[amsat-bb] Problem with mast-mounted ARR preamp, help please

[Bill Dzurilla]

Hello and Merry Christmas,

I have an ARR SP432VDG preamp, which is mast-mounted to an Elk antenna in my attic. This set-up has worked well until today, when I did not hear any sats with 70cm downlink.

I then tried to see if I could bring up the local 70cm repeaters. Interestingly, I could key the repeaters and hear them ID for about a second, then I would lose the signal completely (e.g., "This is K4" then nothing).

So it appears that the RF sensor is working and enabling me to transmit properly, and that when I unkey after a transmission I receive properly for one second, but no reception after that one second.

I'm thinking it must be a bad relay. Any thoughts or things to try before I send it for repair?

Merry Christmas and 73,
Bill NZ5N