| FT8 Digital Record: Ham Radio on the 3.4 GHz band |
| FT8 Digital Record: Ham Radio on the 3.4 GHz band https://youtu.be/P9KGf4P09vQ VK7PD and VK7HH completed a new FT8 national digital record for VK while portable at Mt.Barrow and Mt.Wellington respectively. FT8 was chosen due to the shorter transmission time required. As the contact was done on the 3.4 GHz ham radio band, drift can cause no decodes. Luckily with FT8 after sometime we managed to exchange signal reports and callsigns. The existing record was 161.6km. This is now closer to 170km (to be confirmed). Both transverter were the VK3ATL Geelong panel conversions. The digital contact was made using the supplied patch antennas, however I also had a satellite dish with a WA5JVB antenna being used at the feed I wanted to try. SSB contact was made, however VK7PD had some distortion due to a PA fault. The PA was removed and the transverter run barefoot with lower panel and the distortion was gone. Hopefully we can extend the record even further and encourage others to try out the 3.4 GHz band! Ham Radio DX |