I read that article, and when I got to the last of it and he mentioned that he was using a pre-amp for working the FM birds, I wondered out loud: "Why???"
We're working '27, '50, and '51 with HTs and meager antenna improvements. Better yet, build a tape measure Yagi - you can realize great gain with about six bucks of parts. Note that I haven't mentioned, "Buy a pre-amp" anywhere. I was considering building one of those antennas mentioned in QST last month - until I read that he was using a pre-amp.
I'll just stick with what works for me ... home-brew or commercial Yagis ... a log periodic every now and then ... and no pre-amp anywhere.
Clint, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com
Good freaking grief! Are you kidding me? AMSAT-BB is why I have more "crow's feet."
It's -his- money. The last paragraph actually states that he was making SSB and FM contacts. Does it -matter- if he uses a preamp on FM, SSB, or freaking two cans and a string?
Joel, W4JBB
On Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 8:13 PM, Clint Bradford clintbradford@mac.comwrote:
I read that article, and when I got to the last of it and he mentioned that he was using a pre-amp for working the FM birds, I wondered out loud: "Why???"
We're working '27, '50, and '51 with HTs and meager antenna improvements. Better yet, build a tape measure Yagi - you can realize great gain with about six bucks of parts. Note that I haven't mentioned, "Buy a pre-amp" anywhere. I was considering building one of those antennas mentioned in QST last month - until I read that he was using a pre-amp.
I'll just stick with what works for me ... home-brew or commercial Yagis ... a log periodic every now and then ... and no pre-amp anywhere.
Clint, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Clint Bradford wrote:
"Why???"
A few passes standing in the chest deep snow while 20 below and I think you'd start to see the appeal of an omni with a preamp.
73, Drew KO4MA
At 05:13 PM 2/8/2010, Clint Bradford wrote:
I read that article, and when I got to the last of it and he mentioned that he was using a pre-amp for working the FM birds, I wondered out loud: "Why???"
We're working '27, '50, and '51 with HTs and meager antenna improvements. Better yet, build a tape measure Yagi - you can realize great gain with about six bucks of parts. Note that I haven't mentioned, "Buy a pre-amp" anywhere. I was considering building one of those antennas mentioned in QST last month - until I read that he was using a pre-amp.
I'll just stick with what works for me ... home-brew or commercial Yagis ... a log periodic every now and then ... and no pre-amp anywhere.
Clint, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I am the original author of the referenced e-mail.
I hope you noted that I am in Alaska, where it is not exactly nice wx in winter. I have a complete super tracking system of yagis that I used on AO-10/AO-40, but I thought ii would be nice to have a simple non-tracking antenna system for the "easy sats". The preamp makes the UHF Lindy work nearly equal with the high-price stuff...and much simpler.
The good news is that the Lindys work. They are not hard to make. They are as cheap as an Arrow. I believe it is equal or better than the M2 eggbeaters (and $400 cheaper). I paid $30 for my used DEMI preamp. It is equal to SSB or ARR preamps (new costs in between these two). ...and I do not have to stand outside at 10F to work the satellites ;-)
And I would guess that you note in my signature line that I do some other stuff in ham radio.
73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@hotmail.com ======================================
One more update:
I tried pass #744, this morning and copied a big round-table of several west-coast stations, but was unable to break in. My downlink was as loud as them, so...? I had one call to my CQ right at LOS and could not complete, sorry! Bear with me as I am getting reaquainted with running my radio on satellites ;-) My sub-VFO tuning control is not working which complicates netting with another station. So I find my signal with the Rx and then engage tracking. That tracks for a little while.
The interesting thing is that I copied signals to zero-elevation. I would say that I am pleased with the new antennas.
Question: what ERP are most stations using on SSB on HO-68? I am running 50w ERP.
73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@hotmail.com ======================================
Hi Ed,
Regarding power used:
I was running 25w (minus a few dB of coax losses) into an 8 element beam (vertically polarized), and getting an S5 return on a 2x15 circular beam, with a mediocre preamp. I forget if it was RHCP or LHCP on the downlink at the time.
I don't have a power meter, but I could turn my 736R's Drive control about 3/4 of the way down before my signal got hard to hear. Maybe 5w or so? This was when the bird was about 10-12 degrees up, in a direction that has about a 5 degree usable horizon (there's a hill in that direction).
Hope that helps,
Greg KO6TH
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:25:10 -0900 To: amsat-bb@amsat.org From: kl7uw@acsalaska.net Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: New Lindy's QRV
One more update:
I tried pass #744, this morning and copied a big round-table of several west-coast stations, but was unable to break in. My downlink was as loud as them, so...? I had one call to my CQ right at LOS and could not complete, sorry! Bear with me as I am getting reaquainted with running my radio on satellites ;-) My sub-VFO tuning control is not working which complicates netting with another station. So I find my signal with the Rx and then engage tracking. That tracks for a little while.
The interesting thing is that I copied signals to zero-elevation. I would say that I am pleased with the new antennas.
Question: what ERP are most stations using on SSB on HO-68? I am running 50w ERP.
73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@hotmail.com ======================================
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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participants (5)
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Andrew Glasbrenner -
Clint Bradford -
Edward Cole -
Greg D. -
Joel Black