Found this interesting from another mailing list.
-----Original Message----- From: John Hackett [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Sun, Apr 25, 2010 3:50 pm Subject: [eu-amsat] HO-68 versus AO-51
HO-68 v AO-51 ??.
HO-68 versus AO-51 - and the university downlink only satellites - (aka the FM menagerie).
In my honest opinion it's a 'no contest' scenario - with HO-68 winning hands down.
The two main reasons for me making this claim are ...
1) HO-68's superior orbit.
2) It's multi-mode transponders.
On a typical European pass an HO-68 orbit has a footprint the covers from Spain in the west to India in the east, Norway in the north to Sudan in the south ... and all points in between.
Whereas AO-51 is FM only ... HO-68 has transponders for CW, SSB as well as FM.
HO-68 is (IMHO) easier to operate due to it needing less power to get into the transponders, albeit, to really take advantage of that, a knowledge of CW is required, which *STILL* shows it's great advantage as weak signal mode.
When all else fails ... switch to CW.
Igor, RW3XL has been operating cross-satellite with HO-68 to VO-52 and HO-68 to AO-7 ... keying the up down buttons for CW since his keyer is on the blink.
For those wanting to learn, the 200mW beacon sends *SLOW* morse and it's copyable on a piece of wet string wrapped round a rusty six inch nail.
I've proved this over and over on HO-68 at the beginning of passes when the elevation is under 20 degrees and a SSB just can't make it - switch to CW - Q5 copy - (Domenico, I8CVS will endorse that).
I believe that HO-68 is becoming the experienced 'operator's' satellite while AO-51 will remain the platform for the potential newcomer ... where they can QRM eachother to their heart's content ... more power Egon ... MORE POWER !!! ... (with due apologies to the Hollywood film 'Frankenstein').
For me at least, HO-68 has brought the fun back into amateur satellite operating, particularly on CW ... akin to RS-10, the most popular satellite ever - (judged by the amount of users) - after the veritable old AO-7.
While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, operating FM on a satellite is about as much fun for me as watching paint dry and is, in my opinion, the worst possible way to introduce a potential newcomer to amateur satellites. My EU-Amsat co-founder, SV1BSX (SK) first used the word 'zoo' to describe the AO-51 standard of operating.
There ought to be a sign on the microphone ... PLEASE DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.
73 John. [email protected]
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Well just something the original author needs to bear in mind is he's comparing a satellite that was launched roughly 5 months ago (ho-68) to another that was launched almost 6 years ago (AO-51) so of course there's gonna be some significant differences among them being mission objectives. HO-68 is the first Chinese AMSAT and China is going through an industrial revolution of sorts at the moment so it makes sense to make their first AMSAT as advanced as they can make it to add to their list of technological achievements. Its really comparing Apples to Oranges.
Unfortunately being a new ham myself I can't share the same sentiments as the author seems to be more interested in CW then Voice/Data which appears to be really his only reason for claiming HO-68 is a superior satellite. At the moment I don't know CW and my interest in it is a passive one since I'm more interested in digital modes like PSK31. That and it doesn't help that my only dual-band vhf/uhf rig that I use for working satellites is an HT either.
~73, KC2WQW
On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 11:14 AM, [email protected] wrote:
Found this interesting from another mailing list.
-----Original Message----- From: John Hackett [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Sun, Apr 25, 2010 3:50 pm Subject: [eu-amsat] HO-68 versus AO-51
HO-68 v AO-51 ??.
HO-68 versus AO-51 - and the university downlink only satellites - (aka the FM menagerie).
In my honest opinion it's a 'no contest' scenario - with HO-68 winning hands down.
The two main reasons for me making this claim are ...
HO-68's superior orbit.
It's multi-mode transponders.
On a typical European pass an HO-68 orbit has a footprint the covers from Spain in the west to India in the east, Norway in the north to Sudan in the south ... and all points in between.
Whereas AO-51 is FM only ... HO-68 has transponders for CW, SSB as well as FM.
HO-68 is (IMHO) easier to operate due to it needing less power to get into the transponders, albeit, to really take advantage of that, a knowledge of CW is required, which *STILL* shows it's great advantage as weak signal mode.
When all else fails ... switch to CW.
Igor, RW3XL has been operating cross-satellite with HO-68 to VO-52 and HO-68 to AO-7 ... keying the up down buttons for CW since his keyer is on the blink.
For those wanting to learn, the 200mW beacon sends *SLOW* morse and it's copyable on a piece of wet string wrapped round a rusty six inch nail.
I've proved this over and over on HO-68 at the beginning of passes when the elevation is under 20 degrees and a SSB just can't make it - switch to CW - Q5 copy - (Domenico, I8CVS will endorse that).
I believe that HO-68 is becoming the experienced 'operator's' satellite while AO-51 will remain the platform for the potential newcomer ... where they can QRM eachother to their heart's content ... more power Egon ... MORE POWER !!! ... (with due apologies to the Hollywood film 'Frankenstein').
For me at least, HO-68 has brought the fun back into amateur satellite operating, particularly on CW ... akin to RS-10, the most popular satellite ever - (judged by the amount of users) - after the veritable old AO-7.
While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, operating FM on a satellite is about as much fun for me as watching paint dry and is, in my opinion, the worst possible way to introduce a potential newcomer to amateur satellites. My EU-Amsat co-founder, SV1BSX (SK) first used the word 'zoo' to describe the AO-51 standard of operating.
There ought to be a sign on the microphone ... PLEASE DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.
73 John. [email protected]
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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
I feel that HO-68 is an excellent newcomer's satellite when it is FM mode, it is very easy to use. Also, it's footprint made it the most useful for me while in Thule Greenland, FQ56.
73,
Reid N0RC
On 4/26/2010 11:14 AM, [email protected] wrote:
Found this interesting from another mailing list.
At 12:52 PM 4/26/2010 -0400, Reid Crowe [email protected] wrote:
I feel that HO-68 is an excellent newcomer's satellite when it is FM mode, it is very easy to use. Also, it's footprint made it the most useful for me while in Thule Greenland, FQ56.
73,
Reid N0RC
I feel that XW-1 is an excellent everybody's satellite when it is Linear mode, it is very easy to use. Also, it's large footprint makes it possible for multiple contacts over a wide area at the same time. I say keep it in linear mode all the time because the Amsat-na board of directors don't want to build linear satellites. They only want single channel FM satellites that sound like a circus. Fox will probably sound the same way.
73
Vince KB7ADL
My family enjoys the zoo and the circus. You guys act like those are bad things :)
73,
Mark N8MH
On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 2:17 PM, Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL [email protected] wrote:
At 12:52 PM 4/26/2010 -0400, Reid Crowe [email protected] wrote:
I feel that HO-68 is an excellent newcomer's satellite when it is FM mode, it is very easy to use. Also, it's footprint made it the most useful for me while in Thule Greenland, FQ56.
73,
Reid N0RC
I feel that XW-1 is an excellent everybody's satellite when it is Linear mode, it is very easy to use. Also, it's large footprint makes it possible for multiple contacts over a wide area at the same time. I say keep it in linear mode all the time because the Amsat-na board of directors don't want to build linear satellites. They only want single channel FM satellites that sound like a circus. Fox will probably sound the same way.
73
Vince KB7ADL
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
Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL wrote:
I say keep it in linear mode all the time because the Amsat-na board of directors don't want to build linear satellites. They only want single channel FM satellites that sound like a circus. Fox will probably sound the same way.
73
Vince KB7ADL
Vince, we've been over this ground before:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/100day/msg83515.html
to which you actually sent me an apology in response (which I still have). Have things changed since then, or do you just feel liking fomenting discontent, again?
The BOD would like nothing better than to launch a high orbit transponder, but it's not within our capability right now, due to lack of funding and lack of technical volunteers. Your misrepresentations of the BOD aren't helping your assumed cause or AMSAT at all.
73, Drew KO4MA
At 01:55 PM 4/26/2010 -0400, Andrew Glasbrenner [email protected] wrote:
Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL wrote:
I say keep it in linear mode all the time because the Amsat-na board of directors don't want to build linear satellites. They only want single channel FM satellites that sound like a circus. Fox will probably sound the same way.
73
Vince KB7ADL
Vince, we've been over this ground before:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/100day/msg83515.html
to which you actually sent me an apology in response (which I still have). Have things changed since then, or do you just feel liking fomenting discontent, again?
The BOD would like nothing better than to launch a high orbit transponder, but it's not within our capability right now, due to lack of funding and lack of technical volunteers. Your misrepresentations of the BOD aren't helping your assumed cause or AMSAT at all.
73, Drew KO4MA
Yes, It was a momentary lapse of memory on my part, cheerleading for linear satellites & HEO's. I had a couple of nice contacts. One was the ops first satellite contact ever, and on a linear bird no less. He handled the doppler like an old pro. The other station was the first contact for him on HO-68. We couldn't have talked that long on AO-51, it would have upset everyone trying to pinch out a grid.
KB7ADL
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Andrew Glasbrenner -
Mark L. Hammond -
n5uxt＠email.com -
Reid Crowe -
Ron Overdrive -
Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL