Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 8:58 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
Hi John, AA5JG
OSCAR-10 was launched in 1983 and it started to get problems with the main computer in 1986
OSCAR-13 was launched in 1988 and reientered because of drag in 1996
Between 1997 or early 1998 OSCAR-10 was operating time to time with low level signals in Mode-B, 2 meters downlink while OSCAR-13 was died.
If you are sure about the time of your reception back in late 1997 or early 1998 I guess that probably you was hearing or OSCAR-10 or mostly RS-12 a powerful LEO satellite in Mode-KT with uplink in 15 meters and downlink in two bands at the same time i.e.10 meters in the Mode-K and 2 meters in Mode-T exactly from 145.907 to 145.953 MHz
BTW at that time 23 april 1996 OSCAR-10 was still well operational in Mode-B because I have the QSL card from i8KRO for a QSO made through two satellites OSCAR-10 and RS-12
The uplink on RS-12 for i8KRO was in 21 MHz and the uplink for me on OSCAR-10 was in 435 MHz while the downlink for both of us was in 145 MHz
Nice to remember !
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
My guess would be AO13.If you have the exact date and time you may be able to determine which satellite it was by using an old computer and the original Quiktrack program.73,George W1GMA
-----Original Message----- From: i8cvs Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 4:47 PM To: John Geiger ; AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HEO history question
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 8:58 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
Hi John, AA5JG
OSCAR-10 was launched in 1983 and it started to get problems with the main computer in 1986
OSCAR-13 was launched in 1988 and reientered because of drag in 1996
Between 1997 or early 1998 OSCAR-10 was operating time to time with low level signals in Mode-B, 2 meters downlink while OSCAR-13 was died.
If you are sure about the time of your reception back in late 1997 or early 1998 I guess that probably you was hearing or OSCAR-10 or mostly RS-12 a powerful LEO satellite in Mode-KT with uplink in 15 meters and downlink in two bands at the same time i.e.10 meters in the Mode-K and 2 meters in Mode-T exactly from 145.907 to 145.953 MHz
BTW at that time 23 april 1996 OSCAR-10 was still well operational in Mode-B because I have the QSL card from i8KRO for a QSO made through two satellites OSCAR-10 and RS-12
The uplink on RS-12 for i8KRO was in 21 MHz and the uplink for me on OSCAR-10 was in 435 MHz while the downlink for both of us was in 145 MHz
Nice to remember !
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
_______________________________________________ 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
Correction:It was probably AO10.
-----Original Message----- From: George and Cheryl Abbott Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 5:23 PM To: i8cvs ; AMSAT BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HEO history question
My guess would be AO13.If you have the exact date and time you may be able to determine which satellite it was by using an old computer and the original Quiktrack program.73,George W1GMA
-----Original Message----- From: i8cvs Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 4:47 PM To: John Geiger ; AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HEO history question
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 8:58 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
Hi John, AA5JG
OSCAR-10 was launched in 1983 and it started to get problems with the main computer in 1986
OSCAR-13 was launched in 1988 and reientered because of drag in 1996
Between 1997 or early 1998 OSCAR-10 was operating time to time with low level signals in Mode-B, 2 meters downlink while OSCAR-13 was died.
If you are sure about the time of your reception back in late 1997 or early 1998 I guess that probably you was hearing or OSCAR-10 or mostly RS-12 a powerful LEO satellite in Mode-KT with uplink in 15 meters and downlink in two bands at the same time i.e.10 meters in the Mode-K and 2 meters in Mode-T exactly from 145.907 to 145.953 MHz
BTW at that time 23 april 1996 OSCAR-10 was still well operational in Mode-B because I have the QSL card from i8KRO for a QSO made through two satellites OSCAR-10 and RS-12
The uplink on RS-12 for i8KRO was in 21 MHz and the uplink for me on OSCAR-10 was in 435 MHz while the downlink for both of us was in 145 MHz
Nice to remember !
