[amsat-bb] : DSLWP: First Amateur Radio Transmissions from

[Robert Ehresman]

Bob:

Thanks very much for the detailed reply! I'm sure I'm not the only
appreciative reader either.

So from your description it sounds like a station with approximately 1/4
the antenna elements typically considered necessary for closing an EME echo
path on CW might be the lower margin of success. I have had 22 elements in
the air on 70cm before but not now unfortunately, and not on an "EL" rotor
before. I have some work to do.

I'm not familiar with the Airspy's dynamic range off hand, but the RTLSDR's
is not great. Seems like SDRs with a few more sampling bits would provide a
leg up like the Lime.

Anyway, it certainly helps to know where to start. Thanks again!

73;
Bob KV4PC

On Wed, Jun 6, 2018, 11:36 PM N6RFM1 gmail <n6rfm1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Bob,
>
>
>
> As you have read in earlier posts, several of us (and the list grows
> slowly I think) have been able to both receive and decode signals.  My
> understanding is that early in the launch PY2SDR, CD3NDC, PY4ZBZ, K4KDR and
> myself received signals.  By some quirk of fate, I was able to report the
> first properly decoded packet back to the team’s server.
>
>
>
> The setup here – 11 elements on 70cm (custom “Alaskan Arrows” with solid
> elements), SSB E. SP-7000 on UHF preamp, 28 meters of ½ inch hardline,
> bias-T,
>
> Airspy rtl-sdr dongle.  Not a superstation by any stretch.
>
>
>
> At this point the DSLWP-B is in a lunar orbit.  While DSLWP-A has been
> reported on S-band, we don’t know its status or location.
>
>
>
> See http://destevez.net/2018/06/dslwp-bs-journey-to-the-moon-part-iii/
> for much more detail.  This blog reflects a tremendous effort by many
> experts including EA4GPZ, BG2BHC and Scott Tilley, among others.  (Early
> this year Scott discovered that the “long dead” IMAGE satellite was in fact
> alive.)
>
>
>
> The DSLWP team has now conducted several tests after the lunar injection.
> Cees Bassa and Jan PA3FXB have had some amazing results with the Dwingeloo
> radio telescope in the Netherlands, during a lunar test window a few days
> ago.  Alas, we can only dream of such an antenna, and place to put it!
>
>
>
> Perhaps more relevant to your question - a very big round of applause for
> Piotr SP5ULN who was successful with a decode from the lunar orbit.
> Piotyr’s setup is a Cushcraft 719B 19 el Yagi, SSB Electronics LNA
> (SP-7000), 30m of RF-10 coax, bias tee and simple RTL-SDR.  So, we remain
> hopeful… Others may have also been successful, but the DSLWP telemetry
> server seems to be down and I can’t tell if there were any other recent
> contributors.  Perhaps Wei BG2BHC will give us another update and we can
> find out what the setup was.
>
>
>
> BTW, there is another test and hopefully some of the friends in Japan will
> be successful too.
>
>
>
> One more point, as far as I am aware only GMSK has been transmitted.  But,
> there is also a JT4G transmitter on –B.  Hopefully, JT4G will be easier to
> receive.  I for one hope that will be the case.
>
>
>
> 73,
>
>
>
> Bob
>
> N6RFM
>
>
>