Satellite Work - VU5K or 6600 with transverters?

KM0T

All,

I am thinking of perhaps getting into some sat work, wondering if you satellite gurus have a preference for using a Flex-5000 VU5K or a Flex-6600 with VU transverters.  I have a VU5K and its excellent, but Im also thinking of trading up for new tech without firewire connection.  Currently redoing the shack and getting out of the Flex-5000 line for my VHF and microwave work.

So the question is if there are better programs, software etc. for interfacing for sat work, freq control, etc. for the Flex-6000 series or is the VU5K the ticket.  Ease of interface, between the two systems, etc.

Do i hang onto the VU5K or not... lots of + and -'s.

73 de Mike - KM0T

Tim - W4TME

The 6600 would be more versatile.  I would look at these references:

AMSAT: My Software Defined Radio Satellite Station using a FLEX-6600
AMSAT: L/v Mode Enhancement to SDR Satellite Station using a FLEX-6600

dlwarnberg

I have setup and used my 6500 with Elecraft transverters to do SAT work quite nicely, I had to use switches because of the 6500 limited XVTR connection as well as ANT in/out.. SATPC32 integrates well for all types of SATs... I found HRD to be jumpy when racking and did not handle linear inverting SATs well.. JMO

Good Luck

W0DHB

Mike

I have available a program called FlexSATPC (Referenced in articles Tim listed above ) that works in conjunction with SatPc32.
It supports PowerSDR , SmartSDR Version 2 and 3.
My email is good in qrz.com, drop me a line and I'll send you an email with info.

Tim is correct that the 6600 lends itself to satellite operations the best. But we have folks using all models in the 6000 line.

Dave W0DHB

Fred Friedl

Mike,

What are you looking to get for your 5000 w/vu5k?

Fred - WX4US
Pensacola

KM0T

Fred, dont want to keep you hanging here, but I'm not ready to part with the VU5K until I absorb all of the info here.  I dont like to make too rash of decisions, I like to take my time (my wife would disagree before I think about a price.  If it was commodity rig, no problem.  However, it is a VU5K.  I tested it last week against a Kuhne state of the art 432 transverter, I A/B switched it with a coaxial relay to the same antenna listening to far out weak signal beacons.  I could not tell the difference, its amazing tech for the time and still state of the art.  Firewire....a cord I may want to cut....73

Tim - W4TME

Firewire....a cord I may want to cut

:-)

Fred Friedl

Tim,

I have no issues with Firewire...

Tim - W4TME

@Fred You are fortunate.  We are seeing an uptick in Firewire support issues, particularly with Win10 machines. These issues are challenging to debug as there are no diagnostic tools available.

Fred Friedl

That's good to know, thanks.  I will keep alert to issues.  I have been running W10 since the beginning.