GB3VHF - Loud and Proud

Well,

I've been fiddling a little this morning with my 2M VHF setup; I have been using my TS-990 with a G4DDK transverter along with a DG8 masthead preamp.

It works extremely well; I use this set of "macros" to put the TS-990 into transverter mode and set things the way I like them:

$COMMAND OM0D;$ Mode USB-D
$COMMAND FA00028370000;$ 28MHz VFO Frequency
$COMMAND FB00028375000;$ 28MHz VFO Frequency
$COMMAND XO000116000000;$ offset 116MHz +ve
$COMMAND XV1;$ transvert on
$COMMAND AN00911;$ DRV on and RX ANT On
$COMMAND PA00;$ main preamp off
$COMMAND PA10;$ sub preamp off
$COMMAND EQT00;$ TX Equaliser off
$COMMAND EQR000;$ RX Equaliser off
$COMMAND BS01;$ Scope on
$COMMAND PC200;$ Power control to 10 (70W in non transvert mode)
$COMMAND BSC020;$ Scope Ref -10dB

And just for completeness:

Good egh?

TS-990 on 2M 144MHz - no way!

Well,

I've also created this video this morning showing the TS-990 being used with my homebrew transverter for 2M from here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/transverting-some-more.html

and the masthead amplifier from here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/how-can-something-so-simple-be-so-tricky.html

All works rather fantastically, even if I do say so myself!

This is a video receiving the GB3VHF beacon on the TS-990:

Local conditions.

I think we made it

Well,

Following on from all my transverting conundrums, I have finally finished the configuration today.

Here's how the setup is now configured:

It's been the PTT switching that's caused me the most confusion. I've ended up making a switch box containing a 4 way rotary switch that allows me to select 2, 4, 6 or HF. In the 4M selection position the PTT drives both the 4M transverter and the 4/6M linear, in the 6M position it's just the 4/6 Linear that's enabled.

I've written a load of Macros for transverter control that I issue using the Logger32 Radio Control Panel. Here's an example of the macro that takes the TS-990 into 144MHz transvert mode:

$COMMAND OM0D;$ Mode USB-D
$COMMAND FA00028370000;$ 28MHz VFO Frequency
$COMMAND XO000116000000;$ offset 116MHz +ve
$COMMAND XV1;$ transvert on
$COMMAND AN00911;$ DRV on and RX ANT On

My only disappointment is that the radio isn't including the transverter offset in the results returned from the "IF;" command. That's the command that the Logger32 software repeatedly issues to the radio to determine the operating frequency.

For example, when the radio is configured like this:

You can see that the Transvert option is enabled as is the external DRV socket (that is the 0dBm output signal to drive the transverter) plus the RX antenna is enabled.

When the "IF;" command is issued to the radio, unfortunately it returns 28.370.00MHz as the frequency.

That's a real shame.

Local conditions.