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Boulder Amateur
Television Club
TV Repeater's
REPEATER
September, 2020
3ed edition

BATVC web site: www.kh6htv.com

ATN web site: www.atn-tv.com

Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, editor - kh6htv@arrl.net www.kh6htv.com

W0BTV Details: Inputs: 439.25MHz, analog NTSC; 441MHz/6MHz BW,

DVB-T & 1243MHZ/6MHz BW, DVB-T Output: 423MHz/6MHz BW, DVB-T
Operational details in AN-51a Technical details in AN-53a. Available at:
https://kh6htv.com/application-notes/ We hold an ATV net on Thursday afternoon at 3
pm MDT. ATV nets are streamed live using the British Amateur TV Club's server, via:
https://batc.org.uk/live/kh6htvtvr or n0ye.

250 Miles - 2 Meter DTV: News bulletin from Holland.

ENTHUSIASM FOR DUTCH AMATEURS' DATV EXPERIMENT
Hams have responded enthusiastically to an invitation by the Dutch amateur radio society
VERON, opening the door to the use of 2 metres for digital amateur TV, or DATV. The
organisation mounted the challenge in early July, hoping that hams would prove that 144
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MHz was indeed well-suited for such use. The four-hour trial run on 144.600 and
145.300 MHz attracted a group of 27 participants and a video was made available to
instruct them in the use of the software used to decode the images.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6vlRV1s3Hg For receivers, they used the RTL-
SDR.COM, USB TV tuner dongle. For transmitters, they used the BATC Portsdown.

Jaap, PA2JSA, further reports: DATV connections where confirmed from more than 27
stations in The Netherlands as well as from the UK and Belgium. For feedback on
received DATV stations a talk back channel was used, via http://dxspot.batc.org.uk/
Best DX was 403 km, PI4D received by G4YTV. The specifications for the DATV
experiment on the 2 meter band in the Netherlands are: DVB-S2, H.256, QPSK, std.
resolution (PAL 536 lines), 125 ks, FEC 1/2 and bandwidth of 162 kHz. The video
signal was coded by the HEVC 265 standard (High Efficiency Video Codec). H.256 has
50% less bandwidh compared to the H.264 codec. At this URL you can find all detailed
information about this experiment on the 2 meter band in the English language from
PE1ITR. http://pe1itr.com/144mhz/datv-2m.htm
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MIDWEST ATV DX - MULTIPLE BAND OPENINGS

Dave, AH2AR reports ---- Throughout the first week of September 2020, there has been
multiple, early morning, 70cm, ATV DX band openings. Provided here are a few photos
of what was being received. Typically, its possible to view the APRS propagation map
(for 2 meters) to indirectly determine whether 70cm may also be open. Illustrated above
is a snapshot of the APRS Propagation map that coincided with the 70cm band openings
within this region. (URL is http://aprs.mennolink.org/ ) The RED areas indicate APRS 2
real-time reporting of 2 meter DX activity as the 70cm regional DX typically follows
suit.

W8URI (DVB-T) in Mt. Gilead, OH rceived WB8LGA's analog (A5) 70cm video in
direct by AH2AR in Vandalia, OH, 84 miles Morrow county, OH to W8BI rptr in Huber
Heights, OH (80 miles)
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N9BNN, Lebanon, IN as received by the N0BNN as received by W4HTB, Bowling

Grand Rapids, MI Ridgetop Receive Site. Green, KY (220 miles)
(200 miles)

W8URI, Mt Giliad, OH asreceived by W8KHP, Hebron, Kentucky (160 miles)

SAN DIEGO ATV News: San Diego - Oceanside - Vista, California,

ADTV Society consortium continues experimentation with Amateur Radio - Television.
transmitting multiple channel programing for our viewers. Channel programs are on local
activities, training, projects, EmCOMM and ham radio presentations from abroad via
IPTV media. The three network repeaters have worked flawlessly for three years now on
DVB-T, DVB-S2 and FM modes {Vista, CA link}. Thirty three members are active in the
society.

