Re: [amsat-bb] New AO-27?

[Jon Ogden <na9d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 12/24/00 6:21 AM, sco@sco-inc.com at sco@sco-inc.com wrote:

>> You can't have an AO-27-like satellite in geostationary orbit -- as soon
>> as you put it that high up, it's no longer like AO-27. You wouldn't be
>> working it with your handheld, nor (I guess) your Arrow handheld beam.
> 
> perhaps geo-stationary is not what I really want. But could the orbit be a
> "little" higher so the usable time was upped to say 30 minutes or 45
> minutes at a time instead of the very short passes now on AO-27? Could a HT
> [5 watts] still do the job?

Well, this would be nice, but it would be better if you used a linear
transponder.  FM has limitations in terms of (I need to qualify this for
some) standard voice.  Capture effect and so forth.

But the biggest problem is that there is a dead zone where no one puts
satellites - the VanAllen Radiation belts.  I forget where it starts, but I
think its around the 2000 mile mark (this could be way off).  So there would
be a nice, nice orbit from those heights, but the bird wouldn't last too
long.  

Of course, you could use a higher RS-15 like orbit which would be really
nice.

73,

Jon
NA9D

-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
NA9D (ex: KE9NA)

Member:  ARRL, AMSAT, DXCC, NRA

http://www.qsl.net/ke9na

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."

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