Hi Greg!
I keep seeing postings about AO-51 being in an SSB/FM mode, but the Control Op's website and Amsat home page both show FM/FM. Did it just change (so I missed it), or is it still in SSB/FM? If so, when will it change again?
On the AMSAT home page it lists the current mode - the normal 145.920/435.300 MHz FM repeater, and the cross-mode 145.880 MHz SSB/435.150 MHz FM repeater. The monthly schedule is available in text form at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php
Sometimes this link is the best way to see the schedule, when there is a mode that is not supported in the chart-style schedule on another page at the AMSAT web site. The current schedule is valid through Sunday (2 November) UTC. By that time, there should be a November schedule posted to that web page and to the AMSAT-BB.
I was on the SSB/FM side of AO-51 for a pass around 0108 UTC tonight. Activity throughout the pass, with at least 6 or 7 stations on. After my short time working the non-FM satellites, it is a lot easier to deal with tuning the SSB uplink to stay within the receiver and sound somewhat normal on the FM downlink.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/