[amsat-bb] FL11 is back on the air (SO-50) ... and bad apple... (UV-5R)

[Pavel Milanes Costa]

Hi to all from CO7WT, Pavel

After a long hiatus I resume my activity on Satellites from FL11 (just 
FM here, so SO-50 Only)

I have tested yesterday and today's night my setup here:

Antenna: Homebrew Cross boom yagis for 2m/70cm
Radio: Baofeng UV-5R *(Half Duplex)*
Recording dev: my cell phone

My log shows from this two days:

2015 April 24
---------------
0159 W5CBF EM21 (Saludos Hector!!!)
0201 KA4H FM17
0202 N8RO EM00
0203 W1PA FN44
0204 WI9I EM59

2015 April 25
---------------
0225 WI9I EM59
0226 KE8AKW EN80
0227 KG5CCI EM34
0228 KE8AKW EN80

I wrote the times approximately by looking the start of the pass and the 
recording time, for humans minor time differences are ok, but I wonder 
if LoTW can cope with that.

QSL is via my manager (N2CQ) if you want paper QSL or LOTW on the 
following hours after the QSO.

I'm being getting used to the calls and sounds, sorry to the OMs that 
insist on me to say his calls correctly (KE8AKW ;-) ) keep in mind that 
English is a second language to me, I always have a recording for 
correction of that "beginner's mistakes"

Operations is as time permits, mostly on night passes on week days or 
full time on weekends; sure I can take schedules too.

To the amsat.org OM's: put this info on the new "activity" page if you 
like so, I think FL11 will be a new grid to many of us.

I have to make yet some fix on the yagui handle (comfort) and some other 
practical fix on the diplexer/cables, but that's are minor issues.

Now lest talk about a little china apple, sorry, radio.

About the baofeng UV-5R: I get a bad apple from the store... or it's not?

Maybe someone of you remember a post of mine a time ago about NOT going 
to the UV-5R for RX on full-duplex...

About a week ago I scheduled a test with a technician with certified 
test equipments (IFR 1200 I think it was...), we make some tests this 
week, short story:

My baofeng has 10uV sensitivity on 2m (aprox -86dbm aka deaf) and 0.1 uV 
on 70cm (aprox -123dBm aka very good)

Further tests shows that when you are on RX in 70cm any carrier on 2m 
above 50uV (aprox -73dBm give or take), the sensitivity on 70m begin to 
suffer, that why I can't use this radio for full duplex with other radio 
as TX on 2m, even with 1W of power.

For reference purposes my Baofeng UV-5R has Firmware N5R-20 dated 140525N

My solution was a homebrew diplexer, mounted on the antenna and working 
only *half duplex*

Not an ideal setup but most of the time I get strong signals here and 
QSOs prove that it's working as expected.

73 from Pavel in FL11ai (Camagüey Cuba)
CU on the birds.

-- 
M.Sc. Pavel Milanes Costa, CO7WT
SYSOP Nodo Gateway CO9JAZ
Ciudad de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba.
Cell: (+53) 53 847819