New hardware installed end Oct 2002
615 MHz main PA (can run 100W)
615 MHz sub PA (can go up to 20W).
Amplifiers mounted in rack plug units adapted from scrap commercial equipment. This amplifier uses a Phillips BLV57. It is capable of 30W but runs lower as max drive is not avaliable from the other unit.
615 MHz driver stage (amps from the upmixer unit).
BLW34 output stage. About 2.5W peak sync.
SEE Amateur TV Repeater block diagrams
Antenna arrays: Two selectable 443MHz 7-element beams for wide
coverage,
4 quad panels for 615.25MHz (Euro ch E39) TX.
2m and 70 cm band turnstiles for the 144.24, 432.24 MHz beacons operated
by the VHF Group.
A 23 cm band panel array is located below the 443 beams.
10 1/2 wave element panel array for the 23 cm band input. Panels also used
at the Whitord site for TX and RX on 23 cm.
The repeater repeates FM or AM TV signals transmitted by other Ham stations
uplinked on either
UHF or Microwave. The repeater is controlled by a Motorola 68HC11 microcontroller.
The repeater has capability of recieving the German stereo format [5.5-5.74
MHz sound carriers] as used in Europe and Australia, simpler for amateur
implementation. (NZ broadcasters use NICAM, encoders are to complex, and
expensive, for amateur use). The Output will be upgraded to transmit dual
sound carriers at some later stage.
Inside the hut housing the repeater.
The rack on the right is the repeater (showing some older gear now replaced
Nov02). (The rest are non amateur users)
Spectrum reception at ZL1QF's Shack (about 25km from the repeater - non line of sight).
Comparasons with adjacent TV stations.
Whitford recieved spectrum (TX 1248 MHz) at the tuner IF (485 MHz).
