January 2007 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: AMSAT-NA QSL Beuro - Some Ideas and thoughts
by Scott Townley 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

If there were a working bureau, YES I would most happily use it!! (I wish there were the same thing for 6m ops, but that's off-topic). Further, I would volunteer to handle the 7th district. -- Scott Townley NX7U Gilbert, AZ DM43di ---- Steve Raas <sraas(a)optonline.net> wrote: > As many of you know, the Beuro Service is no longer available. There was a > single individual doing this for a while, whom now is not able to do so any > longer. > > I have wrote to AMSAT and told them of my Idea on how to get the service > back up and running again. Here are my ideas. > > Instead of one individual handling the entire USA, that the beuro be broken > up into 10 segments, with the number in the amateur's call being the > 'factor' as to where he would send his SASE's and others would send their > cards to. This would make it a bit more manageable for volunteers, so as > they are not swamped with hundreds of cards every week. All that we would > need is 9 people willing to spend a small amount of time to handle the > in/out bound service for a certain call area. I have volunteered myself for > the 2nd call area. > > > > My question is this.. if there was a Beuro would you use it? And what are > your thoughts on this? > > > > -Steve Raas > > N2JDQ > > FN20vg > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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AMSAT-NA QSL Beuro - Some Ideas and thoughts
by Steve Raas 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

As many of you know, the Beuro Service is no longer available. There was a single individual doing this for a while, whom now is not able to do so any longer. I have wrote to AMSAT and told them of my Idea on how to get the service back up and running again. Here are my ideas. Instead of one individual handling the entire USA, that the beuro be broken up into 10 segments, with the number in the amateur's call being the 'factor' as to where he would send his SASE's and others would send their cards to. This would make it a bit more manageable for volunteers, so as they are not swamped with hundreds of cards every week. All that we would need is 9 people willing to spend a small amount of time to handle the in/out bound service for a certain call area. I have volunteered myself for the 2nd call area. My question is this.. if there was a Beuro would you use it? And what are your thoughts on this? -Steve Raas N2JDQ FN20vg

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Re: PehuenSat-1 heard and recorded in Japan
by Mineo Wakita 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

Hi Mike, I could decode finally my sound with MixW2 ! Please see the bottom in the following my HP. Thank you very much. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/pehuens2.htm --------------------------------------------- Name: Mineo Wakita / JE9PEL, JAMSAT member Mail: ei7m-wkt(a)asahi-net.or.jp URL : http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ QTH : Yokohama Japan, GL:pm95tj Date: Jan 31, 2007 ---------------------------------------------

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Is. No3: AO-7 Distance record? [UPDATE]
by SV1BSX 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

