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Oscar-40
is by far, the ultimate amateur satellite. Its high elliptical orbit allows amateur radio operators to communicate with others over great distances. Depending on your
location, its not uncommon to work Dx stations
10,000 miles away with AO-40. Oscar-40 operates in mode L/S, U/S which means the satellites transponder receives both 70cm and 1.2Ghz signals and retransmits them back to earth on 2.4Ghz. To receive AO-40s distant signal, relatively small dish antennas can be used ranging from 1.5 to 3 feet in diameter. Down- converters convert the 2.4Ghz signals to allow the use of conventional UHF, VHF or even HF rigs. As with any satellite operation, you
must know where it is in order to point your antennas at the satellite to
receive the signal. Satellite tracking
software is available from various vendors and is easy to use once you learn
the basics. To learn more about operating AO-40 and
other amateur satellites, visit AMSAT.
For info on antennas, downconverters and other
aspects of satellite operation, follow the links on this page. 73, Tony AA2AE |
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When AO-40
reaches maximum altitude its height above the Earth is approximately 36,000
miles. Although radio signals travel at the speed of light, there is still a
noticeable delay in the time it takes the uplink signal to reach the
satellite and for the downlink to return to Earth. The 72,000 mile roundtrip
takes about 0.4 seconds. You can see the delay graphically illustrated by
clicking the screenshot on the left. You can also hear the recording which was
captured using CoolEidt
at AA2AE. |
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