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

Floating Point Error - Nova
by Gregory Dober 08 Dec '06

08 Dec '06

I have been running Nova for 3 years and have run into this problem for the first time. It started with a floating-point error when I switched into frequency on the menu. After I restarted the program, the Nova window to launch would come up for a few seconds then about 100+ boxes of floating point errors came up. I noticed in the upper corner of Windows a small box popped up for auto track. I even deleted the program and reinstalled. As soon, as I hit launch the numerous boxes of floating point errors come up and I cannot get into Nova. I have to CTR-ALT-Del to close it. Anyone knows the fix. 73 Greg N3MVF

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Receiving RAFT on 216.98 MHz ?
by Douglas Quagliana 08 Dec '06

08 Dec '06

A quick check around my radio shack confirms that none of my receivers will receive at or near 216.980 MHz. What were other amateurs planning to use to receive the pings from RAFT on 216.98? Is there a bargain-basement no-frills way to kludge something together to receive the signals? Douglas KA2UPW/5

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shuttle audio?
by KD5MSS 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Shuttle Audio @ : IRLP: 9228 Echolink: 302324

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Beginer Antenna Selection Prt. 2
by Steve Raas 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

First I'd like to thank everyone for their input! In looking at all the ideas that have been tossed up in the air.. I may just go with the Potato Masher II x 2 ( 2m/435 ). Now for the hard part.. I see there are tones of home brew pages on how to construct these. I however have the construction abilities of a newt! Does any one make these commercially or as a side venture? I have looked @ the m2 eggbeater but I think the P.M. II has a bit better specs. -Steve

