...and decided to hook up a Power Plus HL-35V 35 watt 2 meter amplifier...
Don't suppose you have a source for this item? RF Parts currently lists a 2-meter-only amp: RF Parts Company
I am interested in this for use as a portable satellite station. I can hit AO-51 with my VX-8R just fine, and the downlink is clear. But SO-50 is much tougher for me to work, particularly as the UHF downlink seems very weak. Comparing the AO-51 downlink to the SO-50 downlink, the AO-51 signal is easy to find in the sky, and relatively easy to track/hold. SO-50, on the other hand, is like finding a needle in a haystack; it doesn't help that I'm often squirting the bird through evergreen trees.