Editors Note: Robert KF6VFZ started in ham radio in England, spent some time in Canada, and now is living with us here in Mariposa. Robert has more than 30 years in TV and radio. Robert is our guest speaker for our December 21st. meeting.

ATV News by Robert KF6VFZ

On Thanksgiving Robert, KF6VFZ visited Mike, KE7NVX and took the opportunity to test the path between their QTHs on 70cm ATV. The remote-controlled transmitter at KF6VFZ was 4W output feeding a 48-element Multibeam antenna at 30ft. At KE7NVX the receive antenna was an 8-over-8 slot fed beam at 8ft feeding a portable TV. The path is just 5 3/4 miles
but is obstructed by a ridge some 670ft above line-of-sight, just 1 1/2 miles from KF6VFZ.

We did not have much hope of seeing any signal, but amazingly we received a picture at first attempt. It was very noisy, P1 quality, but it did lock and the call-sign on the test card was readable.

While fiddling with the beam alignment an interfering signal was noticed. When KF6VFZ went off the air, and after more beam adjustment a P1 picture was received from K6BEN, an ATV repeater located on Loma Prieta 113 miles distant!

Mike is now working on an improved 70cm antenna system.