|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
|
1-10 of 12 messages
|
Page 1 of 2
Next
|
|
Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by KE7NDD on May 9, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hi!
I'm completely new to the hobby and thought I might have a go at working a satellite or two.
I'm a bit confused. I think i've figured out how to get the shift set up and what not. But what I'm having trouble with is that on the information page for AO-51 it mentions 9600 Baud AFSK. In the Kenwood manual it mentions the center frequency and operating modes.
ie: 1700 HZ is Packet (AFSK 1200 bps)
Theres no mention of the correct center frequency and operating mode are for AFSK? I tried googling it but to no avail.
Thanks for all your help!
73 de
KE7NDD Liz
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by W7AIT on May 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I own a TS2000X. I operate 3 other satellites & AO51.
1. I cannot recall AO51 ever being used for AFSK. I have never ever heard data from AO51. Majority of operators are running FM voice. Think you are wasting your time.
2. Kenwood TS2000 will default to 1750 tone. For satellites requiring a 67 hz tone, you must change from 1750 default to 67 hz. Currently AO51 does not require any tone at all, so turn your tone OFF.
3. Center frequency for AO51 (or any satellite): You must account for doppler shift in both TX and RX. In RX on AO51, doppler can be as high as 3 khz / minute and as high as a 20 khz total shift from AOS to LOS. I use automatic doppler correcting program called SATPC32 which correctly sets the start AOS frequency and then doppler corrects properly automatically during each of the AO51 passes. You need to set up like this. The advertised receive frequency for AO51 is 435.300 but that is the nominal, directly over head, not corrected for doppler. The advertised TX is 145.920 but then again it is not corrected for doppler; and note its doppler shift is REVERSE from RX because you are transmitting up to the bird and it hears you high, so you need to come in lower to higher when transmitting.
4. Some stations do this doppler MANUALLY, by twisting the VFO dials but that is very crude and the operator is busier than a one armed paper hanger with the hives. Get the software & life will get much easier. Also shows WHEN AND WHERE to point antennas.
5. Ham Radio Deluxe NOT recommended, he’s never fixed the satellite tool to correctly track albeit he has beautiful graphs and charts, but it’s totally useless as far as staying on the correct frequencies in TX and RX. Much worse in SSB CW modes too. I’ve heard poor stations trying to use HRD and they are all over the passband, if in it at all. HRD NOT recommended for satellites.
6. Read your TS2000 manual, it has two setups, on for the communications baud rate to and from the control computer and a separate baud rate for the actual data transmissions from the built in TNC. The baud rates can be different from one another, depending on your computer and what you are trying to do with the TNC. Again READ THE MANUAL.
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by KE7NDD on May 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hi!
Doh! I looked at the bottom of the page and in small print it says that a 9600 baud connection is not affected by the packet filter setting ok i feel like a dork :)
Is amsat.org an accurate place to get my satellite info. I ask because It seems to say that the AO-51 has a BBS running on it .
For software im using gpredict in linux.
You should see my manual *laugh* it looks well it looks awful. But I am reading it alot.
thank you much for the reply :)
Liz
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by W7AIT on May 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
MORE.....
You will need a good antenna. Without a good antenna, you will not successfully hear the satellites/ work satellites.
Minimum required is a ARROW with LOW LOSS COAX. The ARROW is hand pointed at the satellite so you will also need your trusty SATPC32 program running on your laptop set up long side the rig and ARROW antenna.
The ARROW cannot handle more than 5 watts so be sure to run 5 watts maximum or you'll blow up the diplexer in the handle of the ARROW.
Recommend you try my antenna design "HOT ROD ARROW" in the AMSAT journal Jan / Feb issue. Its designed to handle 50 watts on 435 and 100 watts on 2 meters (I discard the diplexer and run coaxes differently), has built in RF switched RX preamps, and a rotor so you can point the antenna at the satellite as it goes over. The antenna uses low loss 9913 cable. If you build one and use it for a shack setup, antenna remote in the back yard, 100 feet of 9913 is acceptable in the loss gain calculations. It gets better if the run is short if setup is next to the arrow itself because then the coax is only 12 feet, not 112 feet, and you get a 2 db cable loss improvement.
Anyway, you will need a good antenna. Pointing your HT rubber ducky at the satellite / offset the ducky etc, won’t cut it working satellites, sorry.
