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

Call for Papers--2007 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
by Ford, Steve, WB8IMY 16 Jul '12

16 Jul '12

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 26th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference to be held September 28-30, 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut. These papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings (you do NOT need to attend the conference to have your paper included in the Proceedings). The submission deadline is July 31, 2007. Please send papers to: Maty Weinberg ARRL 225 Main St Newington, CT 06111 or you can make your submission via e-mail to: maty(a)arrl.org Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights. 73 . . . Steve, WB8IMY ARRL

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Santa docks at the ISS
by Ed Tump 25 Aug '08

25 Aug '08

Happy holidays! I got a kick out of this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Di8mZLu0VE <http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Di8mZLu0VE&feature=PlayList&p=26B9B2ACB4AAC849& index=7> &feature=PlayList&p=26B9B2ACB4AAC849&index=7 Maybe he dropped off some more amateur radio gifts. 73, Ed KC9GWK Grid EN52 AmSat Member

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Re: FYI -- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Opportunity
by Tom Clark, K3IO 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

(I posted this a couple of days ago, but it was never released from amsat.org limbo. So I resend. My order for OLPC went in today -- they accept either PayPal or plastic -- Tom) Another thing I gleaned from the OLPC wiki is that it supports FORTH (start at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Forth_Lesson_0). Karl (DJ4ZC) designed Phase-3A back in the late 1970's and the onboard computer (IHU) used the computer language that Karl wrote called IPS (Interpreter for Process Structures) based on FORTH, but with German syntax and multi-tasking real-time support. Several of us (W0PN, W1HDX, ZL1WN, DB2OS & I) ported the German "dialect" of IPS into English and the "Gerglish" IPS has served as the basis for running all the Phase-3 IHUs up thru AO-40 (thanks to the efforts of W4SM and G3RUH). IPS is also planned for P3-E (N4HY already has it running on the new IHU) and probably P5. As another possible AMSAT/OLPC synergy, I can easily envision the OLPC Forth kernel being adapted to real-time control tasks with the addition of Karl's "chain". Although it is really modest compared to the normal laptop, Nick Negroponte and his team has really come up with a platform that has amazing possibilities! Meanwhile, ASUS has introduced their commercial Linux-based "Eee" miniature notebook that is already available ($399 from Amazon <http://www.google.com/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=BuJiyAGg3R9XlK4iaeuyDjLIMqprePM7t…>) -- Just Google ASUS Eee <http://www.google.com/search?q=Asus+Eee&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=…> or see the Eee wiki entry <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC#Storage> for details. 73, Tom

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FS: Kenwood TS-790A + IFD board + TNC31S
by Francisco Costa, CT1EAT 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Dear AMSAT friends My pacsat station is for sale: Kenwood TS-790A 144/432/1200 MHz transciever ============================================ with the following extras: * UT-10 1200 MHz module * Symek IFD-B board (for speed up to 76000 bd) and mods: * extended rx (on 3 bands) * 9600 baud tx/rx * 100ms mute disabled * IFD-B board (38400 baud rx) plus: * Hand microphone * DC cable * Instruction Manual (in english) include schematics * External Control Instruction Manual (in english) * Modifications documentation (in english) All mods were performed by me and no holes were done. This equipment was bought new (1997), and until now there was not a single problem! It was kept on a non smoking environment. Cosmetic is a 8/10 (one minor dent, sort of paint bubble and 4 rotator control box feet "stain", all on top cover) Unfortunatly I don't have the original box anymore. Sorry TNC Symek TNC31S ================ * Tx 9600/Rx 38400 baud card * 128kb RAM * 512kb Flash-EPROM * English mailbox * Kiss autostart including: * RS232 cable plus adapter (DB9) * DC cable * Diskette with software * Original Manuals (english and german) This TNC was bought new (2000), and was used on UO-36 and Tiungsat-1 with great sucess. I did't use it since a long time ago, but I belive it's 100% operational. Cosmetic is 9/10. I will only sale the 2 items together. Price: 1500 Euro Buyer pays shipping. Payment methods: Euro countries: Bank money transfer only! Elsewhere: Western Union or PayPal. Photos: please visit http://ct1eatsale.no.sapo.pt/ Thanks for your attention. See you on P3E or Eagle. 73 F.Costa, CT1EAT www.qsl.net/ct1eat

