The East Coast VHF Society's

History of the Society

"The REALLY BIG Dish"
or
"How to make your neighbors think you're nuts"

(I think they're building some sort of spaceship!)

(I heard something about goin' to the MOON!)

In looking around through some old pictures that had something to do with the late 50's & early 60's - around the time of the founding of the East Coast VHF Society, I came across the following piece of memorabilia...

During the summer of 1960 Allen (K2UYH) and myself (K2SMN) were discussing what to do for the summer. Allen wanted to experiment with something that had become a hot topic - bouncing signals off the moon! I offered my help, and we decided to build a large parabolic dish in my back yard. It took the whole summer, with help from others, to get the thing built. We even dug a large hole and buried a 6 inch piece of heavy steel pipe deep into the ground with a few tons of cement, etc. It took most of the fathers in the neighborhood to help us get this thing mounted on the pipe. It was one of the most beautiful sights you ever saw. We mounted a center mast and a feed for 432 Mhz. We had gotten a loan from a company called "Tapetone" of a 432 converter for 144 Mhz. We were getting great results with sun noise measurements! Then school started (our senior year) and we were looking forward to actually getting a transmitter going and trying for the first two-way on 432 via moonbounce. At the time we built this 30 foot dish, it was the largest dish ever built by anyone other than the government. Alas, that fall brought hurricane "Donna", and when it hit, it took the dish down and crushed it like an eggshell. It actually bent the 6 inch (1/2 inch wall) steel pipe!

(From "Verona-Cedar Grove Times", September 1, 1960)

Radio "Ham" Roger Amidon inspects the 30 foot antenna which he built with Allen Katz this summer. Employing the same principles used in constructing "solar ovens," the parabola-type device is expected to bounce a signal off the moon which will be picked up by a fellow "ham" in Hawaii within a few days. The antenna is believed to be the largest in the world made by amateurs. (Staff Photo.) Note the Hallicrafters S-38D sitting on the ladder...

(From "The Newark Evening News", that same week)

Calling Hawaii, Via Moon

Ham Radio Operator Hopes to Bounce Signal
Off Planet Through Giant Antenna.

Neighbors scratched their heads when they saw Roger Amidon of 74 Derwent Ave. attempting to build a strange looking device in his backyard this Summer. Small wonder since the contraption as work progressed took on the semblance of a gadget out of science-fiction. Roger and a group of friends were seen measuring and cutting bundles of chicken wire, aluminum pipe, and pieces of wood which were meticulously fitted together to finally form a giant parabola antenna, 30-foot in diameter. As the Summer wore on, Roger's helpers gradually lost interest and he was left with Allen Katz of Cumberland Ave. as his only assistant. Within a day or two, Roger and Allen hope to bounce a radio signal off the moon which will be picked up in ... (continued on Page 11)

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