jlramirez
Premium
join:2004-10-01
Montgomery, IL
clubs:
edit:
March 30th, @05:48PM
| Satellite Users & Antennas
Anyone here using the birds?
I'm in one of those lucky areas where antennas are restricted (though I'm still thinking about sneaking some up and waiting to see what happens) and have to resort to putting antennae in my attic.
With that in mind, does anyone have any good recommendations on antennas for satellite work? I have the 2M and 70cm eggbeaters that I've used outside in temporary setups that work ok, a CP directional, and my handheld that I've been using with the HT. I don't have a rotor in the attic, so was thinking of throwing the eggbeaters up there and sticking to omni type antennas with CP.
I am also toying with the idea of building a lindy (as I don't think there are any commercial ones that I've seen) and have heard that others have had decent reception of sats with them. Would be running back to my IC910..
Just looking to get something a bit more permanent setup instead of the odd stares I get from passersby and my neighbors along with the ability to work the birds when its freezing, hot or raining out.. 
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Fiber Optics is the future of high-speed internet access. Stop by the BBR Fiber Optic Forum.
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Tommyastro
join:2004-01-18
Poughkeepsie, NY
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| Look into the Arrow handheld beam. A LOT of people use them. I may have to get myself one. Be aware, there are a number of sat hogs on the air, it's not easy getting through on the birds. Just keep at it.
»www.arrowantennas.com/146-437.html
Tom - KB2SMS |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| reply to jlramirez
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, has some excellent, easy-to-build Lindys for 2 Meters. He also has an innovative, "parasitic" Lindy for 70cm.
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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lenrev
join:2001-02-10
Grayslake, IL
| There was a good article in QST about a year ago in which the author, in an upper-floor apartment, used the Arrow antenna with hardware for RV sat dish on his balcony. The combination could be used during evening passes then brought inside during the day.
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Len Revelle N9IJ
lenrev@comcast.net |
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Axilla
Finger, Finger
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-26
Schofield, WI
clubs: | reply to Tommyastro
Cant say I have used his sat antenna, however the Arrow Antenna's are built very well and are very robust. Thats my experience at least with their 2m/440 jpoles. |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| I've got an Arrow I use for portable ops, and they're nicely made. One "dirty little secret" about them is the 70cm elements are about 1/2" too short. They were modeled by several people based on the 'as-shipped' dimensions, and those dimension scale perfectly for elements that are insulated from the boom. Since the elements go *through* the boom, they wind up being too short! I got some threaded 1/4" thick aluminum spacers, and add one under each element before I put it together, and the gain is noticeably improved on 70cm.
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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Axilla
Finger, Finger
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-26
Schofield, WI
clubs: | IS that the jpole or a the yagi you are talking about? |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs: | The dual-band Yagi. |
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jlramirez
Premium
join:2004-10-01
Montgomery, IL
clubs:
| reply to drjim
said by drjim  : Since the elements go *through* the boom, they wind up being too short! I got some threaded 1/4" thick aluminum spacers, and add one under each element before I put it together, and the gain is noticeably improved on 70cm. I read about that with them (electrically being part of the boom instead of insulated as per the design they were modeled after). I'll have to try it with my Arrow and see the difference.
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Fiber Optics is the future of high-speed internet access. Stop by the BBR Fiber Optic Forum. |
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jlramirez
Premium
join:2004-10-01
Montgomery, IL
clubs:
edit:
March 31st, @07:43AM
| reply to Tommyastro
said by Tommyastro :Look into the Arrow handheld beam. A LOT of people use them. I may have to get myself one. Be aware, there are a number of sat hogs on the air, it's not easy getting through on the birds. Just keep at it. » www.arrowantennas.com/146-437.htmlTom - KB2SMS I have one of the Arrow antennas that I use with my HT and have used with the mobile... Looking for something more permanent with my radio in my home office that won't require constant movement/intervention by me. Finally looking to start dabbling with the packet side of the sats and still the LEOs...
As for the hogs, I like to find the passes that are late, during the day or other odd hours...I avoid the weekends for that reason...
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Fiber Optics is the future of high-speed internet access. Stop by the BBR Fiber Optic Forum.
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burner50
Pinlifter
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
On the lead
·Mediacom
 ·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to jlramirez
said by jlramirez :I'm in one of those lucky areas where antennas are restricted I thought the FCC came out and said antennas were okay as long as they were capable of recieving digial transmissions??? |
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kewlkeed
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC
| reply to jlramirez
Not to hijack the thread, but I'm just curious if anyone can recommend a decent list of ham satellites (Current/accurate info) and perhaps a good program for tracking them?
I have an Icom IC-T90A, I think it allows for split band for using satellites (I THINK). Anyone ever try one of these for sat stuff? I would imagin I'd need a pretty big antenna, and perhaps the unit may be underpowered quite a bit.
Any advice for a sat noob?  |
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jlramirez
Premium
join:2004-10-01
Montgomery, IL
clubs:
edit:
March 31st, @08:11AM
| Venture over to amsat.org and click on the link "New to Satellites". There are some tutorials in there and you'll also find a link to a list of the satellites ("Satellite Information") and a status page (though sometimes the status isn't updated right away).
You don't need a whole lot (nor power) or a "big antenna" to get started..
EDIT: Biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't talk/transmit unless you can hear the satellite...
EDIT 2: You'll also need a dual band radio (or another single) so that you can hear the downlink on one band while uplinking on another..
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Fiber Optics is the future of high-speed internet access. Stop by the BBR Fiber Optic Forum.
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kewlkeed
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC
| reply to jlramirez
Thanks! Anyone know if the T90A will do this split operation properly? I'm at work and don't have the manual in front of me. (Anyone actually USED it in this application? That would be even better) |
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