S.A.T Controller Operation on Russian Sat Pass

A look at operations of the iGateMini.com "Stand-Alone Antenna Tracker" on the RS-44 Russian Amateur Radio satellite. This setup includes a IC-9700, Yaesu 5500 rotor and M2 antennas.

[@larrytaylor7753]

Very interesting. The fiddling with it during the pass keeps it fun.

[@k3ith1]

Really nice. And great advice on keeping your level about the same as the beacon.

[@VP2EIHonAnguillaIsland]

Very nice.. Great Stuf Bob!! see you on the birds.. 73

[@wf2v]

Nice video, thanks!

[@ve6fly]

thank you I learned a lot

[@DucatiMTS1200]

Cool, very cool!

[@BastHoen]

Great video, very useful info for a sat newbie. Thanks! 73 PA5BAS

[@paulsharp5473]

Great vid helped me a lot. So what mic are you using to trigger the tx recording?

[@butch3715]

Thanks for the video Bob. I just received my S.A.T. yesterday and am in the process of setting things up. Also assemblying the M2 LEO-PACK. Hope to be up and operational soon. Did you opt to use add preamplifier(s) on your antennas? KF4HR

[@laffontcompetition-arkansa2581]

I did add a pre-amp on the 450 side, but it is actually un-necessary. Of course, I am using 50 ft of 1/2" Andrews Hardline. If you used anything over 50 feet of say LMR-400, you could benefit from a pre-amp. To determine if your RX is at the "noise floor", your S meter should be just starting to move off zero. An internal RX pre-amp can cause this to happen, but it is amplifying noise and signal. It is critical that it is at the antenna. Plus, 4 layers of Scotch 88 tape and then a thin layer of silicone seal over the connectors is mandatory. The little F connectors on the antenna itself should be ok without tape. All the flexing of the main coax connections with rotation WILL let water into the connectors in time. If your RX seems poor, that's what is going on!

[@n9bc296]

How did you program the button on the mic to use the voice tx memories?

[@robertnagy2163]

The 9700 menu let's you assign things to the mic buttons.

[@n9bc296]

@@robertnagy2163 I just found the menu 2 min ago. lol thanks for the reply.

[@rickkowalewski664]

Any reason why you don't use the IC-9700 in Satellite mode?

[@robertnagy2163]

With the SAT controller, the radio is used in normal mode. the SAT does ALL the frequency control.

[@apetercharlesstudio]

I claim no expertise in satops, but curious why use RIT? I noticed you are not changing your TX freq? I use SATPC 32 which is adjusting both up/dn links. There are times I use RIT for others perhaps not on freq. "One True Doppler" is the way to go, but I see some use it and some don't.

[@robertnagy2163]

I decided to do the video 4 minutes before the pass and I forgot to click "Lock" on the RX/TX. The SAT does move both RX and TX when tracking. The RX RIT is used to correct for any additional offset during the course of the pass. (which can shift). The SAT device is a much simpler solution to doing linear sats than SATPC32. It is still evolving too.

[@apetercharlesstudio]

@@robertnagy2163 Agreed. The RIT should only be used to compensate for "others" who are not correcting for doppler properly. I see this a lot. I've had to RIT in people from time to time, but then return it to zero. Doppler is tracked nearly perfectly by most programs...The SAT does not "shift" it's freq, it is always the same and follows a predictable "doppler" shift as most know; the program knows which way and how much to compensate. The only reason to use rit is to tune other stations who are not uplinking properly or chasing their own downlink. To use RIT on the downlink to hear your own signal is improper and clogs the band width. Inverting and non-inverting transponders are specific uplink freqs WITH specific downlink freqs..If someone tunes themself with RIT, it means their uplink is wrong and they are not allowing their tracking program to work as it should.

[@robertnagy2163]

@@apetercharlesstudio Then truly I am not exactly sure why each sat seems to have a slightly different RIT offset when using the SAT controller. It is still being refined, so issues like this will be addressed. For now, I believe it is a slight inaccuracy in the up/down relationship due to something in the design. The makers of this device are very responsive and have been a joy to work with.

[@WandererLife85]

Probably 65-70% of ops mess this up. In normal linear transponder satellite ops, you shouldn't adjust your VHF frequency at all regardless of whether it's uplink or downlink. Only the UHF frequency should be shifted to be in line with the passband accounting for doppler. KE0PBR (aka: The Grid Life) and AMSAT have great tutorials explaining why in terms the average ham can understand. Tracking programs adjusting both frequencies are part of the reason so many people get stepped on.

[@apetercharlesstudio]

@@WandererLife85 Interesting response. It seems to me (IF) all ops used "One True Doppler" we would not have issues of stepping on each other. Leaving FM birds out of this discussion; seems to me if a Doppler program moves UP and DOWN link, the received DL should slide either up or down (i.e) We are all on the same page..You might be above me in freq and I am below as we slide down together..This of course assumes we are both in the same location relative to the SAT; which rarely we are The other issue I've run into is people running too close to the passband's edge. I think the problem is that we do not all operate with one correction.

[@speter32701]

Are you using a preamp and if so which one ? Thanks

[@Yavor54]

I put in a Tokyo hi- power 450 gas fet, but with 50 feet of ldf4-50 hardline, it's only raising the noise floor