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FS: Items for sale
by K7XQ 05 Jan '08

05 Jan '08

Have a few items for sale. Thought I would put them here locally just in case Someone might be interested before considering putting them on e-bay. * FT-736R 144 and 432 all mode satellite transceiver w/220 MHz module, hand mike and manual $800.00 plus shipping unless local pickup * Mirage 2512G 220 MHz 120 watts amplifier w/ preamp $250 plus shipping unless local pickup I actually see 150 watts out of this one * KJ6KO 60-70 watt 1296 SS Amplifier $200 plus shipping unless local pickup only used once, takes +28 VDC * MFJ-993B Automatic antenna tuner only used once like new condition $200 plus shipping unless local pickup ONLY trade considered would be a fully functional in good condition Yaesu FT-847 for entire package. I also have paypal. K7XQ Jeff Atwater, CA.

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ISS power output ?
by Andrew Rich 02 Jan '08

02 Jan '08

Does anyone know what power the ISS is running on 145.825 ? I see it is a D700, perhaps on 5 watts ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Re: Making your own rotator controller
by Henk, PA3GUO 02 Jan '08

02 Jan '08

Hi Andrew, Not exactly an answer to your question, but still: Some years (~1995..1996) ago I built my own tracker as well. Was the time when the LVB trackers etc were not available. Only the expensive Kansas City tracker (expensive). My system is still operational. Bertus, PE1KEH, wrote in PASCAL the tracking SW (input: kepler, output: sat position). I added to that the controlling of the rotors. All corrections mentioned below (overshoot etc) are done in PASCAL in the PC. That sends and integer value to the ST6 (like your PIC) which does only one thing extra: check if the integer exceeds the allowed maximum right or left position (in case max left is at 4.5V where your range maybe 0..5V). Items to consider next to straight degrees2voltage conversion: - overshoot (when you stop, the rotor actually moved still a tiny bit) - thresholds (to avoid oscillation & to much shaking) 8 bits give enough accuracy, I used a pot.meter to convert the voltage of the rotor voltage from eg 0..20V down to 0..5V. http://home.vianetworks.nl/users/hamoen/pa3guo/zb_rtr_ctrl.html (includes my poor PASCAL routines) Of course it took a terrible amount of effort/time, which I had only back then, so today I would buy an LVB tracker :-) Still - this was one of the most satisfying projects I ever did. Seeying you home-made system following the bright ISS in the darkness of the night is soooo cool ! Have fun & success Henk, PA3GUO http://www.qsl.net/pa3guo

