm band.
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| New equipment for G7BEH... |
If there's one thing that comes highly recommend, it's finding someone as a mentor... using the 10GHz band is quite unlike trying to make contacts on HF!
"I've long wanted to try out the microwave bands and finally, after many years, I got my opportunity" says David. It came in the form of an older system (late '90's?) consisting of a transverter, PA, receive pre-amplifier, power supply unit, OCXO (oven controlled crystal oscillator) and dish. "All I needed to do was add the 2m radio to drive it" he adds.
It seems that many radio amateurs don't venture on to the microwave bands, which is a shame, as it offers some amazing opportunities that don't exist at HF - reflecting signals off of masts, making contacts by scattering the signal via the rain, are just two examples.
What is clear, is that you can't just get on the radio and call CQ, there's a little bit of work to do beforehand and whilst you're trying to make that contact. So, here's a brief introduction to getting started on the microwave bands - concentrating on 10GHz to start with.
Beacons
"In all the years I've been licenced, I'd never really 'got' the thing about listening to beacons!" says David. "Now I understand...". Listening out for beacons is a good introduction into what the band is capable of and even if you don't have any equipment, listening to the Wessex websdr is a very good start.
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| The Wessex websdr on 10GHz |
The image above shows the strongest beacon being received at the websdr - GB3SCX - and to the left of it, the GB3KBQ beacon. When the propagation really kicks in (tropospheric ducting) signals from France and The Netherlands, as well as across the UK can be heard.
It's possible to set up your own receive system very simply. G7BEH uses an old 60cm Sky dish and LNB pointing North(ish) and up about 15 degrees to receive rainscatter signals. The LNB feeds into a bias-T to provide it with the +12v, and then on into the SDR dongle. "It's very basic and I have made some minor improvements to aid frequency stability, but as a starter, you don't need to do that - just leave the LNB powered up long enough to stabilise as much as possible", David says. "Initially I didn't even bother trying to decode the beacons, just spotting them on the waterfall and listening to the CW ident was interesting enough - especially when receiving them via rainscatter".
In the next part of this series, we'll take a look at some useful software to support working the microwave bands.
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