Hi all,

finally I have been able to do the test with AO85.

As Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK told me in a previous thread, It seems impossible to work SO-50 full duplex with a single HT like this because It gets completely saturated but today my experience with AO85 has been completely different.

Just at the beginning of the pass, when the satellite was still in the horizon I have been able to hear my own voice on the downlink when nobody seemed to still be using it. It has been only a pair of CQ calls. After that I have lost the downlink (maybe because I have some buildings in the way) and I haven't recovered it until it was in the middle of the pass. My impression is that I haven't been able to excite the repeater again but it is difficult to assure because the sat was too crowded.

The test has been done with the Midland CT890 and an Arrow Antenna using 4W.

I have a Wouxun KG-UV8D (lent to me with the Arrow from Antonio EA1IW) and it seems the same HT as the Midland CT890 (at least externally is almost identical and the menus are the sames, so I suppose the electronics are the same in both HTs).

Anyway I will do more test with both HTs... but this could be great news,..

An important thing is that I have used a handheld microphone with headphones.

Another thing that I would like to say is that sometimes I hear very clear voices when I am in 145.975 and sometimes when I am in 145.980 (in the same pass) and it does not seem directly related to doppler. This is my impression!!

Well that is my experience of this night. Still no QSOs in this sat but I think I am in the right way... SO-50 is not challenge anymore (each pass I am able to do between 1 and 4 QSOs) but this tricky sat still is to me! :)

Thanks all,

Felix Paez EA4GQS