Hi Mike! > In the morning should be a 9:40ish am pass local time for me. So I might be > on it > sipping my coffee :). The big difference that you can show is, that the > linear birds > are not like a zoo at times (except for the 5 am passes during the weekends > on AO-51) > and you can have a real QSO for the entire length of the pass. Granted you > may only > collect one grid and you may already have that one but it's simply an > addition.
It may be almost a month until that hamfest in Tucson, but I hope to hear you on that morning. I've done demonstrations on SSB satellites for the past couple of years, and know that I may end up with a single QSO for the entire pass. On some rare occasions, I end up talking to myself for the entire pass. Then I can pass the time by demonstrating how I sound through the satellite as I reduce power from 5W to the lowest power setting on my FT-817ND transmitter (500mW). I usually can get more than one QSO on these demonstrations, thanks to those reading the -BB and showing up on the passes I am working. As for grids, the QSOs at demonstrations away from the Phoenix area don't help my grid count. They may help your grid count, depending on what you need. :-) > My current antenna setup is a AR-22 TV rotor with a 5 ele 2M and a 10 ele > 70cm at > 30 deg fixed elevation both horizontal polarized. Total cost approx. $200 > plus cables. > Next project will be to build a 2nd IOio and phase them together 90 deg off > to see if > that will help with the fading issue (mostly on FO-29) vs buying or building > a complex > RHCP/LHCP switchable setup. If that's what you were using when I worked you last month on VO-52, it sounded really well. Good job! Maybe we can hook up on FO-29 or AO-7 (mode B) sometime soon. > My IOio beats your Arrow or Elk in terms of price by leaps :). But then again > it doesn't look > as nice. My Elk was a Christmas gift a few years ago, so it was free to me. But yes, the cost of the parts for an IOio or a WA5VJB "cheap Yagi" will beat the MSRP of my Elk. 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