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Re: Wishing you a fantastic 2008 !
by John Marranca, Jr 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Henk and All: I second that! 2007 has been a good year for me personally, professionally, and avocationally. It has been a privilege to meet so many fine people that enjoy these satellites as we do. Everyone I have met in AMSAT, and via Satellite has exemplified what it means to be a ham...in the true original spirit of Amateur Radio. Be well, be happy, be healthy, and be prosperous in 2008 my friends. John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: Dont loose the north
by Tom Clark, K3IO 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Jim, ZL1TYF is correct in his interpretation. My QTH is about 35 km from BWI (Baltimore-Washington Int'l) airport and is also on the Boston/NYC/Philly/Washington/Atlanta/Miami east-coast corridor, so a lot of high altitude planes pass overhead, These show up as a thin line (cabin lights) and dots (wingtip beacons). The bright curving traces are from planes landing or taking off from BWI. The Aurora animated GIF, you will see one BWI plane whose track split between two of the individual frames. In these pictures, the shutter was held open for 88 seconds, and then 2 seconds of dead-time allowed for the JPEG frame to be written to the CF card memory, so a new frame began every 90 seconds. The two long exposure star trail photos were made by stacking a number of these photos (140 for the non-aurora picture), each one on top of the previous frame. The stacking algorithm involved a pixel-by-pixel search. If the new pixel was brighter than the old one, then the new pixel was saved. If not, the the older, fainter pixel was kept. This is to be contrasted with the normal "open the shutter for an hour or two" scheme because the black background (due to stray skylight and sensor noise) doesn't "blow up". To do this processing, I used Max Lyon's Image Stacker software (http://www.tawbaware.com/imgstack.htm). If you view the 4-hour "140" picture at maximum resolution (http://www.pbase.com/tomcat/image/5186538/original.jpg), you will see that the star trail lines are dashed, due to the 88/2 second timing. The earth did rotate under the stares during the 2 second gap! If you look at this picture you will notice a gap about 2/3 of the way along each arc. This is due to the Canon D60 I was using at the time running out of battery power. It took me a few minutes to realize that the pictures had stopped. The reason the 4-hour picture was restricted to 140 JPEG frames is because, at the time, the biggest CF card I had was 256 MBytes in size. Although the camera produced 6 MPixel images, the individual frames were only ~1.5 MBytes because the JPEG compression (quite similar to ZIP & RAR) squeezed a lot of black pixels down to only a few bytes! (I really need to try a long overnight picture with my new 40D (thanks, Santa) camera equipped with a huge 8 GByte CF card.)

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Wishing you a fantastic 2008 !
by Henk, PA3GUO 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Dear friends, Here in Europe we have about 6 hours left in 2007. Let me take to opportunity to thank you all for the fun we had together this year with our beloved satellites. And to all of you: a fantastic 2008 ! 73's Henk Hamoen, PA3GUO

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Re: Dont loose the north
by Tom Clark, K3IO 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

With all this discussion about Polaris, I thought you might find a couple of photos I took back in 2002 that shows you that the earth's spin axis is close to, but not precisely at Alpha UMi. Take a look at http://www.pbase.com/tomcat/aurora. The right-hand picture (http://www.pbase.com/tomcat/image/5186538)shows how the stars move over about 4 hours. The star nearest the center of the arcs is Polaris; if it was precisely at the pole, then the arc would have been a point. You may also find the animated GIF photos of a (relatively) rare low-latitude (Maryland) Aurora interesting. 73 & Happy New Year -- Tom

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Making your own rotator controller
by Andrew Rich 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

A friend of mine is struggling with antenna rotator controllers, so I would like to help out and build one for the both of us. I did some experiementing a while back, where I sent a PIC chip a three digit azimuth value. The code I wrote turned the "123" into a binary 8 bit value. This was then compared with the position (or ADC voltage) of a PIC. I am wondering if it might be simpler to convert the three digit value that comes from say predict under linux, to an 8 bit number before sending it to the PIC. I often give it a start character, such as a "#" So I would be sending "#A" (decimal 10) to the PIC instead of having to convert "#010" in the PIC itself Comments ? Experiences ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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KiwiSAT Support
by Terry Carrell 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Update! It has been exciting to write personally to all who responded so positively to our call for help with progressing KiwiSAT to the flight-ready completion status. While we have yet to reach our funding target the help received has been quite tremendous. Encouragingly the donations have been both large and small, all gratefully received. It is the combination of number and quality of assistance which is so rewarding way down here in the South Pacific. KiwiSAT will carry the names and callsigns of all who contribute; this is a way of making sure you can get into space. From an earlier activity I know that my name is in orbit, I have the photo proof proudly displayed in my shack. If you would like to have your name on that list just visit our funding page at http://kiwisat.org/funding.html . Over the next few days we at AMSAT-ZL will be working to bring the latest news of our efforts to you all via our www.kiwisat.org site. We'll update the donations information and bring you some new pictures. The hope is that a regular visit will prove interesting to all involved. If you are wondering about the funding process perhaps I should point out that we have broken this down into three phases. Firstly we want to complete the basic unit to flight-ready status. The second phase is to populate the surface with solar cells. This process has been identified and the costs isolated. We already have a third of our requirements in a special account ring-fenced for this purpose. A further source of funding for this phase has been identified and will be used in due course. Lastly, the launch. Again we have identified two sponsors and are firm in the understanding that there is no way that KiwiSAT will sit on a shelf - it will FLY! By the way, there are no administration costs associated with KiwiSAT, all meeting and other expenses being paid from our own pockets. Its great to be directly involved after many years of being just a user and silent supporter in the Amateur Satellite Service. It's an interest I have held since OSCAR-I gave out its first HI - and its not just the satellites that have increased in complexity, what I wouldn't have given to have the station I now use back in those early days, hand made predictions, manual data collection, make-shift audio systems - all to collect the most basic of data. Best wishes to all for a healthy and successful 2008. 73, Terry, ZL3QL - President AMSAT-ZL (AMSAT LM166)

