Category Archives: Blog

Yaesu G-5500 Fault – No 2

Posted on October 27, 2020 by g4hsk

I’ve been using a Yaesu G-5500 Azimuth and Elevation rotator for the last seven years. It has been used to rotate various Yagi antennas, initially a single 9 element DK7ZB  for 144Mhz, that was replaced with 2×8 element 144Mhz Yagi … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, EME, GHz_Bands | Leave a comment

QO-100 Experiments – LNB Modifications

Posted on July 28, 2020 by g4hsk

I have been using a Goobay 67269 LNB with a small Horn antenna on 10368MHz for a while to monitor beacons via rain-scatter. This was a fairly basic setup, the Chaparral horn had been cut-off and the LNB mated to … Continue reading →

Posted in 3cms, Blog, GHz_Bands, QO-100, Satellites, SDR | Leave a comment

Enhanced USB-to-Serial PTT Interface

Posted on March 1, 2020 by g4hsk

Many of the modern transceivers today support direct USB connectivity to your shack PC. This USB connection typically enables 2-way audio and CAT control allowing more or less full control of the transceiver, including PTT keying. Where CAT control for … Continue reading →

Posted in 23cms, 3cms, 70cms, Anglian TVTR, Blog, EME, GHz_Bands, QO-100, Satellites | Leave a comment

An Arduino Based Four Event Sequencer

Posted on February 24, 2020 by g4hsk

When putting together a system using RF switching relays, Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) and RF power it’s important that things are switched at the right time and in the correct sequence. This ensures that the relays do not actually switch … Continue reading →

Posted in Arduino, Blog, GHz_Bands | Leave a comment

QO-100 Experiments – 2400MHz Pipe-Cap Filter

Posted on January 4, 2020 by g4hsk

Over the years I’d seen a number of projects that were using one or more pipe-cap filters. They looked as if they should be fairly simple to make so I thought I should try one to help reduce the unwanted … Continue reading →

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QO-100 Experiments – 2256MHz Local Oscillator

Posted on January 4, 2020 by g4hsk

I chose to use an ADF4351 based synthesizer module to generate the 2256MHz local oscillator (LO) needed for my QO-100 QRP  transmit converter. This is controlled by an Arduino Nano. Having already used one of these modules for the 54 … Continue reading →

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QO-100 Experiments – QRP Transmit Converter

Posted on January 3, 2020 by g4hsk

Having spent some time listening to the QO-100 satellite using the Goonhilly WebSDR facility and my own temporary receive solutions, I decided it was time to try generating some RF and get a signal up to the satellite. I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, GHz_Bands, QO-100, Satellites | Leave a comment

Fun on 10GHz – 2 ‘Rain-Scatter’

Posted on October 7, 2019 by g4hsk

I’m still what some might call a novice when it comes to the 10GHz band. It’s a band that’s like no other that I’ve operated on, and I’m hooked on it. I’ve recently discovered first-hand the effect of rain-scatter at … Continue reading →

Posted in 3cms, Blog, GHz_Bands, Mobile / portable Operation | Leave a comment

Fun on 10GHz – 1

Posted on August 13, 2019 by g4hsk

Over the last 20 years or so I’ve rarely operated my radio equipment away from home. This has changed since I’ve caught the “microwave bug” and got started on the 10GHz band. My 10GHz setup comprised initially of just a … Continue reading →

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Yaesu G-5500 Fault

Posted on August 4, 2019 by g4hsk

  About two weeks ago my Yaesu G-5500 rotator controller developed a strange fault. The Azimuth (AZ) meter would not display correctly, the Elevation (EL) meter was working fine. The AZ meter showed only ~20 degrees but the EME antennas … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, EME, Satellites | Leave a comment