Installing the PTRX 9700 in an iCOM IC 9700

This video provides instructions on how to install the Radio Analog PTRX-9700 into an iCOM IC-9700.
I've included a demonstration at the end of the video showing how it can be used with a BATC (British Amateur Television Club) Minitiouner to receive Amateur TV signals using your existing antennas that you have connected to the IC-9700. Note that Amateur TV signals are normally horizontally polarised and in this case transmitted using the DVB-S/S2 satellite) standard. I've not tested this yet, but there is no reason why you should not use the BATC "Knucker" tuner with this arrangement to receive DVBT/T2 signals, but you will likely need an attenuator before the Knucker receiver as it is much more sensitive than the Minitiouner. I would guess something at about 10dB should be about right. This set-up would allow easy reception of DVBT/T2 signals on the 23cm band too.
If you have an IC-9700 I can thoroughly recommend the PTRX-9700 for this Amateur TV application as well as the intended use case with an SDR.
For information I also Have the PTRX-7300 installed in my iCOM IC-7300 and it was the great experience that I had with this board that motivated me to buy the new IC-9700 version.
More about:
The BATC: www.batc.org.uk
The SE LondonGB3JV Amateur TV Repeater: www.gb3jv.co.uk
Radio Analog: www.radioanalog.com

[@G8YTZ]

A quick update, I did some tests today receiving G4XAT. I received Gareth on 437MHz, 146.5MHz (DVB-S2) at various symbol rates between 250kS/s and 1000kS/s and 146.5MHz DVB-T at 333KHz, 500KHz and 1000KHz bandwidth (the latter was 60KHz inside each band edge limit) Great result using the PTRX-9700 and I can confirm the Knucker works perfectly without an attenuator, the Knucker AGC handles the signal levels fine and there was plenty of headroom.

[@richardg8itb706]

Very nice installation; great to see the Bodnar board was able to be integrated into the whole! Are you using the Bodnar GPS receiver with both the boards installed - and the external pcb adapter board? Look forward to seeing a demo! Richard G8ITB.

[@G8YTZ]

Richard, yes, I'm using the Leo Bodnar "Mini Precision GPS Reference Clock" receiver (£110). The board for the IC-9700 costs £27.50 which is why I suggest it is installed at the same time as the PTRX-9700. I tested the GPS lock after installing the PTRX-9700 and it works as expected . The PTRX-9700 external filter board has three ports: One for the radio, one for the GPS unit and one for the SDR Minitioner/SDR output. The main "risky" part of the installation is handling those UFL connectors and there's 9 of them! I mis-spoke in the video a couple of times, Radio Analog provide 4 of those little UFL cables, so you have everything you need. The Leo Bodnar supplied SMA connector is also useful for the SDR output too. My only wish was that Radio Analog provided a 3D printed case for the external filter board, I'm sure someone will come up with a design.

[@RobB_VK6ES]

Was the plastic strip mentioned in the unboxing possibly a cable comb? It is probably not an issue if your 9700 is a shack queen but if you take it portable regularly the some cable restraint would be advantageous IMHO. I'd love a 9700 but they are rather expensive and living in a remote city here in WA there is not much VHF and above activity with 23cm being useless. So if Icom were to release a 0649😀 23cm less version at reduced cost I'd be all over it like rash.🤤

[@G8YTZ]

They do provide little tool for the connectors, but I prefer to do it with my fingers because I can feel what’s happening