October 2006 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Kansas City Tracker info
by Kyle Yoksh 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

Hi all, I've just bought a Kansas City Tracker board, and have a couple questions about it. I hope someone that reads this list might have the answer? I haven't received my board yet, but from what I've read online, there were a few options available on the KCT. Of particular interest to me is the 'Rotor Interface' Option, since my azimuth rotor is a CDE/Hygain Ham II. I've read that the KCT was designed more for the Yaesu/Kenpro type rotors, but this option was available to facilitate use with other rotors. Can anyone tell me how to identify which options my board has installed? Thanks much and 73, Kyle Yoksh KØKN Olathe, Kansas Amsat# 35249

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MER beta software
by Kevin Forbes 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

Hi all, I have just placed a beta version of a piece of software for decoding the data endoded in MER images filenames e.g. 2N164809112EFFA8C5P1795L0M1.jpg The software will display the image while browsing your collection, decode the exact time on Earth (UTC and Local time zones), display the correct SOL number. Show a larger size image. Display images in stereo if an image pair is available. Other information is displayed and some still being worked on. It displays Martian day time but the solar clock is still being worked on, so, it is approx. an hour out at times. If you have any suggestions for additions or changes, let me know. Please have a look at the screen shots page. The downloads are at the bottom of the page, if you do not have WinRar, the best choice to download would be the bottom one MerdatBeta.exe. with a picture of the rover on it. It is a self extracting executable, but will ask you for the password when you attempt to extract the files. http://www.qsl.net/vk3ukf/ then click on the Merdat decoding link. They are both password encrypted, so please email me for the password. Thanks Kevin, VK3UKF.

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Across the pond on AO-51 mode L/U ?
by Dave G1OCN 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

There is a good mutual USA/CANADA/EU pass of AO-51 later at 2255 to 2301 UTC. Anyone want to try mode L/U ? Cheers, Dave. Portland. Dorset. IO80SM AMSAT-UK 5766.

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PC Sat
by Paul Luggar 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

I set up to transmit through PC Sat today at 1655 UTC only to hear the W3ADO callsign (;-( It seems lots of stations still use the bird when she is defaulted to W3ADO, I turned off TX but I got to thinking the stations that are using this sat may not know that they should not be using it under that call. Does somebody tell them (Via Email) the error of their ways or are they allowed to go on as they are? Just a thought. Paul Luggar M0SCI Website WWW.M0SCI.CO.UK Amsat-UK Member 6484 www.m0sci.co.uk/forum Devon and Cornwalls Amateur Radio Message Board

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Re: PcSat-1 Bulletin Question
by Robert Bruninga 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

> I see a PcSat-1 bulletin I do not understand. > BLN2PCSAT:Aliases are R,W,Wn-N,Tn-N & ARISS > I understand ARISS. Can you tell me the meaning of the other aliases? Yes, PCSAT-1 acts just like any terrestrial APRS digipeater. So we wanted to make sure it would respond to any path that is typicallly used by terrestrial users so that all they had to do to use it was to change their frequency, and not have to also change their path. So PCSAT-1 was made to respond to all of the existing and legacy paths that are used on APRS. They are: RELAY WIDE WIDEn-N TRACEn-N and ARISS And we are seeing many people using a variet of these paths. HOWEVER, there is a problem when people use the WIDEn-N and TRACEn-N paths, since these are decremented at each hop. Thus, a WIDE2-2 packet digiepated by PCSAT-1 will appear as ...PCSAT-1,WIDE2-1 and will not indicate the PCSAT-1* until the final hop. In this case, there is only one hop and so the FINDU.COM web-page that parses all APRS traffic looking for packets via PCSAT-1 will not see them because it wont see the PCSAT-1* marker. If people want to keep track of their success on FINDU.COM ( http://pcasat.aprs.org ) then they should not use a n-N path and should change their SSID so that their station call is unique for this space application. Otherwise, as soon as they use the same station again on terrestrial APRS, then the posit via the satellite will be overwritten. Bob, WB4APR

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HITSAT 1630 UTC
by Mike Rupprecht 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

AOS 1630 UTC Oct 02 (JN49lr) Hit1 jr8yjt Hit2 a0301290938 Hit3 384a4c494e49474a Hit4 c1ddd1e2 Hit1 jr8yjt Hit2 a0301330528 Hit3 294b4e484d4b4749 Hit4 8bddd1e2 LOS 1639 UTC ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- Date: Oct, 03 Time: 01:33:05 JST HIT2 a0301330528 HIT3 294b4e484d4b4749 HIT4 8bddd1e2 Temp +X face : 116,452 °C Temp -X face : 34,779 °C Temp +Y face : 27,573 °C Temp -Y face : 41,986 °C Temp +Z face : 29,975 °C Temp -Z face : 34,779 °C Temp Transceiver: 44,388 °C Temp Battery : 39,584 °C Prim. Battery : 5,430 V Sec. Battery : 8,633 V 5 Volts : 4,951 V 5.5 Volts : 5,353 V RSSI : 0,781 V 73, Mike DK3WN

