Re: [amsat-bb] AO-40 beacon question

["Mark L. Hammond" <mlhammond@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jon,

I found the article I was referring to.  The excellent article was done by 
Colin Hurst VK5HI.

http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/ao40/articles/AO40Squint.html

73,

Mark N8MH

At 07:31 AM 3/02/03 -0600, Jon Ogden wrote:
>All,
>
>The fellow from Washington state that is having problems hearing AO-40
>brings up a question that I have that I noticed yesterday.
>
>I was trying to hear the beacon yesterday when the satellite was about
>30,000 km in elevation and the squint was about 33 degrees.  I think the MA
>was around 30 or so at the time.  The bird was at about 180 degrees and 35
>degrees elevation for me - in the clear.
>
>I heard nothing, squat, zip.
>
>The beacon is supposed to be on for the whole orbit now, so unless there was
>one of those "glitches" it should have been copyable I though.
>
>But then I had the following question:
>
>Is it possible at certain heights and certain squints to be out of the beam
>of the S2 antenna?  Even though I can "see" the bird, is it possible that
>the elevation is too close to earth and so the antenna pattern is two
>narrow?  That coupled with the squint could make it such that some people
>could hear the beacon when others can't.
>
>I haven't looked at the specs of the S2 antenna.  I know this sort of thing
>would have been an issue with the S1 antenna with its higher gain and narrow
>pattern.  But could it happen now?  Was just trying to make some sense out
>of why I couldn't hear it.
>
>A half hour later or so and I heard the beacon fine.
>
>73,
>
>Jon
>NA9D
>
>-------------------------------------
>Jon Ogden
>NA9D (ex: KE9NA)
>
>Citizen of the People's Democratic Republik of Illinois
>
>Life Member: ARRL, NRA
>Member:  AMSAT, DXCC
>
>http://www.qsl.net/na9d   <- Updated on 1/22/03!!!
>
>"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
>
>
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Mark L. Hammond  [N8MH]


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