My 10GHz receiving setup is still very simple.
Consisting of a modified LNB at 4m height (better frequency stability because the reference oscillator for the PLL is inside the living room). No dish or additional horn antenna. Indoors the signal is fed to a AR-8600 receiver receiving the IF of 618MHz.
With this simple setup I can hear 2 beacons, OZ7IGY at 26km and OZ9GHZ at 36km distance.
Most of the time OZ7IGY is quite weak (S2 or so) due to the landscape blocking the reception, but either tropo-scatter or reflections on high voltage lines/masts provide this signal.
When we have rain, even light rain, the signals are enhanced, sometimes up to S7 or so.
This winter I have also seen snow scatter. It sounds much like rain scatter.
When I get a better system up and running, directional (horn or dish) antenna, and a transverter, I will have to see what can be heard and possibly contacted further away. Even if my location is not very good, I suspect that some QSOs would be possible with the 2W amplifier I plan to use. Because of visibility, I do net expect to work with a big (1m) dish up in the air, so I will have to see what can be done with less. Some directions will be OK at my location, others will be very difficult, but using scatter events I should be able to do a little.
I suspect that my first 2-way tests should be made with a 17 - 20dB horn antenna. Not ideal, but one step at a time.
For monitoring the band I may set up a box with 2 or 3 LNBs (switchable) with SDR back-end, for wide angle monitoring of beacons and activity on the band.
