[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 mode V/S

[Alan]

Hi all... my 2 cents...

Lots of sites for DIY signal sources such as
http://ve2zaz.net/SigSourc/SigSourc.htm

I have the K5GNA Gardiner signal source and find it too strong.  You sure
can tell whether your system is on or off.  But when in comes to building
your own 2.4 helix or patch antennae I can't attenuate enough and have the
source and antenna within my house.  Gardiner might be great at 1 km :-)   I
can check my roof top down converter and helix 30 feet directly above my
basement shack with the Gardiner.  The signal is directly into the side of
the helix and fully quiets the 2M receiver.  But in my house that signal is
everywhere... bouncing of off ducting, freezers, wash machines and who knows
what else. 

To fine tune and compare various tweaks of a DIY projects to a known source,
and in a known direction, I like a real weak source.  Nothing like finding
out that you made a helix or a patch that receives best when aimed 20
degrees off target :-) and somehow you have a humongous null in the middle.
Fortunately I have an old PC that has a real nice weak signal near 144 MHz
after down converting.  So my in-house, basement antenna range, is now about
10 meters long and the bounced signals and lobes of any design are almost
too weak to monitor.





-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Rm2642 at aol.com
Sent: May 13, 2008 10:54 AM
To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 mode V/S

Unfortunately, I had no success with the AO-51 V/S mode this past  week.
 
Before the next V/S mode operation comes around, I want to double  check
performance of my antenna and downconverter. Some of the folks in the UK
had these items available during AO-40 days but don't think they're
available  today, such as:
 
_http://www.uk.amsat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=252&Itemi
d=
86_
(http://www.uk.amsat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=252&Itemi
d=86) 
 
I've seen Bob's K5GNA 2.4GHz Source
on eBay with the: 
_http://cgi.ebay.com/2-4-GHz-SIGNAL-SOURCE-GARDINER-TYPE-LO2398-AMSAT_W0QQit
em
Z110251114382QQcmdZViewItem_
(http://cgi.ebay.com/2-4-GHz-SIGNAL-SOURCE-GARDINER-TYPE-LO2398-AMSAT_W0QQit
emZ110251114382QQcmdZViewItem) 
 
Are there other small modular type 2.4Ghz Sources out there that I can use
to verify downlink setup?
 
Thanks,
Ron
N6PAA



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