Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN
Weekends and holidays are brutal. Try to find a time that isn't rush hour. -- Mark D. Johns KØJM / MØGZO / ex-9H3DJ / ex-KØMDJ Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 11:28 AM AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I like to do my work as it swings over Canada or is out over the Pacific. They are a lot easier to work, when everyone and there dog is at a minus 1 elevation. But still someday, I just shut it off.
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Also happens when roving rare grida or other special stations are on. 13 colonies dominated some passes this week. Robert KA2CZU
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 1:07 PM, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB[email protected] wrote: I like to do my work as it swings over Canada or is out over the Pacific. They are a lot easier to work, when everyone and there dog is at a minus 1 elevation. But still someday, I just shut it off.
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Patience. This is a particularly difficult day/time to get on an FM bird.
1. Holiday - Perfect for BBQ with Handheld and Arrow. So a Bajillion people trying to use sats
2. Two different special events stations on
3. Rovers.
Be patient, pick your passes and you will do just fine.
Time your calls with the peak of your signal, it's an art and a science.
73, N0AN Hasan
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 2:29 PM Robert Switzer via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
Also happens when roving rare grida or other special stations are on. 13 colonies dominated some passes this week. Robert KA2CZU
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 1:07 PM, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB< [email protected]> wrote: I like to do my work as it swings over Canada or is out over the Pacific. They are a lot easier to work, when everyone and there dog is at a minus 1 elevation. But still someday, I just shut it off.
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Stephen Nipper Boise, Idaho N7DJX _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Just worked SO-50 at 2000 UTC with my HT as K2J. It was mostly over Canada and the Atlantic Ocean so I was able to get in easily.
73, John Brier KG4AKV
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 5:06 PM Hasan al-Basri via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Patience. This is a particularly difficult day/time to get on an FM bird.
- Holiday - Perfect for BBQ with Handheld and Arrow. So a Bajillion people
trying to use sats
Two different special events stations on
Rovers.
Be patient, pick your passes and you will do just fine.
Time your calls with the peak of your signal, it's an art and a science.
73, N0AN Hasan
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 2:29 PM Robert Switzer via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
Also happens when roving rare grida or other special stations are on. 13 colonies dominated some passes this week. Robert KA2CZU
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 1:07 PM, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB< [email protected]> wrote: I like to do my work as it swings over Canada or is out over the Pacific. They are a lot easier to work, when everyone and there dog is at a minus 1 elevation. But still someday, I just shut it off.
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Stephen Nipper Boise, Idaho N7DJX _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
On 2019-07-04 12:04, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB wrote:
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
You could easily get on the linear birds with an existing HF rig and an inexpensive transverter[1a][1b] for the uplink.
Downlink is easily handled with an SDR solution, ranging in price from $7 to $500, depending on how many whistles you want. The rtl-sdr dongles[2] are a cheap, easy path to get your feet wet.
If you are up for the challenge, building a 70cm DSB transmitter[3] is quite feasible. If you have an rtl-sdr dongle, you've got a spectrum analyzer to debug/tweak your design. There are a ton[4] of design ideas on the 'net. Don't be afraid to experiment. That's what this hobby is all about, and one only truly learns through error, not success.
--- Zach N0ZGO
[1a] http://transverters-store.com/432_28mhz.htm [1b] https://ubitx.net/2018/04/17/transverters-for-2m-and-70cm/ [2] https://smile.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0129EBDS... [3] https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Homebrew_RF_Circuit_Design_Ideas/430MHz_SSB_TRX_J... [4] https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Homebrew_RF_Circuit_Design_Ideas/Homebrew_RF_Circ...
On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 10:20 AM Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
On 2019-07-04 12:04, H. Stephen Nipper via AMSAT-BB wrote:
Don't give up you will make some contacts. The other option for you is to spend more money and get on the linear birds.
You could easily get on the linear birds with an existing HF rig and an inexpensive transverter[1a][1b] for the uplink.
Eh, what you describe might be inexpensive, but I wouldn't call that easy. I already find it a pain to throw my 910H on top of my car and connect everything to it and be anchored to my car. I much prefer my FM setup which hangs on my shoulders and requires minimal connections.
What you describe has a LOT of components: HF radio, transverter, SDR, computer, and all the cables required to connect all that together. All to be assembled every time you want to operate, and disassembled afterwards. Unless you're assuming some sort of base station, but then what inexpensive/simple antennas will he use?
If he already has an Icom IC-706MKIIG, Yaesu FT-857D, FT-817, or something similar, he could at least do half duplex linear, and if he also has a Kenwood TH-D74, TH-F6A, or some other HT with VHF/UHF SSB RX, he could do full duplex, with a lot less components. Even a 706 MKIIG + an SDR would be less complicated than the HF+transverter+SDR setup you suggest.
73, John Brier KG4AKV
On 2019-07-05 10:03, John Brier wrote:
Eh, what you describe might be inexpensive, but I wouldn't call that easy.
