Hi Alan,

For your KEPS downconverter---you can power it through the coax! That's the slickest way to power that fine peice of hardware without any muss or fuss.

I lashed up a homebrew coax injector that has Anderson power pole connectors on it. Works like a champ.

73,

Mark N8MH

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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:03:10 -0500 From: "Alan" ve4yz@mts.net Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ARR pre amp Query To: "'Bill Dzurilla'" billdz.geo@yahoo.com, amsat-bb@amsat.org Message-ID: 000f01c89361$dcea1be0$0602a8c0@athlon Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Very timely discussion for me as the snow sloooowwly disappears and the return of the Canada geese and robins signals the time for tower work :-)

Some previous comments suggest that a preamp near the rig is not significant, but, I suggest otherwise as my Ft-847 internal preamps can make a significant difference in RX. Anecdotal, not empirical, but I can hear the diff at the push of a button.

Now, I am consider mast mounted preamps as an alternative to my FT-847 internal preamps for one of my sites. I run Landwehr VHF and UHF preamps at 2 other locations and they are terrific! They are also almost 20 years old and no longer available :-(

The preamps on the AR2 site look like what I could use.

My questions are... Is the sequencer

http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page20.html

really necessary or recommended when using the MSP432VD-25 or MSP144VDG-25 preamps? My first thought is NO. 15-20 years of use of 4 Landwehr preamps without a sequencer is my rational.

Finally, does anyone have a nice "warranty voiding" hack to get around the these different power connectors we see on indoor preamps and down converters such as my KEPS http://www.keps.it/images/13lnc72db_m.jpg ? Instead of soldering to the pin and a ground lug

http://picasaweb.google.com/ve4yz.alan/24Ghz/photo#5172119570416133618

Something as simple as removing the connector from the case and running a cable through the remaining hole, soldered internally with something like Anderson Power Poles at the other end for 12VDC????? I'm going to do it one day, but would rather have someone else confirm that it would work without adversely effecting performance characteristics. No guts; no glory here.

Thanks for any feedback

73, Alan VE4YZ EN19kw AMSAT LM 2352 http://www.mts.net/~ve4wsc/ AMSAT A-485