Re: [amsat-bb] No VP6 tonight?

["Malcolm M. Preston" <malnp2l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

VP6DIA was on from about 2000 - 2100Z yesterday.  Great squint and after the
powerhouses and Leila departed I worked him.  He was really patient - moving
up and down to get out from under.

Mal, NP2L
----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Ogden <na9d-2@speakeasy.net>
To: Bill Booth <710138@ican.net>; <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] No VP6 tonight?


> Hi Bill,
>
> on 3/11/03 6:47 AM, Bill Booth at 710138@ican.net wrote:
>
> > Well I was one of those guys last nite that got a bit too close to the
> > beacon.....or so I was politely told.  I have not been on the bird that
long
> > so maybe some education is in order.
>
> Hey, at least you are willing to learn.  Making a mistake like this is not
> inexcusable if you just don't know.
> >
> > How far away from the beacon is the suggested norm. ??
> >
> I think you want to stay at least 10 KCs away from the beacon on either
side
> - especially for SSB.  I forget the exact spacing, but listen to what most
> other stations are doing.  Additionally, the control team has asked that
> during the K band window that those people using the S band downlink move
> even farther away from the beacon so that we are outside of the K band
> downlink.  That leaves K band downlink clear for the guys who want to use
> it.
>
> > Because of the doppler effect the beacon will move closer to you if you
are
> > just outside the beacon.  Since it is the practise to move recieve
> > frequency, eventually you are on the beacon.  So in the end you have to
move
> > off your orginal frequency and go elsewhere.....which means you should
start
> > at the top end of the band (where no one ever is) and work down (which
no
> > one does).  This means you should start out at the suggested norm plus
> > doppler and leave that space as dead band. ??-
> >
> Well, there's a couple ways to approach this.  If you have computer
control
> of the rig and you use the "one true rule" approach, you will be adjusting
> both up and downlink frequencies.  But it take both stations having this
> ability.
>
> But if you just tune your downlink, then yes, you will drift.  But that's
> expected.  Remember, the beacon will move somewhat as well due to doppler.
> But if you stay far enough above the beacon starting out, then you won't
> need to worry about it.  The AO-40 passband is just huge.  It's terribly
> underutilized, so there's no need to crowd the beacon.
>
> Finally, since you are new to the bird, you may also not realize that the
> control team has asked that all stations keep their downlink to a level of
> 10 dB below the beacon.  I was never active on AO-13 but I guess you only
> needed to be 3 dB or so below the beacon there.  Because of the problems
> that AO-40 has, it's a different animal.  There's a lot of really loud
> stations, particularly those running L band, but that doesn't make it
right.
> Loud signals on the U band uplink cause the AGC to go up hard and it makes
> it more difficult for everyone.
>
> Last night, I heard more stations that were nearly as strong as the beacon
> than I heard stations at the proper level.
>
> > Like I said I have an open mind and am willing to learn.
>
> That's a great way to look at things!
>
> Welcome to AO-40.
>
> 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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