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Disregard - question on GPredict
by Ed Tump 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Folks, Just disregard my last email, I figured it out. Ed

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Re: XPLANET and XEARTH
by Andrew Rich 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

I got GPREDICT going instead What a program ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au <mailto:vk4tec@people.net.au> http://www.tech-software.net -----Original Message----- From: John Heaton [mailto:john@manchester.ac.uk] Sent: Monday, 31 December 2007 5:35 AM To: vk4tec(a)people.net.au Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] XPLANET and XEARTH -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 30 Dec 2007, at 17:27, Andrew Rich wrote: > How do I get Predict and earthtrack to work ? First the command options for xplanet have changed over the years, and earthtrack may not have kept in step. I had a play around with xplanet running on its own and it can produce similar graphics to the xplanet/predict combination. http://www.phers.co.uk/content/view/69/76/ John -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (Darwin) iD8DBQFHd/LuDwhbGQHPUt0RAoztAJ44FWH63xyDGvqubd8XNrgt+GML0gCfZYsh wQ7pg1WLsKZIUO1f2Lp4dPQ= =XNQC -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Users of GPredict
by Ed Tump 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Folks, Anyone using this on Windows? If so how did you get it installed? 73, Ed KC9GWK Grid EN52 AmSat Member

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Re: broadcast FM
by Scott Smith 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Hi, thanks to all the help from everyone. Robin i will take your advice and check first for local interference. Ron, i have been so busy teaching (guitar) that i've not had time. After the New Year i hope to spend more time to myself and be on the satellite. In the meantime.. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. de ve6itv Scott

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Extra OLPC?
by Jeff Kelly 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

If you have an extra OLPC for sale I would be interested in it. Jeff KT2K

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SKN via Satellite
by John Marranca, Jr 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Happy New Year!!! Just a query to the AMSAT-BB members regarding Straight Key Night... Anyone working some old fashioned CW on New Years' ??? John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: now, 1.5 Lptops Per Child : power options?
by Bob Bruninga 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

> What alternative power options are being > provided with the OLPCs? > Hand crank? Solar panel? foot pedal? Only a universal wall-wart. 100-250 V input gives 1.2 amps out at 12 volts. bob

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XPLANET and XEARTH
by Andrew Rich 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

It has been a while. How do I get Predict and earthtrack to work ? I have predict running as a server. I see xearth and xplanet as background image options, and I can bring up either. I thought running earthtrack2 -c ISS -u 15 -h localhost , bought up a new window ? Ideas ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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broadcast FM
by Scott Smith 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Hi, ,i received a FM broadcast kit for Christmas, the power output is "100mW". If i installed an external antenna (for range, a couple of blocks) would i be infringing on any regulations?. Any help appreciated. 73 de ve6itv Scott

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one laptop per child
by Mr Jeffrey L Ross 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

got mine also, happy here. lot to learn about it though, security , home networking, then pass it down to the child. hi. kc8gkf

