[amsat-bb] K Band downlink success

[Mike73@xxxxxxx]

K Band sounded very good today 01/14/03. I first acquired the MB at 2121 UTC. 
Signals were the strongest I've seen them since reactivation several weeks 
ago. Today I saw signal 3-5 dB above the noise floor! This is still no where 
near as good as it was last spring when signals were 3-4 S units above the 
noise.

I was a bit disappointed at MA 128 when the U/L uplink came on. The MB on K 
Band immediately started to pulse up and down rapidly indicating someone 
using very high power on an uplink. Probably CW.... :-{

Shortly there after I actually lost the beacon and it took almost 5 minutes 
to find it again. While I was searching, I heard several loud CW 
stations...... and actually heard some SSB.

At ~MA 131, I was able to uplink in CW on U and heard my own downlink. I 
called CQ twice before K Band was terminated. I was ~ 20 KHz below the MB.

Today's test was very encouraging. Despite the hard limiting on the K 
downlink possibly due to high uplink power on either L or U...... I feel 
confident I'll be able to make at least a CW QSO.

73,
Mike, N1JEZ
AMSAT #29649
Local Area Coordinator
"A closed mouth gathers no feet."
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