[amsat-bb] Re: 2 ht vs. 1-duplex ht

[Zachary Beougher]

I have the D7A (full duplex), but I don’t like the receiver sensitivity.  I 
went back to using one THG71 for the down and the D7 for the up.  The other 
thing I don't like about the D7 is you have to switch between back and forth 
between band A and B to adjust doppler.  I would probably not recommend the 
D7 for satellite work.  I have heard things about the D72.

Zack
KD8KSN

-----Original Message----- 
From: Tyler Nicholas
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 6:16 PM
To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: 2 ht vs. 1-duplex ht

I will second Drew on the FT-530.  I picked one up for under $200 that was 
in awesome condition and it is the best HT I have ever owned (and I have 
been through a bunch).  If you are even luckier, you might find one with the 
MH-29 speaker mic that has a LCD display on it.  You can adjust the downlink 
frequency with this mic and even see the frequency on it.  I also found some 
massive batteries from W&W manufacturing that make this radio run forever.

For some other full duplex options, you might consider a Kenwood TH-D72.  I 
haven't tried one, but I have seen good reviews on it as a full duplex 
handheld.  It's a little pricey ($500) and unless you want the APRS in it, I 
would seriously consider an FT-530 or the predecessor to the D72 which is 
the Kenwood TH-D7A which can be picked up on eBay or elsewhere for a decent 
price.

I would not recommend the Alinco DJ-G7 for full duplex. They are priced good 
and will do full duplex, but the receiver has a densense problem when you 
transmit on 2m.  It's a good radio otherwise, but the full duplex 
performance is very poor unless signals are extremely strong (as in local 
repeater strong).

I first started using two FT-60s in the beginning and I understand Zach's 
problem with lugging everything in and out of the house.  Two HTs work just 
fine, but if you are really serious about satellites, I would highly 
recommend a full duplex HT.

Good luck,
Tyler Nicholas K5TDN

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 26, 2011, at 3:26 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> 
wrote:

> On 1/26/2011 4:00 PM, Ted wrote:
>> Zach, there are a lot of VUCC's out there that use exactly what you 
>> have...
>>
>> Most here will argue that you HAVE to be duplex....a lot get by without 
>> it
>>
> No, just that it is a more productive and considerate way of operating.
> A lot of the congestion you hear on AO-51 is due to stations either not
> knowing, or not caring, that they are in competition for the uplink.
> Full duplex takes care of half of that. Things are also MUCH different
> when AO-51 is over the west coast with it's considerably lower density
> of hams.
>
> To answer your question Zach, it's all about your personal budget and
> needs. Adding a 2nd HT is probably the cheapest route, but adds more
> complication than a single full duplex HT. Maybe you could try borrowing
> an HT to try it with two? If you want to go with a single full duplex
> HT, there are lots of older ones out there in good condition used. I saw
> an FT-530 the other day with a ton of accessories going for less than a
> new single band. That is one of the finest full duplex radios ever made
> for satellites.
>
> Another trick is to take the Arrow off the tripod and hold it by hand
> where you can rapidly twist it to peak the signal due to polarity
> differences. With full duplex you can even do this while transmitting to
> clear up a ratty uplink. Check out
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTqjQ9xIQQE for an example of how much
> polarity plays in signal strength on AO-51 with an Arrow (or Elk, or any
> linear antenna).
>
> 73, and good luck on the air,
> Drew KO4MA
> AMSAT-NA VP Operations
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