Jerry, I hate to say it but the CW activity is VERY slow on the birds these days. I don't like SSB and there's so little CW activity that I've basically given up on AO7 and VO52.
In the past I was 100% CW for about 20 years and there was always somebody to work.
Ao-7 only works in sunlight. And t he downlink is not real loud, but it does work.
73 John K6YK
On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 22:21:39 -0600 Jerry Felts [email protected] writes:
I'm a lil dispointed tonite. Tried 2 passes on AO7 and failed, in fact heard nothing. Tried 2 passes on VO52 both times had my signal nice and loud, called CQ till I turned blue. Doesn't any one do CW on that bird?? Heard several loud stations.
Using a IC-706 for downlink into a 9 el M2 yagi, then on uplink a FT-875D at 20 watts into a small 5 el 435 yagi. Which is probably my problem, indoors right next to me.
Would a set of eggbeaters at 10ft be better? Got to do something for antenna cause I'm sure thats whats wrong. Its easier for me to build than buy.
So where's the CW???
-- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota www.freewebs.com/nr5a http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Minimalist_QRP_Transceivers/ http://www.cakewalkblogs.com/nr5asminimalradio/index.aspx http://nr5abeaconblog.blogspot.com/ _______________________________________________ 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
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I am a newcomer to Mode A on AO-7 and for what its worth, I haven't heard anything other than CW signals on the Mode A passes.
Both VO-52 and FO-29 has its share of CW proponents, I usually hear them in the first half of the passband - not sure if that's a requirement or a gentleman's agreement but there is plenty of CW activity when the birds are in the footprint of me down here in EL96.
Maybe I am a little confused about what constitutes AO-7 being "in sunlight" but I work it at 10.00 to 11.00pm in darkness and it works fine!
David,
Most tracking programs will tell you whether the satellite is in the sun or not. SatPC32 has text on the top left that tells you. You can do a preview and go ahead to the schedule pass times and read it out. Many text displays of satellite passes from the tracking programs have a symbol or text to tell you whether the satellite is in sun or not. Some will just tell you whether the satellite is in eclipse, if no eclipse designation then it is in the sun. Sometimes it is not obvious, so use the help file associated with the tracking program.
73, Gould, WA4SXM ----- Original Message ----- From: "David - KG4ZLB" [email protected] To: "John W Lee" [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 3:36 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I am a newcomer to Mode A on AO-7 and for what its worth, I haven't heard anything other than CW signals on the Mode A passes.
Both VO-52 and FO-29 has its share of CW proponents, I usually hear them in the first half of the passband - not sure if that's a requirement or a gentleman's agreement but there is plenty of CW activity when the birds are in the footprint of me down here in EL96.
Maybe I am a little confused about what constitutes AO-7 being "in sunlight" but I work it at 10.00 to 11.00pm in darkness and it works fine!
-- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com
John W Lee wrote:
Jerry, I hate to say it but the CW activity is VERY slow on the birds these days. I don't like SSB and there's so little CW activity that I've basically given up on AO7 and VO52.
In the past I was 100% CW for about 20 years and there was always somebody to work.
Ao-7 only works in sunlight. And t he downlink is not real loud, but it does work.
73 John K6YK
On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 22:21:39 -0600 Jerry Felts [email protected] writes:
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Jerry, I am on AO7 often and work mostly AO7, FO29 and VO52, all on SSB. In fact, just saw Bob, W7LRD, posting below. He is one of my regulars on AO7. I only occasionally hear CW and in fact have had a few CW stations call me on SSB and we talk. Your 9 el and 5 el should be fine. Pass on the 'beaters for the SSB birds. SatPC32 shows you the edge of the sun and it is obvious whether or not it is hitting AO7. As Bob notes, even a little sun on AO7 is sufficient. In fact, its signals lately have been booming by AO7's standards. May just be the effects of the sun being higher.
Jerry, I work into 5 land regularly on AO7, FO29 and VO52 so feel free to call me on CW! CW signals are definitely easy copy.
regards,
Craig N6RSX
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Gould Smith Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 1:20 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
David,
Most tracking programs will tell you whether the satellite is in the sun or not. SatPC32 has text on the top left that tells you. You can do a preview and go ahead to the schedule pass times and read it out. Many text displays of satellite passes from the tracking programs have a symbol or text to tell you whether the satellite is in sun or not. Some will just tell you whether the satellite is in eclipse, if no eclipse designation then it is in the sun. Sometimes it is not obvious, so use the help file associated with the tracking program.
73, Gould, WA4SXM ----- Original Message ----- From: "David - KG4ZLB" [email protected] To: "John W Lee" [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 3:36 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I am a newcomer to Mode A on AO-7 and for what its worth, I haven't heard anything other than CW signals on the Mode A passes.
Both VO-52 and FO-29 has its share of CW proponents, I usually hear them in the first half of the passband - not sure if that's a requirement or a gentleman's agreement but there is plenty of CW activity when the birds are in the footprint of me down here in EL96.
Maybe I am a little confused about what constitutes AO-7 being "in sunlight" but I work it at 10.00 to 11.00pm in darkness and it works fine!
-- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com
John W Lee wrote:
Jerry, I hate to say it but the CW activity is VERY slow on the birds these days. I don't like SSB and there's so little CW activity that I've basically given up on AO7 and VO52.
In the past I was 100% CW for about 20 years and there was always somebody to work.
Ao-7 only works in sunlight. And t he downlink is not real loud, but it does work.
73 John K6YK
On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 22:21:39 -0600 Jerry Felts [email protected] writes:
Be your own boss today! Easy startup businesses. Click here. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTEJJrI4T7bzZTOCK0R4CluTP0Q... _______________________________________________ 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
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I've operated CW almost exclusively on VO52,FO29 and AO7, very little on SSB. I have been very discouraged at the lack of interest on these birds to the point that I've just about given up. Seems I call CQ, and listen to myself from AOS to LOS with no answers. At the same time, I do hear a fair amount of SSB activity. I do CW about 95% of the time on the HF bands and much prefer it over SSB. The lack of CW activity on the transponder birds is very evident. Guess it's another sign of the times with ham radio.
Jim Bob Buckeye AKA **** Jim Leder**** K8CXM since 1961 IBM retiree since 1999
There are 10 types of people in this world -- those who understand binary and those who don't.
----- Original Message ----- From: "D. Craig Fox" [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 4:57 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
Jerry, I am on AO7 often and work mostly AO7, FO29 and VO52, all on SSB. In fact, just saw Bob, W7LRD, posting below. He is one of my regulars on AO7. I only occasionally hear CW and in fact have had a few CW stations call me on SSB and we talk. Your 9 el and 5 el should be fine. Pass on the 'beaters for the SSB birds. SatPC32 shows you the edge of the sun and it is obvious whether or not it is hitting AO7. As Bob notes, even a little sun on AO7 is sufficient. In fact, its signals lately have been booming by AO7's standards. May just be the effects of the sun being higher.
Jerry, I work into 5 land regularly on AO7, FO29 and VO52 so feel free to call me on CW! CW signals are definitely easy copy.
regards,
Craig N6RSX
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Gould Smith Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 1:20 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
David,
Most tracking programs will tell you whether the satellite is in the sun or not. SatPC32 has text on the top left that tells you. You can do a preview and go ahead to the schedule pass times and read it out. Many text displays of satellite passes from the tracking programs have a symbol or text to tell you whether the satellite is in sun or not. Some will just tell you whether the satellite is in eclipse, if no eclipse designation then it is in the sun. Sometimes it is not obvious, so use the help file associated with the tracking program.
73, Gould, WA4SXM ----- Original Message ----- From: "David - KG4ZLB" [email protected] To: "John W Lee" [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 3:36 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I am a newcomer to Mode A on AO-7 and for what its worth, I haven't heard anything other than CW signals on the Mode A passes.
Both VO-52 and FO-29 has its share of CW proponents, I usually hear them in the first half of the passband - not sure if that's a requirement or a gentleman's agreement but there is plenty of CW activity when the birds are in the footprint of me down here in EL96.
Maybe I am a little confused about what constitutes AO-7 being "in sunlight" but I work it at 10.00 to 11.00pm in darkness and it works fine!
-- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com
John W Lee wrote:
Jerry, I hate to say it but the CW activity is VERY slow on the birds these days. I don't like SSB and there's so little CW activity that I've basically given up on AO7 and VO52.
In the past I was 100% CW for about 20 years and there was always somebody to work.
Ao-7 only works in sunlight. And t he downlink is not real loud, but it does work.
73 John K6YK
On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 22:21:39 -0600 Jerry Felts [email protected] writes:
Be your own boss today! Easy startup businesses. Click here. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTEJJrI4T7bzZTOCK0R4CluTP0Q... _______________________________________________ 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
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 NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you.
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
Maybe I am a little confused about what constitutes AO-7 being "in sunlight" but I work it at 10.00 to 11.00pm in darkness and it works fine!
Since AO-7's batteries have long ago given up the ghost, the electronics only run when there is sufficient power developed by the panels. If the footprint of the satellite touches the illuminated area on the ground, the satellite is illuminated also. Right now for both AO-7 and AO-51, that illumination is continuous, but very soon both will return to an eclipse every orbit. For AO-7, this means a reset of the 24 hour timer every orbit, and Mode B seems to be the most likely mode upon power up and reillumination. Until then the timer is more or less changing modes every 24 hours between A and B.
The pattern is easy to see on http://oscar.dcarr.org/ .
Hope this helps clear things up some for the newer folks.
73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Ops
On Thu, 2009-04-09 at 11:11 -0800, John W Lee wrote:
Ao-7 only works in sunlight. And t he downlink is not real loud, but it does work.
I try to listen to at least one pass a week, just out of respect.
I mean, AO-7 is nearly as old as I am.
Gordon MM3YEQ (is feeling his age a bit today)
I LOL'ed. AO-7 was launched one month or so after I was born, but I only took 9 months to build, so it's sort of a toss up!
73, Drew KO4MA
I try to listen to at least one pass a week, just out of respect.
I mean, AO-7 is nearly as old as I am.
Gordon MM3YEQ (is feeling his age a bit today)
Yeah, this is one grand old bird (the satellite, I mean). If you look at the planetary statistics, the median age of the human population is about 26.8 as of 2000, and growing slowly. That makes AO-07, at age 35, significantly older than more than half of the people on Earth.
Greg KO6TH (one of the few older than AO-07...)
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]; [email protected] Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 20:36:24 -0400 Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I LOL'ed. AO-7 was launched one month or so after I was born, but I only took 9 months to build, so it's sort of a toss up!
73, Drew KO4MA
I try to listen to at least one pass a week, just out of respect.
I mean, AO-7 is nearly as old as I am.
Gordon MM3YEQ (is feeling his age a bit today)
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Heck Greg ... I'm plenty older than AO-7, but I feel like a little kid every time I hear my CW signal coming back from her. Working CW using a straight key through AO-7 is about the coolest mix of the old and new I can think of.
Now, if somebody in Alaska will just hear me calling "CQ AK" some evening on Mode B....
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Greg D." [email protected]: --------------
Yeah, this is one grand old bird (the satellite, I mean). If you look at the planetary statistics, the median age of the human population is about 26.8 as of 2000, and growing slowly. That makes AO-07, at age 35, significantly older than more than half of the people on Earth.
Greg KO6TH (one of the few older than AO-07...)
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]; [email protected] Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 20:36:24 -0400 Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I LOL'ed. AO-7 was launched one month or so after I was born, but I only took 9 months to build, so it's sort of a toss up!
73, Drew KO4MA
I try to listen to at least one pass a week, just out of respect.
I mean, AO-7 is nearly as old as I am.
Gordon MM3YEQ (is feeling his age a bit today)
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Tim-Look for Joe-AL1F. He gets on AO7 once in awhile, I have talked to him several times. 73 Bob W7LRD
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: Greg D. , [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Sent: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:10:20 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
Heck Greg ... I'm plenty older than AO-7, but I feel like a little kid every time I hear my CW signal coming back from her. Working CW using a straight key through AO-7 is about the coolest mix of the old and new I can think of.
Now, if somebody in Alaska will just hear me calling "CQ AK" some evening on Mode B....
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL
-------------- Original message from "Greg D." : --------------
Yeah, this is one grand old bird (the satellite, I mean). If you look at the planetary statistics, the median age of the human population is about 26.8 as of 2000, and growing slowly. That makes AO-07, at age 35, significantly older than
more than half of the people on Earth.
Greg KO6TH (one of the few older than AO-07...)
From: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 20:36:24 -0400
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
I LOL'ed. AO-7 was launched one month or so after I was born, but I only
took 9 months to build, so it's sort of a toss up!
73, Drew KO4MA
I try to listen to at least one pass a week, just out of respect.
I mean, AO-7 is nearly as old as I am.
Gordon MM3YEQ (is feeling his age a bit today)
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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_042009
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Guess I should have read further before I posted my message, thanks Bob.
73 de W4AS Sebastian
On Apr 10, 2009, at 12:18 AM, [email protected] wrote:
Tim-Look for Joe-AL1F. He gets on AO7 once in awhile, I have talked to him several times. 73 Bob W7LRD
I'm with you Tim. Older than AO-7 and hoping that there is some ham in Alaska that would get on AO-7.
Does anyone on here know of any active, or semi-active ham in Alaska on AO-7? Would sure love to setup a sked!
