On 09/07/17 20:50, Mac A. Cody wrote:
I know that the FM satellites, primarily SO-50 and AO-85, can be quite congested during a pass. This is understandable, since each satellite presents only one channel. On the other hand, the linear transponder satellites can support multiple communication channels, due to the available bandwidth. This ranges from 20 KHz (XW-2A/B/C/D/F) to 100 KHz (FO-29, AO-7). From your experience running SSB, how congested or how utilized, is the bandwidth of these satellites? Is there usually plenty of room to spare, or is it a challenge to find a place within the available bandwidth to conduct a QSO?
Hi Mac!
Plenty of room on the linear sats, as far as I've heard on the passes I've monitored. With a SDR dongle such as FCD or FCD Pro+, you can watch the entire passband for activity. If you record I/Q, you can then play back the whole pass to figure out who usually shows up where.
I need to make a strong effort to get my shack put back together. It has been years since I actually made a contact!
Nice talking to you again. Hope to hear ya on the birds.
73 DE N0ZGO --- Zach