Thanks AMSAT for placing the AO-51 is V/S mode last week.
It was the first time I have operated any S-band downlink. The AO-51 was really quiet on S-band downlink, not a lot of people yelling on top of each other and background noise was nil.
I made some good QSOs including - N8BBQ, WB8OTH, N5UXT, N5AFV, KD8CAO, N8TLV, N5ZNL... and heard a lot more, but was too focused with the doppler to make contact.
My station : On the receive side I am using a home brew antenna based on a 36" "BBQ" grill with a 5 turn helix feed, connected directly to a model UEK-3000 down converter (by SSB) , into my AOR AR-5000A3 receiver.
The transmit side was with my Icom-910 into a 11 element yagi.
Antenna: My old Kenpro 5400 rotator was controlled through the LVB interface using NOVA software on my laptop. I used the frequency utility in the NOVA s/w to calculate and display the doppler on the down link, which varied from +50 to -35 KHz on most passes!! The doppler really keeps you busy on S-band, as there is no CAT output (just display) on the NOVA software, and you have to crank in the doppler manually. NOVA tracking software is very powerful and user friendly, but lacks radio CAT output. I would like to someday find a software program with the same or comparable look and feel as NOVA, but with CAT rig control interface in addition to the standard rotator interface. (SATPC is ok but has the look and feel (GUI) of an old 1980s DOS program).
Is there a good CAT program rig control that I can run in the background while running NOVA for ant control and display?
Anyway, Thanks AMSAT. Lets do this again some day.
73' de KB5YZG
Bob Felt 1403 5th Ave West (EM85) Hendersonville, NC 28739
email - kb5yzg@amsat.org
Hi Bob: I too was on AO51 for the "S" Band event and I too found the doppler tuning a challenge.
I use Nova for the Antennas and Ham Radio Deluxe www.ham-radio-deluxe.com for doppler. It usually does a good job most of the time, but I must be doing something wrong when using it on AO51 S band.
HRD is a feature rich CAT Program and is freeware!
73's - Joe K7ZT
---- Robert Felt robertfelt@bellsouth.net wrote:
Thanks AMSAT for placing the AO-51 is V/S mode last week.
It was the first time I have operated any S-band downlink. The AO-51 was really quiet on S-band downlink, not a lot of people yelling on top of each other and background noise was nil.
I made some good QSOs including - N8BBQ, WB8OTH, N5UXT, N5AFV, KD8CAO, N8TLV, N5ZNL... and heard a lot more, but was too focused with the doppler to make contact.
My station : On the receive side I am using a home brew antenna based on a 36" "BBQ" grill with a 5 turn helix feed, connected directly to a model UEK-3000 down converter (by SSB) , into my AOR AR-5000A3 receiver.
The transmit side was with my Icom-910 into a 11 element yagi.
Antenna: My old Kenpro 5400 rotator was controlled through the LVB interface using NOVA software on my laptop. I used the frequency utility in the NOVA s/w to calculate and display the doppler on the down link, which varied from +50 to -35 KHz on most passes!! The doppler really keeps you busy on S-band, as there is no CAT output (just display) on the NOVA software, and you have to crank in the doppler manually. NOVA tracking software is very powerful and user friendly, but lacks radio CAT output. I would like to someday find a software program with the same or comparable look and feel as NOVA, but with CAT rig control interface in addition to the standard rotator interface. (SATPC is ok but has the look and feel (GUI) of an old 1980s DOS program).
Is there a good CAT program rig control that I can run in the background while running NOVA for ant control and display?
Anyway, Thanks AMSAT. Lets do this again some day.
73' de KB5YZG
Bob Felt 1403 5th Ave West (EM85) Hendersonville, NC 28739
email - kb5yzg@amsat.org _______________________________________________ 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
If you use the 910 for receive you could use the AFC feature to tune the downlink with no software required (once you acquire the signal). An HT or other simple low power transmitter is fine for the VHF uplink, and doesn't need to be tuned.
