high satellites do have a big range, you can contact them some hours a day but they need much power. low satellites like MIR are visible just a short time like 10 or 20 minutes a day but they need only low power.
Operating MIR you need a 2-meter FM transceiver and
minimal 25 Watt output.
A circulair polarized crossed_Yagi antenna
capable of being pointed in both azimuth (N-S-E-W) and elevation
(degrees above the horizon) is desirable, but succesful contacts have
even been made with verticals and groundplane antennas.
packet: 145.55 MHz simplex
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