[amsat-bb] RE: About ALON/ALAT of AO-40

["Wayne Estes W9AE" <w9ae@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andrea wrote:

Is my personal opinion, 0.8 degrees or 1.0 degrees are not BIG difference.

Wayne replies:

It depends on the time frame you consider.  In early February I started
planning a portable AO40 station for a hamfest on 24 March.  Using the
widely quoted "1 degree per day" prediction I could expect good squint
angles, about 10-16 degrees.  Using the actual "0.8 degree per day" change
over that 6 week time period, I now expect squint angles of 17-22 degrees.
The squint will be above 20 degrees near apogee for half of the hamfest.
Yes, I can make contacts at 22 degrees squint, but I want the public
response to be "AO40 is good", not "AO40 is barely usable".  I am proceeding
with the demonstration, but I will shut down when conditions no longer give
people the "AO40 is good" impression.

On a related topic, I can see why some people would not want to undertake a
DXpedition when the squint is 330/0 if they can wait a few weeks for it to
be 0/0.  The access time is about 3 times longer, resulting in larger
coverage areas and a much greater probability of reaching people when they
are not sleeping or working.

Wayne Estes W9AE
Mundelein, IL, USA


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