[AK-VHF] Why VHF+ is FUN!

[Edward R. Cole]

I recently heard about a kit from Paul, W1GHZ, which was a x9 
multiplier for 10-GHz.  You provide 1152 MHz and with the multiplier 
you now have a beacon on 10368.

I have an unused ApolLO-A32 synthesizer board that can be programmed 
for 1152.020 MHz for use a weak-signal source.  It could be the LO to 
drive the x9 mult and I have a 1w Qualcomm PA that drives with -6 
dBm  presto: "instant beacon" on 10368.180 MHz with <9-Hz 
stability.  OK so that changes my direction for building a beacon 
from a MA White Box transceiver I started modifying several years 
ago.  The white box gets shifted to being a loaner transverter and 
the UHF HT600 that I was going to use a control  receiver for the 
beacon is no longer needed.  The beacon will live on one of my towers 
with power from the shack (no remote control needed).

Then it hit me that I now "had a radio" for the UHF FM band.  I 
checked the radio programming by looking at TX frequencies with my 
counter and note that includes 446.00 along with 445.450 which I 
coordinated for control link.  To fill in the story a bit I have a 
Down East Microwave 432-28 transverter kit to build which will get me 
back on the 70cm band after selling both my FT-847 and 
FT-817.  However the transverter will only cover 432-434 MHz of the 
band.  I can extend that up to perhaps 437 MHz to include the UHF 
satellite sub-band but not to include the FM sub-band 20-MHz higher up..

But the HT600 (4w) will.  So I get on e-bay and order a battery 
eliminator for the radio so I do not have to deal with charging 
batteries.  I found a BNC antenna adapter so I can connect external 
antennas, and round that out by ordering a hand mic for the radio so 
I can hang the HT up and just use the mic.

So the battery eliminator arrives and I test it  = 9vdc. huh?  It 
says 10v and that is what the battery voltage is for the HT600.  The 
radio stops working well that low in voltage.  The unit was new with 
1-year guarantee (so I write to the seller to send me a new one).

Next the mic arrives.  Great!  Open up the package and there is the 
mic without cord or special MOT connector for the radio.  Not 
great.  I was about to flame the seller and discovered his e-bay adv 
actually mentioned it had no cord.  OK I order another on 
e-bay.  Then I get a message from the seller that he apparently did 
not update his inventory and has no mic to sell me.  OK at least he 
sent a refund.

So finally I find an e-bay sale for another one and order it.  It 
arrives and it does have the cord etal.  So I hook it up to test it 
and the speaker-mic has no speaker.  Well that is very important 
since the internal radio speaker is defeated when attaching a remote 
hand mic.  So I can talk but not hear - ha ha funny!  I open it up 
and figure the speaker is shot (as I had repaired many in my prof 
life).  Well speaker is fine but the wire in the coiled cable is 
not.  So now I am waiting for the seller to replace the mic.

Finally after 30-days my new BNC connector arrives from China.  I 
swap out the rubber duck antenna for the screw-in connector to find 
that the connector shorts out when fully threaded in.  Nice design 
but it will not work on MOT HT's that have used a threaded hole for 
screwing in antennas with a simple stud base.  NO ground 
connection.  OK I think I have a work-around for that.

I big ring connector and short lead to the mic attachment hole which 
is threaded into ground.  Some ingenious use of electric tape and the 
"gimmick" attachment will not short out the connector.  Hey what are 
hams but innovators!

Did I say the HT600 was going to be a cheap solution for UHF-FM?  Did 
I say FUN with VHF+  ???
For what I spent I probably could have one of the new Wouxon 
dual-band HT's......duh!


73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
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