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Interdigital filters
by Andrew Rich 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

Anybody made interdigital filters before ? Want to make one for 1090 MHz ----------------------------------------- Andrew Rich Amateur radio callsign VK4TEC email: vk4tec(a)tech-software.net web: http://www.tech-software.net Brisbane AUSTRALIA

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AO-51 Mode L/U over West Malaysia
by Sion Chow Q. C. (9W2QC) 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

Hello All, This morning, 2nd October 2006 at 0945 Hours Local or 0145 Hours UTC, we had a 72 degree pass of AO-51 over West Malaysia. My father, Dr. Chow C. O., 9M2CCO and I were in the shack this morning to prepare for the pass. This would be our first attempt to test out the L band as there are no terrestrial activities on the L band locally to try it out. First of all, we started with the V/U repeater after AOS. After verifying that we could operate it normally, we gave out a few CQ calls, but unfortunately no one responded. Then we moved to the L/U repeater. My father gave out a few CQ calls, as I could not operate on this frequency. (just because I am reluctant to take the morse code test) To our surprise, with only 10 Watts of power from the ICOM IC-910H into a 16-Element Comet Yagi Antenna, gave a very clear and solid audio on the downlink. When the elevation was above 30 degrees, only 5 watts of power was needed to have a very clear downlink. However, a little more power was needed when the elevation dropped below 30 degrees. 10 watts was more than enough until about 5 degrees in elevation. But we have some surrounding tall buildings in the LOS direction anyway. To conclude our first L band test, I would say that this is a very interesting mode, and it requires less power on the uplink as compared to 2M. Maybe this is due to the fact that the 2M band is polluted with illegal operations around this region. This can be proven when AO-51 is operating without the required PL tone. Equipment used were ICOM IC-910H, 10-Element Yagi for 2M, 2x15-Element Yagi for 70CM (Unfortunately no preamp for the downlink) and 16-Element Yagi for 23 CM. All antennas are vertically polarized. The station here was also automatically tracking the antenna and Doppler and this made operating very simple. A big thank you to the command team for this very interesting mode, and will like to see it more often in the future. I have tested the V/S mode before, and am now waiting to test the L/S mode in the future. 73, Sion Chow Q. C., 9W2QC. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.407 / Virus Database: 268.12.10/459 - Release Date: 9/29/2006

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HITSAT 0725 UTC
by Mike Rupprecht 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

AOS 0725 UTC Oct 02 (JN49lr) Hit3 214d4d4a4e4c4b49 Hit4 c1dcd2e2 Hit1 jr8yjt Hit2 a0216261726 Hit3 284c4c4a4d49474c LOS 0731 UTC ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- Date: Oct, 02 Time: 16:26:17 JST HIT2 a0216261726 HIT3 284c4c4a4d49474c HIT4 c1dcd2e2 Temp +X face : 118,854 °C Temp -X face : 32,377 °C Temp +Y face : 32,377 °C Temp -Y face : 37,181 °C Temp +Z face : 29,975 °C Temp -Z face : 39,584 °C Temp Transceiver: 44,388 °C Temp Battery : 32,377 °C Prim. Battery : 7,539 V Sec. Battery : 8,594 V 5 Volts : 4,974 V 5.5 Volts : 5,353 V RSSI : 0,742 V 73, Mike DK3WN

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HITSAT 0551 UTC correction
by Mike Rupprecht 02 Oct '06

02 Oct '06

AOS 0551 UTC Oct 02 (JN49lr) Hit3 ..4d51494w4c4b49 Hit4 c1dcd1c2 Hit1 jr8yjt Hit2 a0214515026 Hit3 274b4c404d49474b Hit4 8bddd1e3 Hit1 jr8yjt Hit2 a0214554530 Hit3 2f4c.... LOS 0600 UTC ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- Date: Oct, 02 Time: 14:51:50 JST HIT2 a0214515026 HIT3 274b4c404d49474b HIT4 8bddd1e3 Temp +X face : 121,256 °C Temp -X face : 34,779 °C Temp +Y face : 32,377 °C Temp -Y face : 61,203 °C Temp +Z face : 29,975 °C Temp -Z face : 39,584 °C Temp Transceiver: 44,388 °C Temp Battery : 34,779 °C Prim. Battery : 5,430 V Sec. Battery : 8,633 V 5 Volts : 4,951 V 5.5 Volts : 5,377 V RSSI : 0,742 V 73, Mike DK3WN ____________ Virus checked by G DATA AntiVirusKit Version: AVK 16.10106 from 01.10.2006 Virus news: www.antiviruslab.com

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