[amsat-bb] PSAT2 PSK31 transponder operation

[Scott]

Congrats on the success of PSAT-2,  Tomas & Ales!

Please note that KC9ELU has activated the PSK31 transponder on PSAT-2 as
well.

As for my setup, the location is grid FM17es (lat/lon = 37.7784 / -77.6093).

PSAT-2's elevation is quite low here, of course.  It's been great to see so
many stations work successfully through the 2m APRS digipeater, 2m
APRS-to-Voice engine, and 10m/70cm PSK31 transponder even with the
satellite's low orbit making things a challenge.

On my 10m uplink, I've been running 75w to a MyAntennas EFHW-8010 oriented
South-to-North and located on the North side of my house about 4 meters off
the ground.  Pretty much a worse-case scenario for communications to a
satellite so far to my South, I would think.  This 130 ft. long-wire type
of antenna was put up mainly for 80m NVIS work but does a great job on
other bands as well.  I think I'll put up some kind of vertical antenna for
10m when time permits to see if that improves my coverage to the South.

My 70cm receive setup is better, although I should mention that I'm
surrounded by heavy tree cover.  So, except at high elevations, I do much
better in the Fall/Winter than during the Spring/Summer months.  The 70cm
antenna here is a Wimo X-Quad on an AZ-EL rotator and benefits from an
SP-70 LNA at the base of the antenna.

The 10m/70cm PSK31 transponder on NO-84/PSAT, and now PSAT-2 is a great
challenge and a lot of fun to work.  Let's hope the addition of another
satellite with this capability prompts more people to enjoy it!

-Scott,  K4KDR

==============================

On Tue, Jul 9, 2019 at 2:57 AM Tomáš Urbanec via AMSAT-BB <
amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
> after our return from european field day this weekend, we sorted out
> through all available receptions of PSAT2 telemetry and SSTV.
> As very valuable source we use the SatNOGS observations. There I have
> found several passes over US, were PSAT2 was transmitting because it
> sensed the PSK signals on uplink, and I have found two stations there
> and decoded their calls as W5SAT and K4KDR. Congrats gentlemen! If you
> can post the power/antenna used in experiments, it would be very
> valuable for us. Therefore we can state, that also the PSK31 uplink is
> in great shape and waiting for your further experiments.
>               Tomas OK2PNQ and Ales OK2ALP
>