Satgen403  RS12KT Easy Sat Pt1   by GM4IHJ  (BID SGEN403)   14 Dec 96

For anyone seeking the simplest ( but one of the most rewarding )
introductions to Amsat operating, satellite RS12 with its dual mode
KT, is by far the best and the most popular bird in the Amsat aviary.
Uplink is 21.21 to 21.25 Mhz, downlinks are simultaneous, 29.41 to
29.45 and 145.91 to 145.95 Mhz. Beacons are 29.4081 and 145.9125 Mhz.

These excellent features have some important consequences. If you want
to get familiar with tuning and tracking satellite signals , you can
monitor 145.91 to 145.95 for the clearest and strongest downlink
available anywhere, or , if you lack 2m reception and or want to try a
typical HF downlink then 29.41 to 29.45 is easy to receive on a simple
wire or dipole antenna. The lower part of these bands features CW
users( with some very neat fists evident every day if you need to
polish up your morse ). While the upper halves of these bands are used
by USB stations providing good tuning practise on the fast doppler of
2m or the slower 10m signals, ( doppler being 5 times more pronounced
on 2m than on 10m).

Then when you have acquired reception experience, you can try sending
an uplink signal , noting that a simple subtraction of 8.2 Mhz from
your listening frequency gives you a rough guide to your uplink
frequency ( within + or -  500 hz at 10m or 2500 hz at 2m). Once on
RS12KT you should find a wealth of possible contacts. A one day SWL
listen to 4 orbits produced the following countries CT,DJ,EA.EU,F5,
G,HC,IK,K1,KL,OK,ON,OZ,PA,RW6,SP9,UB9,W4,YU.and 7Q.

DX aficionadoes will recognise that several of the above callsigns
were from way outside the footprint of RS12 when it was above the GM
Scotland horizon.This is typical of the special bonus of RS12 even at
the present nadir of the solar activity cycle. RS12 at 1000 kms
altitude catches every wiff of propagation even at 29 Mhz allowing two
way contacts far beyond its horizon, when terrestrial stations get
nothing. On the above day , IHJ copied Alaskan stations while later as
the sat appeared over New Zealand ZL2VAL copied JA signals.

But be warned . 21Mhz is a terrestrial band, so half the people you
hear do not know they are accessing a satellite thousands of miles
away and are certainly not listening for a 29Mhz downlink. Some radio
amateurs make their preference Known. The EA and RB7 stations were
specifically calling CQ 21, while most of the satellite users called
CQ satellite. Not all do this. But, whatever they do, it does give you
a clear indication of just who might talk to who, if they tried RS12.

Just a few days ago a GI asked would Phase3D be accessible on a
handtalkie. Why wait for P3D. RS12KT allows you to do it. Listen on a
2m HT now and if you have QRP 21Mhz you can communicate. Just
listening to the excellent RS12 2m downlink can produce many
surprises, and as solar flux increases , its ability to surprise with
super DX will double and redouble - Next weeks satgen Pt2 will discuss
the several types of ionospheric propagation which make KT mode
operation so very interesting and rewarding.
PS Ao10 is still FMing only slightly, unless it is hit by alligators.