[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S

Tue Feb 23 16:17:51 PST 2010

Hello 

>From the upper left corner of the U.S.  We're using a 36"X30" primestar dish with a 5 turn helix feed- to a transystem 3731AA downconverter- to 50 feet of RG6 coax- then the bias tee-then a variable attenuator-the tunable IF is a old TS-700A with the tx disabled so that in the heat of battle (oooops) I don't tx into the dc.  The old 700 has a real good noise blanker for shutting down local wifi and cordless phone snapping and popping.  AO-51 S band signals are quite strong, though I'm sure the three foot dish helps.  It was great on AO-40 (sobsob).  I have tried a handheld helix with a Keps downconverter, not as strong as the dish but very useable.  A couple of pictures are attached.  Not many of us on mode V/S, we can actually have a conversation. 

73 Bob W7LRD 

Seattle, Wa. 

gelo Glorioso" <n5uxt at hotmail.com>, "Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner at mindspring.com>, "Bob- W7LRD" <w7lrd at comcast.net>, "Graham Shirville" <g.shirville at btinternet.com> 
Cc: amsat-bb at AMSAT.Org, "Leo P Swatloski" <w7jpi at sunncast.net> 
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:29:14 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S 

Hi Angelo, 

Running S-mode on AO-51 is fun and great to work. 

For the benefit of BB readers that are new to S-band, can you share the specifics of your system that results in S9+60 readings? 

Dish, downconverter, preamp, coax, noise level in the shack, what you're using for IF (what rig), etc.? 

Thanks!  I think users will be curious. 

73! 

Mark N8MH 

At 04:59 PM 2/23/2010 -0600, Angelo Glorioso wrote: 
>Hi Graham, 
> 
> I have to agree with you.. Very little fading like in the past. It reached 
>the S9 + 60 on the S meter. Made contacts with N5AFV from his car and 
>KC9ELU. Traffic 
>got heavy near the end of the pass with a few 7 landers.  I was even able to 
>make a contact with N1RCN on AO-51 with about .5 degrees elevation today. 
> 
> The good old gal is working great!! :-) 
> 
> 
>73 de Angelo 
> 
> 
> 
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Graham Shirville" <g.shirville at btinternet.com> 
>To: "Angelo Glorioso" <n5uxt at hotmail.com>; "Bob- W7LRD" <w7lrd at comcast.net>; 
>"Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
>Cc: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> 
>Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:39 PM 
>Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S 
> 
> 
>> Hi all, 
>> 
>> It is amazing just how strong the AO51 S Band signal is with even a small 
>> dish on the ground. 
>> 
>> I understand that  the S Band PA  is probably producing just less than I 
>> watt of RF so I really really hope that our long delayed ESEO spacecraft 
>> will get off the ground before too long. This is scheduled to have a U/S 
>> FM transponder with a 3 watt PA so should be workable with even smaller 
>> dishes! 
>> 
>> More info on ESEO can be seen here 
>> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=78&retURL=satellites/futures.php 
>> 
>> 73 
>> 
>> Graham G3VZV 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Angelo Glorioso" <n5uxt at hotmail.com> 
>> To: "Bob- W7LRD" <w7lrd at comcast.net>; "Andrew Glasbrenner" 
>> <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
>> Cc: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> 
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:19 PM 
>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S 
>> 
>> 
>>> Signal here reached the usually S9+60db at 5 degree elevation on the 
>>> western 
>>> pass. Sounded good. Just need to get rid of my hmmm on the signal. :-( 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Bob- W7LRD" <w7lrd at comcast.net> 
>>> To: "Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
>>> Cc: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> 
>>> Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 6:06 PM 
>>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Last pass signals were s9 + 20 max on a three foot dish/3731aa 
>>>> downconverter 
>>>> 
>>>> 73 Bob W7LRD 
>>>> 
>>>> CN87 
>>>> 
>>>> Seattle 
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
>>>> To: "Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
>>>> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org 
>>>> Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 3:41:14 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
>>>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S 
>>>> 
>>>> We are in mode V/S now. I'm slightly concerned we may have hit the low 
>>>> voltage trip during the last pass while I was trying to get some 
>>>> telemetry, so reports of S reception would be appreciated. 
>>>> 
>>>> 73, Drew KO4MA 
>>>> AMSAT-NA VP Ops 
>>>> _______________________________________________ 
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>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________ 
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>> 
>> 
> 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. 
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Mark L. Hammond  [N8MH] 