[VHFcontesting] COST OF 432 AND HIGHER

[Zack Widup]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 N5tif at aol.com wrote:

> ( I bit the bullet and finally got that 10 GHz 
> Transverter from Downeast Microwave and should be ready to run in the June 
> Contest.)  
> 
> He is sure right about biting the bullet the cost of just get one band above 
> 432 is too much.  What 350 for one that you have to put together and higher 
> for an assemble one.
> This is the reasons that the many of us are not on these bands.  Its a hard 
> sell for me to put that much money in a rig just for one band and the only time 
> to use it when we have tropo or contest.  Sure is a lot of time just sitting 
> there when there is no activity but noise.  There got to be a cheaper way to 
> get on these bands.
> 
> 
> LEE N5TIF 73

Yes, there is a less expensive way but it involves some work.

I just recently built the 3456 MHz transverter that is in the ARRL 
UHF/Microwave Projects Manual Vol. 2 (W1VT design) from scratch.  The PC 
board templates are at the ARRL software site in pdf and ps formats.  I 
made my own board, accumulated all the parts myself.  The transverter 
probably cost between $50 and $100.

73, Zack W9SZ