Patch on a Primestar, was [amsat-bb] Newbie: Is S2 TX "on" outside of schedule?

["Bill Acito W1PA" <w1pa@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I take it back. Fred, you can sleep easy again.

I thought my patch was louder.

I was just listening to the MB and transponder window at MA 50, Squint
about 10 deg, 45K km. Could hear four or five SSB QSO's (K0's, a CT1,
XE).

I swapped back and forth between the cupped patch and the 5 1/2 turn
helix I have...  wingnuts are a wonderful thing. The helix hears the MB
about 1 s-unit better on my FT-847 than the patch.

I think I could just hear the transponder floor with it as well. Just
enough to move the LCD meter one segment (half and s-unit?) as I tuned
in and out of the transponder window.

http://webpages.charter.net/acito/FD2003/newpatch.jpg

vs

http://webpages.charter.net/acito/FD2002/dishandboom.jpg
(This is an old photo. For this morning's test I used the same AIDC
downconverter and only swapped the feed.)

This is a 0.9 x 0.6m Primestar dish. I know there are reports of patches
being slightly better on some offset fed dishes, but in this case it
seemed to follow the "rule of thumb":
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/Dish_Feed.html
See the conclusions at the bottom.

Thanks Fred!

Bill
W1PA




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frederick M. Spinner" <fspinner@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
To: <w1pa@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Newbie: Is S2 TX "on" outside of schedule?


>
> Did that patch show any improvment over the helix feed?  I wonder this
because in theory a patch, even cupped like yours should over illuminate
the P* dish.
>
> Fred W0FMS
>

----
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