Re: [amsat-bb] DX on LEO satellites

["Bruce Paige" <kk5do@xxxxxxxx>]

Date sent:      	Sat, 02 Jun 2001 09:49:28 -0600
To:             	amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org
From:           	"Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL" <vlfiscus@mcn.net>
Subject:        	Re: [amsat-bb] DX on LEO satellites

> Wayne is correct and I'm sure he sees the same things in IL.  For me or 
> Wayne to work some of the countries you mention Bruce, we'd need a KW ERP 
> to get into the birds when they're on the horizon over central America and
> that's not friendly to other operators.

first, if i can work them while operating with an ht and arrow antenna using 5 
watts from new york (about as far north as montana), then you should be able 
to work them from montana. i never said that you could work 100% of all the 
countries that i can work from houston. but you can work all the northern parts 
of canada and some of europe that i **never** get a chance to work. 

i believe that if you have a receive station that can hear the satellite, then the 
2m uplink is no problem. when i am at home, i use up to 50 watts. the fcc 
states that you can use the power necessary to make the contact. if it is 50 
watts then that's what you use. you are not labeled an aligator if you make a 
contact with someone or a dx station. 

you probably will be labled an aligator if you use a lot of power all the time for 
all your contacts. 

some of these stations have been on for one or two passes and that's it. 
maybe a week or two later they get back on. maybe it is because they work, 
maybe they share their radio with a spouse, maybe they borrow the radio 
from a friend. but whatever the case, they are there and you have to be there 
when they are. having a higher orbit satellite doesn't help that problem. we 
are still working ao-10 and working europe, africa and asia.

why is it you think another satellite is needed to accomplish dx when we have 
satellites now that do it? amsat has to move forward with newer and better 
technology in order to keep the hobby alive. i don't think we can do anything 
to improve on the radios, antennas or satellites for 2m/70cm. however, by 
moving up to 1.2g/2.4g/5g, we can develop newer radios, newer antennas 
and newer technologies. 

anyone that would like to discuss satellite technology is welcome at the 
amsat board of directors meeting that follows the symposium each year 
(sunday and monday). robin, ve3frh, even met with amsat members at dayton 
so that they could discuss their views. 

these debates are great however, i think they tend to start finger pointing and 
lead to individual attacks. my intention was not to attack vince, but show that 
you can work dx with 5 watts. 

73...bruce



============================================================================
Bruce Paige, KK5DO                    Internet: kk5do@arrl.net 
Houston, Texas                                  kk5do@amsat.org 
AMSAT Awards Manager                            kk5do@amsatnet.com
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