[amsat-bb] Re: AO-27/SO-50

[Mark L. Hammond]

Good points from Steve (and other).

***Don't forget the DREADFUL TS-2000 birdie on the AO-27 and SO-50
downlinks.   :(  It is the only thing I hate about the radio....

With a good mast-mounted preamp (didn't see you note any??) and some
frequency adjusting (up/down to minimize the birdie's effect), and
even try FM-N on receive---you can make some contacts.  But it's
annoying as all get out.   And it makes it tough.  Did I say that I
HATE that birdie?  ;)

Basically, I flame up the old TS-790A when I want to work these
two---and that's a real shame on the TS-2000.

You might give SatPC32 a shot--it lets you juggle back and forth for
both SO-50 tones (one to key it up, another to work through it).  It
makes it just a mouse click or two...quite nice.

73,

Mark N8MH

On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 9:36 AM, Stephen  E. Belter <seb at wintek.com> wrote:
> Richard,
>
> You probably didn't hear AO-27 because it was off on the passes you tried to work.  Was the satellite over Canada or was it moving from north to south?
>
> AO-27 isn't difficult to work, except that it is *very* popular (can be hard to get a word in edgewise) and is on a timer.  In general, AO-27 is operational over the United States for a period of seven minutes in the afternoon passes when the satellite is traveling from south to north.
>
> Before transmitting, make sure you can hear the satellite.  If you don't hear it, it isn't turned on.  When AO-27 is on and passing over the middle of the US, it will sound like a DX pile-up.  Since you are in Oregon, your least crowded passes will be when AO-27 is off the west coast over the Pacific Ocean.  (I've had relaxed conversations on AO-27 from Indiana when it is over the Atlantic Ocean.)
>
> The design/assigned frequency for SO-50 is 436.800, but I've been finding it between 436.791 to 436.794 (before Doppler correction).  SO-50 also requires that you transmit a 67 Hz subaudible (CTSS or PL) tone.  The SO-50 transmitter is on a ten minute timer that is reset by sending a 74 Hz tone, but don't worry about it until you become familiar with the satellite.  Let other stations worry about resetting the timer.
>
> Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has some great information for hams just getting started on satellites.  You can find it at www.work-sat.org .
>
> 73, Steve N9IP
> --
> Steve Belter, Indiana Dataline Corp
> 427 N 6th Street, Suite C
> Lafayette, IN 47901-2211
> Tel: (765) 269-8521
> www.indiana-dataline.net
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Richard Grabotin
> Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:38 AM
> To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-27/SO-50
>
> I am new to satellites as of this weekend. I have worked AO-51 three times with much success. SO-50 I can hear off and on, but I am having trouble raising it. As for AO-27, I had a nice daytime direct overhead pass and heard nothing. I am using a yeasu g-5500 rotator with the AMSAT controller and ham radio deluxe. Kenwood ts-2000 for the rig and a 8 element 440 and a 4 element 2 meter antenna. The antennas are currently linear polarized since my phasing cables still have not arrived from the manufacturer.
>
> My questions are, is AO-27 difficult to work? Is it on a schedule? Any ideas why I could not raise or hear it?
>
> As for SO-50: Should I be listening 5khz down? Ham radio deluxe is controlling the radio frequencies and I made a custom entry for 5khz down and corrected for Doppler. This still did not seem to help.
>
>
> Richard
> K7LWV
>
>
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-- 
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]