Page 1 of 2
Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 10:07 am
by M0DTS
I hope to be out on Sunday (possibly sat evening too) from IO94LI with 70/23cm.
Anyone else going to be on?
Weather looks nice but no tropo forecast.
Activity weekends this year have been very quiet!
Rob
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 10:49 am
by radiogareth
Hi Rob, I can certainly put up the pump-up for 70cms on Sunday, (the local reasonable site still has all its leaves) so long as the weather is suitable. We can but try....yes, things have been quiet. Not helped here by site restrictions and the lack of any decent HILLS!!
Don't think the domestic clashes several of us suffered over the contest weekend helped much. As soon as the 2024 Domestic calendar goes up in my house I'm blocking out the contest weekend and booking somewhere HIGH or several HIGH places.....
Gareth
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:06 pm
by G4HTZ
I will try and get on …
I will only have about 5w into a 16 ele yagi on 70cms
I willl listen and call on 144.750 FM but will be horizontal with a 9 ele yagi
QTH is JO02GB52 …antennas will be at 96m asl
QTH is on the north Essex / Suffolk border
I can always hear Northern Ireland , Cornish , Leicester and obviously Kent beacons on 70cms
I maybe able to increase the output from the Pluto to drive the amp with 5317 device that arrived today .
Hopefully get TX tested tommorow
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:11 pm
by radiogareth
Path look like it might work between us Steve. I'm at JO01AI.
Distance from JO02GB52 - 85.122 km (52.89 mi)
Bearing ~ 204.32° (reverse bearing ~ 24.32°)
Gareth
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:18 pm
by G4HTZ
radiogareth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:11 pm
Path look like it might work between us Steve. I'm at JO01AI.
Distance from JO02GB52 - 85.122 km (52.89 mi)
Bearing ~ 204.32° (reverse bearing ~ 24.32°)
Gareth
Hi Gareth
I have been beaming at JV off and on but couldn’t access .
Kent beacon is strong here .
I’ve just got a SPF5189 device to try and boos the Pluto …I need about 25mw to drive the amp to about 50w …guess set the Pluto at low power and increase ??
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:29 pm
by radiogareth
From my limited experience of those devices you should manage that. From memory I think a Pluto will overdrive one of them, depending on what your shoulder tolerance is. I was using one on my 2m amp lash-up and it was the limiting factor. Start low and see how it looks on bandviewer or something. JV has good all-round access but only a few dB of gain (its a single big wheel by WIMO). Happy to try NB before hand which should be easy.....
I'll have my 14ele and plenty of RF, talkback on ZELLO ATV South easiest for me as no horizontal 2m.
Gareth
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:39 pm
by G4HTZ
radiogareth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:29 pm
From my limited experience of those devices you should manage that. From memory I think a Pluto will overdrive one of them, depending on what your shoulder tolerance is. I was using one on my 2m amp lash-up and it was the limiting factor. Start low and see how it looks on bandviewer or something. JV has good all-round access but only a few dB of gain (its a single big wheel by WIMO). Happy to try NB before hand which should be easy.....
I'll have my 14ele and plenty of RF, talkback on ZELLO ATV South easiest for me as no horizontal 2m.
Gareth
Ok …forgot about zello …think I downloaded it ages ago
I also have LNA at mast head
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 8:14 am
by G4HTZ
G4HTZ wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:39 pm
radiogareth wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:29 pm
From my limited experience of those devices you should manage that. From memory I think a Pluto will overdrive one of them, depending on what your shoulder tolerance is. I was using one on my 2m amp lash-up and it was the limiting factor. Start low and see how it looks on bandviewer or something. JV has good all-round access but only a few dB of gain (its a single big wheel by WIMO). Happy to try NB before hand which should be easy.....
I'll have my 14ele and plenty of RF, talkback on ZELLO ATV South easiest for me as no horizontal 2m.
Gareth
Ok …forgot about zello …think I downloaded it ages ago
I also have LNA at mast head
My Pluto is no longer being recognised by the portsdown 4 ….was working fine ..now not …..suspect the mini usb socket on the Pluto ??
May be around for RX only
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:40 am
by radiogareth
Check your RPI supply voltage - Plutus are very unhappy with anything above 5V. The USB leads are very flakey too, on mine I have wrapped it over the case and secured it so the connector can't move and is always 'held' under slight tension in one position. Even so, if I look at it the wrong way it disconnects from my PC....
Will be setting up this morning and can probably test this afternoon.
Might use 436.5MHz otherwise I flatten the local repeater GB3JV regardless of where I beam.
Gareth
Re: Nov 11th/12th Activity Weekend
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 12:52 pm
by G4HTZ
radiogareth wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:40 am
Check your RPI supply voltage - Plutus are very unhappy with anything above 5V. The USB leads are very flakey too, on mine I have wrapped it over the case and secured it so the connector can't move and is always 'held' under slight tension in one position. Even so, if I look at it the wrong way it disconnects from my PC....
Will be setting up this morning and can probably test this afternoon.
Might use 436.5MHz otherwise I flatten the local repeater GB3JV regardless of where I beam.
Gareth
Have tried similar with a cable tie …strange it was working fine day before .
Be in shack about 1.15 today …will monitor 144.750 in your direction
