Spin rate and orientation for SO-50?
Hello AMSATers,
SO-50 with it's lower ERP and apparent spin make it a more difficult bird for the handheld guys to keep up with but not at all impossible. I have been curious though if anyone has information as to what the spacecraft/antenna orientation is and what is the spin rate if any and how that affects workability? I find myself explaining the quirksof this bird to folks and would like a little more intelligent set of answers. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
73 de Tom, N5HYP, today in DM93
AFAIK there is no telemetry available to decode spin rate from, but my hunch from experience with AO-51 is that the spin is very, very slow. What we see is a combination of blocking of the downlink antenna by the body of the spacecraft, and with portable ops especially, mismatched polarity on the downlink. The best option is to be able to twist the antenna to peak the signal many times through the pass.
With SO-50's particular implementation of PL, it's also VERY useful to have full duplex to both peak your signal, and know if you are getting in or QRMing anyone.
SO-50 is sort of like the old Russian RS birds. We don't know a lot about the bits and pieces, but are sure glad it's there and working!
73, Drew KO4MA
On 4/1/2012 2:50 PM, tjschuessler@verizon.net wrote:
Hello AMSATers,
SO-50 with it's lower ERP and apparent spin make it a more difficult bird for the handheld guys to keep up with but not at all impossible. I have been curious though if anyone has information as to what the spacecraft/antenna orientation is and what is the spin rate if any and how that affects workability? I find myself explaining the quirksof this bird to folks and would like a little more intelligent set of answers. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
73 de Tom, N5HYP, today in DM93 _______________________________________________ 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
Drew,
Thanks for the reply to my post.
It does seem to me that this bird (SO-50), does have a much faster rate of change than the other satellites I have worked. Thus judging by the amount of twisting I have to do during one of it's passes as compared to what I do or did for AO-51, SO-67, HO-68 or AO-27. I am constantly flipping the Arrow around whilst following it. I do agree with the concept that at times and on certain elevation passes, this orientation change of the satellite causes some shielding of the antenna as in the course of a minute, I can go from very legible copy to hearing nothing at all and then a minute or so later, picking it up again.
Since there is always someone out in the world who likes to analyze seemingly trivial details, that maybe someone who has much more time than I might be interested in the challenge of figuring this out.
Let's keep raising the funds for FOX-1 and other true communications payload full on Amateur Radio satellites in order to provide more fun and educational opportunities to the larger community around us. Satellite contacts at events like hamfests, schools and museums really get folks excited and interested in STEM as well as Amateur Radio.
73 de Tom, N5HYP
-----Original Message----- From: Andrew Glasbrenner [mailto:glasbrenner@mindspring.com] Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2012 2:09 PM To: tjschuessler@verizon.net Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spin rate and orientation for SO-50?
AFAIK there is no telemetry available to decode spin rate from, but my hunch from experience with AO-51 is that the spin is very, very slow. What we see is a combination of blocking of the downlink antenna by the body of the spacecraft, and with portable ops especially, mismatched polarity on the downlink. The best option is to be able to twist the antenna to peak the signal many times through the pass.
With SO-50's particular implementation of PL, it's also VERY useful to have full duplex to both peak your signal, and know if you are getting in or QRMing anyone.
SO-50 is sort of like the old Russian RS birds. We don't know a lot about the bits and pieces, but are sure glad it's there and working!
73, Drew KO4MA
On 4/1/2012 2:50 PM, tjschuessler@verizon.net wrote:
Hello AMSATers,
SO-50 with it's lower ERP and apparent spin make it a more difficult bird
for the handheld guys to keep up with but not at all impossible. I have been curious though if anyone has information as to what the spacecraft/antenna orientation is and what is the spin rate if any and how that affects workability? I find myself explaining the quirksof this bird to folks and would like a little more intelligent set of answers. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
73 de Tom, N5HYP, today in DM93 _______________________________________________ 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
participants (3)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
tjschuessler＠verizon.net -
Tom Schuessler