BARS April Brunch 2018

Saturday, April 7, 2018, 9:30 am at Maverick's Steak and Spirits restaurant parking lot on a sunny and very cold day, Herbert AF4JF, Rich N0PQU, Zack W9SZ and Ron KO0Z gathered for a morning of 10 and 24 GHz beacon testing.

 Once again, Herbert and Rich set up behind what used to be the "B-52 restaurant" next to an open field to test their 10 and 24 GHz beacons. Meanwhile, Zack and Ron drove about a quarter of a mile away and set up their rigs.  Zack brought his 10 and 24 GHz rigs.

                                 Zack, W9SZ, and his rig, braving the cold, setting up his 24 GHz rig

       
                     Zack W9SZ almost ready to receive AF4JF's 24 GHz beacon from across the field

    The red roof building across the field is where H, AF4JF and Rich N0PQU set up the 10 and 24       GHz beacons

    Herbert, AF4JF getting ready to set up his beacons for testing. The grey box is the 24 GHz beacon

     A close up view of the 24 GHz beacon that Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS constructed

                                      The 24 GHz wave guide slot antenna for the beacon

        The 10 GHz beacon using a log periodic antenna. An arduino processor is working with the Elcomm synthesizer to produce the 10.368.875 GHz signal.  It tested out well in the extreme cold!

In spite of the bitter cold, both beacons 24.192 GHz and 10.368.875 both performed flawlessly.  Clean signals, no discernible spurs and little to no drifting.  Herbert' s testing of an Arduino processor in conjunction with a synthesizer worked out well in the field.  Herbert and Tomas OK1DXD plan to submit a paper to the CSVHF Proceedings for the upcoming conference in July at Wichita, KS.

Here are more pictures of Herbert's and Rich set up near the field:

 
                                10 GHz beacon with LP antenna for testing

                   Herbert picked up this battery booster (hooked up to the battery) on Ebay. It worked well

                                                 24 GHz beacon enclosure with slot antenna

                                     In position and getting ready to test

               The view from Herbert and Rich to Zack and Ron across the field


In addition to our field testing, Herbert brought along three  built-up 10 GHz, W1GHZ cheap transverters for us to see.  Harry, WA0CNS is keeping busy building, among other things, these boards so we can get more folks involved with microwave; especially, during contests!

                    W1GHZ cheap 10 GHz transverter built-up by Harry WA0CNS

                         W1GHZ 10 GHz transverter pipe cap filters


Although it was quite chilly, the morning proved to be a successful test of the arduino and the beacons.  The cold temps made this test even more valid.  Everyone braved the cold temperatures.  Perhaps knowing that a warm, hearty lunch awaited us back at Maverick's helped everyone's endurance.  Needless to say, Maverick's  and its lunch buffet was a very welcome sight!  Mike, N0OBI and his friend Bill joined us for lunch.  It was good seeing them.

All in all, a very fine day for our microwave activities. 


Here is a video of the 24 GHz beacon test:

Here is a video of Herbert's 10 GHz beacon: