[NLRS] W1AW/0 on satellites

[Rolf Krogstad]

Well, I just discovered there is a keyboard sequence that will send a
message, no mouse needed.  Not sure what it is but it works great because I
just sent out my email long before it was completed!  I'll try again.

W1AW/0 from Minessota on the satellites

This pales in comparison to HF but I had fun working as W1AW/0 on the
satellites.
I worked a total of 13 passes, each pass lasts approximately 10-12 minutes.

Satellites & QSO Count
AO-7 = 3 passes, SSB=3, CW=1
AO-73 = 1 pass, SSB=5
FO-29 = 5 passes, SSB=15, CW=1
SO-50 = 2 passes, FM=6
VO-52 = 2 passes, SSB=4, CW=1

Stations worked were USA and Canada plus one CO and one PY.
Since both stations can hear their downlink signal it tends to be fairly
orderly without pileups, with the exception of the FM satellite where it is
a zoo. It is a single frequency FM repeater, unlike the ssb/cw transponders
which have 30-100 KHz band, and people step on each other all the time.  If
all we had were FM satellites, I wouldn't bother with them.

These satellites are all 2m up and 70cm down or vice versa, 70cm up and 2m
down.  There is the doppler shift where the 70cm band changes in frequency
at 3 times the rate of the 2m signal, and the rate of change on each band
is faster as the satellite approaches your qth.   And the antenna must be
constantly moved to track the satellite.  I don't have elevation control on
my antenna yet, so that is another thing to consider while operating.
The frequency and antenna pointing can all be computer controlled, but I am
not there yet.  So during a QSO it feels like I really need one or two more
hands!

All in all.....Good Times!

Thanks for organizing this Bill, AC0W and Jon, W0ZQ.

73
Rolf  NR0T