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Re: Beginer Antenna Selection
by Bruce Robertson 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Quoting Steve Raas <sraas(a)optonline.net>: > Well here is my 1st question. > > > > In researching what is needed for working sat's , I have found that I > am > looking for an antenna that has RHCP, although selectable RHCP & LHCP > is > avail.. I just cannot justify the added expense for a 5% probability of > an > improved signal. Steve: What an excellent question! My answers and advice below are based on some experience and on reading this list for the last couple of years. I hope those who are more knowledgeable will correct any errors. Antenna selection is partly determined by your rotation scheme. If you are using azimuth rotation alone, which I and many others would recommend and you suggest below, the following advice pertains. I would strongly recommend against *any* circular polarization to start. Use a linearly polarized antenna of modest length instead. If you do get a circularly polarized ones for 2m and 70cm, they should have switchable polarization. This is because different birds use different polarization for their antenna array, and in LEO they can end up reversing polarization. However, adding switchable circ. polarization adds enormously to the cost of the array or, in the case of homebrew, to the risk of muddling the thing up. > > That being said.. Are 'Typical' terrestrial SSB Yagis RHCP? I am > looking > at the following antennas for known performance vs. price: No, they're not. Yagis can produce circularly polarized signals if two of them at right angles are fed in proper phase. Thus, a yagi-like antenna that is circularly polarized will look like a combined vertically-oriented and horizontally-oriented yagi. > > 2m - DPM144-5LVA (http://www.directivesystems.com/lva.htm) > > 430-440 - DSFO432-15RS (http://www.directivesystems.com/DSFO432-15.htm) Tuning on this band can be very touchy. If it says it is for 432, I'd give it a pass: you're going to be up at 435 MHz. > > You may wonder why I'm looking @ such small antennas and I will answer > that > My main coaxial run from rig to preamp may be at most 30'. These are not small antennas for LEO work. They are, in fact, too large if you are planning to use an azimuth-only rotation setup, which is really all you need (esp. with preamps on the mast). I'd go much, much smaller. As a sort of point of comparison, I'm upgrading from homebrew 8-el on 70cm and 4 el on 144 with fixed elevation (az-only) only in order to work the bottom 5 degrees of elevation and DX into W. Europe. That modest setup has garnered me hundreds of contacts and a world of fun. Like many on this list, I used the WA5VJB 'Cheap Yagi' design. It works. A recent pdf is at: http://portal.ucpel.tche.br/py3vhq/home/antenas/uhf-sw.pdf My guess is that any commercially-built array will be much more than the cost of a 2m/70cm SWR meter (you can even use a FT-817 as a poor-man's version!) plus the materials needed for a Cheap Yagi array. You might try some of the other designs that people have had success with, such as the Texas Potato Masher II. All of these are predicated on the fact that a longer boom yagi will make your (fixed az.) station *less* fun to work with. Greater gain comes at the cost of a narrower beamwidth, both vertically and horizontally. You'll therefore find worse nulls as the bird goes overhead, and you'll find the adjustment of the az. rotor will be unpleasantly touchy. There is a long-running debate about the optimal gain pattern for fixed el., but I'd say my 4-el. 2m antenna has a shade too little directionality for my liking. Still, I've used it for over a year now. The 70cm antenna is a champion in my books. I'm > probabaly > going to feed them both with an LMR-400 type cable, possibly LMR-600 on > UHF > but with such a short run and loss under 1.0db I don't know nor have > decided > if it would be worth it. Also I plan on mounting these ( or similar > yagis ) > @ a 30deg angle with a simple rotor as an AZ/EL rotor is not an option > at > this moment due to cost. So to sup up my initial statement I don't need > another 3dB of gain to make up for line loss, So in theory I can keep > the > antennas smaller. 30 deg. is pretty high, even with the short yagis (brutally so with long ones). Unless you will not get a signal to the lower elevations, due to foliage, houses, etc., I would experiment with 10 deg. to 20 deg. You've probably read that you need to put together the 'best receiving station you can'. You may also, as I did, fear that people will label you an alligator if you can't hear very well. In practice, folks on the birds are very understanding if you use modest power and are beginning. What's frustrating are the people who have been around for ages, put booming signals into the bird and don't seem to be able to hear anything but a signal equally booming. Because one can hear one's own signals, the problem is quite obvious to others. A last thought, which doesn't respond to your questions, but might be as much fun for you as it was for me: one of my first satellite antennas was a 70cm 1/4w groundplane. I just soldered some house hookup wire to a bnc connector: two for a groundplane, one for a vertical element. With a 6' run of RG-58 and a wooden roof, I can hear many birds in CW mode: LO-19 (booming!), the FM of AO-51 (listening in CW mode), GO-32. No rotating, no nothing. Granted, in my experience such an antenna doesn't quite suffice for two-way communication. But it reduces the number of variables in setting up a computer-aided station, if that's the way you want to go, and AOS prediction in any case. It is so cool to just listen to the bird come up, explore the elevation at which it is heard, listen to fading patterns, and observe doppler. Recreate the OSCAR 1 experience in about 5 minutes of antenna building! Later on, when something goes wrong with your outdoor array, you can always go back to this antenna as a baseline. In fact, when I lost my 70cm antenna to moisture in the feedline, I used this antenna a) to confirm the problem; b) to transmit up to VO-52! It's also a great way of testing an unknown receiver on 70cm: if LO-19 doesn't come in LOUD with the 1/4w groundplane, I'd say that receiver is useless for LEO work. Similarly, a three-element yagi on 2m will do a great job of picking up VO-52. I lashed one together, and pointed it by hand within my wood-frame house. Not R5 copy, mind you, but great fun and cheap. It will even copy AO-7. 73, Bruce VE9QRP ----- End forwarded message ----- -- Bruce Robertson, Dept. of Classics, Mount Allison University http://heml.mta.ca

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3.4GHz Ionic amps now all sold
by jules＠g0nzo.co.uk 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Further to my email from a couple of days ago. The following was posted to the UK Microwave reflector: Jules ========================================================= Posted by: "g4bao" g4bao(a)ntlworld.com johnworsnop Wed Dec 6, 2006 1:38 pm (PST) Hi all, All 17 of my Power amps were snapped up in the first three days! Thanks to everyone, I obviously got the price just right!! I have a waiting list of 3 or 4 in case anyone drops out or does not pay or if I manage to find any more. I have one receive converter left if anyone is interested? 73 John G4BAO

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Re: help
by Reicher, James 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