Hello folks, great competition! FB ! Here I've NEW updates about the "longest distance" QSOs via AO-7. Actually, I've a few comments and I need your opinion in order to realise and make much better this list. Feel free to send me your comments, ideas, QSOs + QSL cards to my personal Email (sv1bsx(a)yahoo.gr). Now, my first comment is about this idea. I had a draft notice in my PC with "longest distance QSOs via AO-7". Just before 2-3 days, John LA2QAA wondered in our Sat-Forum (Eu-Amsat), if his QSO with AJ9K it was (or not) the "longest distance QSO". That was the begigning for me in order to realise and publish a list, so John's question it was the "trigger". (good-one John!) 2)ES1RF, Genna, he told me about inaccurate distance in a contact of list. He was probably right. So I need to check carefully all entries, that is too difficult. (Check please carefully your contact, before send it to me). 3)Today I received the Emails of i8CVS, Domenico. He send me also 2 nice QSL cards for QSOs via AO-6 & 7. So, as Domenico wrote and suggested in a way, it is necessary to have the QSL cards in order to confirm the record-list & QSOs. I agree 100%. I think nowadays that is very easy job. You can send me your scanned QSL card through an Email, as Domenico did it. Thus, the list will be much more accurate and valid. Very soon I will make a Web-page with this list and QSL cards. A mere example -under construction this moment- is here: http://sv1bsx.50webs.com/oscardx/odx.html 4)It will be more informative list, if including additional infos. I believe some "fields" like the Report, Mode, Smode are absolutely necessary. May be the Power-OUT as well. Another suggestion is about a small description of used antennas. 5) Someone asked me if is possible to create a "trophy", or award. OK, nowadays it is easy to design and make an Award. But I wondering: this ranking is not stable, we have active Satellites, so the record-list is impossible to stay unchanged for ever. Today PH7AT & Wb4LHD are shared the 1st place. If after 2, 3 months, two other operators achieve a bit longer-distance QSO than PH7AT & WB4LHD, what must to do? If I have printed the PH7AT & WB4LHD's Awards for the 1st place, the next Hams will also have on their Shacks another "1st-place" Award !!? Right ? 6) I suggest to replace the "longest distance QSO" with "ODX" (Oscar-DX) abbreviation (tks to ES1RF). 7) I have also suggestions for: I) A new "WORLD-RECORD ODX" record-list (definitely via HEO... where are you AO-40? ) II) Record-Lists for FO-29 and other Satellites. However I don't know if we need too many Lists for each one Satellite or is enough a single List for all LEOs... let me know. That's all folks ! Thanks for reading. 73, Mak SV1BSX *THANKS also for updates - comments to: EB3JT KO4MA KB2M VE9QRP ================================= The new "updated" list is: 1) GOLD MEDALs --------------------- Date:17-Oct-2004 Calls: PH7AT<->WB4LHD SMode: AO-7/ Mode-B Report/Mode:--- locators: JO21WA<->EM55DB Distance ~7408 km. 2) SILVER MEDALs ----------------------- Date: 03-May-2005/22:49Z Calls:PH7PCF<->KO4MA SMode: AO-7/ Mode-B RPT/Mode:---/SSB locators: JO22JP <-> EL88PG Distance ~7385 km. 3) BRONZE MEDALs ------------------------ Date: 08-Jun-1976 Calls:i8CVS<->VA3AC Smode:--- RPT/Mode: SSB locators:JN70ES<->EN96LK Distance ~7237 km *CONFIRMED with QSL card ======================================== 4) Date:26-Aug-2006/12:33Z Calls: ES1RF<->AJ9K Smode:--- RPT/Mode: 559/559 CW locators:KO29IF<>EN53FA Distance ~7155 km *** New entry [UPDATE 30-Jan-2007] 5) Date:21-Nov-2006 Calls: EB3JT<->AJ9K SMode: AO-7/ Mode-B RTT/Mode:--- locators: JN01UI<->EN53EB Distance ~7114 km. 6) Date: unknown Calls: YL2LW<-> K8DID Smode:AO-7/Mode-B RPT/Mode:--- locators: KO26CW<->EN63SX Distance ~7078 km. *** New entry [UPDATE 30-Jan-2007] 7) Date:19-Jan-2005/23:06Z Calls:G1WPR<->KO4MA Smode:--- RPT/Mode:--- locators: IO92OK<->EL88PG Distance ~7027 km *** New entry [UPDATE 30-Jan-2007] 8) Date:24-Oct-2004/23:25 Calls: G4YSG<->KO4MA Smode:--- RPT/Mode:--- locators: IO93II<->EL88PG Distance ~6973km *** New entry [UPDATE 30-Jan-2007] 9) Date:02-Jan-2003 Calls: DC8TS<->KB2M Smode:--- RPT/Mode:--- locators:JO30JP<->FM29 Distance ~6315 10) Date: 28/1/2007 Calls: LA2QAA<->AJ9K Smode: --- RPT/Mode:--- locators:JP33WB <->EN53FA Distance ~5469 km ==================================== .......to be continued ! =================end of message============== sv1bsx(a)yahoo.gr http://www.qsl.net/sv1bsx LANProxy eMail-Server: This Email has been checked by AVAST-Pro *** Virus Free *** --- avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 000708-1, 29/01/2007 Tested on: 31/1/2007 7:27:04 ¿¹ avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2007 ALWIL Software. http://www.avast.com

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Active Weather Sats??
by Ed Krome (K9EK) 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

