G4BAO.COM
Microwave Amateur Radio Station, Waterbeach. 8km North Of Cambridge JO02cg
To Contact me:
Skype johng4bao
E-mail john at g4bao dot com
QTHR
Welcome to G4BAO's Amateur Radio Website
Microblog, 8th November 2009
Martlesham 2009 Just come back from Martlesham. As usual an excellent get together with plenty of "junk" and good chat.
For not stepping backwards quickly enough, I have been elected as chairman of the UK Microwave Group. Thanks to those who proposed and elected me. Following Brian G4NNS will be tough, but I'll try and keep up the high standards he set over his time in office. I'm hoping to do a number of things but one particular thing I want to do is to try and make 3400 MHz the "band of the year" for 2009, and drum up some more activity for this very interesting part of our spectrum. So how about digging those Ionica parts out and converting them to 3400 MHz? (see my Projects pages, or GM4ISM's site for ideas) I know they're out there insulating your lofts, because I supplied a few to the community a while back. I have a couple of receive converters for sale on the "For Sale" pages here. Better still get out your copies of Backscatter, Scatterpoint and the Microwave Handbook and get building. We need a simple modern design for transverter modules to go with G4DDK's preamps, so get thinking and submit your ideas to G3PHO at Scatterpoint before I beat you all to it!
1.3GHz PA project - update .Unfortunately I have now sold out of 60 watt devices, and have shipped the few I had to who have asked me about higher power.
I'm now shipping kits with issue 1.2 PCBs, so get your orders in before I run out of devices! I have plenty of PCBs and small components left, but I only have enough MRF9045 devices left for 7 complete kits, and so far no source of new devices. That said I plan to verify some of my "oddball" devices. I haven't tried out the few bolt-down, flanged 45 Watt and 60 watt devices in in the board yet but I plan to next week. I hope to be able to offer those to anyone who wants a full kit once my stock runs out .
Look on the "for sale" pages for prices of kits without devices.
Documentation update As I've had a few questions about the best way to assemble the PA in an Eisch Tinplate box, I've added some assembly instructions to the along with the errata on the Downloads page. This is included in the assembly notes supplied with issue 1.2 boards and also on the downloads page.
The Great g4bao.com Jumble sale
I've added a few more surplus items to the Jumble sale, email me for details.
All the stuff is second hand unless stated otherwise. You can pay me in cash (in person) or, at no cost to you, with your credit card via PayPal, but please wait until I send you a PayPal payment request before you do so I can work out the postage and packing .
Microwave Update 2009
in Dallas (MUD) was great fun, lots of interesting talks, lots of good cheap junk, and we also got to visit the Deeley Plaza Museum and stand where JFK was shot in 1963. Ancient History for many maybe, but for someone of my vintage, (I was nine when it happenned) a very moving experience. I plan to go again in 2011 and see "New England in the Fall."Developments I am now running a pair of my boards on 23cms from home, combined using quadrature hybrids.
Wideband Masthead preamp project and bias tee, update.
Still no news on the Radcom Article! Giles MUST be busy!
In brief, it covers 30MHz to 3GHz, with a sub 3.5dB noise figure and 20 dB gain over 30MHz to 1500MHz. above this the NF and gain drop off somewhat, but still has under 5dB NF and 19dB gain at 3GHz. If there is sufficient interest, I plan to produce kits. Email me if you would be interested. I reckon the pcb minikits will be around the £30-£35 mark, including the bias tee,
Waterbeach in the Winter
Floods
