OBSERVATIONS FROM SCOTLAND                             2008_06_19                                GM1SXX

Working the Easy-Sats.

Ah, you'd surely be thinking about AO10 & 13 then?

I'll absolutely NEVER understand why some people think that operating via an FM LEO is somehow 'easy' compared to working a Molniya.

Molniya's don't 'go anywhere' during a QSO,   LEO's do!

 No Doppler to track either... just the slow polarisation changes (faraday rotation and sometimes little scintillation) ... and in one instance of course, some  'swishy' spin-modulation ... from the broken aerials.  

You don't have to 'compete' either on a Molniya bird, so you can have a proper relaxed QSO.  Makes things much easier IMHO.  Hell, you don't even need a rotator.  An old photo tripod or a bit of timber banged into the ground will do. 

Difficult?  I can't imagine how anyone could call something that simple 'difficult'. 

OK, the aerials need to have a bit more gain than an Arrow, but hey, no big deal!  They are a bit too large to hand-hold, but an 'armstrong'  arrangement with a wooden pole and swivel arrangement works perfectly fine.

Actually, that's really why I liked the RS birds most. They offered more of a challenge and had great receivers.  I found the Molniyas dull and boring by comparison. I like being 'busy'..... track, talk, adjust for Doppler, fill in log..... all at once, with only two arms :-)  IMO.... far more fun! 

Should you think that somehow  the CW or SSB gear for Molniyas  and LEO linear transponder birds is somehow exotic or expensive, I can tell you that an old pair of transceivers, the yaesu FT290 and FT790 with a small  homebrewed linear amp  worked fine.  Both LA2QAA and myself use this sort of equipment.  Think about it.  Do you really believe that using a pair of ancient transceivers, a homebrewed linear and some aerials you can build yourself (that is *if* you can be bothered) is somehow 'exotic?  I just can't understand that particular argument. 

I've never been much of a fan of 'easy', or of DX. I don't care who I work... across the road or in a different country... doesn't matter to me. It's still amateur radio.  I think all told, RS10/11 was my favourite bird to operate through but I also liked old RS7. 

Unfortunately, newcomers to amateur radio satellites are very unlikely to sample anything like the RS birds again. 
 

73 AL.
GM1SXX