BTW, be careful becoming a ALLIGATOR station, we’ve all done it at one time or another – its very easy to transmit up to the satellite, jam it and qso’s in progress, and not hear yourself or any of this. SO BE SURE YOU WORK ON RECEIVING PROPERLY BEFORE YOU TRANSMIT. If you can’t hear them, DON’T transmit!
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by W7AIT on May 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
AMSAT website is generally accurate. They try to keep it up to date. I would check about the PBBS, but I think it was shut off, or never worked correctly, or something. I tried it and never heard anything. Again I went back to FM as that is where the action is. BTW, check the AO51 schedule page, you'll find when or if various modes are turned on / operational.
AMSAT AO51 current schedule shows the BBS OFF.
As far as AMSAT data accuracy, FO29 died the other day and the AMSAT site totally took FO29 information off the status page. Today, it shows some current info on FO29 but they want us not to use it until they advise its working again. Seems to be some sort of battery "A" buss power issue, so we'll need to not use FO29 until they resolve and tell us its ok.
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by KO4MA on May 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
The AO-51 BBS is off, but the telemetry is still active, 9600 baud, on 435.150. The BBS is off due to a interference issue until we can get some software rewritten, but has worked (with the interference) since launch.
73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP of Operations
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by W8KAR on May 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
When the BBS was on, at 9600 baud it just sounds like static (this is normal). Watch the S-meter, it will go way up when the PBBS is on at 9600.
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by K3KWH on May 24, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I know the following is well-intentioned, but it is highly inaccurate:
"Minimum required is a ARROW with LOW LOSS COAX. The ARROW is hand pointed at the satellite so you will also need your trusty SATPC32 program running on your laptop set up long side the rig and ARROW antenna."
Directional antennas are NOT necessary to work all satellites, neither are software control and receive preamplifiers. Do those help? Certainly, but they are not necessary.
Omni circularly-polarized antennas work just fine and can be built for little cost. So can simple preamps. Get an older Handbook, or better yet, the RSGB VHF Manual. Living in an apartment makes it impossible to install directed antennas, but by using omnis I have been able to get into AO-7, FO-29 (before it went belly-up), and AO-51. My antennas? Homebrew lindenblad for 145 (no preamp) and a starpole turnstile for 435 (sometimes use a preamp, depending on pass). This won't allow you to work every pass, but it will get you on the birds. Don't waste money until you're absolutely sure you want to keep up with this aspect of the hobby.
Arrow antenna as a minimum? Please!
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by KG4RUL on May 25, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Satscape works well with my TS2000X for doppler correction and also drives my homebrew AZ/EL rotator system.
The ARROW dual band anntenna can be used at up to 200 watts without the diplexer, which is of little use with the TS2000 as it has separate connectors for 2M and 70CM. However, if you operate at higher power levels, do not use it hand-held.
I have used the ARROW mounted on a heavy-duty camera tripod with a tilt/pan head (there is a tapped hole in the boom under the foam grip that mates up with the tripod screw). If you set the tilt to the maximum elevation for the pass you can then swing the antenna from starting azimuth to ending azimuth as the pass progresses.
Dennis KG4RUL
|
| |
|
RE: Kenwood TS-2000 and AO-51
|
Reply
|
|
by VE7CRT on July 6, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I too am a newbie to the 'newer' satellites (used to communicate using CW on RS satellites more than ten years ago) and to date have good success with AO51 FM voice.
Tried to listen to SO-50 and AO-27 but ran into a problem with my TS2000: If you refer to page 103 of the TS2000 manual you'll find a list of internal beats. In my case, the only beat that is loud is on 436.799 Mhz, smack in the middle of the down link frequency of AO-27 and SO-50. I wrote Kenwood about the problem but so far no reply.
I temporarily use a 2 meter J-Pole for the uplink and a homebrew 6 element vertically polarized quad tilted approx. 30 degrees up for the downlink. I also use a Down East Microwave LNA in the 435 Mhz downlink.
When I receive low loss coax I ordered I'll be able put my homebrew 4 element vertically polarized 2 metre quad into service on the uplink.
My first AO-51 contact was on field day: VE8RAC in the Hudson Bay area and since then I logged some 20 additional qso's.
I'm looking forward (hoping) that FO-29 comes back to life soon because I like CW.
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
Forum, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Forum Manager.
|
|
|
