Just received UAH ARISS contact - much harder to rx than normal. Arrow antenna problem?
It took much longer into the pass to pick up a solid signal and when I got it, except for the top of the pass I had to aim the antenna perfectly to get the signal.
The only thing differently about my setup today was I had the 70 cm elements installed on the boom too because I was using it to work SO-50 recently and didn't have time to take them off.
Could this make the antenna less sensitive on 2 meters? Because that's what it felt like. Very dissapointing for me since I normally have no trouble getting the ISS from horizon to horizon.
With that said it sounded like they got through all of their questions and Tim Kopra got to say goodbye.
In his goodbye he repeated part of his answer to a question, saying one of the most important things to do to get space was to play nice with others. He said it wasn't important just in getting to space but also for life in general. A great message.
Congrats to all involved in this succesful contact, but someone please tell me why it was so hard for me to receive!
73, John, KG4AKV in FM05
I also used an Arrow antenna with both 2 m and 70 cm elements installed. I had some trouble at first, but I think it's because I was still fiddling with my radio. I thought I had it set up ahead of time, but I didn't. Anyway, the first few minutes were rough, but the rest of the transmission was received just fine.
Steve AI9IN
On 2016-02-19 12:51, John Brier wrote:
It took much longer into the pass to pick up a solid signal and when I got it, except for the top of the pass I had to aim the antenna perfectly to get the signal.
The only thing differently about my setup today was I had the 70 cm elements installed on the boom too because I was using it to work SO-50 recently and didn't have time to take them off.
Could this make the antenna less sensitive on 2 meters? Because that's what it felt like. Very dissapointing for me since I normally have no trouble getting the ISS from horizon to horizon.
With that said it sounded like they got through all of their questions and Tim Kopra got to say goodbye.
In his goodbye he repeated part of his answer to a question, saying one of the most important things to do to get space was to play nice with others. He said it wasn't important just in getting to space but also for life in general. A great message.
Congrats to all involved in this succesful contact, but someone please tell me why it was so hard for me to receive!
73, John, KG4AKV in FM05 _______________________________________________ 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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb [1]
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It sounded to me like the ISS was using the 5 watt Ericsson HT instead of the higher power Kenwood rig. I've noticed that the signal strength varies with the position of the ISS with respect to my station when working packet via their HT. I'm running on a vertical until the weather improves to get my yagi back up.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
-----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of skristof@etczone.com Sent: Friday, February 19, 2016 11:57 AM To: AMSAT BB Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Just received UAH ARISS contact - much harder to
rx
than normal. Arrow antenna problem?
I also used an Arrow antenna with both 2 m and 70 cm elements installed. I had some trouble at first, but I think it's because I was still fiddling with my radio. I thought I had it set up ahead of time, but I didn't. Anyway, the first few minutes were rough, but the rest of the transmission was received just fine.
Steve AI9IN
On 2016-02-19 12:51, John Brier wrote:
It took much longer into the pass to pick up a solid signal and when I
got
it, except for the top of the pass I had to aim the antenna perfectly to get the signal.
The only thing differently about my setup today was I had the 70 cm elements installed on the boom too because I was using it to work SO-50 recently and didn't have time to take them off.
Could this make the antenna less sensitive on 2 meters? Because that's
what
it felt like. Very dissapointing for me since I normally have no trouble getting the ISS from horizon to horizon.
With that said it sounded like they got through all of their questions
and
Tim Kopra got to say goodbye.
In his goodbye he repeated part of his answer to a question, saying one
of
the most important things to do to get space was to play nice with
others.
He said it wasn't important just in getting to space but also for life
in
general. A great message.
Congrats to all involved in this succesful contact, but someone please
tell
me why it was so hard for me to receive!
73, John, KG4AKV in FM05 _______________________________________________ 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!
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[1] http://www.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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
The default is to use the handheld from the Columbus module. In some cases a mobile rig from the russian segment is used which is much stronger. The orientation of the ISS and the movements of solar panels also make a difference. So normally the same radio/antenna combination as the packet is used, so coverage/signal should be similar.
Which contact are you comparing the signal to (date/time)? What was the max elevation of that contact and what was your max elevation this time?
(There is a plan to replace the faulty mobile rig in the colombus module at some stage)
On 19/02/2016, JoAnne K9JKM joanne.k9jkm@gmail.com wrote:
It sounded to me like the ISS was using the 5 watt Ericsson HT instead of the higher power Kenwood rig. I've noticed that the signal strength varies with the position of the ISS with respect to my station when working packet via their HT. I'm running on a vertical until the weather improves to get my yagi back up.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
I'm not comparing the signal to the 20-25 watt Kenwood in the Russian segment. The Russians haven't done any US contacts since last summer AFAIK, but it is waaayyy stronger, for sure.
The idea that it was solar panels or orientation might explain it but I did have difficulty through most of the pass. You.would think signal strength would change through the pass if it were solar panels at least. Hmm.
KG4AKV On Feb 19, 2016 1:18 PM, "Daniel Cussen" dan@post.com wrote:
The default is to use the handheld from the Columbus module. In some cases a mobile rig from the russian segment is used which is much stronger. The orientation of the ISS and the movements of solar panels also make a difference. So normally the same radio/antenna combination as the packet is used, so coverage/signal should be similar.