SATPC32 will also tune the downlink provided you have it set up correctly with the downconverter offset.
I'm real happy to hear folks enjoyed the V/S period, and am also happy to say that during the imminent 100% illumination period (beginning at the end of the month and lasting until next year) we hope to be able to run the S band downlink more often, and perhaps as an independent repeater along with the normal V/U.
73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations
----- Original Message ----- From: k7zt@suddenlink.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org; "Robert Felt" robertfelt@bellsouth.net Cc: kb5yzg@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:55 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S Mode Ops, Some Observations
Hi Bob: I too was on AO51 for the "S" Band event and I too found the doppler tuning a challenge.
I use Nova for the Antennas and Ham Radio Deluxe www.ham-radio-deluxe.com for doppler. It usually does a good job most of the time, but I must be doing something wrong when using it on AO51 S band.
HRD is a feature rich CAT Program and is freeware!
73's
- Joe K7ZT
---- Robert Felt robertfelt@bellsouth.net wrote:
Thanks AMSAT for placing the AO-51 is V/S mode last week.
It was the first time I have operated any S-band downlink. The AO-51 was really quiet on S-band downlink, not a lot of people yelling on top of each other and background noise was nil.
I made some good QSOs including - N8BBQ, WB8OTH, N5UXT, N5AFV, KD8CAO, N8TLV, N5ZNL... and heard a lot more, but was too focused with the doppler to make contact.
My station : On the receive side I am using a home brew antenna based on a 36" "BBQ" grill with a 5 turn helix feed, connected directly to a model UEK-3000 down converter (by SSB) , into my AOR AR-5000A3 receiver.
The transmit side was with my Icom-910 into a 11 element yagi.
Antenna: My old Kenpro 5400 rotator was controlled through the LVB interface using NOVA software on my laptop. I used the frequency utility in the NOVA s/w to calculate and display the doppler on the down link, which varied from +50 to -35 KHz on most passes!! The doppler really keeps you busy on S-band, as there is no CAT output (just display) on the NOVA software, and you have to crank in the doppler manually. NOVA tracking software is very powerful and user friendly, but lacks radio CAT output. I would like to someday find a software program with the same or comparable look and feel as NOVA, but with CAT rig control interface in addition to the standard rotator interface. (SATPC is ok but has the look and feel (GUI) of an old 1980s DOS program).
Is there a good CAT program rig control that I can run in the background while running NOVA for ant control and display?
Anyway, Thanks AMSAT. Lets do this again some day.
73' de KB5YZG
Bob Felt 1403 5th Ave West (EM85) Hendersonville, NC 28739
email - kb5yzg@amsat.org _______________________________________________ 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
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: The V/S Mode was fun!
I will look forward to the additional opportunities to get the doppler set up correctly.
Regards, - Joe K7ZT
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Glasbrenner" glasbrenner@mindspring.com To: k7zt@suddenlink.net; amsat-bb@amsat.org; "Robert Felt" robertfelt@bellsouth.net Cc: kb5yzg@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:06 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S Mode Ops, Some Observations
If you use the 910 for receive you could use the AFC feature to tune the downlink with no software required (once you acquire the signal). An HT or other simple low power transmitter is fine for the VHF uplink, and doesn't need to be tuned.
SATPC32 will also tune the downlink provided you have it set up correctly with the downconverter offset.
I'm real happy to hear folks enjoyed the V/S period, and am also happy to say that during the imminent 100% illumination period (beginning at the end of the month and lasting until next year) we hope to be able to run the S band downlink more often, and perhaps as an independent repeater along with the normal V/U.
73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations
----- Original Message ----- From: k7zt@suddenlink.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org; "Robert Felt" robertfelt@bellsouth.net Cc: kb5yzg@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:55 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S Mode Ops, Some Observations
Hi Bob: I too was on AO51 for the "S" Band event and I too found the doppler tuning a challenge.
I use Nova for the Antennas and Ham Radio Deluxe www.ham-radio-deluxe.com for doppler. It usually does a good job most of the time, but I must be doing something wrong when using it on AO51 S band.
HRD is a feature rich CAT Program and is freeware!
73's
- Joe K7ZT
---- Robert Felt robertfelt@bellsouth.net wrote:
Thanks AMSAT for placing the AO-51 is V/S mode last week.
It was the first time I have operated any S-band downlink. The AO-51 was really quiet on S-band downlink, not a lot of people yelling on top of each other and background noise was nil.
I made some good QSOs including - N8BBQ, WB8OTH, N5UXT, N5AFV, KD8CAO, N8TLV, N5ZNL... and heard a lot more, but was too focused with the doppler to make contact.
My station : On the receive side I am using a home brew antenna based on a 36" "BBQ" grill with a 5 turn helix feed, connected directly to a model UEK-3000 down converter (by SSB) , into my AOR AR-5000A3 receiver.
The transmit side was with my Icom-910 into a 11 element yagi.
Antenna: My old Kenpro 5400 rotator was controlled through the LVB interface using NOVA software on my laptop. I used the frequency utility in the NOVA s/w to calculate and display the doppler on the down link, which varied from +50 to -35 KHz on most passes!! The doppler really keeps you busy on S-band, as there is no CAT output (just display) on the NOVA software, and you have to crank in the doppler manually. NOVA tracking software is very powerful and user friendly, but lacks radio CAT output. I would like to someday find a software program with the same or comparable look and feel as NOVA, but with CAT rig control interface in addition to the standard rotator interface. (SATPC is ok but has the look and feel (GUI) of an old 1980s DOS program).
Is there a good CAT program rig control that I can run in the background while running NOVA for ant control and display?
Anyway, Thanks AMSAT. Lets do this again some day.
73' de KB5YZG
Bob Felt 1403 5th Ave West (EM85) Hendersonville, NC 28739
email - kb5yzg@amsat.org _______________________________________________ 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
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
The current version of HRD has a buggy Doppler correction, and mode-S is so extreme it will show up there. However, Simon is doing a full rewrite of the satellite function, and it should be out for testing any day now. That being said, SATPC32 will track mode-S AOS-LOS and the discriminator will not twitch off center. Likewise when they have mode-L on the uplink.
Alan WA4SCA
We're probably looking at Saturday or Sunday for a technology preview.
Currently I'm adding dual radio support - radio 1 used for RX, radio 2 used for TX. For example 2 x FT-857 or whatever you have in the shack.
Next week is 'add all rotators' week.
This evening - two episodes of Dr. House on Swiss TV :-)
Simon Brown, HB9DRV www.ham-radio-deluxe.com
----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan P. Biddle" APBIDDLE@UNITED.NET
The current version of HRD has a buggy Doppler correction, and mode-S is so extreme it will show up there. However, Simon is doing a full rewrite of the satellite function, and it should be out for testing any day now.
Thanks Simon, I'll look forward to the revision. Enjoy House this evening, I watch that program as well!
73's - Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Simon (HB9DRV)" simon@hb9drv.ch To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 2:07 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 V/S Mode Ops, Some Observations
We're probably looking at Saturday or Sunday for a technology preview.
Currently I'm adding dual radio support - radio 1 used for RX, radio 2 used for TX. For example 2 x FT-857 or whatever you have in the shack.
Next week is 'add all rotators' week.
This evening - two episodes of Dr. House on Swiss TV :-)
Simon Brown, HB9DRV www.ham-radio-deluxe.com
----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan P. Biddle" APBIDDLE@UNITED.NET
The current version of HRD has a buggy Doppler correction, and mode-S is so extreme it will show up there. However, Simon is doing a full rewrite of the satellite function, and it should be out for testing any day now.
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 (6)
-
Alan P. Biddle -
Andrew Glasbrenner -
Joe Westbrook -
k7zt＠suddenlink.net
-
Robert Felt -
Simon (HB9DRV)