Re: [amsat-bb] FO-20 and Horizon Obstruction

["Edward R. Cole" <al7eb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:41 PM 11/14/2003 -0800, mike@hatzakis.net wrote:
>
>I am fairly new to this satellite hobby and I am now just trying to hit
>FO-20.  I heard nothing and realized that in the azimuth heading of 60-90
>degrees or NE to East, I have a mild mountain behind me.  It starts at a
>elevation of zero to a max of 30 degrees or so here in the NW at this time.
>
>At a distance of about 1/4 mile from here, there is a grade that peaks at an
>elevation change of about 1000 feet or so compared to my QTH.  I am at 550
>and the top is about 1500.  Is it simple geometry to figure out the minimum
>elevation to which I can hear a satellite?  Ideas?
>
>Michael, K3MH

Michael,

Disregarding earth curvature, its simple trig:  1/4-mile = 5280/4 = 1320
feet which forms the horizontal leg of a triangle
the vertical leg is 1500- 550 = 950 feet
the angle is the arc-tan (950/1320) = arc-tan (.72) = 39.7 degrees elevation

or in simple terms a "big hill"!

73, Ed - AL7EB



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