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
_______________________________________________ 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
_______________________________________________ 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 had forgotten about the RS satellites. Not sure if Wales would have been in the footprint from where I was at in Iowa at that time. I sure miss RS12/13. That was a great satellite to get on. Mode T worked very well. Wish they would put another one up like it.
73s John AA5JG
----- Original Message ----- From: "i8cvs" [email protected] To: "John Geiger" [email protected]; "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 9:47 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 8:58 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
Hi John, AA5JG
OSCAR-10 was launched in 1983 and it started to get problems with the main computer in 1986
OSCAR-13 was launched in 1988 and reientered because of drag in 1996
Between 1997 or early 1998 OSCAR-10 was operating time to time with low level signals in Mode-B, 2 meters downlink while OSCAR-13 was died.
If you are sure about the time of your reception back in late 1997 or early 1998 I guess that probably you was hearing or OSCAR-10 or mostly RS-12 a powerful LEO satellite in Mode-KT with uplink in 15 meters and downlink in two bands at the same time i.e.10 meters in the Mode-K and 2 meters in Mode-T exactly from 145.907 to 145.953 MHz
BTW at that time 23 april 1996 OSCAR-10 was still well operational in Mode-B because I have the QSL card from i8KRO for a QSO made through two satellites OSCAR-10 and RS-12
The uplink on RS-12 for i8KRO was in 21 MHz and the uplink for me on OSCAR-10 was in 435 MHz while the downlink for both of us was in 145 MHz
Nice to remember !
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
Many Hams "used" RS-12/13 when it was below their horizon (often without knowing it), due their HF uplink getting bounced and bent around by the ionosphere before hitting the satellite. So, it wasn't necessary for the other station to be in the traditional satellite footprint to be heard.
Both RS birds (RS-10/11 and RS-12/13) were gems. I got infected with the satellite bug by RS-10. Fortunately, it's an incurable affliction.
Greg KO6TH
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]; [email protected] Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 03:53:44 +0000 Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HEO history question
I had forgotten about the RS satellites. Not sure if Wales would have been in the footprint from where I was at in Iowa at that time. I sure miss RS12/13. That was a great satellite to get on. Mode T worked very well. Wish they would put another one up like it.
73s John AA5JG
----- Original Message ----- From: "i8cvs" [email protected] To: "John Geiger" [email protected]; "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 9:47 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Geiger" [email protected] To: "AMSAT-BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 8:58 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO history question
Back in late 1997 or early 1998 I was using a Kenwood TR9130 on 2m SSB. One morning I was tuning from the FM to the SSB portion of the band, and heard a station just below 146mhz. I tuned them in, and it was a station from Wales! Obviously going thru a satellite as the 2 meter conditions weren't that good that morning. I am now wondering what satellite it probably was. Hearing it was enough to motivate me to eventually get into satellite operations-that took a few years though.
Anyways, what satellite was I probably hearing? I am guessing AO10 or AO13 but were they operational at that time?
73s John AA5JG
Hi John, AA5JG
OSCAR-10 was launched in 1983 and it started to get problems with the main computer in 1986
OSCAR-13 was launched in 1988 and reientered because of drag in 1996
Between 1997 or early 1998 OSCAR-10 was operating time to time with low level signals in Mode-B, 2 meters downlink while OSCAR-13 was died.
If you are sure about the time of your reception back in late 1997 or early 1998 I guess that probably you was hearing or OSCAR-10 or mostly RS-12 a powerful LEO satellite in Mode-KT with uplink in 15 meters and downlink in two bands at the same time i.e.10 meters in the Mode-K and 2 meters in Mode-T exactly from 145.907 to 145.953 MHz
BTW at that time 23 april 1996 OSCAR-10 was still well operational in Mode-B because I have the QSL card from i8KRO for a QSO made through two satellites OSCAR-10 and RS-12
The uplink on RS-12 for i8KRO was in 21 MHz and the uplink for me on OSCAR-10 was in 435 MHz while the downlink for both of us was in 145 MHz
Nice to remember !
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
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)
-
George and Cheryl Abbott -
Greg D. -
i8cvs -
John Geiger