Improved Satcom setup

[zguy1243]

UPS delivered my new Trivec AV-2095 Satcom antenna today. After playing around a little bit outside with it today I sat it in the attic above my radio room. There is a noticeable gain over even my best 225-400Mhz antenna system when listening to satcom signals. The circular polarization of course makes some of the difference. I have a Angle Linear 225-400Mhz preamp running on it now and some temp. rg6 coax till my LMR600 comes in from RFparts. If you are looking to do some satcom listening these antennas are the cats meow...

Excuse the poor photos they are from my phone

 

[commscanaus]

Very nice indeed!

Would like to try that setup out on my Icom IC-R7100.

What receiver are you using that with?

Regards, Commscanaus.

 

[zguy1243]

Very nice indeed!

Would like to try that setup out on my Icom IC-R7100.

What receiver are you using that with?

Regards, Commscanaus.

Right now I have it connected to a Racal 2309B VHF/UHF. Sitting here now listening to some accidental AM relays from fighters coming over the fltsatcom8 on 257.15. Doing a great job.

 

[commscanaus]

The antenna system would compliment the antenna perfectly.
I forgot to add....very nice BMW you have there too!

Is there much FLTSATCOM traffic in the clear these days?
Tuning around the 260Mhz region here has revealed some traffic heard in Russian from time to time.
We also get to hear the Antarctic "ICE" flights, talking from McMurdo to Christchurch NZ.
No doubt there are other birds in this spectrum besides FLTSATCOM.

One day I will get around to building a yagi to fit on my camera tripod for some experimental work.
At the moment I only have the discone to tune around with, which is less than ideal, with a low noise preamp inline.

Thanks for posting the pictures, very interesting stuff.

Regards, Commscanaus.

 

[prcguy]

Very cool! The AV-2095 was a steerable vehicular antenna that tracked the satellite. Did you get the motor box/flux gate compass with it?
prcguy

 

[zguy1243]

Very cool! The AV-2095 was a steerable vehicular antenna that tracked the satellite. Did you get the motor box/flux gate compass with it?
prcguy

I just got the antenna and mast for now. I purchased the antenna for far less since I didnt get the flux gate with it. He is digging around to see if he has another base for it. Although I would never take unit mobile and have a need for the system like that I would like to play around with the flux gate system. The mast has the extra RF connections on it and electrical plugs for the base. The AV2095 is a impressively built antenna. Really beefy construction. I would like to find a antenna like this that is intended for outdoor fixed installation.

 

[prcguy]

Zguy,
From your location the UHF CONUS satellites have a look angle of 45deg to the south west but the Atlantic location will be around 14 degrees off the horizon to the east. With the nice preamp you have a certain omni design would work fine without having to point the antenna.
prcguy

 

[zguy1243]

Zguy,
From your location the UHF CONUS satellites have a look angle of 45deg to the south west but the Atlantic location will be around 14 degrees off the horizon to the east. With the nice preamp you have a certain omni design would work fine without having to point the antenna.
prcguy

Gonna experiment with that M2 eggbeater this week Mike. I will post some pics and some results of what I get later. Its gonna take some playing around to get the pattern right with spacing over the ground plane.

 

[prcguy]

I don't remember if spacing is off the top or bottom of the loops but try around 20 to 22" above a groundplane at least 48" square.
prcguy

Gonna experiment with that M2 eggbeater this week Mike. I will post some pics and some results of what I get later. Its gonna take some playing around to get the pattern right with spacing over the ground plane.