Working AO-40: my trials and tribulations

What really got me started, was the March '03 issue of QST. An article describing cardboard box antenna's to work this bird made it all seem possible to do, especially since I owned a couple of Yaesu radios that should help: an FT-100 for possible 435MHz uplink (20W) and an old FT-290R (original version!) for the downlink receiver.   I found a number of good links on the web related to AO-40 (search for AO-40 on google.com and you'll be amazed at what you get!)

Below is a chronological description of the path  I am currently taking to hear my first downlink signal, and eventually, hopefully, be able to have a QSO over AO-40. This all started in late March 2003, and who knows where and when it ends... I hope this may prove useful for others who might be interested in getting on AO-40.

If you happen to live in the Phoenix, AZ area, send me an email; I'd love to get in touch with others here struggling with this!

First, Learning... (various informative pages about AO-40)

Then I Started to piece it together  (about converters, dishes and feeds)

If you build it, you will hear... (or not; about building a helical feed, a test signal generator, and my failed first attemp!)

Then it was time to attempt to learn from the first (failed) attempt...

And then, Luck Comes My Way, or: How I got a free 24dBi barbeque dish and heard AO-40 on orbit 1197 on June 8, 2003.

By the time orbit 1206 rolled around, the following Sunday, June 15, 2003, I had built a very cheap uplink yagi for 435MHz. And with my simple setup, I worked 3 QSO's. Read how I did it.

In the week of June 23-27,  I worked on lining the dish with aluminum mesh, and adding a cupped helical feed. This should improve both the ground noise & f/b ratio, as well as give a 3db gain by getting the same polarization as the downlink. I tested this on orbit 1222, June 28, 2003.

Next, I will also be working on adding the second set of elements to the uplink yagi, and making that circular as well...Still think I might need more uplink power...

Lots of fun! and I'll keep the site updated with my progress...