[MAMS] April 2011 Microwave Activity Day

Mon Apr 4 11:31:03 EDT 2011

Conditions on Saturday were evidently very poor. I cannot verify that
I was NOT putting out power on 902 MHz, so I am going to assume I
actually was when I tried to work Wally W9OBG. When I got everything
home and checked it out, it appeared the only damage to the IF rig
from a fall onto the ground was a damaged squelch control knob/shaft,
and everything else was working normally. I was getting 10 watts out
of the 902 MHz transverter as expected. Since Wally was running 200
watts or more and I was only getting him S9, and he couldn't hear my
10 watts at all, I am now assuming conditions were that bad. Lloyd
NE8I has said that condx were really poor up in Michigan where he was.

I can get to the hilltop in EN50rl just about any morning of the week
between maybe 6:30 and 8 AM CDT. as well as some hours during most
weekends. If the Hepburn forecast looks good and if anyone wants to
try to work me, let me know. I just hope it isn't a windy day!

I haven't attempted an SDR radio for a microwave IF. It might be a
good idea as you could see a good chunk of the spectrum all at once,
and when you've identified a signal all you have to do is peak your
dish on it. But there is so little time and I'm spending a lot of time
trying to get my 24 GHz transverter going. I just made a few boards
that are basically the W1GHZ Miniverter-F but the helical filters for
432 that I have are smaller than the ones he is using (hence I made my
own boards with my filter size specs rather than order some from him).
I want to use this as a 432 MHz IF for the 24 GHz SDH transceiver I
have. I'm also working on putting together the LO chain to give me 6
or 7 dBm at 11.800 GHz. I might get that done this week.

Then I'll start thinking about 47 GHz.
:-]

73, Zack W9SZ

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 9:56 AM, M Ragouzis <n0obi at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi Dave
>
> Thanks for the note of the 11th.
>
> My brother  Bruce ,  may have a 6 foot fiberglass dish to give away , he spoke
> about it yesterday and he lives near you.
> I have a phone call in to his message center now just so he doesn't cut it up
> before some one has a chance at it.
>
> I hope things are going well for you , we should have a breakfast meeting some
> time , what do you think ? , I do not know anyone in the club by face ( how many
> are here in the st louis area ) .
>
> Is anyone working on SDR using the Apple i-phone or i-Pod products for  a 10
> ghzreceiver ?
>
> I'm still working on getting the SDR radio up and running , I found a 741 OP amp
> in the junk drawer last night , the RF front end will work through the computer
> sound card but not through Jim's i-phone or i-pod , so it looks like the i stuff
> needs more gain , Jim discovered ad added the 10M ohm resistor across the mic
> input to let the i-phone/pod know that it has and external mic.
>
> Plugging in the mic/sdrrffront end caused a spike to form on the display but
> nothing more than this , were getting closer.
> I don't know that the 741 will be quiet enough , but as things are right now
> something would be better than nothing.
>
> If we go through the 1/8 inch jack we only get one channel so it I or Q and we
> have just a one channel direct conversion radio ( ? ).
> But we will have the ability to use the software to narrow down the band width ,
> so this should be real good for 10 ghz.
>
> I have the 2 meter N-channel amp built , I just need to tune it up .as you know
> we were talking about dynamic range problem's , I hope this and sdr will make a
> running receiver.
>
> OH , I picked up a "Gunn Oscillator " that I tuned to 10.368 ghz , so it might
> be good for CW even though its a little wide  ( I have a filter ) .
>
> So much stuff to do so little time.
> Mike
> N0obi
> 73
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Dave Calvert <kb0pe at yahoo.com>
> To: Mid-America Microwave Society <mams at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sat, April 2, 2011 9:28:53 PM
> Subject: [MAMS]  April 2011 Microwave Activity Day
>
> I went to EM49au ( AT&T microwave tower site ) and setup at 6am and was ready to
>
>
> go on 902, 3456 and 5760....  It was windy and the bands were dead!  I looked
> around
> for the beacon on 902 (K3SIW's) and nothing.  I did have some long q's on
> 144.200
> at around 11am with South St. Louis and that was it....
> 73,
> Dave -KB0PE
>
> Starting Monday April 11th, 7-11PM local. 2M Sprint.
> Tuesday April 19th - 222 Sprint.
> Wednesday April 27th - 432 Sprint.
>
>
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