Easiest way to see if my QTH is suitable for UHF?

[Basil]

I am an HF operator, with occasional dabbles into VHF and UHF via basic gear and FM, mainly through the Stoke or Denbigh repeaters, although I could sometimes open the Stockport 2 meter one when it was working. My QTH is at IO82qv in a little hamlet called Lower Heath. As the name suggests it's low lying.... I wonder what the cheapest way is to test the suitability of the site for amateur TV is? I don't want to get carried away buying equipment to find I am unable to operate from here. There are no hams very close to me who I know to ask an opinion of. Can someone perhaps suggest some ideas to see if I am wasting my time or not in the most cost effective manner please? I have a Strumech P60 sixty foot wind up tower and plenty of space to do pretty much what I want, but 60 foot is as high as I can afford to go Is there any YouTube or similar footage showing the sort of signal quality one might expect these days form ATV? Thanks. 2E0ILY, Shropshire.

[g8gtz]

Hi

You are line of site to GB3UD, located at Mow Cop north of stoke. Coverage from your site is generally not bad, particularly to the North West.

If you send me an email chairman@batc.org.uk I'll send you a couple of site coverage maps.

&3

Noel - G8GTZ

[Basil]

Hi Noel, getting mail bouncing back from that address, sorry, but my mail address is chris@chriswilson.tv Many thanks!

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[g8gtz]

Aaah that's because the BATC is politically correct and my email address is actually chairperson@batc.org.uk !!

[M0ATV]

Hi Chris, Tony M0ATV in Stockport here, you are line of sight with GB3UD ( grab yourself a free to air DVB-S sat rx from Ebay for around £20 to see it ) up on top of Mow Cop on 24cm, so you would see plenty of activity from that, its quite busy on it now as I type ( Wed night activity session 7pm-9pm ) so always stuff being transmitted on there most evenings, get yourself some gear, quite a few locals not far from you on 23/24cm ATV. plus quite a few up here around Stockport/Manchester etc, all can see & work through UD with some of us able to work direct down towards your area simplex, try calling on 144.750 during the evenings or give Brian G3SMU a call on there, he lives up near Winter Hill around 800ft asal & can genarally hear most people in the NW and can put out some good sigs on the band as well as receive a good range as well, Tony

*** forgot to mention, GB3UD activity night is streamed on this site under batc members streams/G3SMU so have a look at the activity live on there Wed evenings and other nights during week from 8pm onwards. ***

[Basil]

Hi Tony, thank you for the reply. I have a dongle I use for FM VHF and UHF reception when I want to listen in bed. Sad, I know... My only VHF / UHF aerial I have up is a vertical I use for FM, it's dual band 2M and 70cms. I am happy to buy another dongle if this one won't work:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121157947618? ... 1439.l2649

I also have a 2M / 70 cms transceiver, FM only, and an all mode 2M transceiver. Nothing as yet for 23 / 24 cms though, bar the dongle.

I need to buy an aerial though, to see how I can receive here. I don't mind spending on a decent antenna, if the worst comes to the worst I can sell it on and I will lick my wounds. Could anyone recommend a good antenna for on the mast please? I also need to get my rotator mounts machined up. I am a race car engineer so have a half decent machine shop at home, and access to real experts elsewhere, so fabricating stuff isn't a big deal. The rotator and controller have been sat in a cupboard for months, as verticals don't respond well to turning <G> If I can't get a signal in and out at least I will have tried. Thanks again for the good info! All the best.

[M0ATV]

the DVB-T dongle is no good for ATV, we use DVB-S systems so try look out for a cheap Free to Air sat RX such as the Comag SL 30 or SL 30/12 which can run from 12v for portable use, there are more but I cant remember the exact model names, perhaps some else can add some to this thread, a cheap 23cm yagi or even a home brew one would suffice & leave it pointed at UD for now, you will see it no problem from there even without a RX pre amp, will give you an idea of whats going on, also remember to check in at http://www.batc.tv/index.php & look for MEMBERS STREAMS - G3SMU during the evening to see UD in use.

[Basil]

Thanks for the ongoing info everyone!

Vine have these on offer at £99 including VAT.

http://www.m2inc.com/index.php?ax=amateur&pg=147

A good buy? Thanks.

[M0ATV]

That antenna looks fine for the job, start looking for a cheap analogue TX now & sort a sat RX for digital use via UD ( UD still has analogue input as well as digital )

The digital sat rx needs to be able to view free to air transmissions in DVB-S format with symbol rates of at least 2Mb upwards ( we use 4Mb at 23cm DVB-S ).

Here is your profile between yourself & GB3UD taking into account curvature of earth.

[Basil]

Thanks Tony, I have just seen your QRZ page. I used to have a girlfriend in Romiley, she lived in Barlow Fold next door, or almost next door to one of the Smith, Knight and Fay car dealership directors, if I remember well. She was far too good looking for me, nice to be seen with, but fighting off the competition became wearing (and dangerous). One of my best pals lives up in Rowarth, right up on the top. Sadly he's zero interest in this sort of thing.

Naive question, the free to air sat receivers, they can take a Yagi as an antenna input and not just a dish and LNB? Sorry, this is all very new to me...

Where's the sort of place analogue TX's might be advertised? On here, or elsewhere?

Many thanks, looking forward to getting 23cms working!