transverter questions

dlwarnberg

Now that I am cleaning up the shack and going to use just the 6500 I'm looking into transverters.  So for SAT work I need to be able to utilize 2 transverters, one receive one transmit, can I control and setup a 70cm as well as a 2 meter transverter with the 6500?   Then set one slice to listen on one transverter and use the second transverter to transmit?

I'm learning about transverters and what they do and how they work so sorry for the rookie questions..

Looking specifically at the Elecraft VX series transverters or the Down East Microwave transverters...

How does one hook one up and set it up in SmartSDR, I assume it's in the Radio Setup screen and the XVTR tab, but not sure what all these fields mean..

Thanks

Ken - NM9P

On a 6500, connect the transmitting transverter to the TRANS port. Connect the receiving transverter to RXA port. If you want to duplex the other way, reverse the connections. You should also be able to use the Full duplex (FDX) function when doing satellite ops this way.

Luis del MOlino

Further to the information coming from Ken, I can confirm you that now with Full Duplex On you can work satel·lites with two separated VHF/UHF Transverters connectd to a Flex 6500..

I use a RF relay to select the RXA input of the Flex from the RX output of the VHF or the  UHF Elecraft transverters. I connect both TX inputs of both Elecraft in parallell to the XTVR ouput of Flex-6500 and then I select the PTT output of the transverter that I wish to transmit with a SPDP switch. 

So I can select four setups: 1. RX/TX VHF 2. RX/TX/UHF and crossed 3. RX/TX VHF/UHF and 4. RX/TX UHF/VHF.

SatPC32 deals very well with doppler shift assuming you have one Slice open in each of two   different Panadapters (one for VHF and the other for UHF or the reversal) and telling to SatPC32 that the SmartSDr is a Kenwood TS-2000.

All these works fluently if you don't forget to activate transmission in the XTVR menu in the SmartSDr setup, seleccing wich transverter is going to transmit, and you activate TX to red colour on the concerning slice and panadapter.

Luis EA3OG

dlwarnberg

Thanks... am still trying to figure this all out.. ordered a elecraft XV432 and looks like I'll be working on it for a while.. once it's done and tested I'll hook it all up and them probably have further questions..

Thanks Again

dlwarnberg

I got the elecraft XV432 transverter sitting on my desk and am finishing it up.. have to wait for the High Accuracy L.O. Crystal and the crystal oven to get here but am finishing up...

So now more questions... hook up and settings.

hookup:  I assume I will need a single BNC cable from the 6500 port 19 in manual (Low Level Transverter RF input / output) to the TX in/IF1 on the transverter......  as well as a single RCA cable from the 6500 port 6, 7 or 8 (TX relay Driver Output #1, #2 or #3) to the Key In on the Transverter.

Is my hook up correct?

Settings:
On the Radio setup screen, what should my settings be?  I believe I have to set frequency (28 Mhz) as well as Drive output level, options for transverter are 1 milliwatt, 251 milliwatts or 5 watts

Suggestions?

Thanks

David
KK4QOE

Tim - W4TME

David,

I highly recommend you read section 10 in the FLEX-6000 Hardware Reference Manual for the answers to the physical setup questions and section 24 of the SmartSDR Software User's Guide for the Software setup.  Between the two it should address your questions.

dlwarnberg

Tim, would a setup for a XV432 to a 6500 be simular to this?  
https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/204161495-Setting-up-an-Elecraft-XV144-with-a-FLEX-...

Tim - W4TME

Yes, but if the xvtr can support a "split IF", that is the best way to do it.

dlwarnberg

The Elecraft XV series transverters do support Split IF... there is a separate TX IF and RX IF connections... TXin/IF1 and a RXout/IF2 

Just trying to double check and make sure I have everything right before setting up and going through the alignment procedures

Thanks

Simon Lewis

David if you need a hand with transverters - yell!  I have a whole stack of em here hanging off the 6500s

dlwarnberg

I do, thank you.... first time and want to make sure everything is right.. will be in contact

Do you have contact info?  or better yet send me an e-mail, look up my call KK4QOE on QRZ and send me an e-mail please.

Thanks again

Simon Lewis

gm4plm@hotmail.com

happy to help

Cheers

Simon

dlwarnberg

Luis,
        Do you have more information on this setup??  maybe a basic diagram?  I think I understand what you are doing here but want to be sure.

Thanks

Luis del MOlino

David
Here you'll see a diagram of my setup for transveters.

I cannot attache here any image. Pleas let me have your e-mail.

Luis EA3OG

George KF2T

Also curious to see how the experts have done it! Have the 432 and 144 MHz Elecrafts running - XVTR port and BNC-T for transmit (IF1) and receive via IF2 to RXA and ANT2 on my 6500. Is that the best way to fly? kf2t@arrl.net for images. Can post them here for you, if you like.

dlwarnberg

George,  Sorry off topic...

Just got my XV432 built, interesting discovery... elecraft has you align it at 432.500 MHz (filer alignment part VI) so first discovery is I have a HUGE rf signal (nothing related to transverter) at that frequency... been shutting off stuff all over the house to find it.. no success yet..

Anyway, everything seems to be working as designed.. then I tune over to 443.450 MHz.. local repeater to listen and test, key mic I get ZERO output at that frequency, but it if I tune back to 432.500 MHz, 20 watts out all day.. not sure whats going on here...

Curious, when you where aligning the transverter (assume 1 mw drive) for the filter alignment (Part VI) what ending voltage did you end up with at TP5??  did you align the transverter at a different frequency?  What I'm finding as I change frequency away from 432.500 MHz my power output drops off to nothing...

Thanks

David

George KF2T

Hi David,

Sorry to hear about the 432.5 QRM! Well, at least you have a test signal...

Got the specified range of voltages, up to 10. Can't recall where it was at the end of alignment. Everything came up right on the button while aligning. As for going up 11 MHz, I think you're outside the design range. Pretty sure 4 MHz is about all it's set for. Fine by me for satellite work, but not much for FM. I get the same results as you.

I think I am going to buy/build a failsafe "baseball" switch to switch the IF1 ports to either XVTR or RXA. T connectors strike me as inelegant, and hooking up to ANT2 gives me the willies. Isolation. yeah, that's the ticket!

dlwarnberg

Luis....  you can find it on qrz.com  KK4QOE