Which contact are you comparing the signal to (date/time)? What was the max elevation of that contact and what was your max elevation this time?
(There is a plan to replace the faulty mobile rig in the colombus module at some stage)
On 19/02/2016, JoAnne K9JKM joanne.k9jkm@gmail.com wrote:
It sounded to me like the ISS was using the 5 watt Ericsson HT instead of the higher power Kenwood rig. I've noticed that the signal strength
varies
with the position of the ISS with respect to my station when working
packet
via their HT. I'm running on a vertical until the weather improves to get my yagi back up.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I had more trouble than I recall the last time I picked up the ISS, but that was last June, and I think the Russians were making the contact. I caught a few words during the pass, but it was only near the end of the pass (in Houston), with the ISS about ten degrees or so above the horizon that I heard an answer to a question about what stars look like from space.
73, --Bill, KG5FQX
PS As a bonus I was able to catch a pass of SO-50 about a half-hour later. :-)
On Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 12:28 PM, John Brier johnbrier@gmail.com wrote:
I'm not comparing the signal to the 20-25 watt Kenwood in the Russian segment. The Russians haven't done any US contacts since last summer AFAIK, but it is waaayyy stronger, for sure.
The idea that it was solar panels or orientation might explain it but I did have difficulty through most of the pass. You.would think signal strength would change through the pass if it were solar panels at least. Hmm.
KG4AKV On Feb 19, 2016 1:18 PM, "Daniel Cussen" dan@post.com wrote:
The default is to use the handheld from the Columbus module. In some cases a mobile rig from the russian segment is used which is much stronger. The orientation of the ISS and the movements of solar panels also make a difference. So normally the same radio/antenna combination as the packet is used, so coverage/signal should be similar.
Which contact are you comparing the signal to (date/time)? What was the max elevation of that contact and what was your max elevation this time?
(There is a plan to replace the faulty mobile rig in the colombus module at some stage)
On 19/02/2016, JoAnne K9JKM joanne.k9jkm@gmail.com wrote:
It sounded to me like the ISS was using the 5 watt Ericsson HT instead
of
the higher power Kenwood rig. I've noticed that the signal strength
varies
with the position of the ISS with respect to my station when working
packet
via their HT. I'm running on a vertical until the weather improves to
get
my yagi back up.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
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://www.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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Yeah that kinda sounds like my experience except I had difficulty through most of the first half and the second half.
There was a point in the beginning where I realized I was aiming way off. It was actually at max elevation for me and I was still aiming towards where the beginning of the pass was. As soon as I aimed higher and in the right direction it came in very strong and I didn't have to hold the antenna in a sweet spot.
But a minute or two later, towards the end of the pass I had to have the antenna rotated for the right polarization and direction. It was interesting in that I could really tell exactly where the ISS was because I had be precisely on target. Faraday rotation was very dramatic too, just slightly off axis on the polarization and I lost the signal entirely. Of course I have video of this all so it will be very interesting to review.
One extra bit of trouble-shooting info: I was able to receive and get into a repeater 120 miles away. It's one I've gotten into several times from up here on my landfill park, and the signal and my report was about like normal. So that suggests there might not have been an issue with my antenna.
The only other thing I can think of was that I did not adjust for doppler in the beginning. When I finally tried to a minute or two (or three?) into the pass it didn't make a difference. Though I guess at that point you should be on the center.frequency anyway.
But I almost never adjust for doppler and it's fine. Even on the last pass I did before this over K6DUE in Maryland, which is even closer to me than Alabama and which made for a higher pass and thus had a more dramatic change in speed relative to me, it made very little difference.
73, KG4AKV On Feb 19, 2016 12:57 PM, skristof@etczone.com wrote:
I also used an Arrow antenna with both 2 m and 70 cm elements installed. I had some trouble at first, but I think it's because I was still fiddling with my radio. I thought I had it set up ahead of time, but I didn't. Anyway, the first few minutes were rough, but the rest of the transmission was received just fine.
Steve AI9IN
On 2016-02-19 12:51, John Brier wrote:
It took much longer into the pass to pick up a solid signal and when I
got
it, except for the top of the pass I had to aim the antenna perfectly to get the signal.
The only thing differently about my setup today was I had the 70 cm elements installed on the boom too because I was using it to work SO-50 recently and didn't have time to take them off.
Could this make the antenna less sensitive on 2 meters? Because that's
what
it felt like. Very dissapointing for me since I normally have no trouble getting the ISS from horizon to horizon.
With that said it sounded like they got through all of their questions
and
Tim Kopra got to say goodbye.
In his goodbye he repeated part of his answer to a question, saying one
of
the most important things to do to get space was to play nice with
others.
He said it wasn't important just in getting to space but also for life in general. A great message.
Congrats to all involved in this succesful contact, but someone please
tell
me why it was so hard for me to receive!
73, John, KG4AKV in FM05 _______________________________________________ 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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[1]
Links:
[1] http://www.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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (5)
-
Bill Dillon -
Daniel Cussen -
JoAnne K9JKM -
John Brier -
skristof＠etczone.com