Sat Antenna

[dornier]

That deal also came with a new 70cm Yagi for satellites I later sold for $100. Not sure you’ll find that deal. Honestly, I would not have purchased that setup new.

I have seen the antennas sold separately on QRZ over the years. You could then buy the crossbar, but that may take time. A preamp for each antenna will definitely help.

For much less money and plenty of fun, the Elk Log Periodic antenna is a solution.

Wow, what a great find. I do have an Elk Log Periodic antenna but want an M2 eggbeater setup for my attic. At this point, it might be cheaper to find a used Yaesu rotor for the Elk antenna. Thanks for the reply.

 

[vagrant]

If your plan is to put the M2 eggbeater inside of your attic, FULL STOP. You're not even giving yourself a chance. Save your money.

 

[dornier]

If your plan is to put the M2 eggbeater inside of your attic, FULL STOP. You're not even giving yourself a chance. Save your money.

Hi, please expand on your answer. I would like to place the antenna outside, but to keep the wife happy I'm willing to give it a shot. Right now, I'm using a discone antenna and I'm able to hit the ISS via APRS or Voice. Voice is sketchy at best, but I've made some contacts. Funny thing, the antenna is at a 45 degree and that's probably why I'm making it up there. In either case, please expand on your reply. Thanks and 73's.

 

[dkcorlfla]

It's been a long time since I played around with Sat comms but I would think the roof is going to attenuate the all ready weak signal and will do so more with an increase on the angle the signal is hitting the roof at.

Another words when the satellite is at high elevation and hitting the roof straight on it may well work but what about low elevation? Seems like you would be missing on the bulk of the pass.

Perhaps the thing to do is plan on installing it outside but before you mount it try it in the attic and see if it can work some and if you are happy with the reduced performance.

 

[RichM]

I had one of those a while back, great little hand held LEO (low earth orbit) satellite antenna. The tripod mount will not work for LEOs they move fast and the polarity changes during the pass.You will need to free hand it turning and twisting while tracking using a laptop and a ht will also have to adjust for dopler unless you hook the radio up to the laptop. The tripod would be useful for long range portable repeater access if that is something you’re interested in.

I have to respectfully disagree. I use the Arrow LEO antenna on a tripod and it works very well, much better than holding it by hand. Camera tripods allow for “twisting” by flipping the mounting plate up to 45 degrees, this accurately solves any polarization during the pass. Tracking is as easy as giving it a nudge or twist every few minutes. The Arrow is very forgiving because of its high gain, just pointing in the general area of the pass will give excellent results, it doesn’t have to be dead on every second. Doppler effect and polarization are more important than pointing accuracy. I’ve tried using it by hand and the tripod is so much easier, it frees up your hand for juggling other tasks like Doppler adjustments on the radio or jotting down contacts etc.. The Arrow has a tapped hole under the foam handle specifically for tripod mounting. Use rubbing alcohol to remove the handle and corn starch to replace it if you decide you prefer holding it during each pass. Experiment to find what works best for you, that is half the fun. Good luck, see you on the birds.