New Microwave QSL!
Sept - 2007:
Microwave Demonstration at PNWVHFS Conference in Bend, Oregon - KL7UW & WA6ZKY (Gordy) Measure RF Power.
June - 2006:
FIRST Alaska Narrowband 10-GHz Contact made during June ARRL VHF Contest.
White Box Modification:
Modification of a M/A "White Box" transverter has progressed with the project 95% complete. The
20 volt/-5 volt power supply and DEMI xvtr interface board (model TC) are installed in the cover of
the original 55-vac power supply. I made modifications to convert the TC into a simple sequencer
with about 800 ms delay for application of Tx voltage after the Rx and coax relay are switched.
I have the LO AFC modified and the xvtr modified to the point of tuning of the 10-GHz 3-pole receiver
filter and tune-up of the transmitter 2-pole filter. I am hoping to achieve 100 mw output (or better).
Here are some photos of the completed 12-vdc power supply/transceiver interface/sequencer:
This unit will serve as a 10-GHz loaner. The station borrowing the "white box" will need to provide
their own 2m-SSB transceiver. With this I am hoping that others can try out narrow-band
microwave operation and be encouraged to get their own stations set up.
For my own operation, I have a complete 10-GHz portable station comprising of a FT-817, DEMI
transverter, and a 1-watt Qualcom power amplifier. I have several antennas ranging from a small
17-dB horn, a large 22-dB horn, and several 18-inch dishes to a 2-foot dish.
10 GHz Beacon - Crossband Repeater:
I have a second M/A "White Box" transverter which will be modified for use as a 10 GHz
beacon. The 10,514.100 MHz Local Oscillator mixes with 144.290 MHz provided by
an IC-215 2m FM transceiver to produce the beacon frequency of 10,369.810 MHz.
The 2w output of the 2m radio will be sampled using a 20-dB directional coupler to provide
approx. 20 mw drive for the 10-GHz transverter and to provide a low-power 144-MHz
beacon with a 2 meter vertical antenna. The 125 mw output of the microwave transceiver
will feed a horizontally polarized omni directional slot antenna. A CW ider will alternately
provide CW or NBFM "morse-code identification".
A Motorola HT-600 handheld radio has been purchased to become the UHF control receiver
for the beacon. DTMF control tones will provide beacon "enable/disable", "CW" or "FM" morse
code ID, and switching from "beacon" to "crossband repeater" by use of a Select-Tone
ST809B decoder. This last feature will permit microwave stations to test their receiving
performance or to demo their station when no other microwave station is available.
The crossband system will only operate "one-way" from UHF to 10-GHz in FM mode.
The UHF control frequency will be 445.450-MHz. PL tone of 103-Hz.
The beacon is portable, operating on 12 vdc power, but it it hoped that permanent installation will be
allowed on top of my company's 120-foot tower (BP40IR). That would provide a line-of-sight (LOS)
path to many Anchorage "hill-side" locations and fair coverage over a 100-mile radius. With many
high mountain peaks ringing the Cook Inlet, there are several opportunities for reflection of the
beacon over non-LOS paths. The Tower site is a mere 4-miles from
my home QTH.
Return for more news about 10-GHz in Alaska!
Photos from our 5000-mile road trip driving from Mississippi to Alaska last spring (2004):
Packing up Janet's Winstar in Mississippi Mobiling on US-101 along the southern
on a hot April day. Oregon coast.
20m Hamstick on left corner and 2m Par
-Angle "Halo" on the right. There is a 1/4
wave 2m whip for operating UHF and
5/8 wave 2m whip on the roof for
operating VHF FM and APRS.
I used my FT-817 with a RF Concepts
2m linear for 55w SSB mobile. Operation
on 20m, 6m, and 70cm was QRP at 5w. Microwave demo at the 2001 Anchorage
I used my laptop running winAPRS with a Hamfest with Gordon West, WB6NOA,
KPC-3 and Garmin GPS. Delorme Street onlookers and myself with 10 GHz rigs.
Atlas came in handy for road directions
and tracking our progress on the 3-week
trip.
Portable 10 GHz operation in the south Texas sun on April 22, 2004. I was using the 22-dBi big-horn.
Unfortunately, the sma relay circuit shorted out and I had no transmit capability. I did receive Bill, W5GVE
about 25-miles northwest of me. My wife and I had dinner with a few of the "Road Runners Microwave
Group" at a restaurant near our hotel in Austin that night and I received a nice certificate from them for
the effort.
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