AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (AO-7), the oldest amateur radio satellite still in operation, is nearing a return to full illumination by the sun, which should take place around September 25 and continue until around December 26. AMSAT’s vice president of operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, says that during this period, AO-7 likely will switch between modes A (2 meters up/10 meters down) and B (70 centimeters up/2 meters down) every 24 hours. He reminded users to use only the minimum necessary power and to avoid “ditting” to find their signals in the passband, which can bounce the entire passband up and down and sometimes even cause the transponder to reset to mode A.
“Try to find yourself with very low power, or on SSB, or best, with full Doppler control,” Glasbrenner said. “If you have to use high power to find yourself, your receive antenna and system probably needs improvement.”
Last May, the nearly 46-year-old AO-7 made possible a contact between Argentina and South Africa — a distance of more than 4,300 miles. Both stations were aiming just 2° or 3° above the horizon. AO-7 only works when it’s receiving direct sunlight and shuts down when in eclipse.
Launched in 1974, AO-7 surprised the amateur satellite community by suddenly coming back to life in 2002 after being dormant for nearly 30 years and periodically re-emerging. AMSAT considers AO-7 “semi-operational.” Theory is that AO-7 initially went dark after several years of operation when a battery shorted, and it returned to operation when the short circuit opened. With no working batteries, AO-7 now only functions when it’s receiving direct sunlight, and it shuts down when in eclipse.
Built by a multinational team under AMSAT’s direction, AO-7 carries a non-inverting Mode A transponder (145.850 – 950 MHz up/29.400 – 500 MHz down) and an inverting Mode B (432.180 – 120 MHz up/145.920 – 980 MHz down) linear transponder. It has beacons on 29.502 and 145.975 MHz, used in conjunction with Mode A and Mode B/C (low-power mode B), respectively. A 435.100 MHz beacon has an intermittent problem, switching between 400 mW and 10 mW.
Source:ARRL
Antenna
7 element 144MHz LFA-Q Super-Gainer Quad Style Yagi
Description If it is GAIN you want from a small boom, this is the antenna for you! Wow, Super compact boom!! Massive 13.6dBi from this antenna!... Read more
MFJ -225 HF/VHF, 1.8-170 MHZ GRAPHIC ANALYZER
MFJ-225 HF/VHF Two-Port Graphic Antenna AnalyzerTake RF testing to the next level with the new MFJ-225! All the basic analyzerfunctions you`ve... Read more
HF/VHF LINEAR LOADED VERTICAL ANTENNA
The adjustiwave antenna system is an efficient adjustable quarter wave vertical antenna that can be used anywhere between 3.5Mhz and 148Mhz (80m to 2m... Read more
Review
What is QSK? And How Do I Use It?
What is QSK? And How Do I Use It? Read more
Yeasu FTDX10 Catalog [ EN ]
Yeasu FTDX10 Read more
Heil HS2 Hand PTT switch for 2 radios with MFJ-1263
“In this video you will find information about the Heil HS2 handheld PTT switch that I use with my 2 Kenwood radios (TS-2000 and TS-990), thanks... Read more
Equipment
ARD 300 MULTI-DIGITAL VOICE DECODER
ARD 300 Versatile and powerful digital voice decoder/demodulator for your trusted analog receiver! Decodes dPMR, NXDN and popular amateur digital vo... Read more
RF-KIT RF2K-S Amplifier – Legal Limit Solid State PA
General Features: Output Power 1.8 – 30 MHz 2K+, 6m 1K+ Device: 2x BLF189XR Auto Band Selection ICOM®; YAESU® Band data Interface CAT Connectivity LAN... Read more
GHD Keys by JA7GHD
GHD Keys , made by Toshihiko Ujiie (JA7GHD) in Sendai City, are beautiful, practical, and innovative. The “D” models use optical sensors i... Read more
Ten-Tec Eagle HF DSP Transceiver
TEN-TEC has created a 100 watt transceiver combining simplified controls and ease of operation with the excellent performance of a low first IF... Read more
Elad FDM-DUO: now available in camouflage!
FDM-DUO is a SDR tranceiver that offers the possibility to operate STand-alone like traditional radio or attached to a Personal Computer discovering t... Read more
News
Amateur & Personal Radio Users Reminded Not to Use Radios in Crimes
Full Title: Warning: Amateur and Personal Radio Services Licensees and Operators May Not Use Radio Equipment to Commit or Facilitate Criminal Act... Read more
SL8SUB – 1st Submarine Flotillas official military amateur radio call sign
Here is a brief information release regarding Radio SL8SUB, the 1st Submarine Flotillas official military amateur radio call sign: The 1st Submarine F... Read more
Smoother FT8 Mode Operation with Constantly Evolving Firmware (IC-705/IC-7300/IC-9700)
Firmware update for the IC-705, IC-7300 and IC-9700* offers smoother FT8 operation. One touch FT8 mode preset, Scroll mode and other updates for each... Read more
Hamvention 2021 is Officially Cancelled
Much like last year, Hamvention 2021 has announced their cancellation of the Hamfest for 2021. Lots of us are disappointed, but I wanted to share my t... Read more
Dayton Hamvention Cancels 2021 Show
Dayton Hamvention® will not take place for the second year. “Unfortunately, several setbacks in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic make necessary... Read more