It was suggested that you need "a few more watts" to use SO-50. That is definitely not the case. I have worked it many times with only 500 mW, even on busy passes, getting in full-quieting. I have also gotten into it with an acceptable signal with only 50 mW on empty relatively high elevation passes. It does has a relatively weak downlink though (250 mW).
Regarding AO-85, it is a little deaf and it's true it's because of an antenna issue. I have some info about it and a "twist trick" fix documented here:
https://spacecomms.wordpress.com/ao-85-twist-trick-and-other-hints/
73, John Brier KG4AKV
On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 2:57 PM, Don KB2YSI kb2ysi@gmail.com wrote:
My FM operating is has been dual HTs and portable, I.E. not tripod, no table, just me and what I can hold. I am working on a SSB setup but only tried it a few times thus far, but that includes a backpack.
Yes, holding 2 radios and an antenna is difficult at best, and risky for the equipment. That is why I took the suggestion to use a piece of wood in the end of my Arrow to mount the RX radio to. This was a major improvement in the setup. Pictures and credit for the ideas are available at hamqth.com/KB2YSI
SO-50 has been my go to satellite and 5w has worked very well for me. AO-85 is my unicorn, sometimes I have no issues getting in, others nothing I do seems to work. My money is on operater error. Hihi. AO-91 & AO-92 are crazy easy to use once I had a full duplex (using 2 radios and a duplexer as a filter) setup.
I am still new, have not been operating a year yet, but am willing to talk offline if anyone is interested. I may have learned a lot the hard way, but it has been incredibly fun time!
73, Don KB2YSI
On Thu, Jun 7, 2018, 14:03 Jean Marc Momple jean.marc.momple@gmail.com wrote:
Hugo,
Actually the Baofengs UR-5R that Francois is using are transmitting with only 2 watts on 70cm. Works very well. Sorry for having stated 4W (Vhf power)
I will send you separately a small presentation I did for the local OM’s which trigger Francois venture on the birds.
73
Jean Marc
On Jun 7, 2018, at 9:41 PM, Hugo Dominguez, Jr. hugois@gmail.com
wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll keep trying. Is the Baofang being used
the
5 watt or 8 watt version? Right now it is hard holding two radios and the antenna. Maybe I can strap it to my antenna and use it for listening for myself. I should also look at mounting my antenna to an old camera tripod to free my hand
— Hugo Dominguez, Jr.
On Jun 7, 2018, at 10:30, Jean Marc Momple <
jean.marc.momple@gmail.com>
wrote:
Hugo,
Just to share experience.
3B8GZ (not on the BB, but in copy) is working very well AO-91 and
AO92,
crystal clear above 10 deg. ele. with 2 Baofengs and a home brew Arrow
type
of antenna while on the beach this side of the globe. He made QSO’s with South Africa, Madagascar and locals with less than 4W.
SO-50 is a little more tricky as a 74Hz CTCSS required to trigger the
repeater, then you need to switch CTCSS to 67Hz to QSO. Also it need a
few
more W for clear QSO.
AO-85 is quite hard-hearing and depending on its path you need between
15 and 50 W with a 10-15 ele yagi to go through reasonably.
Hope this help.
73
Jean Marc (3B8DU)
On Jun 7, 2018, at 9:04 PM, Hugo Dominguez, Jr. hugois@gmail.com
wrote:
Someone mentioned to me that AO-91 was made to be worked by
handhelds.
They also mentioned that AO-85 actually has a damaged receive antenna and that you need more power. Is that correct? Is 5 watts sufficient for
AO-92,
AO-85 and SO-50?
— Hugo Dominguez, Jr.
On Jun 6, 2018, at 23:08, Daniel Wight kd7lee@gmail.com wrote:
As Gabe pointed out, I may have this backwards as I started out on
SO-50 (V/U) & then applied my original techniques to the Fox (U/V) birds
in
error (i.e. your initial settings are probably correct). I need to do
some
more research before I understand this fully, but it looks like I've been using the wrong uplink frequencies on my IC-W32A. My apologies for the mistake. Looks like I'll be reprogramming my radio soon....
73,
Daniel, KD7LEE
> On Wed, Jun 6, 2018, 21:50 Hugo Dominguez, Jr. hugois@gmail.com
wrote:
> Thanks. All the web pages I read said to perform doppler shift by
starting 10 kHz below and work your way up. Even this amsat website has instructions to do it how I am doing it: https://amsat-uk.org/2018/01/26/ao-92-open-for-amateur-radio-use/
> > I also just noticed that there is a schedule for the L-band for
uplink which i’m interpreting that UHF won’t work when the bird is setup for the L-band for uplink. Maybe I was trying to make contact when it was on the L band.
> > — > Hugo Dominguez, Jr. > >> On Jun 6, 2018, at 21:07, Daniel Wight kd7lee@gmail.com wrote: >> >> Seems like your Doppler shift might be opposite. I normally start
high & work my way down during the satellite pass... (For instance, I
would
start at 435.180 for AO-85 and then work my way down to 435.160 as the satellite 'sunsets' on my horizon). Doppler shift should be higher frequency during approach, near zero when the satellite is overhead, and lower after the satellite passes.
>> >> 73, >> >> Daniel, KD7LEE >> >>> On Wed, Jun 6, 2018, 17:27 Andrew Glasbrenner <
glasbrenner@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>> You've discovered one of the reasons full duplex is best on the
FM
sats...you have no idea if you are getting through, because you can't
hear
while transmitting.
>>> >>> Got another radio so you can work full duplex? >>> >>> 73, Drew KO4MA >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: AMSAT-BB amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org On Behalf Of Hugo
Dominguez, Jr.
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2018 7:41 PM >>> To: amsat-bb@amsat.org >>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Unsuccessful Uplinks - AO-92 >>> >>> I’ve just started playing with talking on satellites. I’m able to
hear all the satellites (AO-85, AO-91, AO-92 and SO-50) that I have programmed on my Kenwood TH-D74, which I use with my Elk dual band
periodic
log antenna. However no one can hear me or responds to me. I’ve only been successful with my uplink (being heard) on AO-91 on several passes. I triple checked my frequencies on my radio and the 67 Hz tone and they are set as follows:
>>> Sat. Xmit Tone >>> SO-50 145.850 67.0 Hz >>> AO-85 435.170 67.0 Hz >>> AO-91 435.250 67.0 HZ >>> AO-92 435.350 67.0 Hz >>> These are the frequencies used when the bird is at its peak. I
adjust for doppler on 440 by starting out 10 khz less, e.g AO-85 435.160, 435.165, 435.170, 435.175, 435.180.
>>> >>> Any ideas if something has changed from what is published or am I
missing something? Like I said, i’ve been able to communicate on AO-91.
>>> >>> — >>> Hugo Dominguez, Jr. >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/
listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb