Posts by DD1US

  • ARGtek wifi booster

    Hi Detlef,


    really, are you sure ?


    I think everybody should think about whether he wants to buy from someone who is ignoring clear rules of the satellite operator and
    even makes money selling such non compliant components.


    For me I have made my decision.


    Regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • Does it make sense to multiply 10MHz reference?

    Hello Pedro,


    the Pluto will most likely not work properly with a 10 MHz reference. A friend tested 4 or 5 Plutos and only one of them worked properly with reference frequencies of 20 Mhz and below. Therefore it is advised to use reference frequencies higher than 20 MHz, 40 MHz or even 50 MHz is strongly recommended.


    If you generate your reference by using frequency doublers e.g. 40 MHz out of 10 MHz you will loose the same amount of phase noise performance as running the PLL with a lower reference frequency. Of course this is only true if the doubler is ideal and also the PLL.


    In a latest design Kurt DJ0ABR has developed a simple unit using a 100MHz OCXO and 2 dividers :2. With this we generate 50 MHz for the Pluto and 25 MHz for the reference frequency of the LNB. Simple and very good. The circuit of Kurt allows also to lock the OCXO additionally to a GPSDO. I have buil this up and it works very fine. The GPSDO is not really needed as the OCXO is very stable.


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • Pluto + LNB clock reference

    Hello Alfred,


    very nice.


    I have also built such a Reference Clock and Distribution Unit based on the development of Kurt DJ0ABR and it works really great.


    It simplifies the setup especially with the Pluto tremendously: the unit from Kurt, the AMSAT-DL 46dB PA, the Pluto and a modified LNB attached to a POTY-Feed in a 60cm dish and we have a perfect full duplex QO-100 setup.






    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • LNB downstream and LO upstream over 1 coax

    Hi George,


    I am also not sure whether I understood what Johan wants to accomplish. So we need his response.


    In any case I think there are 2 "links" where multiple signals can be combined.


    1.) One is the receive path as I had described above,


    2.) The other is the path from the transverter to the transceiver where the RX-IF-signal, the TX-IF-signal and the reference signal can be combined. For the second topic I am using a triplexer from Diamond.


    You can find a description of ma portable setup (where both "links" are using multiplexing) here:


    http://www.dd1us.de/Downloads/…0English%202020-09-26.pdf


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • LNB downstream and LO upstream over 1 coax

    Johan,


    many people are using the cable from the LNB to the receiver to send 3 "signals" over the single cable:

    - the receive IF signal e.g. 740 MHz

    - the supply voltage for the LNB including the information to switch between V and H polarization (14v / 18V)

    - the reference frequency signal for the LNB (typ. 24, 25 or 27 MHz)


    Sending the local oscillator signal for the LNB upstream will be very difficult as it is a rather high frequency
    and the attenuation of the cable will be very high.


    Triplexers for the above mentioned 3 signals are built into the AMSAT-DL downconverters and can be bought
    stand alone for instance in the BATC shop in UK (design by Mike Willis G0MJW). Here is a descrition of my built:


    http://www.dd1us.de/Downloads/…from%20G0MJW%20rev1.2.pdf


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • DX-Patrol "Groundstation" not Full-Duplex!

    Hello Martin,


    looking at the manual of the QO-100 Groudstation of DX-Patrol indeed it shows that the transverter is working only simplex.


    AMSAT-DL has made very clear for a long time than full duplex operations is requested by users who want to use QO-100.


    DX-Patrol is making money by leveraging the investment others have made by implementing the QO-100 ham radio satellite
    and they should respect the rules given by the operator of QO-100. Yet it looks like they are simply ignoring it.


    I think this is very disappointing!


    We can already today see the problems many people, who are using simplex operations, have to demonstrate proper operation.
    They talk over each other frequently without noticing. In pileups it is quite easy to distinguish those with a proper full-duplex setup
    and good operating skills from the others.


    Hopefully many radio amateurs will understand that this transverter is not compliant to the requested operation mode on QO-100
    and will thus choose one of the many other better solutions.


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • Adalm-Pluto Rev D

    Hello Muhammed,

    if you have a rev D version then I recommend to inject the reference signal from an external source. You then do not need to change the board (you can leave the existing TCXO on the board). The rev D board does have a reference frequency input jack on the board. It is recommended to use 40 MHz as the reference. 10 Mhz might work but phase noise will be worse and possibly also spurious emissions.

    Kind regards

    Matthias

    http://www.dd1us.de

  • MY QO100 SETUP

    Hello Robert,


    yes and no. It will be difficult to allocate part of the transponder to new modes as long as those have not been implemented.


    In my opinion it was never out of the question that AMSAT-DL encourages new wideband modes.


    Testing those modes should be announced on the chat channel of the spectrum monitor to avoid interference with other users.


    If we see that a new mode is getting adopted by more user we can of course still adapt the band plan and allocate part of the spectrum of the wide band transponder to such new modes. Yet I think it is too early to do this. Let us see the results of the tests first.


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de

  • MY QO100 SETUP

    Hi George,


    on the NB TPX the bandwidth is limited to 2.7 kHz. Thus Spread Spectrum makes no sense.


    On the WB TPX you can try Spead Spectrum Schemes but please make use of the chat channel in the WB Spectrum Monitor to announce your tests.


    Kind regards


    Matthias


    http://www.dd1us.de