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Novel driven element design by VK3ZUQ (silent key)
by Kevin Forbes 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Hi folks, Bruce Pritchard has been a silent key for a few years now, but he was a thinking man, and I thought I might share with you on this list, something he made me send out on packet years ago. Bruce designed a very interesting UHF driven element for yagi use. Bruce's callsign was VK3ZUQ. He was also at one time the Champion fly fisherman in the ACT. Bruce served in the armed forces in New Guinea during WW2, narrowly avoiding obliteration, while driving a fully loaded fuel truck that was straffed by a Japanese Zero. After the war he spent time in the Antarctic research teams, spending time on Heard Island. Bruce was for a time the weather man at Maralinga in South Australia, during several atomic bomb tests. The theory and math bits to enable you to build this design for any frequency are included. http://www.qsl.net/vk3ukf/VK3ZUQ_ANTENNA.JPG Thanks for reading, all the best for the New Year. VK3UKF. _________________________________________________________________ It's simple! Sell your car for just $30 at CarPoint.com.au http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fsecure%2Dau%2Eimrworldwide%…

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How to calibrate the azimuth angle?
by Chiu-Teng Tsai 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Dear all, I am Chiu-Teng Tsai (BM6ERA) from Taiwan. Now we are building a mobile ground station. One of our problem is how to calibrate the azimuth angle. Use compass only, or any better solution? Thanks for your help! Best regards, Chiu-Teng Tsai

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now, 1.5 Lptops Per Child
by Bob Bruninga 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

> got our two OLPC's today on the door step. > Son already found some source code and a game > and a complier or interpreter built-in. > I have not looked yet to see what code it was... Also found it has an audio Oscilloscope built in. with both AC and DC settings. Oh, and a Camera as well as a ranging device. Apparently you can range from one OLPC to another to measure distance. I assume it is accoustic... > Ordered another one (for me), since the deal > runs through tomorrow. The 2 kids will take > our first two off to school, so I just > realized I needed another one for me.... > The 18/20 year old kids seemed to like them > (I was hoping they would ignore them and leave > them for me to play with)... > > Can't wait to see what the ham radio creative > minds come up with for these things. Bob, Wb4APR

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Re: RF Modules /Delfi
by Wouter Jan Ubbels 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Hi John, David, did not know we had that "one year" quote on our website... will ask the website guy to change that:) Our planned orbit has 630km altitude, and as David points out, the satellite might last there for decades! And hopefully it will still work then, although we have designed the satellite to last for one year only (that's where the one year quote on the website comes from I guess), any time longer would be a bonus! Right now, the team is gearing up towards the launch, keep an eye on the website for updates. 73 Wouter Jan Ubbels PE4WJ

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Predict question
by Andrew Rich 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

I ran a script #!/bin/sh wget -qr www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/amateur.txt -O amateur.txt wget -qr www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/visual.txt -O visual.txt wget -qr www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/cubesat.txt -O cubesat.txt /usr/bin/predict -u amateur.txt visual.txt cubesat.txt But it was only when I stopped the server I had running, and restarted it that the keps were used. I had a 5 degree difference between NOVA and predict. When I restarted predict, then predict matched NOVA. Is there a way to hit predict on the fly , or does a server re-start have to be carried out ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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Re: Rf Modules
by John Marranca, Jr 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

>From Delfi's website: How long will the Delfi-C3 be in orbit? The drawback of the altitude at which the satellite will fly is the decay of the orbit. Due to atmospheric drag the satellite will lose energy, and thus altitude, quite rapidly. For the Delfi-C3 a lifetime of about one year is expected. Cheers. John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: RF Modules /Delfi
by G0MRF＠aol.com 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Hi John. Delfi 3C will be as tempoary as anything at 700km. I think the orbit decay is several decades. The problem as always will be radiation and power supply. Hopefully not carring batteries will mean a long, but daylight only, life for the delfi spacecraft. Best Wishes David G0MRF In a message dated 30/12/2007 00:48:29 GMT Standard Time, KB2HSH(a)amsat.org writes: Think ANDE-1...or the upcoming Delfi-3 which is another temporary satellite. Anyway...what if partnerships with any of the Military Academies...or Universities with programs similar to this (such as Kentucky State's KySat Project) could be worked out? AMSAT ideas or concepts and build team partnerships with students, etc...but with a chance for greater funding available for a potential launch? Food for thought.... John KB2HSH

