DK3WN SatBlog

XW-1 flies, with its 1200 km, higher as other FM satellites; accordingly, it has a substantially larger footprint. During a single favourable pass, all of Europe, north Africa, Russia, and parts of west Asia are covered. An unbelievable number of stations with different transmission output powers, perspectives, and operating techniques meet together on a single FM channel. Will it generally work out? Whenever a new FM mode satellite is available, the discussion on how to efficiently use it for QSOs begins again. Experiences in Europe always show chaotic circumstances (e. g., AO-27). When only one channel is available, a good operating technique and discipline are indispensable. At this point, once again, a few basic thoughts about operating techniques:

• The first and golden rule–first listen, then send!
• Don’t call during on-going QSOs or call CQ–wait, even when it’s hard to resist.
• Whistling, tapping, “hello, ooola”, and so on is superfluous–on an FM transponder, extra sounds are unnecessary.
• Reduce output to a minimum–an overloaded transponder helps no one
• Keep the QSOs short and essential. Here there is a difference of opinion–is it necessary to send the grid square? During an HF contest, such a report would be a valid QSO. In Europe, we’ve developed this style–but isn’t it more effective to work in contest mode? When the satellite was quite busy–callsign and signal report–that was it. Name, QTH or even the station equipment can be exchanged when one is truly alone on the transponder.
• Practice discipline, limiting yourself to one QSO each pass–during those precious minutes, everybody has a turn. I often sat there with my microphone in my hand and never had a single QSO.
• There will always be stations which will be annoying (due to their operating style)–it is, however, senseless to interfere with these stations–it doesn’t help anyone else.
• We respect QSOs in different languages. It actually works with suitable discipline and short QSOs–a pass is often multilingual and listening in can be lots of fun.

Perhaps we shouldn’t get caught up with the “daily chaos” and try through our own operating techniques to show a bit more discipline. It’s difficult, but we should try it–even when the finger on the microphone key is itching, the output regulator isn’t doing anything and when one’s eyes are rolling when the name or location is repeated for the third time.

Maybe we can succeed, then, if we use the existing FM satellites that way, just like it’s been long been successfully done over existing SSB transponders. With XW-1, we have the chance to work other continents in FM.

26 July 2010
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00:45...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
01:30...Turn Off

02:46...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
03:02...Turn Off

04:36...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
04:46...Turn Off

13:06...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
13:22...Turn Off

14:23...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
15:13...Turn Off

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

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

02:25...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia, East Asia, South Asia
02:41...Turn Off

04:14...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia, East Asia, South Asia
04:29...Turn Off

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

12:50...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia, East Asia, South Asia
13:03...Turn Off

14:41...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia, East Asia, South Asia
14:23...Turn Off

18:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
India,Middle East,Europe,NA
19:05...Turn Off

28 July 2010
=====================
02:07...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:21...Turn Off

03:55...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
04:10...Turn Off

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

12:33...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
12:47...Turn Off

14:17...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
14:32...Turn Off

22:05...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,East Asia,Oceania
22:50...Turn Off

29 July 2010
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01:51...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:04...Turn Off

03:44...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
03:58...Turn Off

05:25...Turn On--CW/SSB
NA,North Asia,Middle East,
Europe,Africa
06:10...Turn Off

10:05...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
10:50...Turn Off

12:17...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
12:30...Turn Off

14:00...Turn On--FM/PACSAT
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
14:15...Turn Off

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

17:45...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,Europe,NA
18:30...Turn Off

21:50...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
22:35...Turn Off

30 July 2010
====================
01:35...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:49...Turn Off

03:27...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
03:42...Turn Off

12:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
13:15...Turn Off

17:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
India,Africa,Europe,NA
18:15...Turn Off

21:30...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,Africa,NA,
Europe,North Asia,East Asia
22:15...Turn Off

31 July 2010
=====================
00:25...Turn On--CW/SSB
South America,NA,North Asia
01:10...Turn Off

01:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:35...Turn Off

11:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA
12:05...Turn Off

13:55...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
14:40...Turn Off

17:00...Turn On--CW/SSB
Africa,Europe,NA
17:45...Turn Off

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

01 Aug 2010
====================
00:50...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:35...Turn Off

06:20...Turn On--CW/SSB
North Asia,Europe,Africa
07:05...Turn Off

13:45...Turn On--CW/SSB
Europe,NA,South America
14:30...Turn Off

73
Alan Kung, BA1DU
HO-68(XW-1) Project Manager
www.camsat.cn
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