[amsat-bb] Re: There's no usable satellites

[B J]

On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Bato,Andras <bato at starjan.hu> wrote:

> Gentlemen,
>
> I have spent too much money on an FT-847!
>
> I had better to buy a well equipped HF transceiver instead!
>
> There is practically no usable satellites -except for AO-7 and VO-52.
>

I've worked FO-29, AO-27, and AO-51 with my '847.

The problem is that you can find always the same stations on them.
>

Sometimes that happens but, once in a while, I contact a station I've never
worked before or reach someone in a new grid square.

I've been on satellites for just over 3  years and I've logged over 340
different stations and over 270 grid squares, making contacts in 5 different
countries in North America and Europe.  I did that using 7 different birds
and the ISS FM repeater.


>
> F2IL is in my log about 300 times...
>
> Spending money on FM satellites were made according to long term plans of
> IARU, ARRL and AMSAT which had been a dream of
> handling emergency traffic using hand-held equipment and antenna -as far as
> I know.
>
> Satellite activity is seriously declining!
>

I've found that there's always something new I can try over a satellite.
This year, I started on SSB and made contacts over AO-7 Mode B, FO-29, and
VO-52.  I'd like to try AO-7 Mode A if I can get a proper antenna for it.

<snip>