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

AO-27 status?
by David 15 Nov '06

15 Nov '06

Hello all: I am a AO-27 user from Madrid Spain. I remember some months ago I read a email telling that the AO-27 was going in eclipse and this email is to ask if the eclipse season is over. Is the satellite operative again?. If not... when the Control team expects to have it operative. I have tried this weekend with no success. My last QSO was in May 2006. 73 de David EB4DEH

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Re: satpc32help---Meaning of [Brackets] after Sat names?
by Hal Pressman 15 Nov '06

15 Nov '06

As an almost daily user of morning FO-29 passes, I am confused and concerned about these brackets and how they will affect my use of Satpc32? I read Erichs' post and have switched to using Amsat as the source file for my Keps but I notice that when I use the AOS program to project and print my pass list, the Sat names still contain the brackets. Erich, I and I am sure other SatPC32 users would appreciate further explanation of what this bracket system is all about and a step by step correct way to use it with SatPC32. I have been extremely pleased with the good results I've had with the SSB Sats using SatPc32 and don't want to disturb my success because of these brackets. I have been away from home for several weeks and would also like to know when this new system began and why? Thanks and 73s Hal Pressman KD8SY Amsat #25698

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FYI: Virginia Commercial Space Port
by Arthur Feller 14 Nov '06

14 Nov '06

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR200611130… Anybody have some good contacts with these folks?? 73, art..... W4ART Arlington, VA Life is short. Be swift to love! Make haste to be kind! - Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (1821-1881)

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SatPC32
by Arlon Nelson 14 Nov '06

14 Nov '06

Hi Anyone out there using SatPC32 and a Icom 910. I would like a copy of the DOPPLER.SQR files showing FO-29 and VO-52. Thanks Nels W0TUP

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Journal Articles
by Ed Long 14 Nov '06

14 Nov '06

Hi Gang, It's that time again. If you have any articles for the November/December issue of The AMSAT Journal please let me know. I have some content already and to those authors - thank you! I'm always looking for more. I'll begin editing what I have so far over the next several days. Regular contributors - please get going! 73 and thanks to all, Ed Long WA4SWJ Editor, The AMSAT Journal

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satpc32
by Nick Pugh 14 Nov '06

14 Nov '06

Thanks to all who responded nick

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Trakbox and Parking Frequency.
by Vincenzo Mone 14 Nov '06

14 Nov '06

Hi to the list, it is a while that I've noticed that my trakbox when it terminated to track the satellites it should put my radio in parking frequency which should be: RX_Freq : 1296.500 TX_freq : 144.800 But I always get: RX_Freq: 1296.499.9 TX_freq: 144.800 How you can see, the RX_Freq is 1 Hz down. I've tried to set the RX_Freq to 1296.501 But when it parks, it goes to: 1296.500.9 Can anybody explain me what happens? Thanks in advance. 73 de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 *************************************** ***** GSM +39 338 9749786 ***** ***** SMS +39 338 9749786 ***** ***** FAX +39 328 7244294 ***** *** 2nd e-mail: vimone(a)tin.it *** ***************************************

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Re: satpc32 help
by Keith N4ZQ 13 Nov '06

13 Nov '06

-- "Erich Eichmann" <erich.eichmann(a)t-online.de> wrote: Alan and Nick, SatPC32 reads the CAT data for a particular satellite from the aux. file Doppler.SQF which can be opened and edited from the menu "?", "Auxiliary Files". The spelling of the satellite's name in this file must exactly match the spelling in the Keps file. For the program FO-29 [+] is another satellite than FO-29. Therefore it will not use the FO-29 data with FO-29 [+]. Which begs the question, why don't the tracking software writers use the catalog number number instead of the satellite name? There was a time, I believe it was UO-11, that I found it listed under 5 different names. Depending on who's Keps list you downloaded. It seems to me that the catalog number remains constant and if used, it wouldn't matter what name they attached to it. Is there a reason why the name has to be used? Keith N4ZQ

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AO-51 V/S, 6-12 November 2006
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 13 Nov '06

13 Nov '06

Hi! Although I didn't get on the air as much as I had hoped to during the past week with AO-51 in the V/S configuration, I was able to work 5 passes and make contacts on all 5 passes. One pass on Sunday (6 November) night to the east, 3 on Saturday (a morning pass to the east, then two passes in the evening - one to the east, the other to the west), followed by one pass Sunday morning to the east. I made a total of 18 QSOs, a few more than my total from the last AO-51 V/S week in late August/early September when I made 14 QSOs. I used the same setup as I did in early September, with a pair of HTs, my Arrow Antennas 2m/70cm handheld Yagi for the uplink along with the dipole/corner reflector on my downconverter for the downlink. I worked stations across the USA, 3 Canadians (1 VE3, 2 VE6s), and one Mexican in this configuration. I missed a demonstration on Friday night with Andy K0SM and his radio club, but had the chance to work K0SM twice on Saturday. Two of the passes had a maximum elevation of 14 degrees, one was in the mid-30s, and the other two were around 55-65 degrees. AO-51's S-band downlink is easy to hear, but with the simple dipole on my downconverter I was having to turn it 90 degrees periodically to keep up with the signal along with pointing it in the general direction of the satellite. It's not critical to have the antenna pointed exactly at AO-51, but it doesn't hurt. I've heard that computer control really makes this more enjoyable :-) but there is something to be said for a portable V/S operation where I don't have to put a laptop and the cables to connect to at least one radio to do this. Especially when away from home (the Sunday morning pass was done from a nearby city park, with a better view of the sky and not so close to the mountains that ring Phoenix, along with being in two grids). Now I need to look at other options for the S-band antenna, besides the dipole/corner reflector, to see about improving my receive setup. Transmit is easy enough at 2m with an HT and the handheld Yagi. I was getting compliments on my 5W signals up to the satellite, and heard a couple of others comment on the low power they were also using on their uplinks. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Phoenix, Arizona USA http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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satpc32 help
by Nick Pugh 12 Nov '06

12 Nov '06

On the satellite menu some of the sats have brackets [ ] with + and - signs in them. What does the brackets and signs indicate? thanks nick

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