[amsat-bb] Antenna Polarization Question

[Jean Marc Momple]

Guys,

Long debate for not much. I have followed this stream and believe that I need to intervene.

It is very simple, most HAM birds does spin (sometimes a lot) and there is no way one can anticipate as different from one bird to others. It is just operator skills (on the spot) to determine/switch from LHCP or RCCP based on what  is the best received signal strength. It works both on the Uplink and Downlink. There is no miracle formulae and it is a just operator skills as mentioned before.

For commercial birds it is totally different game and should not be compared with our humble Ham birds, they have much more means to do things that we cannot afford to do, except if all HAM worldwide donate to AMSAT, say $10 we then may be able to match some of the features commercially available.

Just a suggestion and food for thought.


73


Jean Marc (3B8DU)


> On Mar 19, 2018, at 8:54 PM, Franklin Antonio <antonio at qti.qualcomm.com> wrote:
> 
> When you say a satellite "has" RHCP, we have to be careful that we're communicating clearly about what "has" means.  Every satellite "has" both, by virtue of he way antennas work.
> 
> I suspect that you mean that the satellite has an antenna which transmits RHCP in its main lobe.  It is important to realize that the signal from such an antenna is only RHCP in its main lobe.  The sidelobes are gonna be LHCP.  In between, you can get anything in between.  So if a satellite is oriented so that its antenna points right at you, and they designed it to be RHCP, then that's what you're gonna get, but if it is pointing off to the side, then you get something else. 
> 
> This means that there are situations in which you might get a stronger received signal if you switch to LHCP, or maybe even to linear.  In the commercial satellite biz, they design satellites so that their antennas point at the users.  Hams build cheaper satellites, which typically don't have sophisticated attitude control, so sometimes they point away from you.  Also, hams try to use the things even when conditions aren't the best.  If that's your aim, then most folks have found that polarization switching sometimes helps.
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org> on behalf of Jordan Trewitt <jmtrewitt at gmail.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2018 2:43 PM
> To: Eduardo PY2RN
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Antenna Polarization Question
> 
> Maybe I'm not understanding it, but why does one need to switch between
> both, unless a particular satellite has LHCP or RHCP?
> Jordan
> KF5COQ
> 
> On Sun, Mar 18, 2018, 16:34 Eduardo PY2RN <py2rn at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Brian,
>> Both. You are going to need to switch between RHCP and LHCP often during a
>> sat pass. The same happens if using linear polarization (V/H) but in this
>> case the switch between V and H will happen much more often than in CP.
>> 73
>> Ed
>> PY2RN
>> 
>>      From: Brian via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
>> To: "amsat-bb at amsat.org" <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2018 6:21 PM
>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Antenna Polarization Question
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Should I be using LHCP or RHCP when setting up the 2 meter and 440 yagi's
>> to work the LEO's.
>> 
>> Thank you
>> 
>> Brian, KG8CO
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
>> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
>> expressed
>> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
>> AMSAT-NA.
>> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
>> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb