Hi Tom: You could look into using something like eQsl (www.eqsl.cc) which is pretty cool. Also, get yourself a computer logging program (N3FLP's amateur contact log) that will interface with eQsl. Pretty neat, although there is a learning curve associated with eQsl. The exchage is different on the FM sats vs the others (AO-7, FO-29, AO-16) where you can actually have a short conversation. listen in for a bit before you try to work anyone. On the FM birds, you have to be pretty quick, as well...people don't wait to make calls to others. The FM birds are a world of their own. Enjoy, and see you on the birds!! 73, Jeff WB2SYK FN13
--- On Sun, 1/4/09, Jim Walls [email protected] wrote:
From: Jim Walls [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: QSL Cards? To: "Amsat-BB" [email protected] Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:32 PM
Tom Williams wrote:
I'm just starting to work sats - are QSL cards commonly exchanged? How is the exchange initiated? Also, what is the voice protocol on a busy bird?
As far as QSL cards, yes many people send them. When I was active, I would QSL to any station that I had not talked to before, or any time upon request. I normally just sent the postcard, and I did have special QSL cards printed for satellite use with a custom set of fields that made more sense for satellite work. See http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc/QSL.html for my cards. If the other station was on an expedition (for example a rare grid), I would send an SASE as I knew they had gone to special expense to activate a grid for the community so I would pay for the postage both ways.
For the voice protocol on the busy birds, the best way is to listen for a couple passes and you'll pick it up pretty quickly. The short answer is keep it VERY SHORT and FAST. When the birds are not busy, you can actually chat. Back a few years ago when I was active, there were northbound passes on UO-14 in the late evening that were well off the Pacific coast of the USA and the footprint just skirted the west coast. As I am in the Los Angeles area I often got on and there was only one or two other stations for the first one to three minutes of my pass. We would often chat for fun that way. As the bird went farther north, there were more people and it was back to the SHORT and FAST operating mode.
Just keep in mind that if you use eQSL, the ARRL and AMSAT do not accept them for awards. But, eQSL has many of their own awards.
73...bruce
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 4, 2009, at 5:35 PM, Jeffrey Koehler [email protected] wrote:
Hi Tom:
You could look into using something like eQsl (www.eqsl.cc) which is pretty cool. Also, get yourself a computer logging program (N3FLP's amateur contact log) that will interface with eQsl. Pretty neat, although there is a learning curve associated with eQsl.
The exchage is different on the FM sats vs the others (AO-7, FO-29, AO-16) where you can actually have a short conversation. listen in for a bit before you try to work anyone. On the FM birds, you have to be pretty quick, as well...people don't wait to make calls to others. The FM birds are a world of their own.
Enjoy, and see you on the birds!!
73, Jeff WB2SYK FN13
--- On Sun, 1/4/09, Jim Walls [email protected] wrote:
From: Jim Walls [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: QSL Cards? To: "Amsat-BB" [email protected] Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:32 PM
Tom Williams wrote:
I'm just starting to work sats - are QSL cards commonly exchanged? How is the exchange initiated? Also, what is the voice protocol on a busy bird?
As far as QSL cards, yes many people send them. When I was active, I would QSL to any station that I had not talked to before, or any time upon request. I normally just sent the postcard, and I did have special QSL cards printed for satellite use with a custom set of fields that made more sense for satellite work. See http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc/QSL.html for my cards. If the other station was on an expedition (for example a rare grid), I would send an SASE as I knew they had gone to special expense to activate a grid for the community so I would pay for the postage both ways.
For the voice protocol on the busy birds, the best way is to listen for a couple passes and you'll pick it up pretty quickly. The short answer is keep it VERY SHORT and FAST. When the birds are not busy, you can actually chat. Back a few years ago when I was active, there were northbound passes on UO-14 in the late evening that were well off the Pacific coast of the USA and the footprint just skirted the west coast. As I am in the Los Angeles area I often got on and there was only one or two other stations for the first one to three minutes of my pass. We would often chat for fun that way. As the bird went farther north, there were more people and it was back to the SHORT and FAST operating mode.
-- 73
Jim Walls - K6CCC [email protected] Ofc: 818-548-4804 http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc AMSAT Member 32537 - WSWSS Member 395
Sent via [email protected]. 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
Sent via [email protected]. 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
Was it just me? or did AO-51 drop off-line at 00:44:50?
Curt KU8L
I was working XE1DXE at 0044utc 5-Jan-09 on AO-51 and the bird went silent. I hope it is not something serious.
Allen N5AFV
At 06:57 PM 1/4/2009, you wrote:
Was it just me? or did AO-51 drop off-line at 00:44:50?
