Just about any 2-meter antenna will work, when the satellite is over head. I have even worked ISS with a Rubber duck and a VX5R. (2-meter voice **).
The duration of your access window and quality of signal is determined by antenna GAIN. So to get your feet wet, use any antenna you can find, Zero dBd or better. Then if you find you like satellites and you want longer access windows and better signal quality, just add more antenna GAIN. Perfect conditions do not happen very often for low gain systems.
good luck.
wf1f Miles
** ISS rubber duck Conditions were perfect!!!! 80+ degree over head pass. Distance to ISS 300 miles (for a few seconds) Valery Korzun knew my call. Valery was on the air, 4 hours after his bed time, so there were few stations calling.
TX: "WF1F" ISS: "Stand by Miles, Ill be with you when I finish this call"
--- On Fri, 7/9/10, Jeremy Cowgar jeremy@cowgar.com wrote:
From: Jeremy Cowgar jeremy@cowgar.com Subject: [amsat-bb] Can I work w/just egg beaters? To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Friday, July 9, 2010, 7:38 PM Hello,
I am curious if the M2 egg beaters w/mast mount preamps would allow me to use the current satellites, including AO-7?
Jeremy KB8LFA
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