Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Please post here if you are planning any significant ATV Activity such as DXpeditions or Contest participation
g8gtz
Posts: 1733
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by g8gtz » Sat Nov 16, 2019 2:32 pm

Slight change of plan to accomodate everyone else.

I'll be going up to Walbury Hill (IO91GI) from where I should be able to work Gareth plus it is Line of Sight to Cheesefoot and Dean Hill and also a good chance of working G4FRE on Bloringe on 3.4GHz DATV. It looks as if it may even go over to Northampton on 146MHz!

I won't really be able to transmit on 23cms as I'm sharing the site with the M0HNA/P team who are participating in the Lowband (1.3 + 2.3 + 3.4Ghz) microwave contest but I could take rx.

Band will be:

146 Tx/Rx, maybe 1.3 rx and 3.4Ghz - will anyone have 70cms, if so I'll take that as well.

Talkback = 14.750 and 07881914287
73
Noel

M0DHP
Posts: 92
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:25 pm

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by M0DHP » Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:49 pm

g8gtz wrote:
Sat Nov 16, 2019 2:32 pm
146 Tx/Rx, maybe 1.3 rx and 3.4Ghz - will anyone have 70cms, if so I'll take that as well.
I'll have 70 as well as 23, Noel.

G4FRE
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 6:57 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by G4FRE » Sat Nov 16, 2019 5:05 pm

As I have only just finished pruning the DATV manpack system after encouragement by Noel at Harwell, for its first outing I am not risking unforseen issues by going to Blorenge. However I will be QRV on 9cm from cleeve common IO81XW from where I can nip home and fix things if needed. I will have 7W of DATV to a panel antenna and the same power on narrowband. I will be on ON4KST, zello and 07941541592

Dave
G4FRE

radiogareth
Posts: 1215
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:46 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by radiogareth » Sat Nov 16, 2019 6:12 pm

In the interests of my sanity I'll only be on 2M TRX with reasonable power and beam. The farmer says the usual field is a 'bit wet' so I'll be a little lower than ideal but good takeoffs towards the Southwest round through north to East. Located Woldingham SUrrey IO91XH about 700ft ASL atop a flat plateau.
First trial for the Amsat preamp (works as expected in the shack) so I can look for DVBS2 on Minitiouner. If that proves U/S its LeanDVB in my Portsdown I'm afraid. Should be setup on site by noon, with a small beam on 144.750 (Vertical) and DATV larger beam horizontal above it. Hoping it doesn't take out either front-ends......if its a risk please SHOUT!

Or on 07905 927230.

Gareth

G8GKQ
Site Admin
Posts: 2798
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Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by G8GKQ » Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:18 pm

A good morning out at Dean Hill near Salisbury. Exchanged 2-way pictures with M0DHP/P at Lane End (29 km) on 1255 MHz. Spoke to Noel G8GTZ/P at Walbury and Mike G0MJW in Didcot. Ran out of time to work Noel and Mike was too weak.

Called CQ towards London, but nothing heard from Gareth or anyone else.

Dave G8GKQ
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g8gtz
Posts: 1733
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Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by g8gtz » Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:59 pm

Brr - that was cold and damp :-(

Had lots of system problems - G4FRE was probably right when he said "time to get the gear on the bench and check it out rather than play with Oscar100!"

Anyway, managed a 2 way with Dave on 3.4GHz over a 73 km LoS path and I received Gareth G4XAT at 100 kms on 146MHz but he had rxr issues and we didn't manage a 2 way. Then a chat and 2 way on 146 with Mike G0MJW with video and audio problems my end and I decided it was time to come home early!

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radiogareth
Posts: 1215
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:46 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by radiogareth » Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:32 pm

Drove out to my usual spot, (IO91XH) set up and ready in 30 minutes, car-based today not the radio truck (Jayne thinks its a camper). Huge noise on 144.750 vertical (3 element tape-measure yagi) so had to resort to talkback on horizontal and/or mobile. Heard Noel so called in and successfully sent pictures. Got a D4 report from Mike to, (via Noel). Suspect my AMSAT preamp wasn't doing what it did in the shack, so tried LeanDVB and DVB from Noel. I could see the DVB but not enough to get a lock.
Using Portsdown into LIMEsdr, small amp then into a Chinese MRF186 (biased right up), showing 12 watts on a ordinary power meter - it does over a 100 on FM! RG58 to my 'fishing pole' 12 element ZL @ 7m AGL. Sun had gone by now (1:30) so packed up as fingers were losing feeling. Well, it is the winter......that proves the path on 4 (summer) and 2 now. Need to refine my switching and in fact most aspects of my portable set-up. Little generator bought out just in case I had a lot of QSOs and needed more DC. (15 amps at 13.8).
Nice bit of fresh air though :-)
Gareth G4XAT
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G4FRE
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 6:57 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by G4FRE » Sun Nov 17, 2019 5:32 pm

Interesting outing. Misty all day but luckily it never developed into rain. Worked 4 stations on 9cm narrowband before Noel appeared. Managed to get a signal to Noel easily, but getting a signal from Noel took some time and Juggling at his end. The transverter interface built into the Portsdown worked well, producing a clean 200mW to drive the transverter to 7W output. Antenna was a 9cm cellular antenna which is Vertically polarised (hence why it is mounted on it's side)
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radiogareth
Posts: 1215
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:46 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by radiogareth » Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:51 am

Nice reuse of cellular surplus. Don't suppose you have a source of those? I've a duplexer and Stealth amp for the band so could run NB with a Pluto direct.
Thanks
Gareth G4XAT

G4FRE
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 6:57 am

Re: Activity Weekend 16/17 November

Post by G4FRE » Mon Nov 18, 2019 9:19 pm

Unfortunately not. I had to do much surgery to resurrect that one, as it had a broken N type connector when I got it

Dave
G4FRE

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