David, I have an iC910H driving it with SatPC32. I knew nothing when I started. All I did is press the "satellite" button and SatPC32 does the rest. No special setup on the radio side. Am using the USB cable to the radio, model number RPC-117-UF.
Michael Vivona Sent from my iPad
On Aug 15, 2016, at 5:16 PM, B J [email protected] wrote:
On 8/15/16, David Bondy G4NRT [email protected] wrote: I am sure that over the years many people have used the Icom IC-910H for satellite communications.
I am new to the world of satellites and have recently acquired a used IC-910H (no 23cm module) and I wondered whether anyone has made up a ‘cheat sheet’ which would help me get it all set-up for operating.
If I could find a sheet for FM, one for SSB and perhaps one even for data then it would save me trying to re-invent the wheel! If anyone knows of any other good resources that i could consult then that would be great!
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I'm not aware of such a guide, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind when setting up a station using a '910.
If you're using computer control, you might not be able use the radio's satellite mode. I use Gpredict running on Linux to operate my rig and it requires that both the uplink and downlink VFOs be independent. (Hamlib runs in the background and actually controls the radio. Gpredict is the user interface.)
Setting up the radio is quite easy. Each side can be set to the applicable mode by pressing a few buttons as shown in the manual. You'll find them right above the main VFO knob. Once I set up my software and engage the control function, the frequencies are set by the computer.
Since I live in an apartment, I have to set up my station outside. I use an Arrow yagi, so I have only one hand free by which to operate my mike and adjust my computer. For that, I use a boom mike headset and a hand-held PTT switch. The switch is built such that I have a finger free while I'm transmitting so that I can adjust the frequencies through my computer to find my downlink or move elsewhere in the band.
When I go on the air, I like to find a part of the band where there's no traffic so that when I'm looking for my downlink, I don't interrupt any on-going QSOs. I start by first setting my software to the nominal frequencies, moving away a bit if there's already some activity at or near mid-band, and then, if I don't already know what the offset is, I slowly change the downlink until I hear my signal.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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