Hi, all: Can anyone give me a list of the current active weather satellites (over US) and freqs? A web search yeilds lots of results, but most quite old. Thanks in advance! Ed K9EK EM69xd

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GO-32 Frame Trace ... Is VA3HIP/VE3EMA OK?
by Bruce Semple 31 Jan '07

31 Jan '07

Does anyone know the control operator for this station? It is exhibiting some behavior that I don't know if it is expected (normal) or not. I realize it is a "Gateway" station. When VA3HIP acquires GO-32 there is a constant stream of frame ack/nacks that essentially "bogs down" the BBS to the exclusion of other stations. The BBS is so busy .. it appears not to be able to send it it's periodic "Gurwin Techsat1B" message that usually comes out every 30 seconds or so. I noticed this behavior at the end of last year and soon after VA3HIP was off the air. Within the last week it is back on the air exhibiting the same behavior. I included a trace file where I cut/pasted blocks of messages from my "tnc" .. you can observe the long periods (several minutes) of activity .. and then finally, at the end of the trace, where VA3HIP experienced LOS .. you can see normal activity resume (I soon experienced LOS as well). Just curious ... Bruce WA3SWJ

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Re: PehuenSat-1 heard and recorded in Japan
by Mineo Wakita 30 Jan '07

30 Jan '07

Hi Mike, Thanks for your Telemetry Analysis from my sound of PehuenSat-1. You wrote: > MixW Mode: Packet > Mode Settings: -> Modem -> VHF Custom AFSK > Baudrate 1200 > Tone1,Hz: 1200 (or analyzed frequency) > Tone2,Hz: 2400 (or analyzed frequency) But I could not decode my sound, http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/70130peh.wav 1819 Kb, 82.5 seconds, RS59 + 40dB Are there more the other settings ? --------------------------------------------- Name: Mineo Wakita / JE9PEL, JAMSAT member Mail: ei7m-wkt(a)asahi-net.or.jp URL : http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ QTH : Yokohama Japan, GL:pm95tj Date: Jan 31, 2007 ---------------------------------------------

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AO-6 Distance record ?
by i8cvs 30 Jan '07

30 Jan '07

Hi All, I wonder if 7134.5 km is a distance record for a QSO on AO-6 On 23 june 1975 at 21:44 UTC I got a QSO via OSCAR-6 with Ben, W2BXA in Colonia, New Jersey As we can see in QRZ.com W2BXA is actually about 92 years old Congratulations Ben ! ! The report I received from W2BXA for this two-way SSB contact was R5/S7 The distance from W2BXA in FN20UO and i8CVS in JN70ES is 7134.5 km Anybody managed anything further? I have sent copy of W2BXA QSL card to Mak SV1BSX who take care of satellite records. Good idea Mak ! Best 73" de i8CVS Domenico

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RAFT PSK-31 is enabled
by Bob Bruninga 30 Jan '07

