[amsat-bb] Re: WD9EWK and AO-51 V/S, Saturday (2 Sep) morning

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi again, Alan!

> Indeed.  Unfortunately, there have only been a small number of stations on.
> Of those, half were either not hearing the downlink, the correct downlink,
> or were a Mexican cab company, complete with phone patch.  Perhaps it might
> be time to start using the PL on days with mode V uplink, since that would
> not be the limiting factor for equipment.  I had been wondering why it
> seemed I was blocked at time on with southern passes in the past, even
> though I had a good RX signal.

Usually the problems with the 2m pirates south of the US has been on the
145.850 MHz uplink for SO-50 and especially AO-27 when it was operational.
SO-50 would usually have nothing coming through with its PL, but AO-27
would happily pass the conversations through to us hams.  Oh well...  I
do think that it shouldn't be a problem to require the PL on the 2m uplink
when using 145.920 MHz on AO-51, since that is already required for the
standard V/U repeater.

I've only heard 3 stations on each of the 2 passes I worked Friday (UTC),
and I had figured there wouldn't be the crowd like there could be for the
V/U repeater, but at least I've been able to get on and see what I can do.

> On the earlier pass, there were finally only two of us wondering where
> everybody else was.  It is a great mode, with deep but quick and infrequent
> QSB.

I saw some of the QSB, and could deal with some of it by a twist of my
downconverter/antenna.  The lower pass made it easier to deal with the
Doppler, with constant tuning instead of the quick tuning at the peak of
higher passes like I saw yesterday.

73!



Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/