ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Please post here if you are planning any significant ATV Activity such as DXpeditions or Contest participation
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G8GKQ
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ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by G8GKQ » Fri Apr 10, 2020 3:19 pm

please remember that i is a BATC Activity weekend tomorrow and Sunday.

Even though you cannot get out portable, just give something a try from home. You don't need to have aerials on a mast. This is the setup I used for a 5.7 GHZ DATV contact today.

Dave G8GKQ
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radiogareth
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by radiogareth » Sat Apr 11, 2020 7:23 am

I can be active on 4m (with a good beam now) and 2m, location JO01AI Bromley SE London (nothing like as good as my usual spot) with some semblance of a takeoff to the west, north and east.
Happy to try TX and RX. I'm setting up in the garden shed this morning.
Can also do 70cms RX only and vertical only. 6m RX but only RTL dongle, vertical or horizontal (got a decent beam).
2m talkback on 12 element vertical beam.
Skeds welcome.....

If you can work out your heading from/to me that would be helpful. Some of my beams are on 'armstrong' rotator so I can't peak for best signals....

radiogareth
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by radiogareth » Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:18 pm

Currently beaming NNW from South London, 146.5,DVB-S 333ks 1/2 FEC.
Text me on 07905 927230 if you see me.....
Gareth G4XAT

radiogareth
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by radiogareth » Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:56 am

Well, I and we tried......Sunday morning and Noel G8GTZ suggested I beam his way, initially on FM with 50 watts. Unfortunately I was only just making a +3dB impression on the Farnham SDR so not only could Noel not hear me, DATV wouldn't fly either.....
I had all the gear in my garden shed 'ready' so I contacted Martin, G4FKK who is my reliable DATV local and we set about using some of our new bits acquired since our last success which had been based on Portsdown/RTL/Lean DVB.
Initially we were both using MiniTiouners, Martin without any preamp and me forgetting to put mine in line. No pictures....after lunch we tried again, more organised this time and using DVBS2 we exchanged good pictures at 333ks. The system my end was Portsdown 2018 driving a LimeSDR, RPIcamera. It didn't seem to like suing the C920. We tried 500ks too with considerable success, but no audio - so I selected 'use webcam' but with the PiCamera as video source. It worked :-) What amazing inter-connectivity.......
My rx was MT, Amsat SAW preamp, Longmynd in Portsdown.
Not exactly DX, but at least 2-way....
Gareth, G4XAT

M0SKM
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by M0SKM » Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:03 am

Unable to access some of my kit I only had 23cms and 70cms to play with. My 2m, 4m and 5GHz equipment is locked down at a CityStore warehouse.

Saturday was pretty quiet but I managed to get pictures to Phil (M0PIT) on 70cms. MER was only 6 however I was quite pleased; the path is 38k and Phil was using a home brewed antenna in the Loft. Phil tried sending 2m DATV to me but we couldn't make it, again Phil was using an indoor antenna.

On Saturday evening Phil (G8XTW) was testing a new 70cm setup and received pictures from me; we didn't complete the two-way until Sunday following completion of work on the PA.

Sunday I received pictures on 70cm from Ian (G3KKD), Ian was running SR2000 and reception was patchy over the 62k path. I wasn't able to get pictures to Ian but it was nice just to chat given current conditions.

Later Sunday afternoon I did some further tests with Phil (M0PIT) with similar results to Saturday. Phil is waiting on parts for his 70cm PA and once repaired I think we stand a fair chance of exchanging signals.

My final contact of the weekend was with Jim (G7NTG) over a 56k path, again this was on 70cms. Having made recent links with Jim and the Kettering net we had already exchanged pictures on 23 and 70cms so the successful contact came as no surprise.

Given the lockdown I had expected 144.750 to be a lot busier but it was as quiet as the street outside.

I'm really looking forward to retrieving my kit and mobile shack from storage.

Stay Safe.
73 Steve
Find me on D Star through GB7BP

g0mjw
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by g0mjw » Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:48 am

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Last edited by g0mjw on Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

g0mjw
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by g0mjw » Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:48 am

I didn't realise people were active at the weekend. Not that it helps from here as there are very few in range - you might be one of them Steve though on 2/70.

M0SKM
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by M0SKM » Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:20 pm

Yes Mike I think so.
On 70cm I'm running two of the CML amplifiers, class A driver and AB output. I can get close on 200 Watts on 437.

Our enemy at the moment is tree growth, I have some close by which are getting taller each year and becoming more of a nuisance.

We should give it a try next month.
Find me on D Star through GB7BP

G8GKQ
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Re: ATV Activity Weekend 11/12 April

Post by G8GKQ » Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:42 pm

Gareth - The C920 does not work well with the LimeSDR in Portsdown 2018; pleased that you managed to make a contact using the Pi Cam.

If you were to rebuild with Portsdown Buster 2020, then you would find that the C920 would work a lot better.

Dave, G8GKQ

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