[amsat-bb] S-band test gear.

[John Hackett]

Certainly Kevin,

<http:www.observations.biz> Observations From Norway, article 1 for 2008.
............................................................................................

73 John.   <la2qaa at amsat.org>

> From: kevin.j.smith at comcast.net
> To: la2qaa at amsat.org
> Subject: RE: [amsat-bb]  S-band test gear.
> Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:44:17 -0500
> 
> John,
> 
> You may have been told this already but your attachment(s) was stripped off
> before posting to the Amsat BB.  It's a shame because would have liked to
> see it(them).  Do you have a website to see your pictures? - Kevin/N3HKQ
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
> Behalf Of John Hackett
> Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:23 AM
> To: allan_gm1sxx at hotmail.com
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org; Eu-amsat at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [amsat-bb] S-band test gear.
> 
> 
> OBSERVATIONS FROM NORWAY.          February 2008.
> 
> Based on SV1BSX's comments about receiving a *THUNDERING* signal from
> AO-51's S-band transmitter on a patch antenna 'without' a reflector - I
> decided to chuck together a few components to see if somebody as 'thick' as
> LA2QAA could manage it.
> 
> The attached pic is the ... 'fruits of LA2QAA's labour'.
> 
> Starting at the top right we have a silver covered brass plate 2.4Ghz patch
> antenna (note the real gold SMA connector, folks) mounted 3mm over a (ditto)
> groundplane, via a short length of high quality (fell off the back of a
> North Sea Oil industry lorry) coax  feeding the input of a 2.4G 70 70cm
> converter ... the output of which goes to the IC-E91 dual mode handheld and
> a pair of 'cans' ... (headphones, to you!).
> 
> To the right of the IC-E91 is a Nokia N70 mobile phone - (not shown in this
> pic because I was using it to take the picture) - with the 'SATme' tracking
> software ... which is very !! useful for tracking S-mode signals from LEO
> birds with the 'slight' doppler thus received.
> 
> The phone also contains a compas as well as GPS software so there's no
> excuse for ... 'but I can't find north' ... (not always easy in 3 feet of
> snow, null visibility and cloudy conditions) ... and there's *NEVER* a
> brownie or a girl guide around when you want one. 
> 
> S-band signals in those conditions? ... you'd be surprised - we don't all
> live in satellite friendly climes you know.
> 
> Mak (SV1BSX) is right. A 60cm dish is overkill for AO-51 mode-S ... though
> of course, there are! those that think you need a personal Jodrell Bank to
> hear anything above 70cm.
>