I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
Hi Steve,
The only full-duplex handheld manufactured today (and well-tested on the satellites) is the Kenwood TH-D72. Don't rule out it's predecessor, the Kenwood TH-D7. There are other now-discontinued models from Icom (The W-32A) and Yaesu (FT-530 or FT-51) that work modestly. You can find some good deals on these radios if you shop around. I've owned/used both the Kenwood TH-D7 and Yaesu FT-530. Both work great on SO-50.
An alternative and very popular approach that has brought success to many is to purchase and utilize a pair of inexpensive Chinese handhends. The Baofeng UV-5R and Wouxons are gaining in popularity. Instead of investing $200+ in one radio, you can buy two of these and have a modest FM satellite station for under $100.
73 Clayton W5PFG
On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 4:18 PM, Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com wrote:
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
An alternative and very popular approach that has brought success to many is to purchase and utilize a pair of inexpensive Chinese handhends. The Baofeng UV-5R and Wouxons are gaining in popularity.
I would suggest the Baofeng UV-82 in lieu of the UV-5R … although there are more accessories for the UV-5R (notably an extended battery pack), these are less necessary with the UV-82.
A Baofeng UV-82 is about $35 on Amazon, and you can buy a handheld speaker/mic and battery eliminator (or spare battery) for about $5 each on eBay. I can heartily recommend the UV-82, and with the (free) CHIRP programming software it’s a snap to configure for satellite ops.
Tom WZ9U
FYI, UV5RA's now $31.26 on Amazon
73, ted K7TRK
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Clayton Coleman Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 2:27 PM To: Steve Kristoff Cc: AMSAT-BB Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Handheld for LEO satellites?
Hi Steve,
The only full-duplex handheld manufactured today (and well-tested on the satellites) is the Kenwood TH-D72. Don't rule out it's predecessor, the Kenwood TH-D7. There are other now-discontinued models from Icom (The W-32A) and Yaesu (FT-530 or FT-51) that work modestly. You can find some good deals on these radios if you shop around. I've owned/used both the Kenwood TH-D7 and Yaesu FT-530. Both work great on SO-50.
An alternative and very popular approach that has brought success to many is to purchase and utilize a pair of inexpensive Chinese handhends. The Baofeng UV-5R and Wouxons are gaining in popularity. Instead of investing $200+ in one radio, you can buy two of these and have a modest FM satellite station for under $100.
73 Clayton W5PFG
On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 4:18 PM, Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com wrote:
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like
to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews.
Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Why a hand held?
Because they can be very inexpensive, and very portable.
Jim KQ6EA
On 01/20/2015 10:56 PM, John Becker wrote:
Why a hand held?
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On 1/20/15, Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com wrote:
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
<snip>
When I was first on the birds, I used my FT-817 with its stock rubber duck. I held the radio in one hand and my microphone with the other. That technique had its limits as I had to keep twisting my hand in order to get a decent signal.
That eventually led me to replace that antenna with an Arrow Yagi, but it was no longer a hand-held rig after that.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend that!
I did work a guy in New Brunswick doing just that. I think he said he was using the hood of his car as a bit of a reflector too, but that's certainly not going to be adequate for SO-50 in any but the most ideal circumstances.
An FT-817 is a great radio to get started with satellites as you then have lots of options for getting a second radio to use as a receiver. I started out trying a TH-F6A as my receiver, then moved to an Icom IC-R10 that I made several hundred QSOs with as my downlink receiver, and finally the second FT-817 that I use today. Others have gotten used UHF or VHF multimode radios, the FUNcube Dongle, or others.
As far as HTs...WD9EWK has probably tested just about every cheap Chinese HT on the market for use as a receiver on SO-50. He'll probably kick in his advice here.
73,
Paul, N8HM
On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 8:22 PM, B J va6bmj@gmail.com wrote:
On 1/20/15, Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com wrote:
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like
to
move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the
most
commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
<snip>
When I was first on the birds, I used my FT-817 with its stock rubber duck. I held the radio in one hand and my microphone with the other. That technique had its limits as I had to keep twisting my hand in order to get a decent signal.
