At last (after 12 years) I've got around to putting my home-made transverter in a "proper" box:
So now I can take it out portable without the worry of it all coming to pieces in my hands!
My transverter takes an input of 2.5W on 2m, to produce 1.5W on 23cm. It will handle any mode from my FT817, and it also includes a -6MHz shift for operating through the repeaters.
I often use a combined 15W PA and pre-amp, which I place as close as possible to the antenna (an old Jaybeam 15-over-15 dual yagi).
Details of my ATV equipment can be found here.
My home QTH is surrounded by higher ground, so the majority of my 23cm contacts are made when operating portable from the nearby hills. However, one of my recent contacts into Germany on 23cm SSB was made from home, during a troposhperic "lift" in February 2006.
Here are the contacts I've made so far this year:
Date |
Station |
location |
mode |
power |
distance |
| 5-Jan | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 1.5W | 64km |
| 6-Jan | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 1.5W | 64km |
| 16-Jan | G8OHM | nr. Birmingham | SSB | 10W | 134km |
| 4-Feb | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 1.5W | 64km |
| 20-Feb | G1HBE | Dukinfield | FM | 2W | 26km |
| 27-Feb | G1HBE | Dukinfield | FM & SSB | 2W | 26km |
| 2-Mar | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 10W | 64km |
| 20-Mar | G8OHM | nr. Birmingham | SSB | 10W | 134km |
| 24-Mar | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 1.5W | 64km |
| 24-Mar | GB3UD | Stoke-on-Trent | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 75km |
| 14-Apr | GB3UD | Stoke-on-Trent | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 75km |
| 21-Apr | M1NUS | Eccles | FM-ATV | 15W | 18km |
| 21-Apr | GB3TM | Anglesey | FM-ATV | 15W | 125km |
| 5-May | G1HBE/P | Harrop Edge | FM-ATV | 50mW | 33km |
| 5-May | GW3JGA/P | nr. Prestatyn | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 65km |
| 5-May | M1CRO/P | nr. Harwich | SSB | 15W | 323km |
| 5-May | GD0EMG | Isle of Man | SSB | 15W | 149km |
| 6-May | G4KIY | nr. Peterborough | SSB | 15W | 194km |
| 6-May | G7NCG | nr. Peterborough | SSB | 15W | 200km |
| 6-May | G3CKR/P | N. Staffordshire | SSB | 15W | 61km |
| 8-July | G3CKR/P | N. Staffordshire | SSB | 15W | 64km |
| 8-July | G1SWH | Wigan | SSB | 15W | 10km |
| 8-July | G8ZTT/P | Cheshire | SSB | 15W | 47km |
| 8-July | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | SSB | 15W | 62km |
| 8-July | G3OHM/P | nr. Birmingham | SSB | 15W | 139km |
| 8-July | EI9E/P | Eire | SSB | 15W | 309km |
| 8-July | G4RFR/P | Dorset | SSB | 15W | 311km |
| 21-Aug | G3OHH | nr. Stoke | SSB | 10W | 54km |
| 7-Oct | G3OHM/P | nr. Birmingham | SSB | 15W | 125km |
| 7-Oct | GW8ASD | Wrexham | SSB | 15W | 69km |
| 7-Oct | G6DSG | Biddulph, Stoke on Trent | FM | 3W | 65km |
| 7-Oct | G3CKR/P | N. Staffordshire | SSB | 15W | 64km |
| 7-Oct | GW4HDR | Rhyl | SSB | 15W | 69km |
| 20-Oct | GB3UD | Stoke-on-Trent | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 75km |
| 20-Oct | G1HBE/P | Harrop Edge | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 33km |
| 20-Oct | 2E0GYO | Ormskirk | FM-ATV | 15W | 27km |
| 20-Oct | G7LWT/P | Frodsham Hill | FM-ATV | 1.5W | 39km |
| 14-Nov | G7SYJ | S. Manchester | FM | 3W | 26km |
| 14-Nov | MW1FGQ | NE Wales | FM | 1.5W | 64km |
| 14-Nov | G1HBE | Dukinfield | FM | 2W | 26km |
| 15-Nov | G7SYJ | S. Manchester | FM | 6W | 26km |
A full list of my contacts in 2006 can be seen here.
If you'd like to try a sked on 23cm, then please get in touch.