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Re: DX on LEO satellites
> Wayne replies:
>
> Bruce, please keep in mind that you wouldn't work most of those DX stations on
> LEO satellites if you lived in Billings, Montana (KB7ADL's QTH) instead of
> Houston, Texas.
okay, i just ran uo-14 to this evenings pass when it almost comes over
houston. at the point where dm55 is in the window, the entire caribbean is in
the window as well as all of central america and the northern tip of south
america. he can work almost everything that i can work at that time. this is
when his elevation will be 7 degrees. at 10 degrees, south america falls out
but central america and the caribbean are all still in the window.
the operating practices of some of the dx is part of the problem. co8ly (not to
single him out....but he is the most active currently) is on almost every day.
however randy, n7sfi, is still trying to get a contact and tries almost an entire
pass. problem...co8ly only hears the satellite when doppler is near zero. so
the entire time he calls cq and people try to work him, not going to happen.
when doppler is zero, n7sfi is too low to the horizon. so we have ops trying to
activate new countries or be regulars on the satellites from dx countries but
are having problems figuring it out.
gosh how i wish i lived in the new england states so i could work europe on
the leos.
when i hear alaska on the leos, i have less than 1 minute to say hi and they
are gone. oh how i wish i lived in montana.
so now, we have a location challenged community. the east coast wanting to
work hawaii on a satellite and the west coast wanting to work the bahamas
on a satellite.
you would rather have amsat build and launch a phase 3 satellite in mode v/u
or u/v than spend the $150 required to bring your station up to ao-40 receive
on 2.4ghz.
don't forget, for every satellite they launch, someone has to do the house
keeping on a regular basis. that means control ops that take care of making
sure the thing stays healthy and usable. a lot of resources for another u/v or
v/u satellite.
hmmm.... i think this type of logic is a bit on the wrong side of the track. i have
worked japan and hong kong on ao-40 and india is illuminated at the same
time as i am so that is 180 degrees on the other side of the earth. works for
me. yes, you do get a longer qso period. i talked with my friend charlie, in
hong kong for about 10 minutes. that would be an entire leo pass. (sorry if i
hogged him so someone else couldn't get a qso for a new country).
as more and more of the long range telephone manufacturers build their
radios in the 2m ham band for export from the u.s. and they leak into the u.s.
or for that reason get on the air in all the foreign countries, i think you will find
your brand new u/v or v/u satellite totally useless. even if the fcc is successful
in banning them from the u.s. and fining companies that sell them within our
borders, they will still muck up the outside world.
oh well, only said my two cents worth. my drake cost $25 with the crystal, $70
for the conifer 39" dish and $35 for 100 feet of rg6. i have never done
anything in ham radio that inexpensively in all the 8 years i have been a ham.
ah...but i had help, someone else modified the drake for me and another ham
came over to help me mount the antenna.
73...bruce
============================================================================
Bruce Paige, KK5DO Internet: kk5do@arrl.net
Houston, Texas kk5do@amsat.org
AMSAT Awards Manager kk5do@amsatnet.com
ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE
Houston AMSAT Net - Tuesday, 8PM CST on W0KIE Satcom C3, T24, 7.5Mhz
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