On Jan 24, 6:21*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:52:14 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:
I was wanting to listen to VHF/UHF SSB. All of my present UHF/VHF radios
are FM. I was thinking of rigging up a simple downconverter using a mini
circuit mixer and my HP signal generator as the local oscilator that I
can connect in front of my HF rig. I have an antenna mounted pre- amp
that I think should suffice for my front end. Any foreseeable problems
short of keying my transmitter while it is connected.

Jimmie

Do let us know what you tried, and how it worked.

--www.wescottdesign.com

UPS delivered the mixer yesterday evening but I didnt get to play with
it until this AM.Im working evenings. I spent about an hour getting it
connected up. There may not have been any SSB activity but I was able
to hear all the usual local 2m repeaters using my HF rig set up for
10M FM.

Setup was as about as simple as it gets. With pre- amp at the antenna,
antenna , receiver and osc was just connected directly to the mixer
with some small coax alledged to be 50 ohms. At this thime I really
cant evaluate it more than that.

Jimmie

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:07:30 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:

On Jan 24, 6:21Â*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:52:14 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:
I was wanting to listen to VHF/UHF SSB. All of my present UHF/VHF
radios are FM. I was thinking of rigging up a simple downconverter
using a mini circuit mixer and my HP signal generator as the local
oscilator that I can connect in front of my HF rig. I have an antenna
mounted pre- amp that I think should suffice for my front end. Any
foreseeable problems short of keying my transmitter while it is
connected.

Jimmie

Do let us know what you tried, and how it worked.

--www.wescottdesign.com

UPS delivered the mixer yesterday evening but I didnt get to play with
it until this AM.Im working evenings. I spent about an hour getting it
connected up. There may not have been any SSB activity but I was able to
hear all the usual local 2m repeaters using my HF rig set up for 10M FM.

Setup was as about as simple as it gets. With pre- amp at the antenna,
antenna , receiver and osc was just connected directly to the mixer with
some small coax alledged to be 50 ohms. At this thime I really cant
evaluate it more than that.

The bands always go dead right when you finish a radio.

Keep us posted.

--
www.wescottdesign.com

On Jan 29, 9:24*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:07:30 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:
On Jan 24, 6:21*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:52:14 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:
I was wanting to listen to VHF/UHF SSB. All of my present UHF/VHF
radios are FM. I was thinking of rigging up a simple downconverter
using a mini circuit mixer and my HP signal generator as the local
oscilator that I can connect in front of my HF rig. I have an antenna
mounted pre- amp that I think should suffice for my front end. Any
foreseeable problems short of keying my transmitter while it is
connected.

Jimmie

Do let us know what you tried, and how it worked.

--www.wescottdesign.com

UPS delivered the mixer yesterday evening but I didnt get to play with
it until this AM.Im working evenings. I spent about an hour getting it
connected up. There may not have been any SSB activity but I was able to
hear all the usual local 2m repeaters using my HF rig set up for 10M FM..

Setup was as about as simple as it gets. With pre- amp at the antenna,
antenna , receiver and osc was just connected directly to the mixer with
some small coax alleged to be 50 ohms. At this thime I really cant
evaluate it more than that.

The bands always go dead right when you finish a radio.

Keep us posted.

--www.wescottdesign.com

Seems to be overloading a little on strong signals. This is probably
the reason rreal receivers arent quite so simple.

Jimmie

JIMMIE wrote:
UPS delivered the mixer yesterday evening but I didnt get to play with
it until this AM.Im working evenings. I spent about an hour getting it
connected up. There may not have been any SSB activity but I was able
to hear all the usual local 2m repeaters using my HF rig set up for
10M FM.

How is SSB activity in your area these days?
Over here (Netherlands) it never was as big as FM and one would not
expect to hear much in the morning hours, when many hams are at work.

But these days, even during evening hours there is not much SSB to
be heard anymore. There seems to be activity only during band openings
and contests.

On Feb 1, 2:10*pm, Rob wrote:
JIMMIE wrote:
UPS delivered the mixer yesterday evening but I didnt get to play with
it until this AM.Im working evenings. I spent about an hour getting it
connected up. There may not have been any SSB activity but I was able
to hear all the usual local 2m repeaters using my HF rig set up for
10M FM.

How is SSB activity in your area these days?
Over here (Netherlands) it never was as big as FM and one would not
expect to hear much in the morning hours, when many hams are at work.

But these days, even during evening hours there is not much SSB to
be heard anymore. *There seems to be activity only during band openings
and contests.

Same here, I had to call someone to get him to give me some test
counts on SSB to test my lash up.

Jimmie