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German Radio Amateur Successfully Sends 2.5 mW OPERA Signal via Es’hail-2

03/07/2019

Markus Vester, DF6NM, recently used the digital mode OPERA to send a 2.5 mW signal through the 2.4 – 10 GHz transponder of the Es’hail-2 (QO-100) geostationary satellite. OPERA is a “slow” digital mode for very weak signal work that enables the exchange of call signs and signal reports.

According to a post on the Digital Radio Groups reflector, Vester started out at 250 mW of OPERA on 2.4 GHz into a 60-centimeter dish. The downlink signal was received via the AMSAT-UK and BATC 10 GHz WebSDR in Cornwall by Peter Knol, PA1SDB. Vester then reduced power to just 2.5 mW, and the signal was still readable. OPERA was developed by EA5HVK.

Elsewhere, the advent of QO-100 invigorated sales of the MiniTiouner-Express DATV receiver/analyzer for DVB-S/DVB-S2 to the point of exhausting current inventory, according to Hamvention® ATV Forum moderator Art Towslee, WA8RMC. It’s anticipated that MiniTiouner-Express units will be available for shipment again sometime in April. Charles Brain, G4GUO, reports many successful DATV contacts via QO-100. He can hit the satellite with just 10 W into a 1.8-meter dish and said, “Every evening, OSCAR-100 is very, very busy.” 



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