[amsat-bb] Re: Newbie Here AO-51 Questions.

[Auke de Jong, VE6PWN]

My PC clock runs fast by over 30seconds per day.  PC clocks are notoriously 
inaccurate because of the quality of their base references.  Make sure to 
check the time vis the internet or other source(swiss watch), before trying 
to use satellites, as even 30 seconds could put your automated 
doppler-correction far enough wrong to be inaudible.  The shift is very fast 
on UHF downlinks and only gets faster on the higher frequency bands.  It 
will be somewhere in a 19KHz area on your dial, which is a big place to get 
lost if your not sure which part of the pass the satellite is at any moment, 
especially since your rig lacks a "tuning center" meter.  The fact that you 
heard the satellite before suggests that you started-out okay, so if you 
haven't changed anything else, then this might be the most likely cause. 
Also, double-check your TLE's(Keps) to see if they are recent, and ensure 
that the tracking software has your physical location input correctly.
AO-51 has been in the same mode for a long time, and is transmitting strong 
signals now in order to shed heat, so it's pretty hard to miss it now!

Mode L/US is a special mode they started using lately because they can use 
two transmitters at the same time, trying to use up the extra electricity so 
that it doesn't have to go to the heatsink of the charging-unit(batteries 
full)(as I understand it, I might not be 100% acurate on this detail)
.
L=L-band uplink(1268.7MHz)
US= UHF downlink AND S-band downlink (435.300MHz)(2401.2MHz)

73's
VE6PWN
auke

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kent R. Frazier" <badfrog88 at gmail.com>
To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:39 AM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Newbie Here AO-51 Questions.


> Hello all, my name is Kent Frazier, K5KNT. I am just getting interested in
> working amateur satellites. I just joined AMSAT on Tuesday, 26 February
> 2008. My current hardware is an Icom IC2720 dual band in my personal 
> vehicle
> with a Comet C767 dual band antenna. I also have an Icom IC-T22A 2-meter
> hand held with a Diamond RH77CA antenna.
>
> I've been trying to listen to passes of AO-51 over the last week.
> Unfortunately, I haven't been able to hear anything since Monday, 25
> February at approx 01:04 UTC (Saturday 24 FEB 19:04 CST). At that time, I
> thought I heard the call W9CPV.
>
> I'm currently using Satscape as my tracking software. My Gridsquare 
> location
> is DM91sk.
>
> Are there other satellites I could monitor with the above equipment? Any
> suggestions for making my first contact?
>
> 73,
>
> Kent R. Frazier, K5KNT
>
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