Do you have a 70 cm source of any type that you can use downrange to prove that the system is working? That is, all together as a complete system. If you can drive the source away until it is demonstrably weakening, then you can test the beam pattern, etc. If the preamp front end is hooked to a dummy load (non functioning antenna system in front of it), then the noise from the dummy load will increase. You need an external source.
Bob Michael Tondee wrote: > Andrew, > I definitely can heart an increase in noise when I power up the preamp > and also see an S-meter response. Unfortunately I have absolutely no > terrestrial repeaters within my range on 70cm. I've never been able to > get into one even back in the days when I had my TS-2000X. Never been > able to hear them either. Checked the preamp cables to make sure they > weren't backwards also. > In reference to some questions from others I've had, I am compensating > for doppler on receive and I've checked all my cables except for the 40 > foot piece of LMR 400 for open or short with an ohmmeter. > Just for giggles I decided to see if I could copy NOAA weather on 162 > Mhz band and I can. Don't know if that means anything. I will check my > antenna pointing. Getting an accurate fix on true north has sort of been > my achilles heel before but I've managed.There is not that much > declination here. When I did happen to pick up the brief SO-50 > transmission last night the rotator was making a fairly large change in > Azimuth though. I may just whip up a quick little groundplane to give me > a baseline as someone suggested also. > Thanks for all the responses I've gotten so far. > Michael -- (Co)Author: DttSP, Quiktrak, PowerSDR, GnuRadio Member: ARRL, AMSAT, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. "You don't need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.", MLK. Twitter:rwmcgwier Active: Facebook,Myspace,LinkedIn _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
