Re: [amsat-bb] AO-40 reception

["Dr. Jim Akers" <jakers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

I did not get up and listen for the down link last night.  I did hear the
recent pass but not as well as I had hoped for.  I am using the BBQ dish
with a Drake 2880 to a FT-736 with 144 MHz IF.  I got only about a s-2 max
reading.  I have a preamp but have not put it on line as I wanted to
experiment with the Drake by itself.  Here is what I have found so far.  I
can hear UO-11 from about a 25 deg elevation to 25 deg elevation as it
passes almost overhead.  It doesn't even move the s-meter.  I cannot hear
AO-16 even on an almost direct overhead pass...84 deg elevation.  I get
about an s-2 on AO-40.  So I guess it is time to put the preamp on line
and see what happens.  

That should give you something to experiment with in the long absence of
AO-40.  I look at these passes as ways to "tweak" my system a bit. I may
even get it to the point where I can send some telemetry to the AO-16
command team;-))

Let me know how you fare on some of these signals.

73...Jim...W5VZF. 

Dr. Jim Akers
Dept. of Electrical 
and Computer Engineering
Miss. State Univ. 


On Tue, 27 Mar 2001, Mark L. Hammond wrote:

> Wow, glad to have somebody confirm weak signals last night, Jess!
> 
> Yesterday, I got the new 3' BBQ dish+TranSystem downconverter, mounted it 
> on the array, and did a few quick "harmonics tests."  All seemed to be 
> okay, and the quick bench tests suggested an improvement over the Drake (no 
> surprise).
> 
> I got up for the pass, and only heard ONE tiny little "grind" out of AO-40, 
> about MA 7-ish.  I think pointing accuracy was a factor, but was really 
> disappointed since I have clearly heard better signals from the Drake+Wimo 
> 30 turn helix on previous passes.
> 
> So, it is reassuring that signals were indeed weak last night.  I was 
> afraid the new downconverter+dish wasn't any better than the Drake+Wimo 
> helix.  Obviously, I need many more passes before I can get much of a 
> hands-on opinion of the two systems.  Too bad it takes so long for good 
> perigee passes---but that's the nature of the bird for now.
> 
> 73 and keep the signal reports coming in gang!  Misery loves company ;-)
> 
> Mark N8MH
> 
> 
> 
> At 09:04 AM 3/27/01 -0500, Jesse Morris wrote:
> >Good Morning,
> >
> >I was able to make it up to listen for AO-40 at 06:28Z this morning.  The
> >signal at AOS was not quite as strong as it was at LOS on Sunday and did
> >not last very long.  By 06:40Z (phase 7) the signal was in the noise.
> >Based on the lat two receiptions I guess the antenna angle for me is best
> >when the satellite is hiding behind the earth!
> >
> >73 de Jess - W4MVB
> >----
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> 
> 
> 
> Mark L. Hammond  [N8MH]
> 
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