FM Ops on Linear Transponder

FM operation on a linear transponder not good practice

The possibility of FM operation through the linear transponders on board the soon-to-be-launched VUSAT was announced recently by AMSAT-India.

The Advisory Panel to the IARU Satellite Advisor, Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, considered this during its regular Echolink consultative meeting last weekend. The group pointed out that FM is an inefficient use of spectrum and power and recommended strongly that FM should not be used on linear transponders. In many countries with large amateur communities, FM on a linear transponder is a totally unacceptable mode of operation and discouraged at all times.

The IARU Satellite Advisor and the Panel have suggested to AMSAT India not to publish FM as a user option for the linear transponder, and to discourage the use of FM through these transponders, especially in countries with large amateur populations.

The IARU Satellite Advisor and his panel meet on Echolink on a regular basis to review requests for frequency coordination. The main objective is to advise satellite builders on spectrum use in order to achieve harmonious use of the limited spectrum and to avoid or minimize interference.

We have carefully chosen our meeting time to enable team members in the US, Europe and Australia to talk to each other at a reasonable time of the day, ZS6AKV said. It is quite a challenge, when it is midday in the USA it is late evening in Europe and Africa and very early the next morning in Australia.

Over the past few years the team has developed a number of guideline papers for satellite builders and operators. For more information visit www.iaru.org/satellite

[ANS thanks Hans, ZS6AKV for the above information]

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