We have voted not to stream on any commercial public media platform{i.e. YouTube,
ZOOM etc}. We do use IPTV technology from the THOR Broadcast equipment we own
at our repeater sites along with our media server to stream to membership when away
from QTH due to business travel, vacation etc. Members have IP access to Network link
for rf local transmit using a pin assigned number {IP in, rf out}. Just a note no HiDes
equipment in repeater network. We are using 6 MHz BW on our system. Each site has
eight inputs, Outputs all DVB-S2, H.265 with the exception of the Vista site which has
analog and digital mix in and out for the old timers in our group with their gear that are
still in working order. Experimentation with the LimeSDR is being conducted with our
STEM students. No further planned expansion of our network outside counties of San
Diego we are pretty much done. Just maintaining what we have and lots of smart people
on board to help and we have lots of fun like your group does. No interference issues.
73 de Mario, KD6ILO
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DC Power for Frequency

West Brick Oscillators
Pete, WB2DVS, has inquired "Where can I get a
+12Vdc to -19Vdc power supply for my Frequency
West brick oscillator. Bill, AB0MY, has found the
solution. He says "I bought a Meanwell, model
PSD-30A-24 from Jameco ( www.jameco.com ). It
only cost $13. It is 12Vdc in, 24Vdc out, with
isolated output. It is rated at
24V, 1.25 Amps output and 9-18 V input. The on board adjustment pot will lower the
output to about 21Vdc. I changed the adjustment pot. It is just used as a series variable
resistor, originally 500 ohms, replaced it with a 1K pot and was able to move it down as
low as 16Vdc."

5.8GHz, DVB-T TRANSMITTER: In the March, 2020 issue

#37 of this newsletter, I discussed my development of a Transverter to be used on the
5cm, 5.8GHz band for DVB-T. A further enhancement (issue #54) boosted the rf power
output up to +23dBm (rms) from +14dBm. This was done by adding a low cost ($25)
Chinese model TXPA58002W5 amplifier with 13dB of gain. The most recent
development reported in the last issue, #56, of this newsletter was the discovery that there
is a -18dB input attenuator in that amplifier. So the obvious thing to do was to rip out
that undesired attenuator. The modified amplifier then has +32dB of gain. This made
the rf drive required for the final power amplifier a whole lot less stringent. A much
lower cost driver amplifier could now be used in the transmitter. The above block
diagram shows the basic elements now required to build this transmitter.

The first input component is the mixer. A very good quality, double-balanced mixer
should be used here (not a cheap Chinese one ! - I found out the hard way.). The mixer I
used was an E-Bay, surplus Watkins-Johnson model M-14 for C-band 4-8GHz. Diode
mixers typically require +7dBm of LO drive power, or more. A good mixer with the
proper LO drive power will then have about -6dB of conversion loss. A +7dBm mixer
will typically have it's input IF drive -1dB compression point at about -7dB below the LO
drive level, i.e. at 0dBm. For digital TV signals, it is extremely important to maintain
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excellent linearity in all the components in the transmitter chain. DTV signal strength is
expressed as the RMS value because it is a noise like signal with indistinguishable peaks
and valleys. For DVB-T we have found that it is necessary to allow at least 10dB or
more head-room above the RMS value to accommodate the peaks in the noise like signal.
Thus for our input mixer, if the -1dB compression point is 0dBm, then our input DVB-T,
IF signal must be < -10dBm. At -10dBm IF input, with -6dB mixer conversion loss, the
mixer's RF output will be -16dBm.

The final RF power amplifier then becomes the modified TXPA58002W5. It's -1dB gain
compression point is +33dBm. Backing off 10dB, we can thus expect to legitimately get
+23dBm (RMS) of DVB-T power from this amplifier and still have acceptable, out of
channel, spectrum shoulders. (note: the typical value used for ATV is -30dB shoulder
break-points ). So with +23dBm output and a final amp gain of 32dB, the required input
drive to the final is thus -9dBm. From our above mixer calculations, we see that we will
not get that much power from the mixer. Thus we will need an additional driver amplifier
gain stage.

The driver amplifier used is the KH6HTV Video model UWBA-103. It is a low cost
amplifier at $35 for an assembled and tested pc board version. The key specs for it are:
20dB gain, +20dBm (-1dB), 250kHz - 3GHz (-3dB bandwidth). While it is rated to 3
GHz, that is the -3dB BW. The amplifier still performs well at 5.8GHz. At 5.8, it has
12dB of gain and +9dBm (-1dB). This is plenty for this application.

The other components in the block diagram are optional, but good engineering practice
dictates that they also be used. The RF output from the mixer will contain leakage of the
LO frequency and both the upper and lower sidebands, LO + IF & LO - IF. We only
want to use one of the sidebands. So we need to filter out the opposite sideband. If it is
a good quality, double-balanced mixer, most of the LO will already be suppressed. With
a good mixer, the LO leakage is down about -40dB from the input LO drive level. For
Notch Filters, I have a found a very simple, and easy to build notch filter is to simply use
an SMA tee and attach a short SMA cable to the third port of the tee. I then cut this cable
to form an open-circuited stub. At 1/4 λ, or odd multiples, this open circuit presents a
short circuit at the tee junction. With this technique one can easily get a -25 to -30dB
notch at the desired frequency. With the particular LO, IF & RF frequencies I used, I
had only about -1dB loss at the desired rf output frequency with my notch filters.

