Drew asked for reports from portable/small stations using AO-16, so I offer my experience. Just had Qs with VE2AHD and K8ALM on a 17 degree pass here in FN30, New York City. I was inside my apartment (brick building with metal windows) on the 17th floor, with many obstructions outside. Using 2 FT-817s, 5 watts up into 3 el; preamp and 7 el down.
This is my portable gear used inside (temp in the 20s today). Can't wait for spring! There may actually be very short windows--1 or 2 minutes--from here to G-land, etc. This looks like a great bird. I love the SSB downlink. Tnx to all who made it happen.
73, Tony, N2UN
ANTHONY JAPHA [email protected] EarthLink Revolves Around You.
Sounds great!!! I tried here yesterday afternoon pass with my FT-817 for an uplink at 5 watts and could sometimes hear myself, but the QRM from at least a dozen or more stations at a time running more power and antennas won out. It was probably one of the biggest party lines I've heard since the old dial telephone days. I was only using a dual band vertical to send and receive. My arrays are still on the ground from the "storms of '04" here in Florida. Going to try again here in about 40 minutes with 50 watts up on the vertical to see if I can make it.
Reid, W4UPD
ANTHONY JAPHA wrote:
Drew asked for reports from portable/small stations using AO-16, so I offer my experience. Just had Qs with VE2AHD and K8ALM on a 17 degree pass here in FN30, New York City. I was inside my apartment (brick building with metal windows) on the 17th floor, with many obstructions outside. Using 2 FT-817s, 5 watts up into 3 el; preamp and 7 el down.
This is my portable gear used inside (temp in the 20s today). Can't wait for spring! There may actually be very short windows--1 or 2 minutes--from here to G-land, etc. This looks like a great bird. I love the SSB downlink. Tnx to all who made it happen.
73, Tony, N2UN
ANTHONY JAPHA [email protected] EarthLink Revolves Around You. _______________________________________________ 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'll offer my small-station experience:
I was able to hear myself last night quite well on my small station, while at a severe disadvantage: *Uplink was anything more than 10 watts into my vertical GP, as well as my circular "halo" 0dB mounted just above my roof-line, to hear myself *downlink was 7 el yagi mounted Horizontal on a computer chair-base on the ground at THREE FEET elevation, with fixed elevation angle of 20 degrees, and manual rotor. Satellite maximum elevation for this pass was 14 degrees max, and peak RX was S4 with pre-amp(S-1 noise). RX fading was 90% down due to the satellite orientation/antenna orientation mispatch. I was no longer able to hear the downlink at about 5 degrees of elevation.
The disadvantage: the satellite was on the OTHER side of my bungalo-style house from where my downlink antenna resides, so the signals were travelling straight through my house to get to the receive antenna, for the whole pass!
'73 Auke VE6PWN
----- Original Message ----- From: "ANTHONY JAPHA" [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 1:02 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-16 with small stn.
Drew asked for reports from portable/small stations using AO-16, so I offer my experience. Just had Qs with VE2AHD and K8ALM on a 17 degree pass here in FN30, New York City. I was inside my apartment (brick building with metal windows) on the 17th floor, with many obstructions outside. Using 2 FT-817s, 5 watts up into 3 el; preamp and 7 el down.
This is my portable gear used inside (temp in the 20s today). Can't wait for spring! There may actually be very short windows--1 or 2 minutes--from here to G-land, etc. This looks like a great bird. I love the SSB downlink. Tnx to all who made it happen.
73, Tony, N2UN
ANTHONY JAPHA [email protected] EarthLink Revolves Around You. _______________________________________________ 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
-- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.11/1243 - Release Date: 1/25/2008 11:24 AM
participants (3)
-
ANTHONY JAPHA -
Auke de Jong, VE6PWN -
w4upd