HO-68 operating schedule Aug 23-29

Alan Kung, BA1DU has released this week's operating schedule for the amateur radio satellite HO-68.

The communication payload includes a CW beacon and transponders for SSB/CW, FM and digital AX.25 packet operation. The linear transponder, used for SSB and CW working, has a bandwidth of 50 kHz which allows about 10-15 simultaneous contacts to take place and can sound like the 20 metre band.

Due to Doppler shift the CW beacon can appear to be up to +/- 9 kHz from its nominal frequency of 435.790 MHz and you need to tune your receiver to follow it during the pass. The beacon has been received on simple antennas such as a ¼ wave ground plane but for best results try a small Yagi with about 8 elements.

To reduce the effects of Doppler the SSB transponder is inverting. This means that a LSB signal on the uplink becomes a USB signal on the downlink. You don’t need much power to work through the satellite, many contacts have been made using 5 watts output. Always use the lowest power possible and ensure your downlink signal is never stronger than the beacon.

HO-68 frequencies

Operating Schedule Aug 23-29 times GMT

23 Aug 2010
00:05...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
00:50...Turn Off

02:01...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:16...Turn Off

10:15...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,
Oceania
11:00...Turn Off

16:10...Turn On--CW/SSB
India, Africa, Middle East,
Europe,NA
16:55...Turn Off

22:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,
Oceania
22:45...Turn Off

24 Aug 2010
00:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
00:45...Turn Off

01:40...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
02:25...Turn Off

10:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe
10:45...Turn Off

12:40...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
13:25...Turn Off

16:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
India,Middle East,Europe,NA
16:45...Turn Off

23:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,
Oceania
24:15...Turn Off

25 Aug 2010
01:29...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:45...Turn Off

11:50...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,East Asia,North Asia
12:02...Turn Off

12:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
13:05...Turn Off

17:25...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,Europe,NA
18:02...Turn Off

23:15...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,Oceania
24:00...Turn Off

26 Aug 2010
01:05...Turn On--CW/SSB
Asia,Oceania
01:50...Turn Off

06:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
Middle East,India,Africa
07:15...Turn Off

11:10...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
11:55...Turn Off

12:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
12:45...Turn Off

17:10...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,India,Middle East,Europe,NA
17:55...Turn Off

18:35...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,Europe,NA
19:20...Turn Off

23:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
23:45...Turn Off

27 Aug 2010
02:41...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:57...Turn Off

10:55...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
11:40...Turn Off

11:50...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
12:35...Turn Off

16:50...Turn On--CW/SSB
India,Africa,Europe,NA
17:35...Turn Off

22:40...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,Africa,NA,
Europe,North Asia,East Asia
23:25...Turn Off

28 Aug 2010
00:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
01:15...Turn Off

02:29...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:44...Turn Off

10:40...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
11:25...Turn Off

13:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
14:05...Turn Off

16:35...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,Europe,NA
17:20...Turn Off

22:25...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
23:10...Turn Off

29 Aug 2010
00:10...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,
South Asia,Oceania
01:55...Turn Off

02:10...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:25...Turn Off

05:40...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,Europe,Africa
06:25...Turn Off

13:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
13:45...Turn Off

China AMSAT (CAMSAT)
http://www.camsat.cn/

HO-68 video by PA3GUO : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6oDgUTHCwg

HO-68 Real Time Tracking (tick draw footprint): http://www.n2yo.com/?s=36122

AMSAT Bulletin Board (AMSAT-BB) http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/

Getting started on Amateur Radio Satellites PDF
http://www.uk.amsat.org/content/view/408/168/

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