Curt KU8L _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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
Hello Curt and Allen,
This was the scheduled mode change. See http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php
January 5 - January 11
FM Repeater, V/S Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
9k6 BBS, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz 9k6 FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz 9k6 FM
January 12 - January 18
FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
FM Repeater, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM
73, Gould ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allen F. Mattis" [email protected] To: "Curt Nixon" [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 8:02 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-51?
I was working XE1DXE at 0044utc 5-Jan-09 on AO-51 and the bird went silent. I hope it is not something serious.
Allen N5AFV
At 06:57 PM 1/4/2009, you wrote:
Was it just me? or did AO-51 drop off-line at 00:44:50?
Curt KU8L _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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
Sent via [email protected]. 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
Was it just me? or did AO-51 drop off-line at 00:44:50?
Looks like you caught the mode change. Here's this month's schedule from http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php .
January 2009 AO-51 Schedule
All modes using the 435.150 downlink are subject to interruption for telemetry collection by a command station.
January 5 - January 11
FM Repeater, V/S Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
9k6 BBS, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz 9k6 FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz 9k6 FM
January 12 - January 18
FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
FM Repeater, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM
January 19 - January 25
FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
9k6 BBS, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz 9k6 FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz 9k6 FM
January 26 - February 1
FM Repeater, L/S Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
SSTV Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.860 MHz FM SSTV Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM SSTV
73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations
Looks like AO-51 is going to be pretty quiet until Jan 11th.....
-----Original Message----- From: Andrew Glasbrenner [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 5:03 PM To: Curt Nixon; [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51? (January Schedule)
Was it just me? or did AO-51 drop off-line at 00:44:50?
Looks like you caught the mode change. Here's this month's schedule from http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php .
January 2009 AO-51 Schedule
All modes using the 435.150 downlink are subject to interruption for telemetry collection by a command station.
January 5 - January 11
FM Repeater, V/S Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
9k6 BBS, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz 9k6 FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz 9k6 FM
January 12 - January 18
FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
FM Repeater, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM
January 19 - January 25
FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
9k6 BBS, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz 9k6 FM Downlink: 435.150 MHz 9k6 FM
January 26 - February 1
FM Repeater, L/S Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
SSTV Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.860 MHz FM SSTV Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM SSTV
73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations
This sat used to require a 67Hz PL tone.
No mention of that now, has the requirement been dropped?
David G8OQW
This sat used to require a 67Hz PL tone.
No mention of that now, has the requirement been dropped?
We dropped the PL tone about 2 years ago based on extensive observations on it's impact on the use of the satellite.
73, Drew KO4MA
That would be about when I last used it!!
A UK pass just when you don't need it...
Lashed up a station in 10 minutes.
Half a QSO with someone in JN57, very sorry to whoever it was.
David G8OQW
-----Original Message----- From: Andrew Glasbrenner [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 05 January 2009 17:37 To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51? (January Schedule)
This sat used to require a 67Hz PL tone.
No mention of that now, has the requirement been dropped?
We dropped the PL tone about 2 years ago based on extensive observations on it's impact on the use of the satellite.
73, Drew KO4MA
Looks like AO-51 is going to be pretty quiet until Jan 11th.....
Only for those who don't try S band or the BBS! There is typically a good amount of activity on V/S, and it was a requested mode this month, as it is most months.
73, Drew KO4MA
If I can get my down link antenna to work I'll try and be on sometime over the next few days.
I can only see passes from here (JO01FR) between 70dg & 180dg az and above 40dg el.
Used a hand held antenna 2 years ago with a K5GNA & FT817 and that was fine but tried a BBQ grill thing tonight with a UEK3000 and that was (to put it politely) poor.
David G8OQW
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Glasbrenner Sent: 05 January 2009 17:54 To: Tim Goodrich; [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51? (January Schedule)
Looks like AO-51 is going to be pretty quiet until Jan 11th.....
Only for those who don't try S band or the BBS! There is typically a good amount of activity on V/S, and it was a requested mode this month, as it is most months.
73, Drew KO4MA
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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
At 04:54 AM 1/6/2009, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
Looks like AO-51 is going to be pretty quiet until Jan 11th.....
Only for those who don't try S band or the BBS! There is typically a good amount of activity on V/S, and it was a requested mode this month, as it is most months.
Hmm, I found all my S band gear, so I should give this mode a whirl. Looks like it could be interesting. :)
73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com
participants (9)
-
Allen F. Mattis -
Andrew Glasbrenner -
Bruce -
Curt Nixon -
David Barber -
Gould Smith -
Jeffrey Koehler -
Tim Goodrich -
Tony Langdon