I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ
This is a very common issue for newcomers to the linear satellites. Almost every pass, there is someone calling CQ over and over again with a loud signal, but completely oblivious to the several stations trying to answer them.
Downlinks on the linear satellites, especially on UHF, are MUCH weaker than on the FM satellites. Remember that the transmit power of the satellite is being distributed across an entire passband that many stations are sharing -- unlike FM, where all the power is just on one frequency for one station at a time (ideally).
You are going to need the best, low-loss feedline you can afford for UHF, and that feedline needs to be as short as possible. If your feedline is more than about 50 feet (or about 15 meters) you are going to want to have a pre-amplifier very near the antenna. A good pre-amp, with RF switching so that you don't accidentally blow it up by transmitting through it, can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers. Or, there are designs around to roll your own, if you are good at that sort of thing.
Good luck, and hope to work you on the linear sats very soon! -- Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 7:26 AM WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ _______________________________________________ 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hello Mark,
Picking up on your comment about UHF pre-amps that "can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers", could you provide a list or some suggestions. I haven't searched exhaustively but some of seen are north of $300 and I would love to find a less expensive, but quality, option.
Thanks & 73, Ken, VA7KBM
On 2019-06-16 6:46 a.m., Mark D. Johns via AMSAT-BB wrote:
This is a very common issue for newcomers to the linear satellites. Almost every pass, there is someone calling CQ over and over again with a loud signal, but completely oblivious to the several stations trying to answer them.
Downlinks on the linear satellites, especially on UHF, are MUCH weaker than on the FM satellites. Remember that the transmit power of the satellite is being distributed across an entire passband that many stations are sharing -- unlike FM, where all the power is just on one frequency for one station at a time (ideally).
You are going to need the best, low-loss feedline you can afford for UHF, and that feedline needs to be as short as possible. If your feedline is more than about 50 feet (or about 15 meters) you are going to want to have a pre-amplifier very near the antenna. A good pre-amp, with RF switching so that you don't accidentally blow it up by transmitting through it, can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers. Or, there are designs around to roll your own, if you are good at that sort of thing.
Good luck, and hope to work you on the linear sats very soon!
Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd
"Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 7:26 AM WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ _______________________________________________ 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
160 watt mast mounted http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page10.html
25 watt RF switched http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page7.html
Dave-KB1PVH
Sent from my Galaxy S9
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019, 12:19 PM Ken M via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Hello Mark,
Picking up on your comment about UHF pre-amps that "can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers", could you provide a list or some suggestions. I haven't searched exhaustively but some of seen are north of $300 and I would love to find a less expensive, but quality, option.
Thanks & 73, Ken, VA7KBM
On 2019-06-16 6:46 a.m., Mark D. Johns via AMSAT-BB wrote:
This is a very common issue for newcomers to the linear satellites. Almost every pass, there is someone calling CQ over and over again with a loud signal, but completely oblivious to the several stations trying to answer them.
Downlinks on the linear satellites, especially on UHF, are MUCH weaker than on the FM satellites. Remember that the transmit power of the satellite is being distributed across an entire passband that many stations are sharing -- unlike FM, where all the power is just on one frequency for one station at a time (ideally).
You are going to need the best, low-loss feedline you can afford for UHF, and that feedline needs to be as short as possible. If your feedline is more than about 50 feet (or about 15 meters) you are going to want to have a pre-amplifier very near the antenna. A good pre-amp, with RF switching so that you don't accidentally blow it up by transmitting through it, can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers. Or, there are designs around to roll your own, if you are good at that sort of thing.
Good luck, and hope to work you on the linear sats very soon!
Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd
"Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 7:26 AM WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected]
wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I
have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Ken,
Others have already chimed in with some others. I'm partial to the Mini-2 and Mini-70 from http://www.shf-elektronik.de/en/ -- Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 11:18 AM Ken M via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Hello Mark,
Picking up on your comment about UHF pre-amps that "can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers", could you provide a list or some suggestions. I haven't searched exhaustively but some of seen are north of $300 and I would love to find a less expensive, but quality, option.
Thanks & 73, Ken, VA7KBM
On 2019-06-16 6:46 a.m., Mark D. Johns via AMSAT-BB wrote:
This is a very common issue for newcomers to the linear satellites. Almost every pass, there is someone calling CQ over and over again with a loud signal, but completely oblivious to the several stations trying to answer them.
Downlinks on the linear satellites, especially on UHF, are MUCH weaker than on the FM satellites. Remember that the transmit power of the satellite is being distributed across an entire passband that many stations are sharing -- unlike FM, where all the power is just on one frequency for one station at a time (ideally).
You are going to need the best, low-loss feedline you can afford for UHF, and that feedline needs to be as short as possible. If your feedline is more than about 50 feet (or about 15 meters) you are going to want to have a pre-amplifier very near the antenna. A good pre-amp, with RF switching so that you don't accidentally blow it up by transmitting through it, can be had for less than $150 from several manufacturers. Or, there are designs around to roll your own, if you are good at that sort of thing.
Good luck, and hope to work you on the linear sats very soon!
Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd
"Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 7:26 AM WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ _______________________________________________ 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
On 6/16/19, WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats.
<snip>
I've found that 5 W is adequate for both my IC-910 and my FT-847.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
Hi Mike,
What are the antennas and feedline type and length?
73, Drew KO4MA
On Jun 16, 2019, at 8:26 AM, WB8PFZ via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I have completed my sat station but am having trouble hearing myself. I have checked cables and antenna ( M2) sat antenna. All seems well with low SWR. I can hear on the 2 meter downlink. How much power is needed on the UHF uplink? Hope to figure this out shortly. This is being done on the SSB sats. Thanks Mike WB8PFZ _______________________________________________ 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (6)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
B J -
Dave Webb KB1PVH -
Ken M -
Mark D. Johns -
mikflathead＠aol.com