I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
Mark Lunday WD4ELG wd4elg@arrl.net http://wd4elg.net
Mark Lunday, WD4ELG wrote:
I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
It's not used very much, and I think they two-PL-tone thing puts people off. I've been able to get in and work it, confirmed by my gf at the far end of the garden with another aerial and receiver, but found that there's just no-one else coming out to play.
Gordon
Hello
On 11/28/08, Mark Lunday, WD4ELG mlunday@nc.rr.com wrote:
I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
same here, plus FO-20, UO-14 and maybe some other I don't remember now...
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
are you working full duplex? I always found SO-50 very easy to work (well at least to hear myself back), the 74.4 tone must be sent for one or two seconds continuously then switch to 67 Hz tone. I work with handeld homemade dual V/U yagi usually and I noticed that this bird is particularly sensitive to polarization, so I need to rotate often the yagi to find the best signal. I didn't try recently anyway, beeing on other bands :-)
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
if nothing is wrong with the bird yes, you should at least hear yourself. Activity was low even in Europe on this bird.
73 Francesco IZ8DWF
francesco messineo wrote:
Hello
On 11/28/08, Mark Lunday, WD4ELG mlunday@nc.rr.com wrote:
I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
same here, plus FO-20, UO-14 and maybe some other I don't remember now...
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
are you working full duplex? I always found SO-50 very easy to work (well at least to hear myself back), the 74.4 tone must be sent for one or two seconds continuously then switch to 67 Hz tone. I work with
I programmed up two channels on my TH-F7E with "SO-50 74" and "SO-50 67" and the same carrier frequency, so I can TX with the "wake the bird up" tone then switch to 67 for actual QSOs. Other radios will probably have this facility.
handeld homemade dual V/U yagi usually and I noticed that this bird is particularly sensitive to polarization, so I need to rotate often the yagi to find the best signal. I didn't try recently anyway, beeing on other bands :-)
I have pretty much the same setup - homebrew WA5VJB "Cheap Yagi" design, 5 ele 70cm and 3 ele 2m on the same boom with a HB9ABX diplexer. Even if the polarisation is fairly badly off you should hear *something*.
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
if nothing is wrong with the bird yes, you should at least hear yourself. Activity was low even in Europe on this bird.
What I found when I was getting started with finding satellites and working them was it takes a bit of time to "get it", and then it's fairly easy. Trying to point the antenna the right way, tune to the right frequency as you chase the downlink down the band, and talk into the radio is all a bit much at first. It's a bit like gliding, when everyone else is getting thermals *except you* - and then you feel the little bump as the wingtip starts to roll out of a thermal, so you roll back against it and you're going up! There's a sudden "ding!" moment where it all falls into place.
Keep trying, it's there.
Gordon
Mark,
If you're referring to the 5:45-ish UTC pass early this morning (local time), I heard you just fine and actually called you 2-3 times. I was experimenting with a different whip antenna on my HT, and heard you (and SO-50) quite well. I'm sorry we didn't get to make a contact.
I read other responses in the thread before writing my own, and I agree with W9VNE's comments about it - even though all the tracking I do here is manual. I find SO-50 to be the most challenging of the FM satellites because of its nominal configuration. It transmits a quarter-watt into a 0-gain quarter-wave antenna mounted on one corner of the satellite. It is a fun satellite to work, and it generally is not nearly as crowded as other satellites, for whatever the reason.
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL AMSAT Member No. 36820 QRP-ARCI Member No. 5547 ARRL Member No. 7027180 Athens, Ga. - EM84ha
-------------- Original message from "Mark Lunday, WD4ELG" mlunday@nc.rr.com: --------------
I have worked every bird several times: AO7, AO16, AO27, AO51, FO29, VO52.
But I have never worked SO50. Tonight I had a pass DIRECTLY overhead. I tried the standard initiation call with 74.4 CTCSS, and then calling with 67 Hz. Never heard a thing. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard SO50.
I triple-checked the Doppler, turned down the squelch, turned up the RF gain. Not a peep. Even with only my Arrow yagi fixed at 30 degrees EL, I should have heard something. All I heard was the rush of static. I know this bird is lower orbit and smaller power out, but I should hear something, right?
Mark Lunday WD4ELG wd4elg@arrl.net http://wd4elg.net
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 (4)
-
francesco messineo -
Gordon JC Pearce MM3YEQ -
Mark Lunday, WD4ELG -
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