‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  
TRANSVERTERS OPERATION IS CONTROLLED BY A PIC MICROPROCESSOR AND FEATURES A
MULTITUDE OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON ITS MULTICOLOR LCD.  SCREENS AND
MENUS CAN BE NAVIGATED TO DISPLAY VARIOUS OPERATING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING
RF AND IF FREQUENCIES, POWER SUPPLY MEASUREMENTS, INPUT/OUTPUT POWER, SWR,
HEATSINK TEMPERATURE, AND INPUT DRIVE ATTENUATION.  ANY TIME A PROTECTIVE
FEATURE IS ENGAGED, A RELEVANT WARNING IS DISPLAYED, ACCOMPANIED BY RED
BACK LIGHTING TO DRAW THE OPERATORS ATTE

PRODUCT REVIEW  MONITOR SENSORS TVTR1 630 METER TRANSVERTER REVIEWED BY
ERIC M. TICHANSKY, NO3M.  SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE 630 METER 472 479 KHZ AND
2200 METER 135R7 137R8 KHZ BANDS LAST SEPTEMBER, ACTIVITY HAS BEEN STEADILY
INCREASING, WITH REPRESENTATION FROM 39 STATES ON 630 METERS AND 13 STATES
ON 2200 METERS AS THIS REVIEW WAS BEING WRITTEN SEE THE SIDEBAR, FURTHER
READING AND RESOURCES, FOR LISTS OF ACTIVE STATIONS.  THESE BANDS PROVIDE
REMARKABLE CAPABILITIES FOR LONG DISTANCE CONTACTS DESPITE THE LOW POWER
LIMITATIONS 5 W AND 1 W EIRP ON 630 AND 2200 METERS, RESPECTIVELY.  ONE OF
THE HURDLES A POTENTIAL OPERATOR FACES IS HOW TO TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE ON
THESE NEW BANDS, AS WELL AS HOW TO GENERATE POWER.  SOME ACTIVE STATIONS
ARE RUNNING VINTAGE GEAR, USUALLY MILITARY OR MARITIME OUTFITS PREVIOUSLY
USED ON THE NOW LARGELY DEFUNCT 500 KC INTERNATIONAL CALLING AND DISTRESS
FREQUENCY.  A NUMBER OF HOMEBREW AND MODIFIED COMMERCIAL AMATEUR RIGS ALSO
GRACE THE RANKS, SUCH AS A GLOBE SCOUT OR DX 100.  A GROWING NUMBER OF
TRANSCEIVERS NOW ON THE MARKET INCLUDING THE ELECRAFT K3S, KENWOOD TS
590SG, AND VARIOUS SDRS PROVIDE 630 METER COVERAGE VIA A TRANSVERTER PORT.
RF POWER OUTPUT IS USUALLY ON THE ORDER OF 1 MW, REQUIRING NO MORE THAN AN
EXTERNAL POWER AMPLIFIER.  ANOTHER POPULAR ALTERNATIVE IS TO USE A
TRANSVERTER.  ALMOST ANY TRANSCEIVER THAT CAN OPERATE ON THE TRANSVERTERS

INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY IF CAN BE ENLISTED TO SERVICE.  THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF TRANSVERTERS AVAILABLE TO COVER 630 AND 2200 METERS, RANGING FROM
HOMEBREW AND KIT SOLUTIONS TO FULLY CONSTRUCTED COMMERCIAL UNITS.  SOME
DESIGNS PROVIDE ONLY TRANSMIT CONVERSION, RELYING ON THE TRANSCEIVERS
GENERAL COVERAGE CAPABILITY FOR RECEIVE, OR PRODUCE LOW POWER OUTPUT
REQUIRING AN EXTERNAL AMPLIFIER.  ENTER THE MS TRANSVERTERS MONITOR
SENSORS, AN AUSTRALIAN COMPANY, HAS DEVELOPED A PAIR OF TRANSVERTERS, THE
TVTR1 AND TVTR2, INDIVIDUALLY COVERING 630 AND 2200 METERS.  REQUIRING NO
MORE THAN A TRANSCEIVER CAPABLE OF OPERATION ON 160 METERS AND, OF COURSE,
A SUITABLE ANTENNA, THEY ARE DESIGNED TO WORK INLINE WITH A STATIONS
EXISTING HF SIGNAL PATH, RESULTING IN MINIMAL SETUP AND CONFIGURATION.  THE
TRANSVERTERS PROVIDE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE CONVERSION, ARE CONVENIENTLY
POWERED FROM A 13R8 V SOURCE, AND SPORT A 50 W CONTINUOUS DUTY CYCLE LINEAR
POWER AMPLIFIER.  THATS ADEQUATE OUTPUT POWER TO REACH THE 5 W EIRP LIMIT
ON 630 METERS WITH AN ANTENNA HAVING AN EFFICIENCY OF AT LEAST 3R4 OR 0R6
ON 2200 METERS TO HIT 1 W EIRP.  HIGHER OUTPUT POWER CAN BE REALIZED WITH
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