Beginner antennas for satellite contacts
- Thread starter KF0SOP
- Start date
- Status
It would be better to start a new thread in the satellite section but in a nut shell high gain directional antennas, some way to move them, and tracking software with dopler correction with radio control.
you want a "duplex" radio so you can listen to the downlink while you are transmitting.
the gold standard for FM satellites is the Kenwood D-72 and either an Arrow or ELK antenna.
the advantage of the Elk is it has one feedpoint and both the VHF and UHF elements are in the same plane.
the advantage of the Arrow is it has two feedpoints, if you elect to use two radios. the supplied diplexer is only good for 10W
my first sat contacts were made with a 2m yagi made from tape measure elements and a scanner, and a 2m moxon with parasitic 70cm yagi elements and an Ailunce HD1.
sure, talking to a ham the next suburb over (walking distance) via satellite isnt much of an achievement, but it was my first sat contact.
you can go crazy with a IC9700 and electronic tracking rotators - but it can be done with the bare basics too.
the gold standard for FM satellites is the Kenwood D-72 and either an Arrow or ELK antenna.
the advantage of the Elk is it has one feedpoint and both the VHF and UHF elements are in the same plane.
the advantage of the Arrow is it has two feedpoints, if you elect to use two radios. the supplied diplexer is only good for 10W
my first sat contacts were made with a 2m yagi made from tape measure elements and a scanner, and a 2m moxon with parasitic 70cm yagi elements and an Ailunce HD1.
sure, talking to a ham the next suburb over (walking distance) via satellite isnt much of an achievement, but it was my first sat contact.
you can go crazy with a IC9700 and electronic tracking rotators - but it can be done with the bare basics too.
It is possible to make contacts with a low gain base antenna since many of your opportunities are just above the horizon, not straight up like many think. The biggest difficulty is finding the time to sit around and wait for you 90 second window.
I don’t know what your budget is but the Anytone 878UVII Plus has a satellite mode. I have one and it works well. You can also update the kep elements with the programming software. I use the Arrow antenna, it comes with the diplexer already installed so there is only one coax to connect to the radio. You will need a BNC to SMA adapter.
When the radio is in sat mode, the display indicates when the next pass will be for your location. During the pass it will indicate the elevation and azimuth so you know where to point the antenna. It will also take care of Doppler shift. It also tells you how long the pass will last. It’s a very nice package and it’s also a DMR/analog radio.
When the radio is in sat mode, the display indicates when the next pass will be for your location. During the pass it will indicate the elevation and azimuth so you know where to point the antenna. It will also take care of Doppler shift. It also tells you how long the pass will last. It’s a very nice package and it’s also a DMR/analog radio.
- Status
