FL11 is back on the air (SO-50) ... and bad apple... (UV-5R)
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.
I will be on the next SO-50 pass 1628z (just 8 minutes ahead)
I will try to announce all my activations via que amsat-bb
Thanks to all who wrote to me, CU, I have to get on the roof soon.
El 25/04/15 a las 00:52, Pavel Milanes Costa escribió:
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.
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Pavel Milanes Costa