Good AO-16 tests today!

[Bob Bruninga <bruninga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Today I was at my station during two complete overhead AO-16 passes.  I
run 45w to a vertical 19" whip.   The morning pass less than 6 degree
elevation over the atlantic I got 0 packets through. (As expected due to
my vertical and PACSAT's perpendicular approx horizontal whip and path of
1600 to 1800 mi.

The overhead pass, I began getting very good success (6) above about 20
deg up to about 40, then a few packets at 60 and 61, then none to the
south until 33,31,30 and 27.  Then no more.  Seems to match the expected
gain pattern of a vertical 19" whip!  Also path was 500 to 1000 miles or
about 6 dB better between those angles.

So so far, it looks like verticals are only good for the overhead passes
(2 per day).  So there still seems to be a good argument for going to a
cross polarized antenna to pick up the other 4 passes.

See the other message just posted about the 19" by 20" low profile PATCH
antenna for your roof.

Since this is my first reasonably documented successful pass, I cross
posted this to the APRS SIG and AMSAT-BB also, incase anyone over
there interested in mobile position reporting via AO-16 is not yet
subscribed to the ao16aprs listserver...  Sorry for the dual post...

(send message to listserv@tapr.org and include "subscribe ao16aprs
Your_Name")

AO16 was not in use during this pass by any BBS users, although two
stations did log on briefly (W4MO and W4FIN).  ALso I checked IO-26
and it still has digipeat off.