29 March 2024 - Got some of the capacitor replacements in place.
17 February 2024 - Received this today and opened it up - found a dirt dobber home on the transformer - It was as hard as cement so no telling how long it had been there. Removed it and cleaned off the areas that I could. This is a future project.
Went to Alabama on November 13, 2021 to do some 10GHz communications and caught the 1296 MHz bug and bought a SGLABS 1296MHz transverter, SGLABS 25W amp and antenna (all below) - arrived December 30, 2021. Update: I also have a Icom 9700 I use as a base on 1296.
10 March 2024 - New 1.2G M2 base antenna and tested at home on tripod - below video is the 1.2G beacon from Joanna Bald.
29 July 2023 - Worked Vic WB4SLM on 1296.1 in EM85DA (Hayesville, NC) this morning - he was 5x2 and Q5.
28 July 2023 - The Gemini 1296 amp is hooked up to my Icom 9700 and I am only able to drive it to 50W before I see a SWR issue - did some investigation and the Comet window jumpers I am using can only accept 10W at that frequency - they also have a 1.8dB loss at that frequency. Need to get my entrance box installed to fix this.
8 July 2023 - The Gemini 1296 250W amplifier from The DX Shop was shipped early this week and should arrive sometime next week.
23 March 2023 - Worked Vic WB4SLM in EM82dm on 1296.1 SSB via my home station in EM84au - this is a 154 mile path. Just 2 miles short of my 156 mile record with Bob in Alabama.
14 February 2023 - I ordered a Gemini 1296 250W amplifier from The DX Shop for base station operation - radio is a Icom 9700 and antenna is a Comet yagi. The amp estimated delivery is August 2023.
March 5, 2022 - Setup one of my Ukraine sources as a 1296.35MHz beacon at -1dBm and connected it to a tri-band vertical (2m, 70cm, 1.2GHz) at my home. Traveled to Brasstown Bald which is 7.5 miles East of me to check out my 1.2GHz system.
January 15, 2022 - update
Have the transverter, amp and PTT buffer in the Ammo Box.
January 8 - update
Built the PTT buffer that works with the Icom IC-705 - same DEMI product I use with my 10GHz transverter.
January 4, 2021 - update
Working on power connections and the PTT buffer. Here's a look at the TX signal on USB.
December 31, 2021 - update
Transverter and PA arrived yesterday. Testing RX from my signal source. Next to build the PTT buffer and PTT cables and the power cables.
December 2, 2021 - Update
The antenna is here and the transverter and amp shipped 12/1. The transverter is v2.3 and the PA is a new v2 with improved LNA, with 16dB gain and NF 0.7dB typical.
November 20, 2021
Here's a hookup diagram I found from QZ1BXM.
Looks like there is a new version 2.3 which has a 10MHz external reference port - lower left SMA.
November 18, 2021
