<snip> > All, I just finish making (with the > help of my freind Jimmy, KZ7QCW) a Dual beam yagi accoring > to plans from Kent britain (WA5VJB). I Listened in on the > AO-51 pass at 004UT. I'm using my Kenwood TH-7D in > duplex mode. > > Heard a good signal and a few pile ups. I was able to tune > for the doppler pretty easy and kept a good signal. I tried > to break twice, but couldn;t get through, not sure it was me > or the antenna (my guess would be me). > > Even though i didn;t make a contact, I had fun listening > and learned a bit about how the communication process goes, > so hopefully my next attempt will be more sucessful. > > I will be on AO-51 again for the pass at 0001UT 15 Jul. I'd > appreciate anyone listening for me (K7TEJ) from DM33. > > Any advice & elmering is appreciated and welcomed. > > 73's and thanks in advance.
<snip> Welcome to satellites! I remember making my first contact during a quiet pass. There was only one station calling, so I had a good chance of my signal getting through. Had I tried during a pileup, I might not have been heard. My radio's an FT-817ND and, at first, I used the stock rubber duck antenna. I soon found that it had limitations, so I got myself an Arrow dual-band yagi. That made a lot of difference. I've found that the greatest skills one needs for operating over satellites is patience and a bit of luck, and I've done more listening than talking. I also tried different birds and different passes and made some interesting contacts that way. Listen for me on the FM satellites, especially AO-51 and AO-27. 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
