[amsat-bb] Lower your power!!!

[Zach Metzinger]

On 2020-03-06 15:23, Michael Walker via AMSAT-BB wrote:
> Once you hear yourself start dialling down your power until you don’t hear yourself.
> 
> then, increase it slightly.
> 
> Make sure you were wearing headphones.

This seems wrong.

1. Listen for the beacon, which is warbly, but audible. If you can't 
hear that, don't transmit. Listen for others on the bird, as that can 
also give you a sense of what you expect to hear.

2. Make sure you use the one true rule for Doppler correction 
(stationary frequency at satellite transponder input). Computer 
correction is probably the best bet here, as it can tune as you do other 
things.

3. Start at your rig's lowest power, and increase gradually until you 
can hear yourself. As others have said, if you exceed 5W into a yagi, 
there's probably something wrong with your setup.

4. Even a cheap SDR on the down-link, gives you ultimate situational 
awareness. You can see the beacon, other people's signals, and your own. 
You can then judge your relative power to the beacon.

Also see:

https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-work-ssb-satellites/

and N0AN just posted his recording (working XW-2D) a few days on this 
list. Here is his video URL:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lKYvARp4SyHUraAX9u6HQRbmnCiamJAM

Grain of salt: I haven't worked linear birds in more than two decades. 
However, time is freeing up now and I'm getting my own Az/El setup 
going. Perhaps we'll make a contact on AO-7 soon!

--- Zach
N0ZGO