30 Jan '07

RAFT lives! Throught overnight sleepless efforts, RAFT was finally commanded into PSK-31 mode by the combined efforts of DK3WN, PA3GUO, and PE1ITR and others. The problem has been that the RAFT command receiver is deaf when the bus voltage is over 8.1 volts. But at night in the dark, it works OK. SO here is how to work RAFT PSK-31. (we have heard no signals yet, and do not know if the HF wire antenna got deployed. So we welcome MAX power on the 28.120 USB PSK-31 uplink. Listen with FM on 145.825 downlink. It is very weak and needs a beam. Someone in the footprint needs to bring up the PSK-31 transponder with their own TNC command on 145.825 uplink. Just send C RAFT. This connect request packet will activate the PSK-31 transponder for about 90 seconds. You will not get an ACK however. You may TX on 28.120 USB PSK-31 with max power throughout the pass until we find out if the HF RX is working. Oh, notice that the "C RAFT" probably will not work in the daytime since the BUS voltage is above 8.1V and so the command receier is deaf. But you are welcome to try. Good luck! I am on slow dialup this weekend, and so will have little comment. Bob, Wb4APR USNA RAFT command station. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:56:52 +0100 (CET) >From: "Rob Hardenberg" <rob(a)itr-datanet.com> >Subject: Re: AW: AW: RAFT trials Jan 27 night over Europe > > >I was listening on the psk31 downlink the 435UTC pass with >the psk decoder but couldn't also detect your signal. The >2m downlink is OK with spinrate qsb between S4 and S9+. >Its noisy with computer signals in the waterfall display, >but the signal strenght is good for psk demodulation. > >I didn't try the 10m uplink yet but if its ok the I will >try tomorrow 28/1. I use also a dipole and 100W. > >The 6:10UTC pass was not tracked here because of sleep..... > >!S 04:35:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#375,081,002,036,036,107,10000000,999 >!S 04:36:38 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#378,081,002,037,036,105,10000000,999 >!S 04:36:58 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#379,081,002,036,035,104,10000000,999 >!S 04:37:18 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#380,081,002,036,035,104,10000000,999 >!S 04:37:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#381,080,002,037,036,103,10000000,999 >!S 04:37:47 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :>RAFT is on 145.825 US Naval Academy >!S 04:37:58 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#382,080,002,036,035,103,10000000,999 >!S 04:38:17 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#383,081,002,036,036,102,10000000,999 >!S 04:38:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#384,081,002,036,035,101,10000000,999 >!S 04:38:57 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#385,080,002,036,035,101,10000000,999 >!S 04:40:47 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :>RAFT is on 145.825 US Naval Academy > >73 Rob PE1ITR > >Mike Rupprecht schreef: >> Hi, >> >> 0435UTC pass: >> >> RAFT PSK transponder was ON for 98 seconds. >> I could not hear my own signal. Worked with (only) >> 100watts and dipole /vertical R6000 antenna. Downlink >> is very noisy but we can see the spin rate. >> >> I think we need big guns...... >> >> 73, Mike >> >> If you connect to RAFT, you will never get an answer >> from the satellite TNC. So it is important to DISCONNECT >> the own TNC. >>

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Re: Redundant geostaionary birds?
by Edward R. Cole 30 Jan '07

30 Jan '07

Dave and all: I wonder what all of you were thinking? If a commercial communication satellite were channeled on one of our mw ham bands, then we would be booted off. C-band satellites used approx. 37-MHz wide channels with alternating linear polarity to afford more adjacent channel isolation. On most of the TVRO units one could manually adjust polarization angle for optimizing the signal. If you adjusted 90-degrees off then one often got a ghost of one of the adjacent channels. The feedhorns had a rotating probe with the motor on the backside of the feedhorn. Typically in the mid-1980's these TV sats cost over $100M before launch. Your not going to convince the satellite company to include ham radio in any manner. AS has been hashed out many times previous on this reflector the path loss to the Clarke Belt orbit is prohibitive. This topic is going no-where! 73, Ed - KL7UW At 04:04 PM 1/29/2007 -0800, Dave hartzell wrote: > >It looks like the commonly adopted block conversion for C-band >transponders wouldn't land in our bands. There seems to be a delta >for 2.2 GHz for the block conversion (e.g. 5.9 GHz up, 3.7 GHz down). >We'd need more like a 4 GHz conversion to land in our S-band, given a >5.8 GHz uplink. I'm sure the filters aren't quite tuned to go below >out of band, either. > >Another issue I just realized is that these transponders use polarized >signals (left, right, vertical, horizontal, polka-dotted)....this >again makes using an old communications sat a bit more difficult (but >not impossible) for us hams. > >Looks like this was not meant to be! > >73, > >Dave >NøTGD > > >On 1/28/07, Karl Bullock <karl(a)bullock.org> wrote: >> >> Dave hartzell wrote: >> > 3) Most of the uplink freq's are in the 5.9 GHz range (out of our >> > allocation) and downlink in the 3.7 GHz range, again, (out of our >> > allocation). >> > >> That may be _the_ problem. I don't know the current capabilities of >> these birds, and if they have any capability of either "retuning" to a >> close amateur band, or if there are other assets on board, but inability >> to transmit/receive on one of our bands would probably make this a non >> sequitur. Those with more intimate knowledge of current flying >> technology would need to speak to this. > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >

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