[VHFcontesting] Transverter interfacing with FT290RII

[Mark Spencer]

Interesting.   I'd be curious in hearing more about this (I also have an HTX 100 earmarked for use as an IF radio, but I ended up using an Icom 735 as the IF radio for my 222 transverter, I already owned it and it is almost the same size as the HTX100.)

73

Mark S
VE7AFZ

Aligned Solutions Co.
mark at alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099

> On Feb 14, 2018, at 9:16 AM, Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I've usually been using a modified Realistic HTX-100 as an IF rig for the
> microwave bands.I removed the rear power module and replaced it with a
> piece of 1/8" thick aluminum where I placed the power and RF connectors,
> removed the speaker and installed a homebrew 28 to 144 MHz transverter in
> the space where the speaker was. It's well-documented where to tap off
> connections inside the rig for transmit and receive RF and keying voltage.
> The rig has its drawbacks but works well on the uncrowded microwave bands.
> I've made hundreds, maybe over a thousand microwave QSO's with it over the
> years.
> 
> I now have an FT-817 which I'm working on using as an IF rig. It has the
> advantage of two antenna connectors, which can be selected per band. I'm
> hoping to use one of those on 28 MHz as the IF for my 50 through 432
> transverters and the other as the 144 MHz IF for the bands above that.
> 
> I think there is a point inside the radio that can be used as a T/R voltage.
> 
> I'll have to dig into the schematic of the FT290RII a little further and
> see at what point I can extract a T/R switching voltage.
> 
> 73, Zack W9SZ
> 
> 
> On Wed, Feb 14, 2018 at 10:08 AM, Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Interesting..
>> 
>> Apparently I'm not the only one working thru these issues.  With my Icom
>> radios I like to intercept the PTT line from the microphone, route the PTT
>> line thru a sequencer, then key the radio, amp, etc via the sequencer.   It
>> seems safer that way but yes sending CW with this scheme is a bit more
>> complicated than using SSB.  I should probably add a foot switch for CW and
>> need to ponder how to tie that into the the PTT scheme.
>> 
>> I also have a FT290 put aside for future use as an IF radio in my rover so
>> this topic is of interest to me.
>> 
>> 73
>> Mark S
>> VE7AFZ
>> 
>> mark at alignedsolutions.com
>> 604 762 4099
>> 
>>> On Feb 14, 2018, at 7:02 AM, Sean Waite <waisean at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> That might be where being able to flip a switch would come in handy. If
>> I'm
>>> reading the documentation right, the DEMI transverters prefer you don't
>> use
>>> full- or semi-break in with CW anyway, so you'd want it to just stay on
>>> until you're done transmitting. That's a good point though, especially
>> with
>>> a portable setup.
>>> 
>>> Sean WA1TE
>>>