I will be purchasing two Honda EU2200i generators to power the EME station when operating portable. They will be linked in parallel for powering the 1kW amplifier on 70cm. The generators will be purchased at the Home Depot in Guam and transported by cargo ship to Saipan because there are no quality inverter generators for sale here. It will take 1 - 4 weeks for the generators to arrive from Guam.
On
the mainland you simply go to a Home Depot & one hour later a shiny
new generator is running in your backyard. Procuring almost anything is a challenge when living on a small rock in the western Pacific.
The EU2200i is the industry standard generator for amateur radio applications. Go to any Field Day site and you are bound to see at least one. RF wise they are quiet but I've heard stories of some 'generating' (so to say) RF hash.
Here's an interesting article on how to cure inverter generator RF hash. This study offers solutions which are more in depth than simply wrapping a few ferrites around an extension cord.
Why use generators to operate portable when I can just head out my back door & be on the moon in a few minutes?
The Island of Saipan:
The area above the red line has no homes, businesses or electricity. It's dead silent from the RF QRM of Saipan. The north end is cut off from the rest of the island by Mount Tapochau. At 1,555' (474m) Mt. Tapochau probably shields the north end from undesirable RF emitted from the rest of Saipan. Call it natures own Faraday cage.
Let's take a closer look at this noise free area:
No electricity, businesses or homes means no noisy wall warts, plasma TV's, solar panels, grow lights or other RF polluting garbage. It's paradise for operating HF & I occasionally operate KH0W/m from there. Nothing but ocean between Saipan and Japan or California.
The view looking down into the valley from the top of Suicide Cliff.
Moonrise at the portable EME operating location. The wind is usually mild to non-existent. This is important when using a 2.4 meter folding dish.
Moonset is just as good.





