QO-100 Satellite
Now for something completely different – 13cm/3cm Satellite!
A21EME announced that they would be on QO-100 and so on a wet Sunday
afternoon in October 2019, having already worked them on 2m and 6m, I
decided to have a go at a junk-box QO-100 setup in the workshop: SG labs
13cm transverter, wi-fi 5w PA, 31el long yagi on TX. 80cm sat dish,
unmodified LNB and RTL dongle on RX. Result - A21EME in the log.
I’m a Life Member of AMSAT NA but have not been active since the
early 1980s (as H44PT on AO-10) so this is really fun.
March 2020 - my updated QO-100 setup is now operational:
IC-9700 TX on 432MHz into SG Labs 13cm transverter and SG Labs 20w PA
feeding 1.2m offset dish via home brew patch feed (POTY).
IC-9700 RX on 144MHz from modified LNB with DX Patrol down converter and
GPSDO locked.
With the IC-9700 in satellite mode this gives me full duplex transceive.
Can also RX with SDR Console or the Goonhilly websdr on my workshop PC
(all options covered!:-)
I have adjusted my TX power to make my SSB signal about 2-3dB weaker
than the beacon but at this level I sometimes trigger the LEILA alarm if
I use CW. I only need about 3w at the dish so I run the system well
backed off – so much so that I need to add another attenuator as the
IC-9700 is already on minimum output.
  29/7/2021 SPECIAL UPDATE The secret is out. NA continent is now on QO-100 satellite!! A couple of
months ago I asked Bo OX3LX if he was interested in trying QO-100 - just
above the horizon in SE Greenland. Many thanks to the “Thee Musketeers”
PE1CMO, PA2V and PA3FYM for supplying the flyaway kit and to
Bo Christensen
OX3LX for finding a suitable location in Greenland. Surprised and
delighted to get the first ever QO-100 QSO with “NA” Continent on
29/7/2021 after txt from Bo for test.
CLICK TO HEAR THE TEST
My QSO(s) with Bo meant that I had Worked All
Continents on QO-100 - and here is the certificate to prove it:-)
December 2021
5th ACTIVATED IN79 Bass Point on the Lizard in
Cornwall for the first
time on QO-100 A historic site between the Lloyds Signal Tower and the
Marconi Huts GB4LD - flags to sparks to satellites!! TNX to all
for keeping me busy - 151 QSOs in 36 DXCCs. Beautiful sunny day but a
bit cool with wind gusting to 50MPH+. Lots of rocks required to hold
1.2m dish stable:-)
   
Recent new ones: 9M2CQC, OJ0D, UN8PFE, 3DA0RU, ZA/HB9ERD/P, Z38/HB9ERD,
HV0A, 7P8Z
22/10/21 - Just received LOTW confirmation from 7P8Z DXCC#100 confirmed.
Sat DXCC ordered!
24/10 C5C Gambia
28/10 3X2021 Guinea
12/11 S21RC Bangladesh
28/01/22 TY5AB Benin
03/02/22 CX/PR8KW Uruguay
17/02/22 Z21A Zimbabwe
23/02/2022 RA2FGG Kaliningrad
03/03/2022 ZB2 Gibraltar for DXCC #131
08/04/2022 5Z4 Kenya for DXCC #132
22/04/2022 JW0X Svalbard for DXCC #133
23rd April 2022 INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY at the
Marconi Lizard Wireless Station Bass Point Using GB4LD IN79jx
Good interest from visitors and some nice results results on the QO-100
Satellite.
Total Contacts with other Amateurs "QSOs" 161
Total Countries contacted "DXCC" 34
The GB4LD “message” was exchanged far and wide via QO-100! - From
Svalbard to South Africa and from Indonesia to Brazil
It would have been great to contact the hams on the German Antarctic
Research Station for an Arctic / Antarctic double ! Unfortunately they
had work to do so couldn't play ham radio.
17/7/2022 update:
28/05/2022 TC100QO (Turkey) for DXCC #134
01/07/2022 ZY0FUN (Fernando de Noroh) for DXCC #135
10/07/2022 MD0ILE (Isle of Man) for DXCC #136
17/07/2022 ER/DL4EA (Moldovia) for DXCC #137
05/08/2022 3B9GL (Rodrigues Is) for DXCC #138
14/8/2022 S79/EA3BT (Seychelles) for DXCC #139
11th Another nice QO-100 portable "Heritage Day" operation from National
Trust Marconi Lizard Wireless Station huts as GB4LD.
A nice piece written by Geoff Bate G0FHT for the NT Volunteer area
newsletter.
29/09/2022 EK/RX3DPK (Armenia) for DXCC #140
08/10/2022 D60AE (Comoros) for DXCC #141
13/10/2022 OD5RAL (Lebanon) for DXCC #142
31/10/2002 VK9QO (Christmas Island) for DXCC #143
15/11/2022 5H3SE/P (Tanzania) for DXCC #144
25/11/2022 5R8PA (Madagascar) for DXCC #145
2/12/2022 XW4KV (Laos) for DXCC #146 (sat is <1deg with him)
14/12/2022 A65BP (UAE) for Sat DXCC # 147
Slides from
my 7th Dec
2022 QO-100 talk to Callington Amateur Radio Society and on Zoom to
"Radio Operators Cornwall". Only a bit of history personal view
preceding a live demo of QO-100 (ODX PP2RON) :-)
01/01/2023 FT8WW (Crozet Is) the rarest of the rare on any band for Sat
DXCC #148 59 on SSB - purrrfekt!
10/01/2023 TN8K (DR Congo) for Sat DXCC #149 they had no dish - just
using LNB and TX feed pointed at sky!!
TN8K Since worked on CW SSB FT8 and FT4:-)
20/01/2023 LU/PY5ZUE for Sat DXCC #150 right on the edge of the
satellite footprint!
28/02/2023 Well 3B7M bagged on QO-100 at least - FT8, FT4 and SSB all in the
log:-)
04/03/2023 Andaman Island VU4M bagged on QO-100 just after midnight - SSB
and CW in the
log for Sat DXCC # 152:-) TNX Gopan M0XUU / VU3HPF
21/03/2023 Tice to catch ZD9VZV Tristan Da Cunha this morning during his
brief shore trip from the cruise ship:-) DXCC #153
08/04/2023 DXCC # 154 Uganda on QO-100 satellite thanks to Eddie
5XA1J/p in his motor home touring Africa and raising funds for QSA
21/04/2023 DXCC #155 4U1ITU Geneva operational for World Amateur Radio
Day and International Marconi Day.
27/07/2023 DXCC #156 1A0C SMOM special station
15/10/2023 DXCC #157 TO8FH (Mayotte)
06/11/2023
DXCC #158 VK9QO (Cocos Keeling Island)
03/12/2023 DXCC #159 9L5M (Sierra Leone) Shabu M0KRI 1 man DXpedition -
also worked him on 6m - amazing!!
11/05/2024 MY FIRST QSO WITH
MAINLAND N AMERICA Gopan VO1/M0XUU made the historic breakthrough with
QO-100 at -1deg!!
Results below updated when I remember! Last updated:
12/05/2024;-)
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