I am working with the satellite to get the Field Day configuration operational long term.. I turned TXB back on during the 1300Z pass.
During this pass I adjusted the TX levels to TXA 240 mW and TXB 290 mW. These are lower power levels than I have ever used before, but necessary to get the satellite through the 16+ minute eclipses each orbit. The SQRX receiver uses about 110 mA that must be subtracted from the total TX power used.
I think I am close and expect to get the correct settings over the next 24 hours. It is also necessary to change the L/U analog operation to digital over the eastern US in order to download the telemetry to see how the satellite is performing over multiple orbits.
73, Gould, WA4SXM AO-51 Command Station
Thanks for the information Gould.
Will you clarify, please, that TXA is the normal U/V configuration - and also that these are the power levels we can expect for Field Day? That's what I understand from your comments.
Thank you, and thanks for all your efforts to keep AO-51 functioning as best as it can given the issues you have to address.
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Gould Smith" gouldsmi@bellsouth.net: --------------
I am working with the satellite to get the Field Day configuration operational
long term.. I turned TXB back on during the 1300Z pass. During this pass I adjusted the TX levels to TXA 240 mW and TXB 290 mW. These are lower power levels than I have ever used before, but necessary to get the satellite through the 16+ minute eclipses each orbit. The SQRX receiver uses about 110 mA that must be subtracted from the total TX power used. I think I am close and expect to get the correct settings over the next 24 hours. It is also necessary to change the L/U analog operation to digital over the eastern US in order to download the telemetry to see how the satellite is performing over multiple orbits.
73, Gould, WA4SXM AO-51 Command Station _______________________________________________ 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
TXa refers to the 435.150 downlink, and TXb to 435.300, regardless of the uplink or configuration. The power levels should be roughly the same for Field Day.
73, Drew KO4MA
----- Original Message ----- From: n3tl@bellsouth.net To: "Gould Smith" gouldsmi@bellsouth.net; amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 adjustments
Thanks for the information Gould.
Will you clarify, please, that TXA is the normal U/V configuration - and also that these are the power levels we can expect for Field Day? That's what I understand from your comments.
Thank you, and thanks for all your efforts to keep AO-51 functioning as best as it can given the issues you have to address.
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Gould Smith" gouldsmi@bellsouth.net: --------------
I am working with the satellite to get the Field Day configuration operational
long term.. I turned TXB back on during the 1300Z pass. During this pass I adjusted the TX levels to TXA 240 mW and TXB 290 mW. These are lower power levels than I have ever used before, but necessary to get the satellite through the 16+ minute eclipses each orbit. The SQRX receiver uses about 110 mA that must be subtracted from the total TX power used. I think I am close and expect to get the correct settings over the next 24 hours. It is also necessary to change the L/U analog operation to digital over the eastern US in order to download the telemetry to see how the satellite is performing over multiple orbits.
73, Gould, WA4SXM AO-51 Command Station _______________________________________________ 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
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
Thanks for this Drew. I have just seen that designation on the AO-51 information page (the one linked to the status page on the AMSAT site) for the first time, although I've made countless visits to that page over the past year.
For those who will operating Field Day from remote/portable sites and using antennas like the Elk or Arrow, you may wish to check out this PDF, which I found on the Cushcraft Web site:
http://www.cushcraft.com/comm/support/pdf/Antenna-Polarization-14B32.pdf
After reading it, I believe that AO-51 could prove to be more challenging to work than usual this weekend, given a TX output in the SO-50 neighborhood and the antenna mismatch many of us will be dealing with (i.e., linear polarized antenna at the ground station vs. circularly polarized at the satellite).
If I misread the document and have drawn inaccurate conclusions, I hope someone will post a correction. However, it seems to me like this provides all the more reason for us to focus on AO-7, FO-29 and VO-52 if we can.
Thanks to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Andrew Glasbrenner" glasbrenner@mindspring.com: --------------
TXa refers to the 435.150 downlink, and TXb to 435.300, regardless of the uplink or configuration. The power levels should be roughly the same for Field Day.
