Ron,
I have had excellent success working indoors using a handheld Arrow antenna in the winter, with surprisingly strong RF signals through ceiling and walls. I have worked FM, linear, and packet satellites in this way, working from my QTH in EN31 up to 1,500km from Cancun, Mexico to British Columbia. I have worked SO-50 and FO-29 indoors with my Arrow at 0.5W transmit power down to about 15° elevation. I have worked AO-91 down to 4° elevation using 5W. I suppose success depends greatly on home construction, but the Arrow is an amazing antenna and worth a try.
I also echo Bob’s sentiments that working outdoors in the bitter cold and blowing snow can be surprisingly fun, if the operator has a sense of tenacity in the face of a challenge or is just a crazy snow loving creature like me. As satellite passes are by nature short in duration, just 15 to 20 minutes, it’s possible to work a pass in the cold and dark. I have routinely worked -12° Celsius passes outdoors many time quite comfortably if there is no wind. I have even worked passes with a -28° Celsius wind chill factor, but that does take preparation and practice. Either way, you hold the Arrow with an insulated mitten, and then use a lighter glove to work the radio buttons and knobs. It’s made easier if you have a full duplex radio with a large PTT button, especially with FM as there is a minimal amount of tuning required during the pass.
Just some food for thought. However it turns out, I hope to hear her on the birds sometime! Thank you for being an Elmer.
73, Adam, K0FFY
On May 12, 2019, at 09:11, Bob Hammond via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I started with an Icom Z1A and a handheld Arrow antenna on my deck in Fairbanks, AK (BP64). Even in the cold. Good contacts to the Pacific NW.....and a guy in Deadhorse. I printed out the passes for the week and got on the air at the appropriate times and dates.
Pretty straightforward.
On Sat, May 11, 2019 at 1:42 PM Stephen E. Belter via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
Thanks for sending them the Getting Started With Amateur Satellites book.
Chapter 4, Your Antenna System covers both omni and directional antennas. There is additional information in Appendix B, Upgrading Your Antenna System.
For grid DP79, I’d look hard at a dual band Yagi with a fixed elevation (maybe 10-20 degrees) with an azimuth rotor, *if* a handheld antenna isn’t practical.
I’ve operated satellites with a standard Arrow Antenna from BP40/50-53/61/64/83 and CP04/20/30/40. Not quite as far north as DP79, but still a fair distance from the lower 48 states.
73, Steve N9IP
Steve Belter, [email protected]
On May 11, 2019, at 4:13 PM, John Kludt via AMSAT-BB [email protected]
wrote:
Ron,
Everything Jeff days is true. But some of us live in covenant
restricted settings and an omni is much easier to sneak in under the radar. I have switched back and forth between eggbeaters and various verticals. So far 88 grids. Three points:
- Pay attention to ERP. You are going to need a little more uplink
power to make up for the lack of Tx antenna gain.
- Always, always use a preamp at the antenna on 435 down links
- Be patient. This is a compromise solution and you are not going to
knock them down every pass.
If it is all you can do go ahead. Better to be on the air working the
birds as best you can than doing nothing at all.
John
Sent from my Verizon Motorola Smartphone
On May 11, 2019 00:34, Jeff Moore via AMSAT-BB [email protected]
wrote:
As was stated multiple times in a very recent thread - omnis for sat
work
are a poor compromise!! Even a small beam at a 15-degree angle will generally blow most omnis off the roof! Even better would be a pair of beams (one for uplink, one for downlink) on an azimuth/elevation rotor! But handheld can work almost as good!!
7 3 Jeff Moore --- KE7ACY CN94
On Fri, May 10, 2019 at 10:08 PM Ron VE8RT via AMSAT-BB <
wrote:
We have a newly licenced amateur in DP79. Because they fell a few points of getting their Basic with Honours they do not have HF privileges, their only way to communicate with the outside world is
via
satellite. Anticipating this possible outcome, that they may not get access to the HF bands, I sent them a hard copy, (no home internet,
and
its slow and expensive there if you do have it), of the current copy
of
"Getting Started with Amateur Satellites". As we're heading into the time of year to do any outside work, the most pressing question is
what
is the best compromise antenna for a base station. Keeping in mind their location, in order to work anyone they'll have to get into the satellites while the satellite is close to their horizon, otherwise
the
satellite footprint will not cover areas with any satellite operators.
Ron VE8RT in DP22
-- Ron VE8RT [email protected] _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
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Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views
of AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb