Yeah, mine is a 8Fxxxx unit --- just missed it. I actually have the replacement uProcessor for it (bought years ago), but I won't get it soldered in in time. Anyone know if running the rig from the computer is "non-functional" or just "a bit crippled" if I don't have the bi-directional CAT link?

When AO-40 was up, I ran 2002 FD with an 847, a primestar dish sitting on the ground, and a 432 11-element beam on a camera tripod... no computer, not even logging. Took a bit to get a system down, but it worked fine.

Obviously, the doppler dynamics from a HEO 8 hour pass is a different animal than the doppler from a 8 minute LEO pass. The rotor control, even just single axis, will give me control in one sitting position -- the rotor control, VFO, RIT/XIT, mic and pen all in front of me; especially since it may be only me. That's all the real automation I need.

As someone stated, I have certainly done enough hand-held FM LEO work with the Arrow and a FT530 to know it's a matter of practice and getting a system down.

Bob, thank you for reposting. I had saved some of the articles as pdfs for my own reference years ago; good to see them back on line.

Bill W1PA

Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 18:51:39 -0500 From: kq6ea@verizon.net To: hawat1@yahoo.com; w1pa@hotmail.com; amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: a cheap LEO tracker for single op

Guys, in his FIRST post he mentioned he had a very early FT-847.

The early FT-847's did NOT support two-way CAT communication for frequency and mode. You could command the radio, but it lacked the capability to report the frequency back to the control software.

Yaesu modified the radios, but that was a long time agao, and if the radio didn't get modified then, you're out of luck as there are no more parts.

The change over point is somewhere in the 8G05xxxx range.

73, Jim KQ6EA