Club QO-100 transmitter

An uplink converter (here) for transmitting to the QC-100 satellite has been built by numerous amateurs

This is the layout with individual "ebay`' items fixed to a mounting board, interconnected by SMA cables.

The Banbury Amateur Radio Society is building one of these along with the TX/RX antenna and LNB. So far we have connected up the units free across the table, and are feeding it a 432MHz input at up to 10W through a 20dB attenuator. Awaiting PSU module for +8 and +5V. No results yet, but will document as the project goes ahead.

So here's the project going ahead - it is NOT a shambles, promise

Some of the modules scattered around

And proposed box which will go outside near the dish

Just a couple of new photos as we have a club presentation about the Ofcom EMF checking we all have to do: spreadsheets and all that. I think I am exempt with max 5W TX and indoor loop antenna! Or also with my 200mW WSPR TX.

The task goes on... the antenna is proving difficult to bild as the plates keep warping when heated to solder them, tried twice so far but still a problem. This is the state of play, I'm sure something will rise out of the jungle...

We have a receiver going with a commercial LNB and dish, but it drifts quite a lot and we must xtal stabilise it. We are using an SDRplay with SDRUno software to tune to the LNB output on 739MHz.

Update: the main components are mounted on the board and we have an output at 2.4GHz from a transceiver and 20dB attenuator at 430MHz. Now to add the filters and power amplifier.

So this is what it now looks like, but building has stopped as one of the power supplies blew up and we are waiting for a replacement.

RX

There is talk of moving to an RTL dongle and I would like us to try GQRX software... as it runs on the Mac!!!

QO-100 frequencies

The tuning and TXRX frequencies are