[amsat-bb] Falconsat-3 and APRS HT's?

[Zach Metzinger]

On 10/03/17 07:07, Roy Dean wrote:
> Greg,
> 
> You are going to have a very hard time copying Falconsat with
> omni/whip antenna's.   Yes, it's a strong downlink, but "strong" for
> amateur satellites is misleading... It's nowhere near as strong as the
> ISS voice radio, for example, which is easily picked up on my scanner
> duckie.
> 
> It's supposed to be over one watt, but I can pick up AO-85 with a
> stronger signal, if that gives you any idea.   Also, Falconsat has
> some really serious polarity fade, so there's another issue.   I can
> go from roughly S7 to 'nuttin by rotating my arrow 10°.

While polarization is still an issue, you might try a square-corner
reflector as a starter antenna:

http://www.qsl.net/ve3rgw/corner.html

Of course, you'll want to upgrade it with a rotator to track the
satellite, but aiming it by hand should work fine. Keep the coax loss
low, or, for both NF improvement and to make up for coax loss, add a LNA
right at the antenna.

If you want some historical background on this type of antenna, take a
look at this oldie:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/History/History%20of%20QST%20Volume%201%20-%20Technology/QS11-40-Kraus.pdf

--- Zach
N0ZGO