That eventually led me to replace that antenna with an Arrow Yagi, but it was no longer a hand-held rig after that.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hi!
I haven't tested *every* Chinese HT, but have tried a few that can serve as a good sampling of what's on the market. Most of the Chinese HTs have so-so receivers with sharper receive filtering than what we see from the traditional 3 ham equipment manufacturers (Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu). I have used the Baofeng UV-5R, BF-F8HP (higher-power version of UV-5R), and UV-82 (updated design). From Wouxun, the KG-UV8D. None of these are capable of full-duplex operation with SO-50, but the KG-UV8D will work full-duplex with the upcoming Fox-1 series of FM satellites.
I have also used a FUNcube Dongle Pro+ with HDSDR software on a Windows 8.1 tablet for SO-50, as well as our other current satellites. This is an acceptable receive setup for satellite work, paired with another radio as your transmitter - an HT for SO-50, an FT-817 or some other all-mode transceiver that works at 2m and 70cm for the other satellites. I have been putting updates of my tests using the dongle and tablet on my @WD9EWK Twitter feed (see http://twitter.com/WD9EWK if you don't use Twitter), and an article for an upcoming issue of the AMSAT Journal is in the works.
Bottom line... working satellites full-duplex is preferred. This allows you to hear the satellite downlink while transmitting, and you know your signals are making it through the satellite. Only one HT in current production does this for SO-50 (Kenwood TH-D72A), and a few 2m/70cm FM mobile radios will do this. There are many HTs that aren't in production that can do what the TH-D72A does, and some have already been mentioned. Otherwise, the prices of the Chinese-made HTs mean it doesn't take a lot of $$$ to have a workable full-duplex setup for the current SO-50 satellite, as well as the upcoming Fox-1 satellites.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http"//www.wd9ewk.net/
On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 1:39 AM, Paul Stoetzer n8hm@arrl.net wrote:
Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend that!
I did work a guy in New Brunswick doing just that. I think he said he was using the hood of his car as a bit of a reflector too, but that's certainly not going to be adequate for SO-50 in any but the most ideal circumstances.
An FT-817 is a great radio to get started with satellites as you then have lots of options for getting a second radio to use as a receiver. I started out trying a TH-F6A as my receiver, then moved to an Icom IC-R10 that I made several hundred QSOs with as my downlink receiver, and finally the second FT-817 that I use today. Others have gotten used UHF or VHF multimode radios, the FUNcube Dongle, or others.
As far as HTs...WD9EWK has probably tested just about every cheap Chinese HT on the market for use as a receiver on SO-50. He'll probably kick in his advice here.
73,
Paul, N8HM
Steve
The Yaesu FT-60 works FB on FM sats, just 1 memory needed.You can tune the downlink from the stored memory which works great, so no need to program 10 channels with different freqs. Or u can use 1 FT-817ND with the interface on ARRL store to tune freqs by pc. Can work all sats!
73's
Jerry,ON4CJQ
----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- Van: "Steve Kristoff" skristof@etczone.com Aan: amsat-bb@amsat.org Verzonden: Dinsdag 20 januari 2015 23:18:11 Onderwerp: [amsat-bb] Handheld for LEO satellites?
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Thanks to all for the info on the handhelds. I appreciate your quick responses and personal insights and experiences. After a little more research on the subject, it looks like SO-50 is the only operational FM repeater satellite? Is that correct and,if so, is a dual-band FM handheld still a reasonable option for getting started? Looks like the upcoming FOX satellites are going to be FM repeaters, so maybe it's still worth it? Again, as a newbie, I appreciate your thoughts.
Steve AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 10:08 AM, jerry.tuyls@telenet.be wrote:
Steve
The Yaesu FT-60 works FB on FM sats, just 1 memory needed.You can tune the downlink from the stored memory which works great, so no need to program 10 channels with different freqs. Or u can use 1 FT-817ND with the interface on ARRL store to tune freqs by pc. Can work all sats!
