Re: [amsat-bb] GRRRRRRRRRRR!

["Margaret Leber (K3XS)" <maggie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bryant Winchell wrote:

> Your post re-emphasized a concern I've had with the manual use of antennas
> such as the much discussed Arrow. My concern is the power lobe at 180
> degrees that the antenna emits [more or less directly back at the operator].
> With a handheld and a few watts power output there shouldn't be a problem to
> the operator.  But you mentioned using your FT-847......

Well, the "once" in question was indeed my only attempt to use the FT-847/Arrow
combination; at the time I was still an apartment dweller, and had not had the
opportunity to actually use my "Earthstation" on a satellite. The radio was
powered from a "jumpstart your car" powerpack. As I recall, that evening I had
not done extensive preparation of cables and was using the built-in duplexer
rated at 10w, along with another duplexer to combine the 847 outputs into a
single feed and was more concerned with frying that than with any RF exposure I
might have been subjecting myself to with the back lobe...certainly a matter for
concern and investigation if I was loony enough to make this a regular practice.

As it was, it was only a temporary once-off hack-job; I do recall being thrilled
to actually hear my signal on the downlink (something you couldn't do with the
VX-5) before the wind blew my tripod over. Come to think of it, I *was* using a
tripod, and not handholding the antenna, other than armstronging it with the
tripod handle. 

It *was* really awkward, I certainly don't recommend it, and I'm happy to run a
fixed operation with the 847 now. Anybody who wants to use an Arrow at power
levels exceeding the 10w limit Al recommends hand-held is on their own for RF
safety, of course. He specs it at 150w for a mounted application.    

 73 de Maggie K3XS          

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-----/___.   _)   Margaret Stephanie Leber    / "The art of progress  /
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-/ (_/   '  K3XS  .-/ .-/    ARRL 39280   /___ --A.N.Whitehead ___/
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