I need some help! I have been working the low sats for a couple of years using a Cushcraft 738XB as a downlink antenna. With a mast mounted pre-amp, it will let me work the low orbit sats down to 2 degrees sometimes to 0 degrees.
I just built a .75 meter off-set dish to recieve AO-40 during the holidays while AO-40 was out of service. Last night (Jan 6) was a good pass and I was receiving the beacon S7 to S9, the noise level was S0 to S1, and most QSOs were S3 to S6, but I couldn't hear my own signal. When I finally found it, my whistling was barely audible and I couldn't hear my voice at all. I was running my 50 watt from my TS-2000X.
This 738XB is supposed to have about 14dB gain(so they claim)and should have set off Leila at 25 watts. I tried down to a 2degree squint and it got no better.
I have heard that you have to use more power sometimes, just because everyone else is, but last night I heard one guy say he was using 5 watts and had a S3 signal (I didn't hear what kind of ant. he used).
I swept the sky (az and el) to see if my antenna was not off alignment, changed polarity, all to no avail.
I have heard that several years ago Cushcraft made some lousy sat antennas, and I was wondering if this was one of them. I got it new-old stock from a dealer for a cheap price (compared to M2 and others) but I am puzzled why it won't reach AO-40.
If anyone has had any experience with these antennas please let me know before I take it off and buy an M2.
Thanks,
Thomas KA5YJJ