[amsat-bb] Operating SSB sats

[Paul Stoetzer]

Umesh,

If you can tune around and always hear your own downlink on the correct
frequency, then you are doing everything right.

73,

Paul, N8HM

On Wed, Feb 6, 2019 at 12:42 PM k6vug at sbcglobal.net <k6vug at sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

> Good Morning All,
> I'd like to understand something that seems to be happening with SSB
> birds.
>
> I realize that they are two kinds of operators - one that has a computer
> controlled station and one that tunes manually, and I respect both types.
> The following observation is about two computer controlled stations working
> via a SSB satellite -
>
> (a) My station is computer controlled (SatPC32 or HRD) and can hear myself
> on the downlink throughout the pass.  I can also go up or down the pass
> band and still hear myself without needing to retune the uplink.   It is
> pretty rock solid, almost like HF operation.
>
> (b) Sometimes I hear a station calling CQ and it remains on the same
> frequency during successive CQs, so I'm guessing their station is also
> computer controlled.  I can tune in and stay on their calling frequency.
>
> (c) However, when I can respond, it seems they have to tune their downlink
> a bit to hear me well.  So when they come back to my response, they are a
> bit off-frequency (about 300Hz) and sound like Mickey Mouse, until I retune
> the downlink to hear them well again.  This keeps happening throughout the
> QSO.
>
> (d) This "drifting" happens only with some stations calling CQ and not
> everyone.
>
> Considering both stations are computer controlled at each end, I'm trying
> to understand if I'm doing anything wrong/incorrect.  Learning to operate
> SSB sats has been humbling as well as exciting, I'd appreciate any pointers
> for this situation. Thanks in advance.
>
>
> 73!
> Umesh
> k6vug
>
>
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