Question
What do the letters in a satellite’s mode designator specify?
Answer Options
- A) Power limits for uplink and downlink transmissions
- B) The location of the ground control station
- C) The polarization of uplink and downlink signals
- D) The uplink and downlink frequency ranges
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
The mode designator is a simple naming convention used by the amateur satellite community to describe a satellite’s communication capabilities. It consists of two letters separated by a slash (e.g., V/U, L/S), representing the pair of frequency bands used for communication. Each letter corresponds to a standard frequency band used in amateur satellite work.
Therefore, the letters in a satellite’s mode designator specify the uplink and downlink frequency ranges. For instance, ‘V’ stands for VHF (2 meters), ‘U’ for UHF (70 centimeters), ‘L’ for L-band (23 centimeters), and ‘S’ for S-band (13 centimeters). Knowing this allows an operator to instantly select the correct antenna, radio, and frequency range for a contact.
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