QO-100 and AO-7 satellites celebrated their birthdays

November 15 is a birthday for two satellites, which are milestones of amateur radio satellite activity. Prev 46 years, 15.November 1974 he was sent from Vandenberg to his five universes satelit AO-7. Now the 46-year-old satellite is still here with us (even though it seemed, that it is out of service for some time) and radio amateurs communicate via its transponder daily.

The AO-7 can operate in three modes:

A: linear non - inverting
Uplink: 145,850 – 145,950 MHz
Downlink: 29,400 – 29,500 MHz
kHz with a power of 5W: 29,502 MHz
Performance: 1,3W PEP
B, C: linear inverting
Uplink: 432,125 – 432,175 MHz
Downlink: 145,975 – 145,925 MHz
kHz with a power of 5W: 145,975 MHz
Performance: 8W PEP (B) a 2,5W PEP (C)

You can recognize mode A by the active beacon at 29.502MHz. In addition to telemetry data, it also sends an identification group of letters "HI HI". Stations after the silence of RS12 / 13 workers 145/29 it's not much, on weekends but it is especially possible around 29,450 hear both SSB and CW calls from various stations.

The second satellite, to which the date of November 15 is Es'hail 2 / QO-100. However, he is significantly younger, was launched into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center on that day of the year 2018.

This satellite has enabled many radio amateurs to become acquainted with higher frequencies (uplink is on 2,4 GHz a downlink na 10 GHz). Many hams use home-made irradiators, transverters or converters and are interested, for example, in phenomena such as attenuation of signal propagation in certain weather (the rain, fog). Measurement technology for these bands has also become more accessible, for example NanoVNA or D6 analyzer.

Best wishes, AO-7 to QO-100!