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Video: using the $75 VHF transverter with the Flex and SmartSDR

Doug Hall
Doug Hall Member ✭✭
edited June 2020 in New Ideas
Not long ago there was discussion here regarding the cheap ($75) 2m transverter board offered by UT5JCW at transverters-store.com. I've been using this board successfully with the Flex-6300 for a number of months now, and recently I put together a video showing the "good, bad, and ugly" sides of this transverter solution. Consider it a mini-review and mini-HOWTO. I'm not a videographer by any means, but if you can overlook the rough edges you might find it useful if you are looking for a functional VHF transverter for your Flex. Whether you go this route or buy one of the more expensive units from Kuhne, DEMI, or Elecraft I hope you'll find something useful here.

https://youtu.be/w8JQ0SIUlI8

73,
Doug K4DSP

Comments

  • Rob Fissel
    Rob Fissel Member
    edited January 2016
    Nice video, Doug. Thanks for sharing. Makes me want to get 2 meters working on my 6300 as well!
  • Ken - NM9P
    Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    Thanks, Doug.  I have been contemplating one of those, but had concerns with IMD as well.  Looks like I would need to find a good, clean amp to pair with it.  How is the receive performance?  How broadbanded is it?  it looks like there is a difference in noise floor from 144.200 to the FM part of the band.
  • George KF2T
    George KF2T Member ✭✭✭
    edited February 2019
    Nice job, Doug! My experience with their 432 transverter was about the same. Nice units, but I ultimately went to a pair of Elecrafts. 
  • Duane_AC5AA
    Duane_AC5AA Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2018
    Thanks, Doug - very informative and helpful.
  •   VE6KWA
    VE6KWA Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Thanks Doug, I've been hoping someone would do a video on this. Good info  plainly stated so even a newbie can understand.  Well done ! By all means carry on making more videos.
  • Doug Hall
    Doug Hall Member ✭✭
    edited January 2016
    Yes, Ken, I suggest an amplifier, but even at the 10w level I would probably suggest one as well if you want to work SSB and CW. I can work all the local repeaters at the 1.5w level - no amp needed there.

    As far as receive goes, the 3 dB points on my transverter receive passband are 142.8 MHz and 148 MHz. Not perfectly centered on the band, but good enough. In the video I had the pan zoomed in on the SSB slice so the noise floor looks higher on the FM slice. Also I have a noise source that comes and goes up above 145 MHz, so that was showing up in the video

    As far as sensitivity goes I confess that I haven't dragged the signal generator (old HP 8640 that is kinda heavy) from the workshop to the hamshack. But casual side-by-side testing shows that the Flex/transverter combo receives about as well as my Kenwood TS-2000 or my Icom 706MK2G.
    73,
    Doug K4DSP
  • Ken - NM9P
    Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Thanks, Doug. I have a 706 mk2g in my van and an IC-275A in the shack. I don't use it much, and would like to sell it to get a good transverter. They still bring pretty good money. I once had a MM-144-28 transverter and wish I had it back....
  • Doug Hall
    Doug Hall Member ✭✭
    edited January 2016
    I've seen the 2M Elecrafts, George, but not the 70cm unit. Nice equipment, and definitely a cut above the UT5JCW product. I think one advantage is being able to configure the Elecraft to operate in a split RX/TX IF setup vs. a common IF, something you can't do with the UT5JCW board. But the 6300 only supports a common IF configuration anyway, so the advantage was lost on me.

    How much of the 70cm band can you cover with the Elecraft?
    73,
    Doug K4DSP

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