+++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 06:55:13 -0500 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? Cc: To: Jack Brindle From: Steve Muncy I can't imagine this would be too hard using conventional satellite tracking software. MacDopplerPro provides tracking control for separate transmitters and receivers, and quite some time ago I used the receive tracking on MacDoppler Pro to track receive on 10 m using the K2 without any problems. I can't see that using the transverters would make any difference. I'm not in a position to try this however. Sadly, I have only one K2 and since I've got an IC-910H satellite transceiver, I'm unlikely to purchase the transverters and another K2 (sorry, Eric and Wayne....I feel like a traitor!) On Wednesday, May 7, 2003, at 23:50 US/Central, Jack Brindle wrote: > OK, let me throw some folks into a tizzy. I believe this can actually > be done. I understand the main requirements to have two K2's to > operate side-by-side each with its own transverter on separate bands > and have them track in frequency for doppler effects. Setting up the > radios shouldn't be too difficult to do, you just need to practice > standard dual-operation techniques to make sure the radios don't > adversely effect each other (desense, etc). Tracking shouldn't be a > big problem, it just takes some software on a computer (PC, Mac, or > ???) with two serial ports to issue VFO commands (DN, UP, FA or FB > commands) to set the frequency on each radio as to coordinate for > doppler shift. Shouldn't be too bad, and you don't even need a KRC2 to > do it. > ____________________________________________________ Steve Muncy, NI5V < mailto:ni5v at arrl.net > Dallas, TX USA < http://homepage.mac.com/smuncy/hamradio/ > QRP-ARCI #10330 FISTS #7412 QCWA #30705 AMSAT #33939 ARRL Life Member ++++++++++++++++ From: "Lyle Johnson" To: Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 05:53:04 -0700 > ...Tracking shouldn't be a big problem, > it just takes some software on a computer (PC, Mac, or ???) with two > serial ports to issue VFO commands (DN, UP, FA or FB commands) to set > the frequency on each radio as to coordinate for doppler shift. One potential problem that would need to be handled for satellite uplink duty is that the transmitter must be able to change frequency while transmitting to allow for doppler correction. I haven't found a way to do this in limited testing on my K2. Admittedly, I haven't tried very hard, either. Just turned the main tuning knob in SSB or tune mode transmit. The new frequency is available when I relese the transmit keying device, but it doesn't move while I am transmitting. Might be a little tricky at the 5 kHz "bumps." -Lyle ++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 08:01:01 -0500 From: "Kenneth E. Harker" To: Rick Tilton Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? On Thu, May 08, 2003 at 12:02:23AM -0400, Rick Tilton wrote: > > Hello all, I too am excited about the transverters being presented for us to > go building again!!! But if I may I'd like to fall back to a question from > way back. As always I keep trying to figure a way to incorporate the K2 > into satellite work. From what little I know about the K2 (other than > building one) it appears that the K2 can only receive and transmit with one > freq or on the same band at once. There is no way to run full duplex as you > would need for sat work. In the days before "satellite-ready" VHF/UHF radios, it was quite common to use separate rigs for the uplink and the downlink frequencies. There's no problem running full-duplex in this scenario, as the two radios are on different bands and using different antennas. If I were to do this with K2s, I would probably use a DEMI 144-28ECK (http://www.downeastmicrowave.com/PDF/144-28ECK.pdf) inside the downlink K2, with an outboard 2.4GHz downconverter (probably also DEMI.) For the uplink K2, I'd use the upcoming XV432 transverter (assuming it will cover 435 MHz as well as the usual 432 MHz range) or a DEMI transverter. If you want automatic Doppler shift correction, several satellite tracking software packages can do this for you. Most support the concept of separate uplink and downlink radios. You just need two serial ports on the PC instead of one. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kenneth E. Harker "Vox Clamantis in Deserto" kharker at cs.utexas.edu University of Texas at Austin Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R Department of the Computer Sciences Central Texas DX & Contest Club Taylor Hall TAY 2.124 Maintainer of Linux on Laptops Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/ ++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 08:46:58 -0700 To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net From: Jeff Stai WK6I Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? At 06:30 PM 5/8/2003, k4wtf at enterzone.net wrote: >> NOW for the biggie question - Would there be ANY hope of tying the two K2's >> together with their transverters and have them where they will be able to do >> normal tracking and inverting tracking with the two radios for sat work. > >I think that this could be pretty easy in software (Computer >control)... Someone could write a piece of code that watched the freq >changes and replicated the change on the other radio either inverted or >not. It would simply require a PC with two serial ports. Can't help but notice that a stand-alone K2 appliance to do the above via the AUX bus between two K2s would be very similar to an appliance that would allow two K2s to operate "full split" (a la FT1000 and others). And, this appliance could also be a killer SO2R box, I bet... Seems like this appliance is pretty darn close to the KRC2...? 73 - jeff wk6i Jeff Stai jds at twistedoak.com Twisted Oak Winery http://www.twistedoak.com/ Rocketry Org. of CA http://www.rocstock.org/ Amateur Radio WK6I ++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 10:40:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Harry Yingst Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Actually this would not be all that hard to knock up with an microcontroller and a dual level converter (MAX232, etc). If it is only a matter of having them track at the same rate say both moving in tandem up or down in the band on inverse of each other. The math gets a little harder if they need different tuning rates. I'm not a Satellite operator so I'm not sure on the particular needs of this. --- Jeff Stai WK6I wrote: > At 06:30 PM 5/8/2003, k4wtf at enterzone.net wrote: > >> NOW for the biggie question - Would there be ANY hope of tying the > two K2's > >> together with their transverters and have them where they will be > able to do > >> normal tracking and inverting tracking with the two radios for sat > work. > > > -- snip -- > > 73 - jeff wk6i ++++++++++++++++ From: "Lyle Johnson" To: Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Transverter & Satellite work questions? Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 10:55:02 -0700 > If it is only a matter of having them track at the same rate say both > moving in tandem up or down in the band on inverse of each other. For satellite work, it is a little more complicated than that. 1) You need to track the Doppler on the uplink and downlink frequencies. These are usually not in the same band, so the rates are different. The goal is to make your uplink signal be in the same spot *as received at the satellite* and to keep your receiver tuned tot he same spot in the satellite passband downlink *as seen at the satellite." It's not hard, but it does take some computation between the tuning knob and the radio(s). 2) The receive and transmit mode are often different. If the transponder is inverting (most are) then you transmit LSB and receive USB, for example. 3) You must be able to tune the transmitter *while it is transmitting*. 4) While it is not imperative that you listen to your own downlink (full duplex) it is desirable. Still, there is enough delay due to the slowness of the speed of light (no warp radio propagation...yet) that you could use a full break-in CW system (like a K2) and get by with uplink and downlink converters/transverters. 73, Lyle KK7P +++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 14:53:11 -0700 From: Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft Organization: Elecraft To: Elecraft List Subject: [Elecraft] New XV internal pictures on Web I've just uploaded new internal pictures of the XV transverters to our web page. See: http://www.elecraft.com/XV/XV.htm 73, Eric WA6HHQ ++++++++++++++++++