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The 50 MHz and Up Group is an educational and public service amateur radio organization centered in the San Francisco Bay area. The group is interested in developing and utilizing communications on frequencies from 50MHz up through light-waves. The group is open to any related topics that might be of interest to members, such as: technology, design, construction, operation, public service, contesting and antennas. Lean more . . .
Contact
For questions about this group or about programs and activities, please contact the new President, Jim Moss, N9JIM: n9jim-6 (at) pacbell [dot] net
Announcements
Renewal and annual dues payment of $10 were due on Feb 1
For those who live within the Bay area, the annual dues for 2013 are $10 per year. This must be sent via mail to the new Treasurer, Jerome Peters AF6UX or bring to the meeting and hand it to him. Make the check payable to: 50MHz and Up Group of N. Calif. If you are a member, then you can find his address in the Members Only section. Or you can look up his address on QRZ or Buckmaster.
Those living outside of the Bay area do not pay dues and as Friends, do not vote. Regardless of whether you are a full Member or you are a Friend, we are required to have a current database.
If none of your information has changed since last Feb, then please send Jeffrey Pawlan WA6KBL an email simply stating "nothing changed". If your phone or email or street address has changed, then you will need to fill out a complete new memberform. See the Membership link for instructions.
Meeting Announcement - July Picnic!
Our next meeting of the 50MHz and Up Group of N. Calif will be a picnic on Saturday, July 13 , 11am to 3pm. It will be at the TI private park which is further down Kifer than the buildings. Drive to the end of the empty parking lot, park, then go to the entrance gate to get in. Free food from Armadillo Willy's BBQ will be provided. Feel free to bring something special if you like. Consider bringing some of your microwave equipment to monitor the beacon and show off!
There will not be a regular meeting in the conference auditorium so do not come to TI on the first Thursday of July.
All of our meetings are free and open to the public. Students and IEEE members are especially encouraged to attend.
The Group project has begun. Here are the first set of slides and the next steps
Jim Moss and Mike Lavelle have put together a streamlined process to assist you in getting a working transceiver on either or both of these bands. Here are the slides that were presented by Mike at the March meeting:
(The Road to 10 and 24 GHz.pdf) Please click here to view or download
The Group project continues and here are the slides from the May 2013 meeting
This presentation includes:
- reports on the PCOM module testing and brick tuning workshops held in April
- plans for antenna feed workshops (to be held soon)
- some notes on T/R sequencing requirements
Please click here to view or download
April Meeting Minutes by Larry Zuckerman, K3LZ
13 April 2013
The meeting was called to order at 19:11 hours by K9JIM, Jim Moss.
1. There were 27 attendees. Each attendee introduced himself and was asked to state his plan regarding improving his microwave radio equipment.
2. There was a call fo new members. Use of website was encouraged.
3. There was a call for Old Business (none)
4. Jim Moss showed his 10 and 24 GHz horn assembly.
5. Mike Lavelle showed a Farinon based 10 GHz transceiver assembly and explained how to build it.
6. Members were asked to get on mailing lists for the various equipment projects.
7. Meeting was adjourned at 7:52pm to breakout sessions on the various equipment types to be constructed.
8. There were several new members. Three of these paid dues which were collected by the secretary as the treasurer was not in attendence: Newell Jensen, Herbert Vanderbeek, Giovanni Re
Here are our 2013 officers
President: Jim Moss, N9JIM
Vice President: Mike Lavelle, K6ML
Secretary: Larry Zimmerman, K3LZ
Treasurer: Jerome Peters AF6UX
Board member 1: Rex Allers, KK6MK
Board member 2: Oliver Barrett, KB6BA
Board member 3: Joel Wilhite, KD6W
New! Documentation for Harris 10GHz surplus equipment
Mike Lavelle, K6ML and Oliver Barrett, KB6BA have provided us with much of the documentation for the surplus Harris DVM10 Digital Versitility Microwave radio links. Please log into the Members Only page to obtain two PDF files.
Improvement of the Stellex/Endwave YIG Synthesizer
The Stellex/Endwave mini-YIGs along with their phase locked synthesizer board are able to provide you with a stable and relatively low noise X-band signal source. However, they designed it incorrectly and most of the output power of the YIG is needlessly lost.
I have redesigned the sampling circuits so that you will now obtain +12dBm to +13.5dBm output power. It is an easy and inexpensive modification.
Because John Miles, KE5FX did the original work on using these surplus items and there are many links to his webpage, I have put my article along with nine photographs and figures on his webpage. Please click hereto go to this page and then scroll down to nearly the bottom of that webpage.
Current Updated Rosters Available to Members
Members may obtain the new updated roasters in several sort orders by logging into the Members Only webpage. It has been updated on Mar. 18, 2013.
The presentation by Goran AD6IW on high efficiency amplifiers.
He gave at the 2010 EME conference and also at the 50MHz and Up meeting in Sept. Click here to download it
Report on the Ham Radio Social at the International Microwave Symposium on May 25, 2010 in Anaheim
The report and all photos are now located on a separate page. Please click here to view
Two presentations by Brian Yee W6BY are available for download
A slide presentation on an Introduction to Amateur Radio Microwave Operation is available as a PDF. Click here to download it
The second presentation is located on the Events tab page.
Beacons
Microwave Beacons in operation UPDATED The following beacons are known to be operating as of 06-29-2011:
| Where | Specs |
|---|---|
| Leeson Site, near Mt Thayer, KF6KVG: | 10367.990MHz, 24191.975MHz, 47087.99, 79920MHz, 37deg 10.034min N, 121deg 55.500min W |
| Mt Allison, AD6FP power unknown | 10369.192MHz, 37deg 29.905min N, 121deg 52.206min W |
| Mt Allison, AD6FP power unknown | 24192.01MHz, 37deg 29.905min N, 121deg 52.206min W |
| Mt Allison, WA6QDP power unknown | 47061.017MHz, 37deg 29.905min N, 121deg 52.206min W |
| Mt Vaca, W6ASL: | 10368.325MHz, 38deg 24min 51sec N, 122deg 06min 50sec W |
| The Mt St Helena beacon has been removed | |
| Mt Frazier, N6CA/B DM04MS 1.3w output 8013ft | 10368.3101MHz, 34deg 46min 30sec N, 118deg 58min 09sec W |
| Palos Verdes, N6CA/B DM03TS 1.6w output 1300ft | 10368.300MHz, 33deg 46min 15sec N, 118deg 22min 30sec W. |
| Santiago Peak, KE6JUV DM13FR unknown pwr 5664ft | 10368.330MHz, 33deg 42.690min N, 117deg 32.020min W. |
| Heaps Peak, call? DM14KF unknown pwr 8000ft | 2304.11MHz (drifts 40KHz from 2304.08 to 2304.12) 34deg 14min 2.4sec N, 117deg 8min 25.2sec W |
| San Diego, K6QPV/B DM12MQ 2565ft, +34dBm EIRP horizontally polarized horn toward the LA basin | 24.192040GHz +/- 500 Hz, 32deg 41.8min N, 116deg 56.09min W. |
| San Diego, N6IZW/B DM12MQ 2565ft, omni +39dBm EIRP | 10.368360GHz GPS locked, 32deg 41.8min N, 116deg 56.09min W. |
| San Diego, K6QPV/B DM12MQ 2565ft, omni +44dBm EIRP | 5.760000 GHz GPS Locked, 32deg 41.8min N, 116deg 56.09min W. |
| San Diego, K6QPV/B DM12MQ 2565ft, 16w into a yagi | 1296.3000 GHz, 32deg 41.8min N, 116deg 56.09min W. |