Efficient Planning of the FT-847 Memory Registers
Hi
I am new at satellite communications. I have the Yaesu FT-847 rig, the G-5500 EL/AZ rotator and the EA4TX RCI-SE rotator controller interface and NOVA tracking program. I am using the MixW logging program. My antennas are mostly M2 for satellite communications, including the 436CP30 and 2MCP14 beams, and eggbeaters. The G-5500 EL/AZ has been arranged to also turn the MQ-36SR HF six band beam in the same direction as the M2 beams. It works great.
I am sure that there are several AMSAT members that have similar equipment and especially using the FT-847 rig. The rig has 78 general purpose memory channels and 12 satellite memory registers. Am I correct in stating that the rig's general purpose channels are not really good for satellite purposes and that I am limited to the 12 satellite memory registers? Scanning could be very helpful too.
I am looking for the best way to program satellite frequencies into the rig for efficient and effective use of it's capabilities. If you have a listing showing how you arranged the frequencies, I would appreciate your sharing this information with me. There must be some time saving involved in preplanning the satellites into the rig.
Thank you.
Gary N0EZH Chesapeake VA USA
Gary,
Sounds like you have an excellent starter station there. :) You can certainly use the FT-847 satellite memories, but my strong suggestion is don't. They work pretty well with HEO birds near apogee where the Doppler shift is small and/or constant, but for the existing LEO birds, that isn't the case. My recommendation is to use one of the computer control programs to drive the frequency of the rig. You will enjoy the convenience, and on the SSB linear transponder birds, so will the people you work.
SATPC32 is truly excellent, and the reasonable registration fee goes completely to AMSAT for development. Ham Radio Deluxe also does a good job, is free, but the Doppler correction is a bit wonky. Simon is going to fix that Real Soon Now. Note that if you do use SATC32, you will need to transfer the QSO info manually, but I find that a very minor inconvenience. It is pretty canned.
If you do use the memories, you are in effect treating the rig as a giant HT, which throws away a lot of functionality.
73s,
Alan WA4SCA
Hi Gary,
You are barking up the wrong tree!
By far the best way to tune the radios is automatically via auto-tuning. That way, you can always add new satellites, you will always be on frequency, and you never have to worry about silly doppler tuning.
Once you try auto-tuning, you will wonder why anyone would ever do it any other way. It is much easier to manually point the antennas than it is to tune for doppler so go for it all the way. You will not be sorry!
73, Tony AA2TX ---
At 04:32 PM 3/2/2008, Gary Schuchardt wrote:
Hi
I am new at satellite communications. I have the Yaesu FT-847 rig, the G-5500 EL/AZ rotator and the EA4TX RCI-SE rotator controller interface and NOVA tracking program. I am using the MixW logging program. My antennas are mostly M2 for satellite communications, including the 436CP30 and 2MCP14 beams, and eggbeaters. The G-5500 EL/AZ has been arranged to also turn the MQ-36SR HF six band beam in the same direction as the M2 beams. It works great.
I am sure that there are several AMSAT members that have similar equipment and especially using the FT-847 rig. The rig has 78 general purpose memory channels and 12 satellite memory registers. Am I correct in stating that the rig's general purpose channels are not really good for satellite purposes and that I am limited to the 12 satellite memory registers? Scanning could be very helpful too.
I am looking for the best way to program satellite frequencies into the rig for efficient and effective use of it's capabilities. If you have a listing showing how you arranged the frequencies, I would appreciate your sharing this information with me. There must be some time saving involved in preplanning the satellites into the rig.
Thank you.
Gary N0EZH Chesapeake VA USA _______________________________________________ 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
On Mar 2, 2008, at 2:32 PM, Gary Schuchardt wrote:
I am sure that there are several AMSAT members that have similar equipment and especially using the FT-847 rig. The rig has 78 general purpose memory channels and 12 satellite memory registers. Am I correct in stating that the rig's general purpose channels are not really good for satellite purposes and that I am limited to the 12 satellite memory registers? Scanning could be very helpful too.
Gary,
As another FT-847 owner, I would agree with the other's sentiments regarding the memories. They're great for "regular" operating, but for satellite doppler tracking, the "features" of satellite mode on the rig are kinda one of those -- how do you say it -- gimicky things that Yaesu added, but really isn't necessary, especially for a computer-controlled station.
The serial interface on the FT-847 and computer tracking software work *excellently* (unless you have a VERY early serial number FT-847 -- some of those had a bug that didn't allow 2-way serial communication) and leave tuning to the computer, which knows where the bird is, if you have your clock well-synchronized with UTC on the PC. You can go into the menu and turn the speed up from the default and it usually does help with "latency" when the PC is tracking, etc.
Additionally the FT-847 is one of the ONLY rigs that ever got the damn serial connector RIGHT... no stupid mini-din, just a standard DB-9 connector that any regular "null modem" cable with TX/RX reversed and a ground -- is all that's needed to hook it to the PC.
No messing around with chopping up mouse cables or any of the other wacky crud the manufacturers (including Yaesu) switched to, so they could sell $40 serial cables. Retarded engineers. They had it right and screwed it up on later rigs.
Bigger rigs have PLENTY of room on the back for a nice normal DB-9, and I wish more did have them... That's by far my favorite "feature" of the FT-847... (I fully understand the "real estate" problems on small rigs like the FT-857, but on the bigger rigs... if they'd just put a dang DB-9 on the back... it's SO much simpler. The only "better" thing I can think of these days would be to put the USB-to- serial converter INSIDE the rig and just run a USB cable... haven't seen anyone do that yet.)
Anyway, there's my $0.02... with current prices, it won't get you far -- but I like the FT-847 as a great solid "all purpose" rig for doing a whole lot of things, and computer control of the rig is an utter breeze compared to some... every computer "geek" I know can make up or has a null-modem cable lying around somewhere... I had two. One of them got plugged into the back of the FT-847 and stays there, even when I take it out roving, etc. That cable and a solid USB-to-serial (now that laptops don't have serial ports anymore, really), and I can talk to the FT-847 with any computer that happens to be handy, as long as I can find whatever software I want to drive it with or already have it loaded.
73... enjoy the rig... I sold mine off once and then re-purchased it back... it's one of those rigs that probably won't ever leave my "collection"...
-- Nate Duehr, WY0X [email protected]
Hi Nate Thank you much for the information. This has been an interesting learning experience. I overlooked the fact that the software programs are designed to managed the same thing. You are correct. Gary N0EZH Chesapeake VA
-------Original Message-------
From: Nate Duehr Date: 3/4/2008 1:39:19 AM To: Amsat-Bb Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Efficient Planning of the FT-847 Memory Registers
On Mar 2, 2008, at 2:32 PM, Gary Schuchardt wrote:
I am sure that there are several AMSAT members that have similar equipment and especially using the FT-847 rig. The rig has 78 general purpose memory channels and 12 satellite memory registers. Am I correct in stating that the rig's general purpose channels are not really good for satellite purposes and that I am limited to the 12 satellite memory registers? Scanning could be very helpful too.
Gary,
As another FT-847 owner, I would agree with the other's sentiments regarding the memories. They're great for "regular" operating, but for satellite doppler tracking, the "features" of satellite mode on the rig are kinda one of those -- how do you say it -- gimicky things that Yaesu added, but really isn't necessary, especially for a computer-controlled station.
The serial interface on the FT-847 and computer tracking software work *excellently* (unless you have a VERY early serial number FT-847 -- some of those had a bug that didn't allow 2-way serial communication) and leave tuning to the computer, which knows where the bird is, if you have your clock well-synchronized with UTC on the PC. You can go into the menu and turn the speed up from the default and it usually does help with "latency" when the PC is tracking, etc.
Additionally the FT-847 is one of the ONLY rigs that ever got the damn serial connector RIGHT... no stupid mini-din, just a standard DB-9 connector that any regular "null modem" cable with TX/RX reversed and a ground -- is all that's needed to hook it to the PC.
No messing around with chopping up mouse cables or any of the other wacky crud the manufacturers (including Yaesu) switched to, so they could sell $40 serial cables. Retarded engineers. They had it right and screwed it up on later rigs.
Bigger rigs have PLENTY of room on the back for a nice normal DB-9, and I wish more did have them... That's by far my favorite "feature" of the FT-847... (I fully understand the "real estate" problems on small rigs like the FT-857, but on the bigger rigs... if they'd just put a dang DB-9 on the back... it's SO much simpler. The only "better" thing I can think of these days would be to put the USB-to- serial converter INSIDE the rig and just run a USB cable... haven't seen anyone do that yet.)
Anyway, there's my $0.02... with current prices, it won't get you far -- but I like the FT-847 as a great solid "all purpose" rig for doing a whole lot of things, and computer control of the rig is an utter breeze compared to some... every computer "geek" I know can make up or has a null-modem cable lying around somewhere... I had two. One of them got plugged into the back of the FT-847 and stays there, even when I take it out roving, etc. That cable and a solid USB-to-serial (now that laptops don't have serial ports anymore, really), and I can talk to the FT-847 with any computer that happens to be handy, as long as I can find whatever software I want to drive it with or already have it loaded.
73... enjoy the rig... I sold mine off once and then re-purchased it back... it's one of those rigs that probably won't ever leave my "collection"...
-- Nate Duehr, WY0X [email protected]
_______________________________________________ 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
participants (4)
-
Alan P. Biddle -
Anthony Monteiro -
Gary Schuchardt -
Nate Duehr