[AReU] Another AO40 downlink working

[w4tas]

Mike (KD4LEB) heard my downlink on 2401.360 USB this morning. The copy was
very good. He was using a Cal. Amp. downconverter (large type), a DEMI
13ULNA preamplifier, an 18 inch DSS style dish, a 4 turn helix with a 1 inch
scalar ring and 4 inch reflector and an old ICOM 211 receiver on 2 meters.
He said that the "S" meter on the old ICOM was stuck on "S" 7 and he was
tuning by audio level only.  The beacon was "full quieting" and my downlink
SSB signal was very easy to copy.

I was running about 50 watts to a 18 element cross polarized Yagi with right
hand circular polarization. My uplink frequency was 435.6255 MHz LSB. I was
transmitting LSB but the receiver was receiving USB because the transponder
on the satellite is inverting.

The satellite was 56,000 km out with an azimuth of 223 degrees and an
elevation of 44 degrees.

Congratulations Mike!

BTW, Mike will be picking up two folks at the hospital today.
The point is that he only took one person to the hospital last Thursday.
The new addition looks like she could pick up on CW in just a few days.
I told Mike to turn on W1AW code practice and tape it for naptime and
bedtime use. It should put her right to sleep.
Start out at 5 WPM Mike! We don't want her to progress too fast.

73

Tony