Here is a small overview of my QO-100 project. (work in progress)
I know I am late to the game and there are 1000+ different solutions already out there on the internet and maybe there is no need for version 1001.
My goal was to get it done without spending a lot of money on it and using the parts I have already in place. KISS – keep it simple stupid
Lets start with the RX side that was peretty easy to setup.
I bought a 80cm offset dish together with an arm for the bacony mount on ebay for about 35€.
The LNB is a cheap Goobay Single user LNB from Amazon for 3,50€ and a 12V feed for the LNB via the sat cabel for 5€.
For the RX I already had an RSP2 from SDRplay https://www.sdrplay.com/rsp2/ but my friends say a simple RTL DVBT Stick for 20€ does the trick as well.
After all the parts were here, it was a 45 minute job to get everything connected together and to align the dish. Voila – reception with SDR-Console 3.x works like a charm!
QO-100 RX is a GO with 45€ spent – thats the way I like it.
TX will be a litle bit more expensive ……
I decided to go with the upconverter from AMSAT DL UpConv6W that produces already 5-6 w output for about 200€ incl. shipping. So no need for an external PA (I hoped).
With my fantasitc technical skills I burnd the finals and the UpCon6W is SK….. hahahhaha.
On the second try Mike DK1ML helped me to put and uplink together using DX Patrol UpConverter and the matching AMP.
The first few QSOs are in the log, but there are still some dB’s to be found. The signal is 8-10 dB smaller than the big guns on the QO-100 statelitte.
I already have an ICOM IC-9700 for TX into the upconverter so only a bunch of small parts and connectors are missing. As I am using my IC-9700 already for 2m and 70cm – but not at all for 23cm – I want to go with 23cm tx into the upconverter. This way I can keep everything connected and don’t run into the danger putting 100w into the upconverter. The power dial on IC-9700 on zero @ 23cm and 20m Ecoflex 10 cable produces enogh gain to fully drive the the DX Patrol.
This will be continued when all the parts are here and I have everyting up and running …
The lower Dish is for Astra TV.
73
Helmut
