I have noticed that most of the trouble seems to be powerful alligator stations that cannot hear the downlink and boost their uplink power to very high levels while calling long CQs. This wipes out those of us trying to make contacts with HTs.
On the whole I have found that regular satellite operators are very courteous and keep their contacts short, allowing everybody a chance to use the satellite.
73 - Zach KM7I
On 9/4/06, Ernie Howard w8eh-Ernie@cinci.rr.com wrote:
John Mock wrote:
While 'standing on the soapbox', i'd say that i'd like to encourge folks to use the high power mode to let stations who have trouble hearing SO-50 or AO-51 to work satellites and get started. I would hope that folks who use mode J-FM on a regular basis would use coastal/oceanic passes, or SO-50, to say hello to their friends and/or talk at length about the weather.
Please don't send them over to SO-50 to 'talk at length'. Too much of that is observed sometimes on the weekends now. :)
Part of the trouble that I observed with AO-51 is some stronger stations (without PL) or illegal cordless phones, are blanking out the uplink. I had trouble after the switch to V/U. I usually run 2 watts to a CP KLM beam. Even with the rig boosted up to 45 watts, I couldn't overcome whatever/whoever was blanking out the sat most of the time. Out of two passes this morning, I made only one contact. Lots of stations on, but only the strongest seemed to make it over whatever was blocking us. Strange that I didn't have that trouble at all when it was in V/S mode earlier.
Ernie W8EH _______________________________________________ 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