At the right is the minimal equipment necessary to use the AO-27 Satellite. A dual band handheld which can tune to 436.8 mhz (436.797 is the nominal frequency) and a suitable antenna. The half wave 440 mhz. antenna made by MFJ (MFJ 1717) is also a 1/4 wave on 2 meters. The uplink frequency is 145.85. The dual band radio should tune in .005 steps or finer or it may be difficult to tune to the downlink frequency(436.79), which shifts slightly during each pass due to the doppler effect. The half wave antenna is particularly necessary for picking up the weak downlink. Opening the squelch entirely is recommended for recieving the downlink.      A better antenna for the handheld is the Arrow hand-held beam, shown in the picture on the home page. With this antenna you can get a clear recieve on satellite passes that are low on the horizon.      I find that the satellite pass prediction is easiest to do on the World Wide Web.  Try the Satellite Tracking Form (currently unavailable, try J-Track instead) for a straightforward pass prediction report for the AO-27, amateur satellites,  the Space Shuttle and MIR. There are also software tracking programs available, but I've never used them. The compass will allow you to locate North to determine the azimuth readings for each pass. These can be quite approximate, since you locate the satellite with sweeping movements of the antenna. The elevation readings have a twofold function. The higher satellite pass allows longer operation of the satellite and the signal is usually easier to receive when the satellite is clear of the horizon.