My first attempt at the FM transponder on HO-68

December 24, 2009 | General | By: Mark VandeWettering

The new Chinese amateur radio satellite, formerly XW-1, now designated HOPE-1 or HO-68, made a pass with its FM transponder active around 10:00AM local time here. I was unable to get a signal through, no doubt in small part to some incompetence on my part, but also judging by the amount of doubling and piling on, from the virtual assault of RF that it was bombarded with. Nevertheless, I did get a pretty good recording of 12 minutes of the pass. The quickness with which it faded makes me believe that its transponder was simply deactivated, rather than just gone over the horizon, but I haven’t had a chance to go back to double check. As you will hear, there is no difficulty at all hearing the satellite: it’s very loud.

MP3 recorded using my Kenwood TH-D7AG and an Arrow Antenna

Comments

Comment from Bill
Time 12/26/2009 at 4:06 am

Mark: Sounds to me like it went over the horizon. I have some recordings of my conversations with MIR station on my web site. http://www.gadgeteer.us If you look for one called Godspeed you’ll hear MIR going over the horizon.

Hey, and I really liked the snowflakes!

73 Bill