5P5T Danish VHF Contest Group
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Ready for Region 1 contest September 2-3 2017
Posted by OZ1FDH
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Almost all equipment loaded in the trailer. New feature: all antennas now inside the trailer (also under the roof), no more broken elements from driving through the forest. The floor is swept, all equipment should be OK. 5P5T looking forward ...
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A closer look at the 5P5T TX-line
Posted by OZ1FDH
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After 10 years of 144 MHz contesting with 5P5T and continuously developing and changing the station, we figured that maybe it was time to do a thorough evaluation and measurement of the whole TX-line. In the TX-line design, we have taken care to keep the signal clean. This includes; choice of equipment with low phase noise, the transverter and driver PA are never used at more than 50% of their nominated output power and the final PA is never run at levels exceeding the nominated output. But we have to admit, that apart from on-air testing, we never measured if the TX performance actually was as good, we believed it to be. With the exception of a few flaws, where we knew some of the levels were wrong, we generally got nice reports on our TX signal. However, occasionally we also had reports that something was not quite in order, but we couldn’t really find anything wrong in the settings or design. Thus, it was time to seriously look into whether or not there was a problem, and we decid ...
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New equipment -review of the TR144 PRO transverter from Kuhne Electronics
Posted by OZ1FDH
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Review of the Kuhne Electronics TR 144 PRO transverter for 144 MHz: Part 1 OZ1FDH/5P5T Claus Felby Kuhne transverters are not cheap. With prices around 1300 euros, for most amateurs who owns one, they are probably the most expensive pieces of auxillary equipment in the schack. Thus they are not something you purchase every now and then, but are they worth the money, and can they stand the technological evolution of 10+ years? This article is the first part of a review of the new TR 144 PRO transverter. Focus for this article is on the specifications, practical setup and use as well as on air performance. In the second part, to follow in a month or two, more extensive measurements of the RX and TX parameters will be made. For 10 years, I have been using a Kuhne Electronics transverter for my 144 MHz station. For a while I had TR 144h, but I upgraded to the TR144h +40 in 2008. I have really been happy with this transverter. It has worked flawlessly throughout the years ...
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5P5T region 1 VHF 2016 -10th contest jubilee
Posted by OZ1FDH
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2007-2016, with this years contest the 5P5T team have been active in the region 1 VHF test for 10 times in a row. Thus the 2016 test was something special. The team this year was OZ1GER, OZ1IKY, OZ1FDH, AG6QV and PA5DD or in other words Birger, Kenneth, Claus, Frank and Uffe. As usual AG6QV Frank had flown in from Los Angeles for the occasion. 5P5T in a break between the rain showers. From left OZ1IKY, PA5DD, OZ1GER, AG6QV and OZ1FDH Prior to the contest we had modified the station setup, reducing the number of boxes and computers to a minimum. Simplicity and overview are the keywords. All the necessary functions for the 1st and 2nd operator can now be controlled from their keyboards. Another important contribution was 5P5T t-shirts! The big challenge every year is transporting the equipment the last 300 m to the top of Kongsbjerg. On a rainy day it is a muddy limestone cliff, turning all the trails into liquid soap. To haul the 1,5 tons trailer to the top of Kongsbjer ...
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5P5T September contest 2015 - The revenge of Montezuma
Posted by OZ1FDH
Tags: Moen 2015
September is the month of late summer days, the smell of morning dew in the fields and the feeling of a summer almost gone. However, this was not exactly the case for this years VHF contest. It was more like a collection of low pressure ridges with high accompanying joyful winds and heavy rain. For the past 5 years we have been lucky with the weather during the VHF September contest, and just a week before the contest the weather forecast looked nice, but then it started to turn bad. At one point there was a storm warning, and if you are at the top of a hill right next to the ocean that is not a very good combination. We had experienced the October contest 2008 with a full gale and where considering to cancel this years contest, but fortunately the weather forecast got slightly better and we decided to go all inn as usual. Preparations As always we started preparations a little bit too late building, repairing and fixing equipment, but as the week before the contest arrived everything ...
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