Southgate Amateur Radio Club - G3SFG

I'm just opening up a new topic to discuss satellite operation. I know John 2E0TFJ is an expert. I'm barely a novice. However, Santa has delivered an Arrow 2 2m/70cm handheld beam antenna for satellite use, plus an Anytone D878UVII Plus. Sadly he forgot a BNC / SMC converter plug so I'm not QRV yet.

I have not put the antenna up yet, but will do so soon. I have got started with the Anytone 878 and can access GB3LV and GB3NL, which were already programmed into the Anytone on delivery. I just needed to reconfigure the GB3NL memory channel to use the 82.5Hz CTCSS code. I have no idea how to generate a toneburst from the radio yet, but I'll figure it out one day. The documentation that comes with the radio is rubbish, but there are loads of videos out there on YouTube on the 878, some of which I have watched. I have managed to figure out how to program the 878 and have managed to download the 3.0.4 firmware to the radio, which is the first firmware version that supports satellites. The radio came with 3.0.3 firmware which does not support satellite operation.

The following two videos were helpful to get started. I'll post more videos as I find them useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFZ37S7I6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN4mdiyPAzc

73 Nigel G0RPM / M2E

Nige,
I have moved this to the Public Area, General Discussion.

Nige,

Obviously with the handheld radio you will be working the FM satellites.

By far the easiest to work and get acquainted with satellite working is the ISS.

Use a good satellite tracker to find your passes, I use ISS Detector and paid for the amateur radio add on.
This is on an Android phone.

Another good free one is by W1ANT.

The ISS has about a 10 minute pass but gets very busy at weekends and other peak times.
I found it best to try and work it late evenings.
It is very loud and works like a crossband repeater.
Remember to programme the frequencies taking account of doppler shift (very noticeable on the 70cms downlink). I keep the uplink 2M frequency fixed and adjust on 70cms downlink.
Uplink requires a 67Hz CTCSS.

73 de G0KUX.

Thanks Peter - that is good intel.

I installed the ISS Detector app yesterday, but I need to pay for the extension that adds amateur satellites to the base ISS info. It will be interesting to compare the ISS data with the predicted data on the AnyTone 878.

73 Nigel

Just had my first go on satellites using an FM handheld into SO-50 using a handheld Arrow 2 antenna. Felt like mayhem with lots of stations calling at the same time. Heard stations from Ukraine, France, Germany and Romania. Alexandr UR5FCC called me and had a 2-way exchange. I wasn't 100% sure we completed, but I've just got an eQSL card from Alexandr confirming my first satellite QSO!

Nige,

The FM sats are always busy at weekends.
You did well to have a QSO through SO50 as the downlink from that is one of the weakest.

I use an audio recorder, an Androind phone watch, although the voice recorder on your phone would work if near the radio, then listen back once sat has passed to see who I had worked etc.

73 de G0KUX.

That recorder idea sounds like a great tip! Thanks.