Re: [amsat-bb] FM - APRS Satellites

["Bruce Paige" <kk5do@xxxxxxxxx>]

bob does a great job with his aprs. but i would like to remind all those that 
have not operated through a satellite before that you ***MUST*** hear the 
downlink before you even think of keying your transmitter. If you do not hear 
anything on the downlink, then you are either listening to the wrong 
frequency, the wrong satellite or have your pass times wrong. The LEO 
satellites are extremely busy birds and at any one time, there are no less 
that 25 people on them. If you transmit without hearing any of these people, 
then you will be causing QRM. 

Please be sure you correct for doppler by tuning the higher of the two 
frequencies. This will affect either the transmit or the receive frequency 
depending on which satellite you are using. 

Today, there was a person calling CQ on UO-14. (not an aprs problem) You 
knew that he could not hear the downlink because if he did, he would have 
heard the dozen or so that came back to him. I found his email and sent him 
a polite notice about hearing the downlink before he transmits. He responded 
that he had a new Yaesu 847 radio and was new to satellites and did not 
know how to get the receive to work yet. 

So please, everyone, pass the word....."LISTEN, TRANSMIT, LISTEN" if you 
don't hear something on the listen's then don't transmit and correct your 
problem.

73...bruce



============================================================================
Bruce Paige, KK5DO                      Internet: kk5do@amsat.org
Houston, Texas                                or: kk5do@houston.rr.com
AMSAT Area Coordinator                      
ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE                     
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