[amsat-bb] Re: OSCAR 7 Mode B

[Emily Clarke <w0eec@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ron,

Here is the technique I'm using.  It seems pretty easy, though working AO-7 
is always challenging.

1) Tune your receiver to 145.9445 and your transmitter to 432.148 and put 
both in CW mode.
2) Wait for Oscar 7 to be approximately 7 degrees above the horizon.
3) Start sending a short (2-3) burst of CW dits.
4) Slowly tune your receiver (not your transmitter) up and down +/- 2KHz 
until you hear your uplink returned down.
5) If you have it, switch to USB on receive and LSB on transmit and try 
phone.  You may not hear phone right away but should as the satellite comes 
closer. You may need to adjust your receiver again too.

Remember it's higher than the FM satellites and FO-29 so it's farther away 
for a similar elevation. Thus the path loss is greater.  But if you can't 
hear your downlink by the time the satellite hits 25 degrees of elevation 
then the satellite may be in Mode A.  If this happens a number of passes 
(4-6) there is probably something that needs to be looked at in your 
receive or transmit setup.  So here are some additional pieces of 
information to collect:

1) See if you can hear any QSOs in the range of 145:950-953 USB - that is 
where a lot of QSOs take place.
2) Listen for the CW beacon.  It is nominally 145.9775 but towards the end 
of the pass it's down around 145.970 or there abouts.

If you can't hear either don't panic - the satellite could be in Mode A, so 
listen a couple of times.

Let me know how it works out for you and any information you can 
provide.  Also don't get discouraged - working AO-7 is an acquired skill 
and hard work, but once you've acquired it it becomes infinitely easier 
(though always a challenge.)

73,

Emily


>At 07:32 AM 11/8/2003 -0800,Ron wrote:
>
>Thanks Emily.  I've tried AO-7 a few times with no success.  I'll keep trying
>though.  Thanks for putting up the excellent web page.  73.


W0EEC - CM87tm
ARRL - AMSAT - MSARC - ARCA - Project OSCAR
AMSAT Area Coordinator - San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.projectoscar.net
http://www.emilyshouse.com/W0EEC
http://www.experthams.net/ao7


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