[amsat-bb] Re: S band, experience from UK

[John B. Stephensen]

Since we want to do only one engine burn, Eagle will be at a lower elevation
and WiFi interference will be greater than for P3E -- especially for users
in Alaska. Consequently, Eagle is also lighter and less expensive and less
likely to explode.

73,

John
KD6OZH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jules at g0nzo.co.uk>
To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 18:30 UTC
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: S band, experience from UK


> All
>
> My station  is in a built up area in the UK, which I would assume has a
> level of S band licence exempt traffic that is typical of most areas. I
can
> see 5 video senders on my ATV receiver and a 4 WLAN networks on my PDA
with
> built in antenna.
> When I listened to AO40, I only had problems below 10 degrees elevation.
> This represents a small percentage of a pass, that it did not worry me. (I
> am aware that the orbit of Eagle may not be quite so favourable). Also,
AO40
> signals WERE rock crushing for me. With a 5ft dish, very non optimal
linear
> feed and pretty average NF, I could hear VK stations as armchair copy in
> ssb, even
> at apogee. Often they were still copyable at LOS, unless I was pointing
> straight at the WLAN.
> I will try and make some quantive measurements and submit them, but my gut
> feeling is that S band is still a viable downlink in my location.
>
>
> My 2 penneth worth....
> I am not an AMSAT-NA member. Any donations I make go indirectly through my
> local AMSAT group. So I am not going to get into the politics of this.
> But...
> I expect that the decision to drop S-band was not taken lightly.
> The people who take on these satellite projects, do so at great personal
and
> sometimes financial expense. Given the great commitment that these people
> make, it seems a little discourteous to moan about not being able to use a
> small part of our stations. Our S-band capability will still be useable
for
> P3E. Also, by building an S-band station, you have already reaped the
> greatest reward, which is the experience of doing it, isn't that what
> Amateur Radio is all about.
>
> In all hobbies, it seems that there is so much in-fighting, that people
> loose sight of the bigger picture. There are people in authority who are
out
> to get us. In this case it is the commercial pressure on our spectrum. The
> old adage, 'Use it or loose it', is very true here. So if the bit that we
> are able to use doesn't happen to match the box that we have on our mast,
> then we must adapt. Who knows, you may learn something on the way.
>
> Jules
> G0NZO
>
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