[amsat-bb] Re: Two Questions

[Ted]

"Are the linear sats too complicated? Do people not have SSB and CW
equipment or are they just not interested anymore."

Tom, speaking only for me, I have tried several times to work a linear. I
have a TS 2000 with the sat function and HRD sat program which allegedly
adjust the Doppler, 2m/440 SSB and a Elk on a rotor w/fixed el..  Try as I
might, I cannot get the tx and rx to match so I can duplex. 

There just does not seem to be single primer that one can follow on how to
accomplish the process. There are multiple opinions from individuals, but
not much of a consensus on a good standard process. Admittedly, I have
problem not given a fair amount of time on my technique as I was
concentrating on VUCC. Now that that will go to the card checker tomorrow, I
need to spend some time on the linear. I just wish there was a 'manual'

73, Ted
K7TRK



-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Thomas Doyle
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:02 PM
To: AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Two Questions

I have two questions that I have wondered about for quite a while.

There was a gap in my satellite activity of 20 years or so. AO-10 was the
last satellite I used a lot.
Not sure what sparked my interest again but I have been having a great time
on the satellites.
Right from the beginning I noticed that things have changed a lot. I have
made about 70 contacts
on CW, SSB and  FM. Most of the contacts have been on FM.

Question 1 relates to activity levels. I have 270 something countries on HF
so I have been in my
share of DX pileups. What I find really strange is how there will be the
usual horrific pile up on AO-51
and then when an FO-29 pass comes a short time later there will usually be
no one on. I realize the
emphasis is all on "keeping it simple" but wonder how this change occurred.
Did it happen all at
once -  did it happen when the last HEO satellite died. Are the linear sats
too complicated. Do people
not have SSB and CW equipment or are they just not interested anymore.

Question 2 relates to the rest of the world. I notice that FO-29, which
seems to be the best linear
satellite, came from Japan. What is activity like in Japan/Europe and the
rest of the world outside
the US. Is it mostly just FM on V/U sats. I believe the current US effort is
an FM only Fox with a
linear sat in the "2015 time frame". Since the FO-29 activity is almost zero
it would see strange to
put up another US linear sat at any time. As old as I am the "2015 time
frame" might be beyond
my chicken little date so I wonder if there are there any LEO linear sats in
the works in other parts
of the world.

I am not complaining I just wonder what happened and what the future holds.
Feel free to reply
directly.

73 W9KE tom ... AMSAT LM 0875