[amsat-bb] Recent AO-85 Observations

[Howie DeFelice]

For what it's worth, I worked AO-85 for the first time this Saturday morning while sitting in the car using a 19" whip and Yeasu 857. I could hear the satellite almost at AOS but waited to transmit until sat was above 30 deg elevation since the 19" whip was 3/4 wavelength at the uplink freq. Got in the first time and made contact with N1JEZ. I never bothered to check SWR on this antenna and from the radio display power is down considerably. I did notice fading as well. 

- Howie AB2S

> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 09:13:40 -0500
> From: n8hm at arrl.net
> To: w5pfg at amsat.org
> CC: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Recent AO-85 Observations
> 
> Clayton,
> 
> I have observed the same. Over the past couple of months, on directly
> overhead or ascending passes to the east, I could never get in until
> about TCA using about 20 watts to an Arrow antenna. On overhead
> descending passes or to the west, I could not get in after TCA.
> 
> Now, over the past few days, it's been much easier to work horizon to
> horizon, but the fading is much worse throughout the pass and I am
> constantly twisting to try to regain the downlink. Some times, neither
> polarity works.
> 
> According to DK3WN's Illum program, AO-85 will be in constant sunlight
> until 2/25. We'll see if it returns to it's previous patterns after
> that.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Paul, N8HM
> 
> On Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 9:08 AM, Clayton W5PFG <w5pfg at amsat.org> wrote:
> > For the past several days, I have observed the following:
> >
> > - On ascending passes, I can activate the transponder at AOS very easily.
> > Either polarity V or H works.
> >
> > - Previously, I needed 10-15 degrees at times on ascending passes to
> > activate the transponder.  As I approached TCA, the challenge getting in
> > always went away and I could get into the transponder easily.
> >
> > - Descending passes have never been an issue for me. I could access the
> > transponder at AOS and activate the transponder as low as 0.1 degrees
> > elevation.
> >
> > - Downlink receive polarity seems to flip almost constantly or be equal at
> > times.  I'm running a V or H antenna configuration (not RHCP or LHCP.)
> >
> > - Suspected reason is the spacecraft's spin rate has changed with it now in
> > constant sun.
> >
> > - As a result I'm hearing some newer stations working AO-85 with handheld
> > transceivers.  I've worked 2 new stations in the last 2 days who emailed me
> > directly after the pass stating they were seeing some success with an HT.
> >
> > Thoughts/comments?
> >
> > 73
> > Clayton
> > W5PFG
> >
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