[Amps] VHF all-mode and DC-to-daylight rigs

Catherine James catherine.james at att.net
Thu Jan 5 14:19:34 EST 2017


Manfred Mornhinweg <manfred at ludens.cl> wrote:

Cathy wrote:
>> I have seen many, many online posts asking for an all-mode VHF/UHF
>> rig that doesn't include HF.  These used to be available, but have disappeared.

> Such rigs appeared on the market at a time when there was a growing 
> swarm of active ham satellites in orbit.

This is a good point.  I don't do satellites; I use these radios for weak-signal VHF
terrestrial via tropo propagation.  Everyone I know who is active on VHF/UHF
non-FM is either doing tropo or meteor scatter.

My IC-821H was clearly designed for satellite work, but that's not why I bought it.

For weak-signal usage, you want low noise figure and high sensitivity, but you really
don't care about dynamic range.  You are unlikely to have a strong signal
next door to desense your rig.  There is plenty of bandwidth and few signals.
 
> being pushed aside by private and institutional Cubesats posing as ham sats.

I am very unhappy about this.

I do hope that with the launch of Phase 4 and geostationary communication
on 5/10 GHz, we'll see a new era of ham satellite usage.  I know several local
hams who are interested in building the 5/10 GHz ground station.
 
> Since there are no really usable sats, there is no demand for VHF/UHF SSB operation

Your club doesn't do weak-signal tropo VHF?  That's too bad.

73,
Cathy
N5WVR


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