This is a running record of how I have worked different satellites from my vehicle in a parked position using a varying combination of rigs and antennas.
Date: 10/19/05 21:30 UTC Orbit: 62903 Max El: 42 degrees
Satellite: AO-27 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: ICOM ICW32A Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: 2M 1/4 Wave Mag mount Antenna: Arrow 440-3
The downlink was a little noisier than with my normal dual-band Arrow. The Arrow 440-3 was easier to handle from the door of my vehicle than the dual-band Arrow. Forgot about running full duplex and that I need to have headphones on the downlink radio to keep from having feedback between the two radios.
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Date: 10/20/05 20:59 UTC Orbit: 62917 Max El: 23 degrees
Satellite: AO-27 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Yaesu FT817ND Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: 2M 1/4 Wave Mag mount Antenna: Arrow 440-3
This pass went better with using a headset on the THF6A. My uplink sounded better than I expected.
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Date: 10/20/05 21:30 UTC Orbit: 15222 Max El: 43 degrees
Satellite: SO-50 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Yaesu FT817ND Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: 2M 1/4 Wave Mag mount Antenna: Arrow 440-3
The results on this pass were better than I expected. Had to hold the Arrow 440-3 more carefully than with AO-27. Had to rotate the antenna more frequently than with AO-27 and couldn't stray as far off of the satellite without loosing the signal. SO-50 seems to have more doppler shift to deal with than AO-27.
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Date: 10/22/05 14:44 UTC Orbit: 6895 Max El: 34 degrees
Satellite: AO-51 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Yaesu FT817ND Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: 2M 1/4 Wave Mag mount Antenna: Arrow 440-3
This was my first test of AO-51 with my "mobile" sat setup. As with the other configurations you have seen here, there was a little more noise on the downlink. I attribute that to the shorter UHF downlink antenna. It seems a little harder to get access to the bird but that could be due to the popularity of the satellite.
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Date: 10/22/05 16:23 UTC Orbit: 6896 Max El: 24 degrees
Satellite: AO-51 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Yaesu FT817ND Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: 2M 1/4 Wave Mag mount Antenna: Arrow 440-3
Could hear the bird for most of the pass but getting in with the "mobile" setup proved a little harder. Some of that could be higher powered ground stations that I was completing with. All 3 FM birds have now tested (AO-27, SO-50 and AO-51) so I will trying a different antenna on transmit on future passes. Also will try FO-29 and VO-52 as well to see how they respond to a "mobile" station configuration.
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Date: 10/23/05 13:01 UTC Orbit: 45354 Max El: 41 degrees
Satellite: FO-29 Mode: SSB V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Yaesu FT817ND Rig: Kenwood THF6A
Antenna: See notes Antenna: Arrow 440-3
I could heard the bird ok. Couldn't get into it at all. Tried both 1/4 and 5/8 wave 2 meter mag mount antenna. Since these were vertically polarized antennas, I will take out the Arrow LEO antenna and try a directional antenna the next time I can work a FO-29 pass. If you go to the FO-29 page on this site, you will see how I programmed an HP12C programmable calculator to help me quickly figure out what the appropriate uplink frequency is for the QSO I am hearing on the downlink. Did a little digging, due to the orbit of FO-29, 5 watts on a 1/4 wave antenna just doesnt have enough punch for the bird to hear it. Will need to use closer to 50 watts or a mildly directional antenna.
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Date: 10/31/05 22:26 UTC Orbit: 63075 Max El: 51 degrees
Satellite: AO-27 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Kenwood TMV7A Rig: Kenwood TMV7A
Antenna: Antenex C144/440C Antenna: Arrow 440-3
Used a Kenwood mobile I have had in my truck for several years. Put a Comet CF4160 duplexer at the back of the radio to allow the vhf signal to be directed to the Antenex antenex that is on a magnetic mount and the uhf to my trusty Arrow 440-3. Need to get an extension for my headset to allow it to reach the radio that is located under the rear seat. Want to think about putting in an antenna switch to go between this antenna and the 1/4 wave mag mount that I have been using in case the 1/4 wave would have a better radiation pattern and do a better job at getting into the bird.
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Date: 11/04/05 22:17 UTC Orbit: 63132 Max El: 68 degrees
Satellite: AO-27 Mode: FM V/U
Uplink Downlink
Rig: Kenwood TMV7A Rig: Kenwood TMV7A
Antenna: Antenex C144/440C Antenna: Antenex C144/440C
On this pass, I hooked the TMV7A directly to the Antenex. I was able to hear AO-27 for about 1 1/2 minutes out of the 6 minute operational window the bird had on this pass. During that time, I was able to work two stations. Want to try the same configuration with just a 1/4 wave mag mount to see what the performance is like. This is certainly a doable setup although you wont have full use of a pass where you would by splitting the antennas and using the Arrow 440-3 for receive.