Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer?
I use mine that way with power up to 20 watts sometimes. I do not hold the antenna; it is on a tripod.
My brilliant friend Sawson KG6NUB uses that same configuration with something like 100 watts for what he calls "low power EME".
Other observations will no doubt be forthcoming.
-- bag
Bryan KL7CN/W6
On Oct 12, 2015, at 22:23, W3MAT . [email protected] wrote:
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer? _______________________________________________ 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
On 10/13/15, W3MAT . [email protected] wrote:
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation?
I use mine that way for full-duplex operation with my IC-910.
If so,
did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer?
Since I hold the antenna while I'm operating, I put 5 W into it. That usually is enough to reach the satellite.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
On Tue, 13 Oct 2015 01:23:27 -0400, "W3MAT ." [email protected] wrote:
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer?
I have done this for all SO-50 passes because I want to hear my own downlink (and record the results with a voice recorder from the downlink HT earphone out) but I didn't notice any discernible difference without the duplexer because I'm only running 5W. (Antenna is handheld.)
Arrow Antennas states that max power for the Alaskan Arrow (the type I own) without the duplexer on a tripod is 150W. (See FAQ at http://www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii/alaskanarrow.html)
I really gotta get one of those ALASKAN Arrows.
-- bag
Bryan KL7CN/W6
On Oct 12, 2015, at 23:02, J. Boyd (JR2TTS) [email protected] wrote:
On Tue, 13 Oct 2015 01:23:27 -0400, "W3MAT ." [email protected] wrote:
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer?
I have done this for all SO-50 passes because I want to hear my own downlink (and record the results with a voice recorder from the downlink HT earphone out) but I didn't notice any discernible difference without the duplexer because I'm only running 5W. (Antenna is handheld.)
Arrow Antennas states that max power for the Alaskan Arrow (the type I own) without the duplexer on a tripod is 150W. (See FAQ at http://www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii/alaskanarrow.html)
On Mon, 12 Oct 2015 23:24:32 -0700, Bryan Green [email protected] wrote:
I really gotta get one of those ALASKAN Arrows.
Pros: Having those extra elements makes it so much easier to lock onto a bird and reach it with less power.
Cons: It weighs as much as a baseball bat. Holding one of those things up in the air for fourteen minutes and your arms will look like Popeye the Sailor Man at LOS. You're going to need a tripod, or at least a camera monopod to brace it against the ground.
Amen. I have an Alaskan Arrow with the duplexer (and have yet to work anyone with it, but it hears pretty well). It is not for the elderly or faint of heart, at least if you plan to hold it. I tried mounting it on my camera tripod, but it was so heavy that it popped the mount right out of the holder, so I guess I need a more rugged tripod. Any suggestions? Not sure what to do with it at this point<g>. One big issue for me regarding this antenna is that the elements don't stay screwed in. I suppose I could use some Loctite, but I'd also like to be able to take it apart at some point.
Rick, WW1ME
-----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of J. Boyd (JR2TTS) Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 2:33 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Arrow Antenna
On Mon, 12 Oct 2015 23:24:32 -0700, Bryan Green [email protected] wrote:
I really gotta get one of those ALASKAN Arrows.
Pros: Having those extra elements makes it so much easier to lock onto a bird and reach it with less power.
Cons: It weighs as much as a baseball bat. Holding one of those things up in the air for fourteen minutes and your arms will look like Popeye the Sailor Man at LOS. You're going to need a tripod, or at least a camera monopod to brace it against the ground.
-- J. Boyd, JR2TTS/NI3B [email protected] http://www.flickr.com/photos/the2belo/ http://www.qrz.com/db/JR2TTS Twitter: @Minus2_C
_______________________________________________ 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
On Oct 16, 2015 9:08 AM, "Rick Lindquist, WW1ME" [email protected] wrote:
One big issue for me regarding this antenna is that the elements don't stay screwed in. I suppose I could use some Loctite, but I'd also like to be able to take it apart at some point.
Rick, I use beeswax on threads that need a little help. It provides enough extra friction that they never come loose, but are still easy to undo by hand.
Dan, AD0CQ
I ordered my Arrow Antenna without the duplexer, so I've always used it with two separate coaxes and two radios. I use a simple digital recorder to record the QSOs. My experience, so far, is limited to SO-50, but the set-up works just fine for that satellite.
Steve AI9IN
----- Original Message ----- From: "W3MAT ." [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 1:23 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Arrow Antenna
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer? _______________________________________________ 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
My experience with the duplexer is: I looked at my Arrow on my antenna analyzer without the duplexer. After some tuning I got a pretty good dip at 146 and 436 MHz. With the duplexer attached the tuning went way off. I tried, but couldn't even get it close with it installed. I use mine with my ICom 910. One coax per band. The antenna is on a sturdy camera tripod with two Arrow dualband yagis. I have each antenna connected to a small BNC coax switch so I can remotely switch polarization as needed. At the antenna there is a preamp for each band with power for the preamps being fed through the coax. For a rotor I simply use a large RC robot style geared servo for AZ being that this is just a temporary out the back door setup. For EL I just walk out and set the EL on the tripod before the bird comes over. With this setup I usually use about 5 to 10 watts on VHF depending on the bird and elevation. On UHF I sometimes need a little more power due to the attenuation in the coax which is about 50 ft long.
Michael KC4ZVA Sent from my iPad
On Oct 13, 2015, at 7:54 AM, Steve Kristoff [email protected] wrote:
I ordered my Arrow Antenna without the duplexer, so I've always used it with two separate coaxes and two radios. I use a simple digital recorder to record the QSOs. My experience, so far, is limited to SO-50, but the set-up works just fine for that satellite.
Steve AI9IN
----- Original Message ----- From: "W3MAT ." [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 1:23 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Arrow Antenna
Has anyone removed the duplexer and its coax and replaced it with one coax cable to VHF, and one coax cable to UHF for two radio operation? If so, did you notice any improvement and what would the power rating be now without the duplexer? _______________________________________________ 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
_______________________________________________ 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
NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) has awarded multiple Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) contracts to provide small satellites (SmallSats) -- also called CubeSats, microsats or nanosatellites -- access to low-Earth orbit.
The three companies selected to provide these new commercial launch capabilities, and the value of their firm fixed-price contracts, are:
· Firefly Space Systems Inc. of Cedar Park, Texas, $5.5 million · Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Los Angeles, $6.9 million · Virgin Galactic LLC of Long Beach, California, $4.7 million At present, launch opportunities for small satellites and science missions mostly are limited to rideshare-type arrangements, flying only when space is available on NASA and other launches. The services acquired through these new contract awards will constitute the smallest class of launch services used by NASA.
“LSP is attempting to foster commercial launch services dedicated to transporting smaller payloads into orbit as an alternative to the rideshare approach and to promote the continued development of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry,” said Jim Norman, director of Launch Services at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “VCLS is intended to help open the door for future dedicated opportunities to launch CubeSats and other small satellites and science missions.”
Small satellites, including CubeSats, are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration; Earth observations; fundamental Earth and space science; and developing precursor science instruments like cutting-edge laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities.
LSP supports the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) by providing launch opportunities for more than 50 CubeSats that are awaiting launch during the next three years. The VCLS contracts will demonstrate a dedicated launch capability for smaller payloads that NASA anticipates it will require on a recurring basis for future science SmallSat and CubeSat missions.
Michael - KC4ZVA
participants (8)
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B J -
Bryan Green -
Dan White -
J. Boyd (JR2TTS) -
Mvivona -
Rick Lindquist, WW1ME -
Steve Kristoff -
W3MAT .