[amsat-bb] Re: Some doppler observations/questions

[Alan P. Biddle]

Mark,

As others have noted, the transponder "constant" is really a variable
depending on lots of things, including the temperature of the satellite, the
stability of the voltage regulation, the temperature in your shack and
equipment, the freshness of your Keps, the accuracy of your position and
system clock, etc.  On AO-7, FO-29, and VO-52 I can quickly net in the
uplink and downlink, and either SATPC32 or HRD will follow the One True Rule
and allow you to tune around and work someone AOS to LOS almost as if it
were a HF contact.  That "constant" is good for an extended period of time,
again depending on primarily the health of the spacecraft systems.  It is
just one of the many characteristics of satellite operations.

Alan
WA4SCA