73, Drew KO4MA
----- Original Message ----- From: To: "Gould Smith" ; Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 adjustments
Thanks for the information Gould.
Will you clarify, please, that TXA is the normal U/V configuration - and also that these are the power levels we can expect for Field Day? That's what I understand from your comments.
Thank you, and thanks for all your efforts to keep AO-51 functioning as best as it can given the issues you have to address.
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Gould Smith" : --------------
I am working with the satellite to get the Field Day configuration operational
long term.. I turned TXB back on during the 1300Z pass. During this pass I adjusted the TX levels to TXA 240 mW and TXB 290 mW. These are lower power levels than I have ever used before, but necessary to get the satellite through the 16+ minute eclipses each orbit. The SQRX receiver uses about 110 mA that must be subtracted from the total TX power used. I think I am close and expect to get the correct settings over the next 24 hours. It is also necessary to change the L/U analog operation to digital over the eastern US in order to download the telemetry to see how the satellite is performing over multiple orbits.
73, Gould, WA4SXM AO-51 Command Station _______________________________________________ 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
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
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
Listening on the 22:24utc pass of AO-51 just now and for the second day running, the sudden distinct change in sound reception tells me that the analogue signal is being switched over to digital for TLM collection just as it gets to me in Florida.
If this is so then could we have a schedule of what passes TLM is going to be collected please - we only get a few days to work mode L and I am 0 for 2 and I can not be bothered to waste time if the published schedule is not going to be adhered too!
If its just not working in L/U then forget the rant!
Thanks
David and the BB,
There is a published schedule that says that L/U is subject to interruption for telemetry collection.
I sent out a note to the BB earlier today explaining the problem I am having getting the satellite ready for this weekend.
The 22:30 pass only affected those in the eastern US, I don't plan on changing L/U during the 00:00 pass that covers a larger area.
The only schedule I can give you is that I will work on the satellite until I feel that it will give solid operation for this weekend, which I hope will be in the next 24 hours.
73, Gould, WA4SXM
----- Original Message ----- From: "David - KG4ZLB" kg4zlb@googlemail.com To: n3tl@bellsouth.net Cc: "Andrew Glasbrenner" glasbrenner@mindspring.com; "Gould Smith" gouldsmi@bellsouth.net; amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 6:43 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 L/U
Listening on the 22:24utc pass of AO-51 just now and for the second day running, the sudden distinct change in sound reception tells me that the analogue signal is being switched over to digital for TLM collection just as it gets to me in Florida.
If this is so then could we have a schedule of what passes TLM is going to be collected please - we only get a few days to work mode L and I am 0 for 2 and I can not be bothered to waste time if the published schedule is not going to be adhered too!
If its just not working in L/U then forget the rant!
Thanks
-- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com
n3tl@bellsouth.net wrote:
Thanks for this Drew. I have just seen that designation on the AO-51 information page (the one linked to the status page on the AMSAT site) for the first time, although I've made countless visits to that page over the past year.
For those who will operating Field Day from remote/portable sites and using antennas like the Elk or Arrow, you may wish to check out this PDF, which I found on the Cushcraft Web site:
http://www.cushcraft.com/comm/support/pdf/Antenna-Polarization-14B32.pdf
After reading it, I believe that AO-51 could prove to be more challenging to work than usual this weekend, given a TX output in the SO-50 neighborhood and the antenna mismatch many of us will be dealing with (i.e., linear polarized antenna at the ground station vs. circularly polarized at the satellite).
If I misread the document and have drawn inaccurate conclusions, I hope someone will post a correction. However, it seems to me like this provides all the more reason for us to focus on AO-7, FO-29 and VO-52 if we can.
Thanks to all,
Tim - N3TL -------------- Original message from "Andrew Glasbrenner" glasbrenner@mindspring.com: --------------
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
-- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com
participants (4)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
David - KG4ZLB -
Gould Smith -
n3tl＠bellsouth.net