Cheap, easy, fast. Pick any two. :-)
--- Zach N0ZGO
I use a D74 and an IC-7100 built into a man pack so it is portable and not tethered to a fix spot or hard surface. There is a picture of my system in this album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q6IMFF4PjYb1c5HO2 I attach the head unit to the straps of the backpack after it is on my back.
My Arrow holder for the RX radio (D74): https://photos.app.goo.gl/CHRaFDvYqwKkKLr87
On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 11:11 AM Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
On 2019-07-05 10:03, John Brier wrote:
Eh, what you describe might be inexpensive, but I wouldn't call that easy.
Cheap, easy, fast. Pick any two. :-)
--- Zach N0ZGO _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Don,
Impressive set-up! Also, very impressive that you have the
strength to wield that assembly!!
GL/73, Bob K8BL
P.S. I have a spare IC-820H that sits on my tailgate when
I rove and the Arrow sits on a tripod while I sit on my butt. On Saturday, July 6, 2019, 11:13:50 AM EDT, Don KB2YSI via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
I use a D74 and an IC-7100 built into a man pack so it is portable and not tethered to a fix spot or hard surface. There is a picture of my system in this album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q6IMFF4PjYb1c5HO2 I attach the head unit to the straps of the backpack after it is on my back.
My Arrow holder for the RX radio (D74): https://photos.app.goo.gl/CHRaFDvYqwKkKLr87
On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 11:11 AM Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
On 2019-07-05 10:03, John Brier wrote:
Eh, what you describe might be inexpensive, but I wouldn't call that easy.
Cheap, easy, fast. Pick any two. :-)
--- Zach N0ZGO _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
No doubt, it can be a back killer if you keep it on for too long. I'm planning another version which is more self contained and provides a bit of shelter the head unit. I have a rain cover for the backpack but nothing too good for the head unit.
I'm also thinking about using smaller batteries, the 20Ah is a bit of overkill for this use, but the run time is pretty long. ;-)
On Sat, Jul 6, 2019, 11:33 BOB via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Don,
Impressive set-up! Also, very impressive that you have the
strength to wield that assembly!!
GL/73, Bob K8BL
P.S. I have a spare IC-820H that sits on my tailgate when
I rove and the Arrow sits on a tripod while I sit on my butt. On Saturday, July 6, 2019, 11:13:50 AM EDT, Don KB2YSI via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
I use a D74 and an IC-7100 built into a man pack so it is portable and not tethered to a fix spot or hard surface. There is a picture of my system in this album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q6IMFF4PjYb1c5HO2 I attach the head unit to the straps of the backpack after it is on my back.
My Arrow holder for the RX radio (D74): https://photos.app.goo.gl/CHRaFDvYqwKkKLr87
On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 11:11 AM Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
On 2019-07-05 10:03, John Brier wrote:
Eh, what you describe might be inexpensive, but I wouldn't call that easy.
Cheap, easy, fast. Pick any two. :-)
--- Zach N0ZGO _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- 73, Don KB2YSI https://www.hamqth.com/kb2ysi _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
In addition to all the great advice so far, I think the answer (or problem) could be in the technicality of using the Arrow. It has been mentioned in one of the AMSAT publications and few others, but consider this, if the arrow is in phase with the downlink, the arrow's uplink is practically out of phase, and you wouldn't be able to make it in. I struggled with this, until I started keeping the arrow just out of the null of the downlink, then everything was magical ! Just another fun fact...
(LOS is my friend on very busy passes)
73!Umeshk6vug
On Thursday, July 4, 2019, 9:28:16 AM PDT, AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN
Don’t get discouraged! The 13 colonies stations made it tough today. I had my 5w 817 and an arrow, and just had to be patient trying to make contacts for the Amsat 50th event on the morning passes. Not every day is like this.
- Matthew nj4y
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 4, 2019, at 20:07, k6vug--- via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
In addition to all the great advice so far, I think the answer (or problem) could be in the technicality of using the Arrow. It has been mentioned in one of the AMSAT publications and few others, but consider this, if the arrow is in phase with the downlink, the arrow's uplink is practically out of phase, and you wouldn't be able to make it in. I struggled with this, until I started keeping the arrow just out of the null of the downlink, then everything was magical ! Just another fun fact...
(LOS is my friend on very busy passes)
73!Umeshk6vug
On Thursday, July 4, 2019, 9:28:16 AM PDT, AI9IN via AMSAT-BB [email protected] wrote:
Trying to get on the FM sats (e.g. AO-92 a couple of minutes ago) reminds me of the videos of people at BestBuy the day after Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if you see an Arrow and a couple of handhelds going cheap on Ebay soon.
Steve AI9IN
Sent via [email protected]. 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (11)
-
Don KB2YSI -
H. Stephen Nipper -
Hasan al-Basri -
John Brier -
k6vug＠sbcglobal.net -
k8bl＠ameritech.net -
Mark D. Johns -
Matthew Stevens -
Robert Switzer -
skristof＠etczone.com -
Zach Metzinger