The resultant transmitter was designed to transmit on 5.678 GHz. The LO that was used
was a Frequency West brick oscillator on 6.0924 GHz. Thus the resultant IF required
was 414.4 MHz. The IF drive power used was -13dBm to get +23dBm of RF output. A
Hi-Des model HV-320E modulator was used to provide the IF, DVB-T signal.

73 de Jim, KH6HTV
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23cm BIG DISH: Thank you again Jim for the newsletter. --- The
Lime SDR Mini caught me by surprise. I am bookmarking pages to learn more about this
little gem. I can think of so many apps for it. Just need time.

I about have my new 15’ surface and feed optimized for the ARRL Fall, EME 23cm
contest. Sun noise and echo tests show it to be my best system to date. Even SSB, EME
echoes are Q5 with 850 Watts at the feed. The solid state KW amp is behind the dish-
hidden by some of my wife’s Shasta Daisies. As a size comparison, the green disk at the
center of the dish is 11” in diameter. If you look carefully, you can see my pup Dolly
looking on with approval. I am old school - CW & SSB.
73 de Dale, W4OP

FEEDBACK: Ref. ATV Repeater Design -- Richard, WD0GIV

writes -- "Hi, Jim. You can increase power while using the TX/RX duplexer if you do
one thing. Install a low pass filter for about 500 MHz. The problem of desence with
them is a second harmonic comes right back down and blows threw the duplexer with no
problem. I found it out in 1985. I run 100Watts with a 439.25 MHz in and 421.25 MHz
out. Before the LPF, I could not exceed 10Watts.
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The Ultimate Ham Rover: Can anyone beat

this Ultimate Ham Mobile ? 80 m thru 3cm ! SSB/FM/CW. Plus
digital on HF thru 2m. Andrea, K2EZ, of New Jersey says "I can
operate all but 160 meters from my mobile however the dish for
5.7GHz and 10GHz is carried in the vehicle and deployed when in
position." OK, Andrea, the only thing missing now is for you to
add ATV capability.
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VALID SIGNAL SWITCH: This is a an example of a build of the

"Valid Signal Switch" used at the Dayton, Ohio, W8BI ATV repeater site that is used on a
HiDes receiver. Typically, we bring out the green LED valid signal indicator on the
HiDes receivers via an RCA jack. In that manner, we have access to the needed relay
control voltage that is ported into this Chinese High-Low Level Trigger module. This
module typically sells for less than $2.00 on eBay. A valid DVB-T signal energizes the
Green LED, and the voltage provides a trigger this module to switch live NTSC video
into the video controller at the repeater site.
Cheers -- Dave P., AH2AR, Dayton, Ohio

Editor's note: The valid signal mod for the Hi-Des receivers, Dave refers to is described
in KH6HTV Video app. note, AN-23e, pp. 5-6. Mel, K0PFX, St. Louis, has produced
mini-pc boards for the circuit. See the July newsletter, issue #50, pp. 13-14.

More Boulder 10 GHz Activity: On Tuesday, Sept. 1st, the

Boulder ATV hams again were on the air on 10.369 GHz with DVB-T. Bill, AB0MY,
was at Rabbit mountain, near Lyons, CO. Pete, WB2DVS & Debbie, WB2DVT, were at
NCAR, Boulder. Don, N0YE, was on CO-128 near the NREL windmills south of
Boulder. Ed, K0JOY & Jim, KH6HTV, were at Mt. Joy (i.e. Ed's mountain QTH) north
of Boulder in the foothills. There were some successful DATV contacts made and also
the usual visits from Dr. Murphy. The longest distance covered was 23 miles between
AB0MY & N0YE.
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AB0MY's 10GHz rig at Rabbit Mtn. WB2DVS/DVT -> AB0MY, 18.7 miles

AB0MY -> WB2DVS/DVT, 18.7 miles K0JOY -> WB2DVS/DVT, 9 miles

N0YE -> WB2DVS/DVT, 5.6 miles WB2DVS/DVT -> NOYE, 5.6 miles
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K0JOY -> N0YE, 14.3 miles AB0MY -> N0YE, 23 miles

N0YE -> K0JOY, 14.3 miles Ed, K0JOY, 10 GHz station on Mt. Joy

OK, so we are now out to 23 miles (37) km). We have a long ways to go yet. The world
record is 287 miles (463 km) for 10 GHz using DVB-S. It was set in 2012 by JA0RUZ &
JA0DAE in Japan. For a list of various DATV distance records for bands from 50 MHz
to 76 GHz see W6HHC, Ken's list on the Orange County ham club's web site:
http://www.w6ze.org/DATV/Known-DATV-DX-Records.pdf

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