December 2010 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Educate the Manufacturers
by Clint Bradford 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

>> ... but Kenyeacomco Model XYZ-123 claims it is "full-duplex" ... Several of us have tried for years to properly educate the manufacturers and marketing departments of ham radio transceivers. What they term "full-duplex" is usually a radio with two, independent VFOs - but the "sub-band" can NOT be monitored while we key up on the other. Clint, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com

7 8

Virgin Galactic's Plans For Orbital Spacecraft
by B J 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1012/16virgingalactic/ 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

1 0

A07-A #65,136
by Edward R. Cole 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

Heard you fine, Scott. Nice loud 559. MY signal with full was quite a bit lower and faded out the last ten minutes of the pass for some reason. Of course only PNW-CA-AK and Siberia in view. Took me some time to find myself - rusty! I started with SSB -oops! All I hear is CW. No problem but lost a couple more minutes getting set up. The sub-tune knob on the FT-847 tunes too slow to move very far. I swapped VFO's to speed that after I found myself several KHz low. There was a way to tune the Tx with the VFO, but I forgot how that goes. looks like there is a common window with Moscow western Russia, Finland and Sweden at the end of the pass. My guess without a yagi I will be limited to the center of the pass. Ready to try again on Saturday (Dec.19 0100 utc). Tnx I forgot how much fun this is! 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 144-1.4kw, 432-100w*, 1296-testing*, 3400-winter? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)hotmail.com ====================================== *temp not in service

1 0

Semantics, Continued
by Clint Bradford 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

>> ... can you name a specific manufacturer that claims their equipment is "Full Duplex" when it isn't ? MY definition of "full duplex" is met only by two or three individual RADIOS currently on the market. I was hoping there'd be little or no argument here - the AMSAT-BB - on this point. When AMSAT wants a radio to work the FM birds to be "full-duplex," the definition of "full duplex" is: Able to monitor 440 on one VFO while keying up on 2M on another. I know this to be true - 'cause Drew counters me every time I mention that it isn't mandatory to work the FM sats in full-duplex, but preferable. So ... Every manufacturer that claims "full duplex" to us SHOULD raise eyebrows. "Cross-band repeat" is not OUR definition of "full duplex," either. A unit that cross-bands doesn't necessarily allow the monitoring of the RX band while transmitting. Why is there ANY debate on this??? This has been AMSAT gospel since at least 1993 or 1994 when I started getting involved. Clint, K6LCS

1 0

Re: FTM-350 - Semantics
by Clint Bradford 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

>> ... It cross-band repeats, which means it will receive on on band while transmitting on the other, doesn't it? But the AMSAT mantra for working the FM birds has been "work 'em full duplex, so you can monitor the downlink as you transmit." Being able to "cross-band repeat" does not necessarily include the ability to monitor the downlink on one band while keying up an another band. Clint

1 0

fyi AO-7 mode switch
by Bob- W7LRD 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

FYI-AO-7 switched over from B to A at exactly 2324Z. Seems to keep fairly good time, for an old bucket of bolts! 73 Bob W7LRD

1 0

Horizontal stacking distance question
by John Geiger 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

I know that when stacking antennas for different bands on the same mast, the general rule of thumb is to space them at least 1/2 of the boom length for the higher frequency antenna. Does this rule also hold true for stacking 2 antennas on a horizontal crossboom? If I want to put a 2m and 70cm yagi on the same crossboom, how far apart should they be spaced? 73s John AA5JG

4 3

A07 Mode-A
by Edward R. Cole 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

After a very long absence I have been invited to try A07 on mode-A. Cognizant of the battery issue, I am asking some guidance: Regarding uplink transmitting power: I will be using my FT-847 with a Lindenblad for uplink, so with no antenna gain what is recommended for power. For reception I have two 10m antennas (3-elem triband yagi, or a J-pole); easily switched with a coax switch. no elevation of any antenna What is the condition of the 29.520 CW beacon? my directional array crashed in high winds Tuesday night so will only have the "Lindys U/V" and 10m antenna for sat use until spring. 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 144-1.4kw, 432-100w*, 1296-testing*, 3400-winter? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)hotmail.com ====================================== *temp not in service

1 0

FTM-350 - Semantics
by Clint Bradford 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

>> ... He asked, if it would do V/U or U/V full duplex, and yes, it most certainly does. Not in what WE term, "full duplex," where we can monitor the sub-band while keying up the other for the FM birds. The '350 will NOT do that. If I answered his question wrong, I apologize. Clint, K6LCS

1 0

Re: Will the FTM-350AR do full-duplex?
by Clint Bradford 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

No, not what WE call a "full-duplex" radio. But you can monitor the FMN broadcast band ion the left side, and have a ham freq on the right side. Clint, K6LCS

2 1