On Fri, 18 Dec 2015 18:15:04 -0000, "Jim Heck G3WGM" jimlist@zoho.com wrote:
Just to let you know that I have just switched AO-73/FUNcube to continuous transponder mode. As previously announced, it will stay in this mode all over the holidays until Sun 3 Jan PM (UTC) when we'll switch it back to normal 'education' mode.
Perfect.
As a complete neophyte at SSB transponder operation this will give me a great opportunity, over my holiday break, to work all the bugs out of the mobile station I just built. Icom IC-706 (first generation, 1996 vintage! Yipe!) up, Yaesu FT857D down, Alaskan Arrow on a tripod with ball mount and separate feeds, old laptop running Ubuntu and SATPC32 on Wine for tracking. Whenever the CAT cable for this Icom arrives, then I'll have computer control of tuning for both rigs.
I think this operator should commit himself to achieving the goal, before this month is out, of landing a signal on AO-73 and returning it safely to the Earth.