[amsat-bb] Re: Tonight's Presentation

[Andrew Glasbrenner]

Clint Bradford wrote:
>
> 1. THANK YOU to whichever AO-51 commander flipped AO-51 to V/U today.  
> It was scheduled to go to V/U at 00:00GMT on the 20th - which was  
> 4:00PM on the 19th my local time. And the pass I wanted to work was  
> just 42 minutes later. And it was ON!
>   
You are welcome. With AO-51's pass times creeping earlier and earlier, 
we may have to move the mode changes to the morning passes. A 5:45PM 
pass is not easy to make when one has to be at work until after 5:00PM 
and has a 45 minute commute.

> 2. Don't know exactly how to explain it, but the pass today at 4:42PM  
> Pacific Standard Time didn't exhibit the "normal" silencing, then  
> faint voices, then stronger voices. It plainly BLASTED into  
> discernible conversations, and we we were able to work it much sooner  
> than "normal." We were not hidden behind foothills. It was a pretty  
> clear shot South to AOS. It really floored me - in a most positive  
> way.  It was dramatic.
>
>   
The power on the repeater downlink is a bit higher than normal at 760 
mw. It shouldn't be a dramatic difference from our recent 500-600mw, but 
noticeable to a observant operator. The spin rate is also slowing 
dramatically, up to ~13 min per rev, so any fades should be nice and 
slow, although long.

73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations