[Fourlanders] Pack Roving/adding 902 1.2+ ghz for less

Mon Sep 21 18:44:55 PDT 2009

Did you guys see this?   looks like an affordable way to add a few bands

[ Are there any low cost options to get onto the bands above 1296?  I.e.,
cheaper than a DEMI transverter. . . . I'm guessing that it wouldn't take
much of a rig to work 6 or more stations in June and Sept on each band.  The
minimum usable would be something that would allow me to work 65 miles line
of sight.  CW only would probably be OK. ]

I have been exploring exactly the same question as you.  So far, I think
that the best solution is to build the W1GHF "Simple and Cheap"
transverters.  See the write-up here:

http://www.w1ghz.org/MBT/multiband.htm

If a guy has some ability to solder SMT parts and some access to test
equipment, then these do look like the cheapest entre into the higher bands..

I am hoping to gather parts and start building at least 902 and 1296 LO and
transverter boards early in 2010.  If you and/or anybody else here is
interested in putting together a group-buy of parts, I would be willing to
act as the "hub" for that.  We can discuss details between now and, say, Jan
2010 and then place an order.  Given the quantity discounts available, the
cost of these should be cut by at least a third by pooling our resources and
ordering parts for multiple units.  Please e-mail if you have interest in
building one or more of Paul's boards.

Thanks and 73,

David  W9HQ

73 de Bob,

 K4ESA EM74qc

Bob Mantell
k4esa at yahoo.com

--- On Mon, 9/21/09, James Worsham <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net> wrote:

From: James Worsham <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [Fourlanders] Pack Roving
To: "Rogers, Ron" <RR124640 at ncr.com>, "Bob Mantell" <k4esa at yahoo.com>, "Tom McElroy" <tommcelroy.mail at gmail.com>
Cc: "fourlanders at contesting.com" <fourlanders at contesting.com>
Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 11:21 PM

I am not sure about that.  I used to think the same thing but he claims that he is using various transverters from Kuhn, DEMI, etc.  If that is true then the man has way more money than I do.  Then again he openly said to several members of the VUAC "You can do what ever you want to with the rules.  I am retired and have plenty of time and money.  I will just do whatever it takes."

73
Jim, W4KXY

From: "Rogers, Ron" <RR124640 at ncr.com>
To: Bob Mantell <k4esa at yahoo.com>; Tom McElroy <tommcelroy.mail at gmail.com>; "wa4kxy at bellsouth.net" <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net>
Cc: "fourlanders at contesting.com" <fourlanders at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 9:17:50 AM
Subject: RE: [Fourlanders] Pack Roving

Wayne used FM in his multi-band package because (1) a 2 meter FM rig used for the IF radio is the least expensive "foundation" radio you can find and, (2) the rovers in the pack are always within sight of each other, therefore they are always "full quieting" to each other. 

That way the microwave transverters don't need a lot of gain in the front end and can almost be of simple mixer stage design.

Wayne did not design this "rover package" for weak signal microwave DX record setting.

Ron 
WW8RR 

-----Original Message-----
From: fourlanders-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:fourlanders-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob Mantell
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 6:36 PM
To: 'Tom McElroy'; wa4kxy at bellsouth.net
Cc: fourlanders at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Fourlanders] Pack Roving

I am guessing it takes deep pockets to set up a pack of 10 band rovers? 

How much would it cost to put one of those tool box kits together, if you already had an FT-857d ?  Did you notice they are using FM??

Is there any used surplus Microwave equipment available to rove with that is getting dusty on anyones shelves during contests?  

73 de Bob,

 K4ESA EM74qc

Bob Mantell
k4esa at yahoo.com

--- On Sat, 9/19/09, Jim Worsham <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net> wrote:

From: Jim Worsham <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [Fourlanders] Pack Roving
To: "'Tom McElroy'" <tommcelroy.mail at gmail.com>
Cc: fourlanders at contesting.com
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:02 PM

Yeah, I posted that with the hopes that it might encourage some folks to consider doing the roving gig.  One of the biggest disincentives to W4NH working the microwave bands in contests is the lack of rovers in our geographic area.  If you go back several years we used to have several guys who roved many of which had at least some microwave capability.  Now there are none and it is becoming harder to justify putting the microwave bands on the air to just work the 7 or 8 fixed stations that are available to us.
Anyone want to be a microwave rover?

73

Jim, W4KXY

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are.  If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.

Richard P. Feynman

  _____  

From: Tom McElroy [mailto:tommcelroy.mail at gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 8:11 AM
To: wa4kxy at bellsouth.net
Cc: fourlanders at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Fourlanders] Pack Roving

I really dig that.

Tom
KI4WOU

On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 1:38 AM, Jim Worsham <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net> wrote:

Check this out:

www.packrovers.com <http://www.packrovers.com/>

73

Jim, W4KXY

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart
you are.  If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.

Richard P. Feynman

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