Satgen599  Sat Beginner 2000  by GM4IHJ  (BID SGEN599)  2000-09-16

Recent experience with 2 subteen youngsters, has brought home the
fact that getting started on amateur satellites is not what it used
to be. Finding equipment to start them listening, was not all that
difficult. An old FRG7 receiver plus a 2m converter , met one
starters requirements. While the second beginner did even better ,
with an old ICOM Rx which covered both HF, and VHF via a built in
converter.

Antennas were more difficult. Both houses had modern double glazed
PVC framed window units , with no hope of getting permission to drill
a feeder hole. So the feeders had to go up through the ceiling into
the roof space and out from under the eaves, and thence to simple
dipoles.

Wired up and powered up, they have been gently introduced to
satellite reception from RS13, and the sometimes usable Oscar 10.
All of which soon revealed how difficult youngsters find , tuning a
dopplering side band signal . Particularly when the overs are short.
None the less weekends with plenty of traffic have proved popular.
But the lack of weekday signals was a problem until school restarted
for the winter term.

Extra SSB tuning practice has been obtained on the HF terrestrial
bands , and monitoring the very useful NCDX beacons on one band after
another, has introduced them to CW with no doppler . But none of this
is all that exciting for trendy modern subteen internet afficionados
, for whom packet radio seems tame and, who are switched off
completely by IHJs 9600 bps UHF satellite reception.

With P3D now unlikely to be fully operational before the end of
2001. There appear to be only two other amateur radio space signal
sources likely to be available to them in the coming year. Hopefully
both MIR and the International Space Station will come on the air
with some amateur radio voice traffic which they can copy. This could
help them get a better understanding of orbital mechanics. In that
they can both learn how to predict satellite arrival times above
their horizon , and with the two space stations, actually see them
crossing part of their sky as they catch and reflect sunlight over a
darkened earth just after local sunset and just before local sunrise.

Some time will be spent introducing them to the NOAA and Meteor
satellites . Where together with IHJs picture software on their
computers they can actually see what the satellite is seeing and
match this to their orbital predictions.

Beyond that however the future is not bright. P3D is not a beginners
satellite , and it is difficult to guess how much longer 9 year old
RS13 has left. One day soon RS13 will disappear and there is no sign
of a successor, or, a beginner useful mode B LEOsat. Yes there are
the 70cm down FM single channel repeaters. But wiring up a 70cm
converter so that they can listen to the less than desirable
operating tactics one hears on those birds when they are over Europe.
Is likely to turn them off for ever.