[amsat-bb] Re: SO-50 eludes me

[francesco messineo]

Hello


On 11/28/08, Mark Lunday, WD4ELG <mlunday at nc.rr.com> wrote:
> I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.

same here, plus FO-20, UO-14 and maybe some other I don't remember now...

>
>  But I have never worked SO50.  Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead.  I
>  tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67
>  Hz.  Never heard a thing.  In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.

are you working full duplex? I always found SO-50 very easy to work
(well at least to hear myself back), the 74.4 tone must be sent for
one or two seconds continuously then switch to 67 Hz tone. I work with
handeld homemade dual V/U yagi usually and I noticed that this bird is
particularly sensitive to polarization, so I need to rotate often the
yagi to find the best signal. I didn't try recently anyway, beeing on
other bands :-)

>
>  I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF
>  gain.  Not a peep.  Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I
>  should have heard something.  All I heard was the rush of static.  I know
>  this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something,
>  right?

if nothing is wrong with the bird yes, you should at least hear
yourself. Activity was low even in Europe on this bird.

73
Francesco IZ8DWF