beacons history

Home Schiphol

More than 12½ years operational

The first Schiphol beacon is operational now since 1990.

In 1990 the first 10 GHz beacon was installed based on a beacon which was previous used as PI7EHG at Enschede.

After my QTH change to Boskoop this beacon was out of use for about 3 years. Then the new ATC tower at Schiphol was almost ready and I installed the 10 GHz beacon. This was a beacon based on a times 9 multiplier from 1152 MHz giving about 80 mWatt. The antenna in the beginning was a 23 cm dish aiming at UK. Some years later I decided that an omni antenna for this beacon would be a better choice and I renewed the beacon for a more power stable setup. The times 9 multiplier gave some problems with large temperature changes. The new setup was bases on ga-as fet multipliers and a MGF1601 amplifier. This gave 120 mW output power. For frequency stability I used a TCXO designed by DF9LN. The quartz however was not very well and it drifted and drifted and drifted. I retuned the oscillator several times but it kept drifting down in frequency. In 1998 I decided to put in a new quartz which was much more stable. In the first years it drifted about 20 kHz and than became stable.

Now in 2003 The 10 GHz beacon is updated to much more power. By using a commercial amplifier I was able to get an output power of 4.7 Watt. This setup was tuned to a frequency of 10368.200 MHz and installed in november 2003. It already showed in a few weeks that the higher output power made it usefull for rainscatter detection. 

In 1991 the first 24 GHz beacon was installed based on a tripler from 8 to 24 GHz giving around 40 mW output. This beacon also used a 23 cm dish aiming to G3LQR.

After the first time that the 24 GHz beacon was heard by G3LQR I build a new 24 GHz beacon based upon design from DB6NT with the MGF1303 amplifier. This setup was giving 100 mW into the 23 cm dish.

Around this time the 9 cm beacon was also installed. It was build by PA0EZ based on a tripler which is fed by about 8 Watt. The output power is around 1.2 Watt. Unfortunatly this beacon is not working very stable. THe frequency is very stable but power output has caused many troubles. Now I am working on a new setup with more power and expect it to be stable as well.

The 6 cm beacon was installed around 1996 giving 1 Watt output in a 16 element slotted waveguide omni antenna. In 2001 the power amplifier broke down and I had to find a new amplifier. PA0EZ helped me with an amplifier giving 6 Watt output. Much work had to be done on a heatsink and power supply. This setup is now on air for more than 2 years without any problem.

const.gif (5058 bytes)  Sorry not ready yet

 

 

at this moment the

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