I also have the model with built-in attenuator board and I control my transverter via the acc socket. On the KX 2 you can control the swr to the input of the transverter.
In the transverter mode of the kx 2, I increased the power from below so much that I am at 8 watts output and thus get a clean signal.
At the moment my transverter is on the table and I’m about to install the tcxo as Chris did:
So far it has given me a lot of joy. But it is a pity that there is so little going on ssb.
Nice to read, Armin, that you have a lot of fun with the transverter.
I was able to increase the out power even more by using a short ground connection between the mounting screw and the coaxial socket (see green line in picture).
Maybe it helps
BTW: I first remember hearing this expression from my science schoolteacher. My ears pricked up with alarm and I was thinking, he doesn’t know my uncles, and none of them are called Bob.
Were you QRV last night? Conditions and activity were great. I made 114 QSOs on 2m SSB between 2000 and 2230 UTC, while activating G/SP-015 with 5 watts, an FT-817 and a SOTA Beam.
Condx were rubbish and both Ruhrpott teams Dortmund and “Herne-West” played in the cup (what supposedly was the reason that only few stations from west-DL were on the band).
I had a little dabble in the FMAC and UKAC from G/CE-001 last night. It was great fun. RF sense switching seemed to work fine for both FM and SBB, as far as I could tell.
Despite my earlier concerns about having the “without attenuator” version of the transverter, it seems to be working well.
I tested it on transmit into a dummy load using a hard-wired PTT cable I made linking the Key Out from the KX2 to the PTT input on the XVR. I found adjusting the XVR’s RV1 potentiometer at the IF input had a very non-linear effect on XVR power output. Over a very small adjustment range it went from ~1W (on CW) to about 12-15W. Managed to get a ‘sweet spot’ where the CW output is about 8-10W (as in the photo).
Also, I adjusted the VOX-delay on the KX2 to about 200ms to stop the XVR switching back to Rx between dots and dashes just in case the KX2 and XVR aren’t completely in Rx-Tx sync.
It’s transmitting correctly in CW mode. I tried calling CW and SSB for reports but no luck but had two FM QSOs with good signal and audio reports.
So, the transverter seems to be working well and I’m looking forward to taking it on my next SOTA activation for more 2m-CW and 2m-SSB field testing.
It’s certainly not low budget if you are starting from scratch!
But if you happen to own a 10M rig already, $95 to add 2M is not so bad. (or as little as $35 if you just buy the transverter board)
Are there any AE (Aircraft Enhancement) operators in you part of the world? In VK1/2/3/4/5/7 there’s a morning 0800 local, group that are very active on 2m SSB. I have qualified a summit with them using AE. Pretty simple get under a flight path and use a Slim Jim and pull it over horizontal to get a few extra dB.
Oh yes, and aircraft scatter is even predictable: Air Scout by DL2ALF. However, I’ve never heard of deliberate SOTA AS contacts*.
Hmm, anybody for a 144 MHz AS s2s event?
Ahoi
Pom
*On 144MHz. DL4MFM made some QSO’s on 23 cm AS.
This sounds tempting to me, as I live near a drive up 4 pointer SOTA which has a VOR on its summit and dozens of aircrafts each day follow different routes passing all of them above this summit.
I confess I’ve almost never used 2m SSB so I’ve no experience of these type of contacts.
I have an FT-817 and also have a Daiwa 2m preamp + power amp which produces around 30W (I believe) under a 5W input.
Will it be possible to make an AE contact with a colineal GP in horizontal and just the 5W of my FT-817 or it will be necessary the use of the amplifier?
Thank you.
73,
How about this for a super lightweight 2 metre tx/rx antenna? A PCB based 2 metre magnetic loop. Available from FunkAmateur (Box73) as a kit for €12 plus shipping.
It comes with the board, the adjustable capacitor and wire to wind the inductance. The rest of the connectivity is my construction.
It is directional and receives stations that the rubber duck antenna can’t hear from inside the house. I have yet to try it on a summit. In the pictures I have it on a DMR HT but I think it should work in a horizontal configuration on an SSB rig as well.
Checks out fine on the NanoVNA as well (you need something like that to tune it to frequency).
