Hi Alan! I wanted to make a couple of points regarding some of your comments from your earlier post...
> There was an article in the Journal a few issues back on why the various > manual techniques are only approximations, sometimes surprisingly bad ones. > I think the author's call was WA4SCA. Yes, that WA4SCA is a good guy, smart guy. ;-) > So it does get talked about. With an > accurate clock, and current Keps it is possible to work a full pass and > scarcely touch the dial. I think some forget that even with computer control, you *can* touch the big tuning knob on your receiver to see what may be away from the center of the 50 to 100 kHz passbands. If you don't want to touch your radio(s), then use the software to tune your receiver around the passband. Everyone can't work in the few kHz around the center of the passbands and have multiple simultaneous QSOs. It has been nice to see more SSB activity on the weekends. On the past couple of Saturday mornings, I've heard SSB QSOs on VO-52 from around 145.900 MHz up to almost 145.920 MHz. Not as busy as Field Day, but you won't be out there all alone - and still have room for additional QSOs. FO-29 and AO-7 (mode B) have also had more activity on recent passes I've worked. > My default is for full Doppler correction. If the other station is using > it, fine. We can concentrate on communicating. If not, I switch off and do > it the traditional way. You don't necessarily need a computer to concentrate on communicating through the linear transponders. Computers are very useful, but not mandatory. I encourage computer control for those looking to try the SSB birds, especially with software like SatPC32. It will take some time to get the software working properly with your radio(s), so be prepared to work with your radio/computer combination. Otherwise, it will take time to get the hang of working them "old school", without the assistance of a computer. It took me 6 to 8 months, including trying different antennas and radios receiving the downlinks, before settling on my current SSB satellite station configuration. Definitely not "EasySats", like the FM birds are called, but not impossible to work. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
