[amsat-bb] AO-51 V/S reception report

[Scott Townley <nx7u@xxxxxxxx>]

Just listening...gotta iron out the kinks.
Using Yaesu VX-5R with DEMI AO-40 downconverter.  Standing out in the 
driveway, hand-steered, with Nova running on the laptop.

Antenna 1:  2x2 patch array.  No copy, but not sure I had the right 
freq.  I "calibrated" my downconverter a few hours before at +225kHz and 
left it on until the pass.
Antenna 2:  15 turn helix w/ cup reflector (from the very beginning of 
AO-40; in fact, my first AO-40 antenna attempt).  Finally found the carrier 
at 145.200, exactly where it was supposed to be with zero offset...now need 
to see if my downconverter really did drift down 225kHz during its 4-hour 
warmup.  Anyway, broken copy of a few stations, broken mainly by my frantic 
waving about in the dark.  Did copy Don, W7DAS well enough to id...yes on 
the bird, even though he lives 3 miles from me :-)

Will try again tomorrow night, still RX only, to get the feeling 
right.  When I was pointed right, the bird was full quieting, so I have 
enough RX.  Will try the patch array as well, it should be much easier to 
point and not lose too much C/I.

I've gotta get me a real tracking system :-)
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