FT2900R and working the FM birds...

[KT0DD]

Does anyone know if the YAESU FT2900R 75 watt mobile has the programming capabilities to do odd offsets for compensating for the doppler effect when working the LEO FM birds? 

Thanks. Todd - KT0DD

[W5PFG]

The FT-2900R is a VHF-only radio.  It would work only as an uplink radio for SO-50 but  you will still need a receiver (handheld, scanner, etc) to serve as the downlink radio on UHF.  Bottom line - the only functioning satellite you can work with 2m only is the ISS packet digipeater and that will require either a TNC or soundcard interface to the FT-2900R.

[KT0DD]

I was actually planning on a dedicated ISS radio to try a voice contact with the crew albeit probably a rare thing outside of school contacts.

uplink 144.490 downlink 145.800. The Ft2900R is cheap enough to dedicate to this until I achieve my goal.

[W5PFG]

I was actually planning on a dedicated ISS radio to try a voice contact with the crew albeit probably a rare thing outside of school contacts.

uplink 144.490 downlink 145.800. The Ft2900R is cheap enough to dedicate to this until I achieve my goal.

Yes, crew to ham contacts are very rare these days.  Mostly you'll hear school contacts.  They don't use the same uplink frequency -- it's unpublished.  What I do is add the ISS voice frequencies to my memory bank and include them in scans.  That way, if I'm scanning, and I hear anything on 145.80, I know I can stop and be right there in the action.