73's
Jerry,ON4CJQ
----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- Van: "Steve Kristoff" skristof@etczone.com Aan: amsat-bb@amsat.org Verzonden: Dinsdag 20 januari 2015 23:18:11 Onderwerp: [amsat-bb] Handheld for LEO satellites?
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on the most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions and reviews. Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Since FM handhelds are so cheap, there's not much downside to starting out there, even though SO-50 is the only operational FM satellite at the moment. I do enjoy the linear transponders and it's worth it in my opinion to get the equipment necessary to use them. They are a much more relaxed environment than the FM satellites, at least when a rare grid or country isn't on! AO-7, FO-29, and AO-73 don't require a ton of expensive equipment at all, but it surely will run more than the $30 for an HT.
I strongly suggest operating full duplex, using a second HT as the downlink receiver. When operating full duplex, you know if your transmission is making it through the satellite and if you are doubling with someone else, which is extremely helpful.
Hopefully, three more FM satellites will be available for our use by the end of this year:
EO-80 (European-OSCAR 80, QB50p2) - In orbit, but currently completing a test mission for the QB50 project. When activated for amateur use, it'll have a 435.080 MHz uplink (210.7 Hz PL) and a 145.840 MHz downlink ( http://www.amsat-f.org/spip/spip.php?article82)
Fox-1A - Launch scheduled for August 27, 2015 from Vandenberg Air Force Base with the NROL-55 mission as part of NASA's ELaNa program. Uplink will be 435.180 MHz (67.0 Hz PL), downlink will be 145.980 MHz.
Fox-1C - Launch is scheduled for the third quarter of this year. AMSAT purchased a slot on Spaceflight Services' inaugural SHERPA mission (please donate to the launch fund here if you can https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6pz92/ab/f3qmG9). No frequencies announced yet.
The radio is only half the battle, you'll also need an antenna. There is no shortage of construction projects if you want to build one and there are two main commercial models, the Arrow and the Elk. I find the Arrow to be superior to the Elk for receiving the 70cm downlink of SO-50. Any omnidirectional antenna such as an extended whip is likely to be useless on SO-50 except in the very best of operating conditions.
73,
Paul, N8HM
On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com wrote:
Thanks to all for the info on the handhelds. I appreciate your quick responses and personal insights and experiences. After a little more research on the subject, it looks like SO-50 is the only operational FM repeater satellite? Is that correct and,if so, is a dual-band FM handheld still a reasonable option for getting started? Looks like the upcoming FOX satellites are going to be FM repeaters, so maybe it's still worth it? Again, as a newbie, I appreciate your thoughts.
Steve AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 10:08 AM, jerry.tuyls@telenet.be wrote:
Steve
The Yaesu FT-60 works FB on FM sats, just 1 memory needed.You can tune
the
downlink from the stored memory which works great, so no need to program
10
channels with different freqs. Or u can use 1 FT-817ND with the interface on ARRL store to tune freqs by pc. Can work all sats!
73's
Jerry,ON4CJQ
----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- Van: "Steve Kristoff" skristof@etczone.com Aan: amsat-bb@amsat.org Verzonden: Dinsdag 20 januari 2015 23:18:11 Onderwerp: [amsat-bb] Handheld for LEO satellites?
I'm new to the list and have been listening to some satellites. I'd like to move on to QSOs. Can folks recommend a handheld that will get me on
the
most commonly used satellites? I'd be grateful for multiple suggestions
and
reviews. Thanks!
Steve Kristoff AI9IN skristof@etczone.com
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (10)
-
B J -
Clayton Coleman -
jerry.tuyls＠telenet.be -
Jim Jerzycke -
John Becker -
Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) -
Paul Stoetzer -
Steve Kristoff -
Ted -
tom.wz9u＠gmail.com