73 de W4AS Sebastian
On Apr 9, 2009, at 11:10 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Heck Greg ... I'm plenty older than AO-7, but I feel like a little kid every time I hear my CW signal coming back from her. Working CW using a straight key through AO-7 is about the coolest mix of the old and new I can think of.
Now, if somebody in Alaska will just hear me calling "CQ AK" some evening on Mode B....
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL
They say that no question is a dumb question, so here goes - since I haven't seen this discussed before, but maybe I missed it.
What makes AO-7 so special? Why is it that we lost AO-10, AO-13 and all the others in the past several years, yet this one is still working? I know the batteries are dead, but I'm primarily interested in how this bird is able to stay in it's orbit for over 30 years? And if it's orbit is decaying, how is it that it has apparently decayed so slowly?
I was under the impression that unless a satellite is occasionally 'boosted', it will eventually re-enter? I somehow doubt AO-7 has any fuel left in it's boosters; if it had any.
73 de W4AS Sebastian
On Apr 9, 2009, at 11:01 PM, Greg D. wrote:
Yeah, this is one grand old bird (the satellite, I mean). If you look at the planetary statistics, the median age of the human population is about 26.8 as of 2000, and growing slowly. That makes AO-07, at age 35, significantly older than more than half of the people on Earth.
Greg KO6TH (one of the few older than AO-07...)
Sebastian wrote:
What makes AO-7 so special?
We're all sentimental.
Why is it that we lost AO-10, AO-13 and
all the others in the past several years, yet this one is still working?
Different faults have different characteristics. This one lost it's battery which is now open circuit allowing the satellite to operate from solar cells when it's in sunlight.
I know the batteries are dead, but I'm primarily interested
in how this bird is able to stay in it's orbit for over 30 years? And if it's orbit is decaying, how is it that it has apparently decayed so slowly?
Most of the dead sats are still in orbit and being tracked. It's in a higher orbit than most amateur sats and, like all the others in a similar orbit, will take many tens of years to re-enter.
I was under the impression that unless a satellite is occasionally 'boosted', it will eventually re-enter?
Yes, but the higher the orbit, the longer will be "eventually"
I somehow doubt AO-7 has any
fuel left in it's boosters; if it had any.
AO7, like most amateur satellites, never had any boosters.
Hi Sebastian,
Filling in the details from others...
AO-10 is still in orbit, but the electronics appear to be mostly toast. The control computer was fried by radiation years ago, due to it being in an odd orbit because of a partial booster failure. The radios still worked for a while, but it was became erratic with good days and bad, more bad than good. Last time it was heard was a number of years ago, but there's still a chance it will be heard from time to time.
AO-13 is no longer in orbit. Both AMSAT and NASA learned that there are some orbits that don't last long, because of a "resonance" in the timing of their orbit compared to the orbits of the Moon and the Earth going around the Sun. The result was that the satellite got a little "cosmic tug" in its orbit, slowly pushing it into the planet below. Not good.
Many others have been lost due to battery or electronic failures, including for a while, AO-07. But after 21 years on the "dead" list, AO-07's batteries opened up and the electronics (which somehow survived all those years) woke back up on solar power alone.
Greg KO6TH
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:00:19 -0400 Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Less than lightening Results
They say that no question is a dumb question, so here goes - since I haven't seen this discussed before, but maybe I missed it.
What makes AO-7 so special? Why is it that we lost AO-10, AO-13 and all the others in the past several years, yet this one is still working? I know the batteries are dead, but I'm primarily interested in how this bird is able to stay in it's orbit for over 30 years? And if it's orbit is decaying, how is it that it has apparently decayed so slowly?
I was under the impression that unless a satellite is occasionally 'boosted', it will eventually re-enter? I somehow doubt AO-7 has any fuel left in it's boosters; if it had any.
73 de W4AS Sebastian
On Apr 9, 2009, at 11:01 PM, Greg D. wrote:
Yeah, this is one grand old bird (the satellite, I mean). If you look at the planetary statistics, the median age of the human population is about 26.8 as of 2000, and growing slowly. That makes AO-07, at age 35, significantly older than more than half of the people on Earth.
Greg KO6TH (one of the few older than AO-07...)
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participants (12)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
D. Craig Fox -
David - KG4ZLB -
Gordon JC Pearce MM3YEQ -
Gould Smith -
Greg D. -
Jim Leder -
John W Lee -
n3tl＠bellsouth.net -
Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF -
Sebastian -
w7lrd＠comcast.net