[DSP-10] Something heard on 1296 RSU!

[Courtney Duncan]

On UTC December 5 and December 19, I heard some activity on the 0400  
local net on 1296.1.  On the 5th, I heard two distinct voices on SSB  
and could see them in the waterfall but could not copy calls.  At the  
end of the net, about 0430, there was a CW call that was Q4 but I  
fumbled the controls and missed it.  They did not respond to my CW  
call at how many ever mW it is.  20?

On the 19th, I heard one distinct voice on SSB twice and guessed it  
might be net control K6TSK but did not copy a call.  When he called on  
CW at 0430, I did definitely copy K6TSK but he did not respond to my  
QRPpp reply.

The 8 element WA5VJB beam and coax repairs made enough difference to  
hear signals that are tens of miles away, but I'm convinced from  
visual inspection that I am blocked from direct line of site to any of  
the stations that might be on the net.  I'm in kind of a valley with a  
couple of nice shots out to the south - southeast that look toward  
downtown L.A. and San Diego.  On 2 meters I think I get reflections  
off nearby hills to hit other stations.  Does anyone have any idea how  
well earth reflections would / would not work on 1296?  Not as well as  
on 144, I suspect.  Is there a theory as to why?  Aperture?  Different  
vegetation responses?

The next step will be to put a DEMI preamp in front of this thing and  
eventually a DEMI amp on the transmit side.  If the DEMI amp (I'm  
looking at the 2330PA kit) doesn't have input bandpass filtering, how  
much do I need to add to stay in spec from LO leakage, etc.?

For now I'm back to listening on 2 meters on the DSP-10, but I'll be  
back.

73, Courtney, n5bf/6



"It's science. They don't know anything; they just make a lot of  
educated guesses."  -- Viannah Duncan

Courtney Duncan, n5bf/6
cbduncan at earthlink dot net
1296.100, 1.810.
n5bf at amsat dot org