[amsat-bb] AO-27 Stuff

[Jeff Johns <jeffj@xxxxxxxxx>]

After finally getting a good high gain antenna for my HT last week I have
managed to work stations from Canada to Mexico via AO-27 and my FT-50. It's
quite thrilling, I'm a bonafide Mir fan but working AO-27 is getting to be
as addictive as a drug <grin>.

I want to thank all on the list who have guided me in my quest and have
answered all my silly, newbie questions. That's one reason I mailed my $30
to Martha this week to become an official AMSAT member. Not once have I been
flamed for asking a question which may be obvious to others and note once
have I been 'put down' for only holding a Technician class license. I am
trying to learn code to gain HF priveleges, but must admit that the
technical aspects of satellites thrills me more so than CW does <flame
shield on>.

Now here's my silly question of the day:

I have noticed that with AO-27, I can work passes that are as low as 8
degrees with just my HT and a whip provided that the satellite is east of my
location, but a pass of the same elevation west of my location is impossible
for me to work. On one of these 'west of my location' passes I can just
barely make out the faint voices of operators vs. the extremely strong,
almost full quieting signals of a pass east of me (or overhead). Please bear
in mind that I have been operating, literally, from the top of a mountain,
in a somewhat rural location with a clear line of sight in all directions.
I'm sure there is some simple explanation and I'm hoping someone could
explain it to me. Thanks in advance!

73 Jeff KF4KGQ

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jeff Johns KF4KGQ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    |jeffj@scott.net kf4kgq@amsat.org |     Reserve Patrol Captain      |
    | Satellite: Mir R0MIR-1, AO-27   | Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept |
    |200LX+BayPac+FT50=Portable Packet|     QTH Birmingham, AL USA      |
    =-=-=-=-=-=- Packet AX.25 KF4KGQ@wd4epr.#bhm.al.usa.noam -=-=-=-=-=-=




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