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Here's a good detailed project build for a handheld yagi and duplexer:
http://www.wa5vjb.com/references/Che...ennas-LEOs.pdf

And here's another cheap build:
Homebrew Arrow Antenna

And another using PVC:
VE2ZAZ - Arrow-Style VHF/UHF Portable Satellite Antenna

Turnstile antenna for home station:
2 Meter Turnstile Antenna For Amateur Satellite Communication

The turnstyles work ok. I have used the "Texas Potatoe Mashers" quite a bit. The biggest problem is when the bird is low on the horizon. That is when the yagi has advantage.

I was able to get on again last night and made a few contacts on A0-51 again. I'm going to start trying a few of the other birds also. I'm terrible at remember the call sign that was just spit out rapidly at me so I can call it back, though. No matter...it's still a lot of fun. I got a 440Mhz preamp kit in, so I'm going to work on putting that together to make the RX even better.

mole,
Are you only on the FM birds? If so, wait till you work a ssb bird. Now that is a blast also.

Now, I will not question you ability or anything but I have to ask this. If you are using FM only then why the preamp? Reason I ask this is because I have been using sats for a long time. And have not used a preamp since the HEO birds were up. Now not saying they will not hurt but if you are receiving a noisy signal then a preamp is only going to amplify the noise.

I started in sats before I even had my ticket. A freind of mine got me to go to feild day with him in the early 80's. We used seprate radios to work the birds. The UHF up link antenna was a home brew 64 element. (which I still have) The VHF was a 24 element. Back then we ran 400 watts uplink and ARR preamps. They were GaAsFET and high dollar back then. The rigs were single band units.

I got my ticket and my first sat rigs were the Yaesu FT-221R 2 meter all mode and a KLM Echo 70 with added crystals. I later picked up a KLM multi 2700 tranciever. That has 2 meter all mode with a 10 meter receiver built in. That was one of the first rigs designed for sats. It was great for the old spunknic birds and also when AO-7 started.

I now have 2 Yeasu FT-726 rigs and a Yaesu FT-736. I do not have a 1.2 gig module but I work all other modes. No amps and no preamps.

Oh, sorry for hijacking your thread with my boring history....
but here is a pic of the old 64 element. It was cut back a year ago for EME.

Was your EME successful?

RadioTech, that's not a thread hijack

Right now I'm FM only and am only doing it with an HT and the handheld Antenna (which is why it's FM only). Maybe if I get a Yaesu FT-817 someday I'll be able to try SSB mode using the handheld.

I'm not getting a noisy signal, but I was considering the advice of N1ASA in that document I attached to try a preamp if you're using a handheld antenna. I figured that if I could find one cheap enough that delivered 15-50db gain and only 1db or so of noise, then that would be worth a try??

I have a 2m 35 watt brick amp, too. I might try putting 20 watts or so into that Arrow antenna to see what kind of difference that makes also

kf7cuy
Yes. But sold the amp and got out of EME. My 726 was modified to connect the two antennas to BNC jacks on the side of the rig. I split them in the module. This way it was possible to hear your own CW echo. Also the ARR preamps were mounted directly on the RX board inside the module. It was fun. But remember that this is very weak signal and really is a task at hand. The two antennas were not really enough to complete the system. And at the time money was getting tight.

mole,
dont get me wrong. Nothing wrong with trying at all. I understand now you are using a HH. I forget that. LOL. So go for it...

When I work AO-51 I use about 1 watt uplink. But I am also running 1/2 inch super flex to the array. And it is less than 25 feet. Plus the gain on the homebreww antennas is quite good. 20 element UHF and 24 on VHF. (I do have the drawn plan design for the UHF antenna if anyone wants it. just pm me.) Both are homebuilt but the UHF is of my own design.

The amp will most likely get you a good signal into the bird. Try to keep it low. I have had to appoligize on more than one occasion just running the full 30 watts out of the 736. I forget and key up and wipe the bird clean!. That makes them hams mad...

Anyway I just fired up mine and the elevation rotor is stuck. Been so busy in the shop my stuff and been ignored. Got to quit that...

On edit***
The Yaesu FT-817 is a great little compact rig. It will serve you well if you get one. Also it is a good QRP rig for HF. Dont know if you ever works 6 meters but that is a blast also. Worked about 8 station on 6 a few moments ago. With the 726. 10 watts and a 6 element homebrew beam.

Over the past 5 months I have not been very active on the ham bands. Seems everytime I am in the shop it is work wrok work. I got up at 5 am this motning and went out in the shop. Dusted off the rigs, fixed the sat antenna array, updated orbitron, climbed the tower and fixed a broken rotator wire. All by 8:30 am.

Got on 6 meters and checked into the NC 6 meter net, made a few contacts on 80 meters, then got a few contacts on Ao-7. By 10:30 folks were rolling in for repairs. Last one left at 7:15 tonight. It wwas a good day.

Thanks mole for the inspiration with this thread..

Hey cool! Yeah give us some more pics of your setup there...it sounds like you got some neat stuff! I didn't get a chance to play on any of the birds over the weekend, but I'm determined to start trying some of the others and see how many I can get into with an HT

Neat stuff?? naw, just a bunch of old junk.
Hope you get a chance to get on this coming week end.

I will take new pics this week after I clean the shack/shop.

Attached Images

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