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Author Topic: 1st SSB contacts on the birds  (Read 3506 times)

WK4U

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1st SSB contacts on the birds
« on: October 15, 2008, 11:54:42 AM »

Hello all.

Made my very first SSB contacts via a couple satellites last weekend out in my driveway.  Took my TS-2000 and put it on the tailgate of my truck, along with a laptop running Ham Radio Deluxe.  Used headphones and a hand held PTT switch along with my trusty arrow antenna.  It was a lot of work, but a LOT of fun.

When I'm in the satellite, I know it since I can hear myself on the downlink.  That makes SURE my antenna is pointed correctly :)  So when I finally find myself, I notice I have to use the RIT control and tune about 3-4 KHz away.  Then when calling CQ, I got a couple of contacts, but seemed to constantly fiddle with the RIT control to keep the other ham tuned in.  

From what I've read, HRD is supposed to account for all Doppler shift both uplink and downlink.  I was under the impression I would set the frequency, then forget about it.  While I left my tuning knob alone (thus my uplink frequency alone), I had to to the RIT dance to keep understanding the other guys.  Is this normal?  How do you guys work your radios and frequency adjustments when making SSB contacts on the birds?

By the way, for those of you trying to hear the birds using a regular vertical antenna at home or on your vehicle - give it up.  Using a beam makes all the difference in the world.  Same equipment, beam antenna = success.

-Tim


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KB9CRY

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1st SSB contacts on the birds
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2008, 05:26:13 PM »

You're supposed to vary your receive and never touch the transmit.
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KO4MA

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1st SSB contacts on the birds
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2008, 10:35:06 AM »

First off, congratulations!

Sounds like either HRD isn't tuning correctly, or at all, or the frequencies it is using are not calibrated for your rig. I've not used HRD, but I can tell you that SatPC32 works flawlessly for doppler tuning. I use it with my laptop and 817 in the field, and with my 910 at home. The best part is the way it will follow you across a transponder as you tune by hand.

To reply to KB9CRY, if you are not tuning both uplink and downlink at the same time, the convention is to only tune the higher of the two bands. That would be the uplink on AO-7 (both V/H and U/V), VO-52, and DO-64, and the downlink on FO-29.

73, Drew KO4MA
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WD9EWK

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1st SSB contacts on the birds
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2008, 09:26:55 AM »

Tim-

Congratulations!  Hope I hear you on the SSB birds.  I'm currently using a pair of FT-817NDs with an Arrow Antennas handheld Yagi, and doing all adjustments manually.  No computer control for this portable setup.  More work than the FM satellites, but fun.  More satellites, more passes to work during a day...  :-)
 
Good luck and 73!



Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

KA1MDA

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1st SSB contacts on the birds
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2008, 09:56:21 PM »

I use SatPC32, and it has options for correcting doppler shift. Most stations using manual frequency control correct for the downlink. Some stations, which are fully automated, correct for doppler both ways. SatPC32 will do it either way. Usually, for SSB birds I set it up to correct downlink only to make it easy for the guys tuning manually. On the FM birds, like ISS, I set the program up to correct for doppler both ways- helps keep me in the center of the passband on both uplink and downlink.

Tom, KA1MDA
www.ka1mda.org
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