5.8GHz Lock Down

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As we have all been held at home under Covert19 lock downs, the best way to fill in the time is to take up a new project or clean out the shack.

VK4MJF(John) decided to take the hobby to a new level with a small project on building a 5.8GHz transvertor.

First to check prices on commercial products, nothing much was about other than high priced Khlune products costing about $1300.00AU for a very nice unit with about 200mw.

So the idea was to keep simple with a budget for less than $500.00, first stop a transverter board and amplifier which were sorted from W1GHZ (2 PC boards and a mixer $60.00.)

Then an oscillator, a popular NZ brand was $200.00AU no stock, not looking good. So then with a search on the world wide web found a digilo product $125.00AU, nice unit has miriod of variable IF choices. For this project a 28MHz IF was easy to select with a couple of switched options for field day activity.

A few small components Mini kits supplied resistors, capacitors and small drive amplifiers, with some pipe (from a hardware shop(Green in colour)etc,$30.00. With other required items from my bits box($0.00).

One of the most frustrating items was an power amplifier, had a couple from the Chinese Best Buy space, which had failed or were a rated 4 watts etc well, 200mw at best showed up on the metre. A $35.00AU FPV 5.8GHz with a rating 4 watts 12volt used in the model aircraft hobby was found 3 were purchased only one functioned and to 4 watts, Hala ulu.

Ok its been three(3) lock downs and lots of months and the project is complete a 5.8GHz transverter 4 watts output for the sum of around $350.00AU, plus a cast aluminium box $60.00 Jaycar locally. So as you can see his budget was well achieved.

With the wright radio no drift.

As the transvertor needed tuning(pipe caps etc.) VK4AMG(George) took pity on John(VK4MJF) and took a look. Whilst this was being done, George offered a project he had been working on, a 10 MHz reference OCXC to stabilise the gear for around $100.00, well this did the trick and it was completed just over the budget(most other products don’t include stability).

 NEWS Club:Meetings. MtGravatt TAFE 7-00pm  2nd Tuesday of Month, Next Meeting will be March12th  2024. 2, 6 ON air70cm repeaters OffAIR Every Tuesday 7.00pm with ZOOM.
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