George, I'm posting this to the BB because this site is a fantastic source of information: You can find almost any Yaesu manual on http://foxtango.ham-radio-op.net Manuals for rigs, etc. from the 60's all the way to the present can be found on this site. 73 de N8AU, Jim in Raymore, MO Light travels faster than sound... This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:13:38 -0500 From: "w3vvp" <w3vvp(a)atlanticbb.net> Subject: [amsat-bb] help To: "amsat-bb" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <001801c7197b$65e29b50$6401a8c0@George> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original I am in need of a service manual for a Yaesu 736-R. Does anyone have one for Sale? Is any one willing to make a copy and send it to me. I expect to pay for the copying and postage.Please reply off BB. e-mail:w3vvp@atlanticbb.net. Tel: 410-364-5650 between 12 noon and 10 pm est. Thanks,George,W3VVP

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Beginer Antenna Selection
by Steve Raas 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Well here is my 1st question. In researching what is needed for working sat's , I have found that I am looking for an antenna that has RHCP, although selectable RHCP & LHCP is avail.. I just cannot justify the added expense for a 5% probability of an improved signal. That being said.. Are 'Typical' terrestrial SSB Yagis RHCP? I am looking at the following antennas for known performance vs. price: 2m - DPM144-5LVA (http://www.directivesystems.com/lva.htm) 430-440 - DSFO432-15RS (http://www.directivesystems.com/DSFO432-15.htm) You may wonder why I'm looking @ such small antennas and I will answer that My main coaxial run from rig to preamp may be at most 30'. I'm probabaly going to feed them both with an LMR-400 type cable, possibly LMR-600 on UHF but with such a short run and loss under 1.0db I don't know nor have decided if it would be worth it. Also I plan on mounting these ( or similar yagis ) @ a 30deg angle with a simple rotor as an AZ/EL rotor is not an option at this moment due to cost. So to sup up my initial statement I don't need another 3dB of gain to make up for line loss, So in theory I can keep the antennas smaller. More to come in the future. -Steve Raas N2JDQ

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New to the Birds
by Steve Raas 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Just want to introduce myself, Steve Raas N2JDQ , As I am brand new to the Birds , yet a long time Amateur. I will be asking many questions Im sure and I am familiarizing myself with the AMSAT Community. I have just recently purchased a sat rig and will be slowly erecting a station in the near future. 73's for now. -Steve Raas N2JDQ

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STS-116 and USBA/DARPA/ANDE/RAFT satellites launch
by Luc Leblanc VE2DWE 07 Dec '06

