Impromptu 5.7GHz outing

[VK3PY]

Yesterday (Friday 28 Dec. 2018), Lou VK3ALB posted a request on the VK-VHF Reflector for a contact on 5.7GHz to test his newly-constructed transverter. By evening, he had several operators all agreeing to head out the next day to various locations to oblige him. These were as follows:

Bernard VK3AV with Damien VK3KQ at Kinglake
Gavin VK3HY with Rob VK3MQ at John's Lookout in the Dandenong Ranges
Peter VK3APW at Loch
Me, VK3PY at Ceres near Geelong

David VK3HZ went out to spy on Lou's activity.

In the end, everyone worked everyone else. The longest distance contact was between VK3PY and VK3APW at 126km. It was not the distance, but the intervening terrain that posed the challenge. Nevertheless, reports of 57/58 were easily exchanged.

Here are some photos of my outfit for the day. System performance is 5W to a 60cm dish with VE4MA feed and DEMI LNA.

Chas
VK3PY

[VK3RX]

Nice looking gear there - is that a homebrew TXRX?

[VK3PY]

Thanks, Damien.

No, it's not exactly a home-brew TX/RX. The rig started life as an Icom IC-202. Fed up with the rig's VXO drift and frequency uncertainty, I decided to re-purpose its main board by installing a K5BCQ synthesiser kit. The kit is supplied with shaft encoder and LCD display. I excised the IC-202 main board, re-housed it in a more convenient enclosure and integrated the synthesiser. Bingo - a great little 2m tuneable IF. You can read all about it here: http://www.vklogger.com/forum/viewtopic....23&t=10734

73,
Chas
VK3PY

[VK3RX]

Very nice kit and interesting thread - thanks.