On 2019-07-04 12:04, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB wrote:
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
You could easily get on the linear birds with an existing HF rig and an inexpensive transverter[1a][1b] for the uplink.
Downlink is easily handled with an SDR solution, ranging in price from $7 to $500, depending on how many whistles you want. The rtl-sdr dongles[2] are a cheap, easy path to get your feet wet.
If you are up for the challenge, building a 70cm DSB transmitter[3] is quite feasible. If you have an rtl-sdr dongle, you've got a spectrum analyzer to debug/tweak your design. There are a ton[4] of design ideas on the 'net. Don't be afraid to experiment. That's what this hobby is all about, and one only truly learns through error, not success.
--- Zach N0ZGO
[1a] http://transverters-store.com/432_28mhz.htm [1b] https://ubitx.net/2018/04/17/transverters-for-2m-and-70cm/ [2] https://smile.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0129EBDS... [3] https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Homebrew_RF_Circuit_Design_Ideas/430MHz_SSB_TRX_J... [4] https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Homebrew_RF_Circuit_Design_Ideas/Homebrew_RF_Circ...