Hello, gang, and best of the season to you all. This is N1TX in BP64ku. I live in a small community called Two Rivers about 20 miles east of Fairbanks and 10 miles north of North Pole. I just got my station online #3933 KL2R-SAT1. KL2R is the callsign of the Two Rivers Contest Club. It’s a total kluge at the moment and will undergo some major revisions in days/weeks/months. Nevertheless, I appreciate the opportunity to make some contributions here.
I recently retired as Station Manager of NOAA’s Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station, which primarily runs the polar orbiters. I started there in January 2004 as the Senior Systems Engineer. After nearly 45 years in the world of RF systems engineering and satellite operations, I just can’t give it up. As an example, I enjoyed the EIRSAT-1 first-to-hear competition. I wasn’t the winner, despite being at 65N, but it felt like I was once again in the control room waiting for the bird to come over the hill. I used to be a big user of amateur satellites in the 1980s and 1990s, but I lost interest with FM-only birds. Lately I’ve been more of a “listener” (except on contest weekends) than anything else.
Hi @n1tx and welcome in the LSF and SatNOGS community!
I think you found the right place for satellite hunting!
I’m happy to see one more station in Alaska, it is an area that hasn’t many stations and it increases the coverage of the Network.
Also your expertise in RF systems engineering and satellite operations may allow you to contribute to other aspects in LSF ecosystem.
Finally, I suggest you also join our chat rooms in the matrix server where we discuss and coordinate the Network and 3rd party operations, especially during new deployments or other special events.
Thank you, Fredy. I’ll stop on over to the chat rooms later.
I currently have a bare minimum receiver setup with a NESDR Smartee XTR and a second one on the shelf. Two eggbeaters for V/UHF are in the back yard with some obstructions to west and NW. As it has been 20 below outside, I haven’t had a chance to put in the preamps by the antennas. I have an L-band dish and another XTR, which will eventually be installed on my az/el rotor. The radio will be near the feed. I have some active fiberoptics USB equipment for said purpose.
Anyway, gang, thanks for bearing with me as I take baby steps. 73
Update: as of about 2000 UTC I switched antennas to a multi-band vertical, which is located at about 70 feet on my tower. It works OK for VHF, but UHF is problematic, because there’s about 200 feet of cable to the shack. Losses at 435 MHz are really high. The UHF eggbeater has only 75 feet of cable, and it hears OK even without a preamp. However, I think I need to trek through the snow and go clean it off.
