If you need more than 5 watts to hit 25 watts ERP (AMSAT-UK's recommended power), then feel free to up the output as needed! I find I can get in with no problems using 5 watts to the Arrow even down to a couple of degrees as long as there are no obstructions in the way (tree leaves love to suck up 70cm signals, a medium deciduous tree can attenuate 70cm signals by 10.5 dB, so feel free to compensate for this too if you're beaming into trees). Of course, I am using only 6' of LMR-240 and can switch polarity quickly as necessary as I'm holding the antenna.

As far as the other FUNcube transponders - 2 of them are already flying (UKube-1 and EO-79 have the other two). They share the same design and likely exhibit the same frequency instability. As the satellites are different (within a 3U and 2U cubesat, respectively) the temperatures may stay a bit more stable, but we'll have to wait and see when they are made available for general use.

FUNcube on Nayif-1 will have an improved design and should be more stable. FUNcube on ESEO will be an L/V FM transponder, so it will be different from the other four FUNcube units.

73,

Paul, N8HM

On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, W M Willoughby redski@bellsouth.net wrote:

Same story here, Michael. Manual tuning is the only way I ever hear my signal, but then only above about 30 degrees elevation. I don't have the same troubles on FO-29, etc. One problem I am in the process of fixing is high loss feedlines. Since I am very cautious about using the recommended low power, my EIRP is very low. But, the feedlines should be replaced soon with LMR-400. I hope the other four Funcubes that are in the pipeline will not be as peculiar as AO-73.

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