Hello
On 11/28/08, Mark Lunday, WD4ELG mlunday@nc.rr.com wrote:
I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
same here, plus FO-20, UO-14 and maybe some other I don't remember now...
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
are you working full duplex? I always found SO-50 very easy to work (well at least to hear myself back), the 74.4 tone must be sent for one or two seconds continuously then switch to 67 Hz tone. I work with handeld homemade dual V/U yagi usually and I noticed that this bird is particularly sensitive to polarization, so I need to rotate often the yagi to find the best signal. I didn't try recently anyway, beeing on other bands :-)
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
if nothing is wrong with the bird yes, you should at least hear yourself. Activity was low even in Europe on this bird.
73 Francesco IZ8DWF