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

[Dominic Hawken]

On the subject of mast-mounted preamps, is there a good second-hand 
recommendation? I've seen some very expensive new ones and looked at 
building from scratch - just wondering if there's anything old but good 
on the market that I should be keeping an eye out for?

Thanks,

Dominic G6NQO.

On 24/10/2011 15:00, Mark L. Hammond wrote:
> 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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