Re: [amsat-bb] AO-40 Reception Question

["Lee" <lee-fl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gerald,

I'm also using a Millicom d/c curtsey of Mark Fossum's fine efforts.  I've
got mine mounted at the offset feed of an 18 inch dish.  I find that the
squint angle is extremely important.  It is clear to me that others are
hearing better than I am but I plan to add a preamp and possibly a larger
dish in the future.  QSOs should be about 10db down from the beacon so it is
fairly common that I can only hear the strongest stations on the
transponder.  I've also had QSOs where the other station was able to
continue copying me even when I could no longer copy my own downlink.
Generally if the squint angle is below 15 degrees I can copy my CW dl all
the way through apogee.

Lee-KU4OS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerald Payton" <n5gpc@earthlink.net>
To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 18:52 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-40 Reception Question


> Sometime back when Mark Fossum obtained all the Drake d/c's for us, I
> elected to buy the Millicom d/c from him that was already converted to 145
> MHz output.
>
> I haven't read any reports of individuals using the Millicom and their
> success/failures.  Am I the only one to buy one of these?
>
> I've got mine on an Andrews Bar-B-que type antenna and have occasional
> success receiving the beacon on AO-40.  When I do hear the beacon and get
> good CRC's, any voice or CW signals on AO-40 are weak.  Other times, I get
> "zilch."  I have rationalized (to myself) that this may be due to
> off-pointing and/or weak signal.  I have ordered a preamp kit from
DownEast.
>
> I'm new and was just wondering what to expect.  I'm using an ICOM IC-820
and
> hope in the near future to upgrade to a Yaesu 847.
>
> 73,
> Jerry  N5GPC
>
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