07 Dec '06

Could be of some interest on the next STS-116 mission. STS-116 to launch USNA/DARPA satellites Pretty much overshadowed by the main mission to the ISS, STS-116 will launch two U.S. Naval Academy Student Project satellites after undocking from the ISS. These satellites are called ANDE (Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment) and RAFT (Radar Fence Transponder). The NRL science mission of ANDE is to measure the density of the upper atmosphere by precise tracking of the orbit decay by the Maui Laser Ranging Tracking Station. The Comm system provides important telemetry on the attitude and temperature of the spacecraft. The ANDE and RAFT satellites will carry amateur radio communications payloads (see frequencies below), but RAFT has something a bit extra. RAFT carries a 216.980 MHz receiver/transmitter to demonstrate self-location techniques when it flies through the Space Surveillance Network radar fence across the southern USA. When this experiment is activated, users will hear a 1 second ping when it flies through the fence. This is an excellent way to see how sensitive your radio installation is. Amateur Payloads: ANDE Side A: 145.825 MHz Digipeater up/downlink 1200 baud packet ANDE Side B: 145.825 MHz downlink (backup to side A only) RAFT System: 145.825 MHz Digipeater up/downlink 1200 baud packet RAFT PSK-31: 28.120 MHz HF PSK-31 uplink -downlink on 145.825 MHz You can get more information on these satellites at the following links: ANDE/RAFT Space Operations http://eng.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html ANDE (MAA) - Telemetry/Command and Comms http://eng.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/ande.html Various frequencies list http://www.monitoringtimes.com/ RAFT Satellite Project The MARScom satellite is suppose to launch with this mission, but nothing hs been mentioned in any of the official STS-116 paperwork about that Cubesat. While its mission fate is unknown as of this writing, according to a 13 October 2006 Chief of NAVMARCORPSMARS message the satellite is at KSC and ready for launch. You can view my complete description of the RAFT and MARScom payloads at MEMS-Based PICOSAT Inspector (MEPSI) http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/STP-H2-MEPSI.html sources:http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/ :http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/ _ADDITIONNAL MESSAGES__OF INTEREST______________________________ R 131200Z OCT 2006 FM NNN0ASA VA TO NNN0ALL INFO ZEN/AAA9A AZ ZEN/AGA3C IL BT UNCLAS SUBJ: CHNAVMARCORMARS INFO BCST 48-06 - MARSCOM SATELLITE 1. BOB, NNN0APR, HEAD OF THE NAVAL ACADEMY SATELLITE LAB, HAS INFORMED ME THAT MARSCOM, THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS SATELLITE, IS AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AWAITING LAUNCH ON THE NEXT SHUTTLE ON ABOUT 5 DEC 2006. AT THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE OUR OWN SATELLITE IN ORBIT. WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 50 DAYS TO DEVELOP A CADRE OF NAVMARCORMARS OPERATORS AND GROUND STATIONS. MORE INFO (INCLUDING A COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH) IS AVAILABLE AT (ALL LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.EW.USNA.EDU/(TILDE)BRUNINGA/MARSCOM.HTML 2. MARSCOM WILL BE DIFFICULT TO HEAR AND TO CONTROL DUE TO USING HF SSB FOR THE DOWNLINK AND THE DOPPLER SHIFT. THE DOWNLINK TRANSMITTER TURNED OUT TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE RADIATED POWER (ERP) OF UNDER 100 MILLIWATTS INSTEAD OF THE DESIRED 2 WATTS. WE ASSUME A 10 METER BEAM WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE COMMAND STATIONS. THE NAVAL ACADEMY HAS NO SUCH COMMAND STATIONS AT THIS TIME ... SO, WE NEED NAVMARCORMARS STATIONS THAT HAVE 148 MHZ FM UPLINK AND SSB 10M DOWNLINK, AND A 1200 BAUD TNC CONNECTED TO EACH. 3. MARSCOM, BECAUSE OF ITS LOW EARTH ORBIT, WILL DE-ORBIT IN UNDER SIX MONTHS. WE WILL NEED TO FIRM UP OUR PLANS ON WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH DURING ITS 6-MONTH LIFE. THE NAVAL ACADEMY WILL BE CONTROLLING A TOTAL OF FOUR SATELLITES ALL LAUNCHED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME ON THE SHUTTLE AND AN ATLAS. THEY ASK THAT MARS VOLUNTEERS ACT AS MARSCOM GROUND STATIONS, NET-CONTROL OPERATORS AND MISSION PLANNERS. 4. BECAUSE OF THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM DELAYS, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I INITIALLY REQUESTED VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS PROGRAM. THEREFORE, I AM SOLICITING VOLUNTEERS ANEW TO TAKE ON THE ROLES LISTED ABOVE. EXPERIENCE WITH SATELLITES IS DESIRED, BUT NOT MANDATORY. THE LOW ERP ON THE HF DOWNLINK WILL MAKE THIS A REAL CHALLENGE. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE ANTICIPATED SMALL FOOTPRINT OF THE MARSCOM SATELLITE. 5. TO VOLUNTEER, PLEASE SUBMIT A REQUEST BY MARS MESSAGE TO YOUR STATE DIRECTOR, INFO YOUR REGION AND AREA DIRECTOR AND NNN0ASA VA. BE SURE TO INCLUDE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR SATELLITE EXPERIENCE. 6. NAVMARCORMARS: PROUDLY SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE. BT NNNN "-" The medium is the message...The content is the audience...;) Luc Leblanc VE2DWE WAC basic,CW,Phone,Satellite Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe

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