[amsat-bb] ISS Voice Contacts

[Rick Tejera]

All,

A little help here. Not quite sure if I'm working at getting NA1SS in the
log from the right angle. 

First a description of my station: I'm using a Kenwood TH7-DA with a home
brew Dual band yagi, mounted on an old telescope mount for tracking. I've
programmed a split frequency into the memory set to receive on 145.800 and
Transmit on 144.490. So far so good. 

Now the TH7-DA is a full duplex unit, but that only is available when
working cross band (If I'm wrong here, some one please clue me in how to get
that to work). Given this I can't hear myself on the downlink, which is kind
of moot anyway since the ISS is essentially a simplex system. During the
passes I've tried to work I hear the ISS responding to Earth stations. I've
tried to transmit in breaks but how do I know if I'm hitting the station or
not? I'm guessing I'm not getting in since I haven't gotten a response. Or
worse, causing QRM to another station? I hope not and if so, apologies.

I'm quite willing to be schooled on this, any suggestions would be most
appreciated.

73  

Clear Skies

Rick Tejera
Editor SACnews,
Public Outreach Coordinator
Saguaro Astronomy Club
Phoenix, Arizona
www.saguaroastro.org <http://www.saguaroastro.org/> 
saguaroastro at cox.net 
K7TEJ, AMSAT 38452