Re: [amsat-bb] patch antennas for AO-51

[Anthony Monteiro <aa2tx@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friends,

I tried receiving AO-51 with a home-made LHCP patch
that had been part of an AO-40 experiment. It had
been sitting outside attached to a dish laying on the ground
and unprotected from the elements for over 2 years.
The patch was badly tarnished and the grounding
pin at the center was actually rusty.

Nonetheless, it was still quite easy to hear AO-51 through
most of a pass with it so it would be reasonable to assume
that any commercially made patch would work fine.


Here is an alternative antenna that you can easily make:

Go to the grocery store and buy something in a
3.25" diameter by 4.25" tall can. Remove the contents
and punch a 5/8" hole, 2.6" from the unopened end.
Get a single-hole, chassis mount N-connector and solder
a small piece of #14 gauge wire to it. The end of the
wire should stick up 1.25" from the base of the connector.
Attach the connector to the 5/8" hole.

This antenna can be connected directly to the down-converter
and it works about as well as a patch. AO-51 signals were
very easy to hear with it and it is light-weight,
cheap, and not too directional so it is not hard to hold
in one hand and point at the satellite.

Enjoy!
73,
Tony AA2TX

---

>--- ANTHONY JAPHA <tjjapha@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi S-band users,
> > Wonder if anyone has used a commercial patch antenna
> > (no dish) for the S-band downlink.  This would be
> > for a hand-held operation.
> >
> > What's been your experience?  What models have you
> > used?  Anyone use a Hypergain antenna from Hyperlink
> > Technologies?  VK2TRF got me thinking about it.  Has
> > the patch been an improvement over a hand-held helix
> > and/or dipole with corner reflector?
> >
> > Tnx and 73,
> > Tony, N2UN
----
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