The Lunar Smart Beacon is an undergoing project started in 2016. The aim of this project is to provide to the HAM EME radio community C band signals that will be bounced back from the Moon.
Today (mid-May 2016) we are building a first version of the beacon. This version will transmit at pre-defined dates a CW message containing the call-sign [préciser] and some additional information [préciser]. It will also be able to receive its own echoes from the Moon for purpose of EME demonstrations.
The beacon includes a transceiver operating at 432 MHz, an automatic key which generates the message, a transverter with output at 5760 MHz and a modified 20W SSPA . The RF signal is fed to the antenna horn through a low-loss coax and a waveguide.
Future versions will include additional functionalities [préciser]. Among other interesting applications, we consider the measurement of the Earth-Moon distance in real time.
