HF/VHF/UHF Multicoupler released

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Cross Country Wireless now have the first production models of their HF/VHF/UHF Multicoupler available for sale.

This is a multicoupler or antenna distribution amplifier that can share a single antenna between up to five receivers. It also provides lightning surge and over-power protection on the antenna port.

This product has been under development for over a year and one of the spin-offs from the work was the revised RF front end for the SDR-4+ receiver.

The multicoupler has a very wide bandwidth (1 to 400 MHz -3dB) and a very high output IP3 figure of 40 dBm.

The specification for reverse isolation and receiver to receiver isolation is also very good (typically better than 50 dB).

More information - http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/multicoupler.htm

RF filters and diplexers - Cross Country Wireless

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Cross Country Wireless have started making their range of RF filters and diplexers again after a break following the launch of their SDR-4+ receiver.

The RF filters include bandpass filters for 50, 70, 144 and 432 MHz, 144/432 MHz dual band filters and a double notch 144 MHz filter notching the UK paging frequencies.

The 144/432 MHz dual band filter is particularly useful with Yaesu/ Icom/ Kenwood dual band mobiles cutting out interference from and to local broadcast, TV, GSM and other amateur band signals.

The diplexers available are 50/70 MHz and 144/432 MHz.

Filters are £58.50 plus £5.00 post and packing.

Diplexers are £63.00 plus £5.00 post and packing.

More details including actual test sheets of recent filters and diplexers are available on their web site - http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/filter.htm

Diplexers - http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/diplexer.htm

Raspberry Pi sends live images from near space

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Dave Akerman has used a Raspberry Pi computer board as the flight computer on a High Altitude Balloon (HAB) and sent back live images from near space at an altitude of almost 40 km

The balloon, appropriately called PIE1, was launched from Brightwalton, in Berkshire on July 14, 2012. The images were transmitted on 434.650 MHz (300 bps, 600 Hz shift) in the amateur radio 70cm band using the Slow Scan Digital Video (SSDV) standard.

PIE1 reached an altitude of 39,994 metres and images were received as far away as Northern Ireland (that's over 500km, not bad for just 10mW on 434.650 MHz!).

The full story and pictures are on Dave Akerman's website - http://www.daveakerman.com/?p=592

Slow Scan Digital Video (SSDV) - http://ukhas.org.uk/guides:ssdv

UK High Altitude Society - http://www.ukhas.org.uk/