COMMUNICATING OVER LOE FM SATELLITES LARRY BROWN WB5CXC LARRY BROWN WB5CXC

WB5CXC making a satellite contact

Equipment 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 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 at 9:30

On 4/01/08 at 20:35 at 10 deg. elevation and 177 deg. azimuth you 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 start making contacts. ElevationAzimuth

Simulation of a pass in the Future

MacDoppler - MAC program - 3D View

MacDoppler - MAC program - 2D View

Antenna Dual 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 Plans Cheap Antenna designed by WA5VJB Web site vjbcy.html 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 Design 2M & 70CM

Arrow Antenna 10W Duplexer

AO-51 Frequencies Transmit Receive Khz doppler effect Doppler Effect - satellite coming towards you - the frequency is higher - when the satellite is going away the frequency is lower

TransmitToneReceive AOS Mid-Pass LOS

Operating Set your handheld for receive on and transmit 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-5 Using both VFOs 1 for Tx the other for Rec’v

On 4/01/08 at 20:35 at 10 deg. elevation and 177 deg. azimuth you 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 start making 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 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:

IOio Satellite Antenna

432 IO Satellite Antenna

Egg Beater II - 432Mhz