COMMUNICATING OVER LOE FM SATELLITES

COMMUNICATING OVER LOE FM SATELLITES

LARRY BROWNWB5CXC

LARRY BROWNWB5CXC

WB5CXC making a satellitecontact

EquipmentEquipment

Dual Band Handheld - 2M & 70 CM

Dual Band Antenna - 2M & 70 CM (3 elements on 2M - 6 elements on 70 CM)

Duplexer for the antenna

Satellite Tracking Program

Portable Recorder (optional)

FINDING THE SATELLITES

FINDING THE SATELLITES

THERE ARE SEVERAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

ORBITRON IS A CARDWARE PROGRAM

Orbitron Main Screen

Setting up for a Prediction

Results of a Prediction

What kind of coverage etc. do we have at4/01 @ 9:30

On 4/01/08 at 20:35 at 10 deg. elevation and 177 deg. azimuthyou will get AOS (Acquisition of Signal).

On 4/01/08 at 20:45 at 10 deg. elevation and 340 deg. azimuthyou will get LOS (Loss of Signal).

On 4/01/08 at 20:40 at 63 deg. elevation and 258 deg. azimuthyou have Mid-Path (highest elevation).

Most of the time you need to try for a Mid-Pass elevation above 30 deg. ~ 10 deg. elevation is the practical elevation to start hearing the satellite and ~ 15 deg. is where you can startmaking contacts.

ElevationAzimuth

Simulation of a pass in the Future

MacDoppler - MAC program - 3D View

MacDoppler - MAC program - 2D View

AntennaAntennaDual Band Antenna - 2M & 70 CM (3 elements on 2M - 6 elements on 70 CM)

Homebuilt using a 1” X 2” pine boom ~ 3’

Elements are made from #8 solid copper wire

Arrow Antenna Duplexer

Antenna PlansAntenna Plans

Cheap Antenna designed by WA5VJB

Web site www.fredspinner.com/W0FMS/cheapyagi/vjbcy.html

2M Elements are rotated 90 degrees from 70 CM Elements

Arrow Antenna 10W duplexer (board + parts ~ $ 29)

Elements are #8 bare copper wire (~ 1/8”)

440 Mhz Driven Element

3 Element 2 M Yagi

2M Driven Element

WA5VJB Cheap Antenna Design2M & 70CM

Arrow Antenna10W Duplexer

AO-51 FrequenciesAO-51 Frequencies

Transmit 145.920

Receive 435.300 + 10 Khz doppler effect

Doppler Effect - satellite coming towards you - the frequency is higher - when the satellite is going away the frequency is lower

Transmit Tone Receive

145.920 67.0 435.310

145.920 67.0 435.305

145.920 67.0 435.300

145.920 67.0 435.295

145.920 67.0 435.290

AOS

Mid-Pass

LOS

OperatingOperatingSet your handheld for receive on 435.310 and transmit 145.920 tone 67.0 hz

Open your squelch (satellite won’t be full quieting)

Observe the time and point your antenna toward the bearing and elevation as indicated by the software

When the noise starts to fade you are starting to pick up the satellite

Yaesu VX-5Using both VFOs1 for Tx the other for

Rec’v

On 4/01/08 at 20:35 at 10 deg. elevation and 177 deg. azimuthyou will get AOS (Acquisition of Signal).

On 4/01/08 at 20:45 at 10 deg. elevation and 340 deg. Azimuth you will get LOS (Loss of Signal).

On 4/01/08 at 20:40 at 63 deg. elevation and 258 deg. Azimuth you have Mid-Path (highest elevation).

Most of the time you need to try for a Mid-Pass elevation above 30 deg. ~ 10 deg. elevation is the practical elevation to start hearing the satellite and ~ 15 deg. is where you can startmaking contacts.

ElevationAzimuth

The satellite will start to fade, rotate your antenna to get a stronger signal (changing the antenna phase).

As the signal gets muffled or the satellite gets higher you will have to decrease the frequency due to the doppler effect.

Typical exchanges are short -

“This is Whiskey Bravo 5 Charlie Xray Charlie Echo Mike 2 0” “Copy EM 2 0 - N5FGM EM 45”

The exchange is your call sign and your Grid Square - mine is EM20. Give your call using ITU phonetics.

Worked Grid Square program:

http://VE2ZAZ.net/WorkedGrids/WorkedGrids.htm

IOio Satellite Antenna

432 IO Satellite Antenna

Egg Beater II - 432Mhz