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Magnetic Sail
by Mike Lemons 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

I was trying to think of an inexpensive way to get from LEO to HEO when I came up with the idea of using electricity to move the satellite like an electric motor. The satellite is moving through the Earth's magnetic field, so if you put a big coil on it, you should be able to time the current through the coil in order to get the satellite to move in whatever direction that you want. Then, I found that some one had already thought of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_sail Quoting: "By varying the magnetic sail's field strength over the course of its orbit, a magnetic sail can give itself a "perigee kick" raising the altitude of its orbit's apogee." In the simplest mode, you would energize the field to repel from the earth's pole as you pass over it. In this form of magnetic levitation, the satellite is going to want to flip over. You could compensate for this by having two coils extended on moment arms in a shallow "V" angle. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihedral This would prevent roll. You would need two more "wings" at a 90 degree angle to control for yaw. You might be able to get away with only three wings 120 degrees apart. I don't know how long it would take to get to HEO. That would depend on how strong of a field you could produce over how big of an area. It would work better with a lighter craft. This method of propulsion has the potential for reducing the cost of getting commercial satellites into higher orbits. Another advantage is that you can reverse the process to de-orbit your satellite at end of life. This method of propulsion might work to take you to another planet, too. It seems to me that NASA would be interested in seeing if this works. I for one wish that NASA would do more proof of concept experiments like this with alternate methods of spacecraft propulsion.

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ANS-364 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by JoAnne Maenpaa 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-364 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org In this edition: * 2008 Straight Key Night on OSCAR in Memory of ex-JA1ANG * AMSAT Orbital Classroom Concept Study Announced * KiwiSAT Status Update From New Zealand * AMSAT Awards * ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 24, 2007 * ANDE Satellite De-Orbits SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.01 2008 Straight Key Night on OSCAR in Memory of ex-JA1ANG AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.01 You are cordially invited to take part in Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2008, sponsored by AMSAT for all radio amateurs throughout the world. This year's event will be held in memory of Haruo (Harry) Yoneda, ex-JA1ANG, a past AMSAT Director and co-founder of JAMSAT. Harry was also a keen CW operator and a past member of the First Class CW Operators Club (FOC). Participating in OSCAR SKN is fun and simple. No scoring and no need to send in a log. Just operate CW through any OSCAR, using a straight hand key, at any time between 0000 and 2400 UTC on January 1, 2008. In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, all participants are encouraged to nominate someone they worked for Best Fist. Your nominee need not have the best fist you heard, just the best of those you worked. Please send your nomination to W2RS at w2rs(a)amsat.org. Those nominated will be recognized in an AMSAT News Service bulletin, and in The AMSAT Journal. [ANS thanks Ray, W2RS for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.02 AMSAT Orbital Classroom Concept Study Announced AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.02 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.02 Stefan, VE4NSA has been asked to organize and coordinate an amateur radio space communications training concept called the "Orbital Classroom". Stefan said, "Here is an opporturnity for AMSAT members to voice their needs for education. We are listening and working on this." Stefan asks interested AMSAT members to send him your answers to these questions via e-mail (ve4nsa(a)amsat.org). 1. Would you be interested in attending pre-conference courses and workshops as part of the annual meeting or at other venues? 2. Would you be willing to pay a registration fee that would cover course material, instructor cost etc.? 3. Would you be interested in receiving a certificate for ongoing education as it relates to amateur radio and satellites? 4. What topics would you like to see taught at such courses? 5. Would you be willing in helping to organize and facilitate courses (you don't have to teach for this one, just help the instructor and take care of registration, etc)? 6. Would you be willing to teach a course and if yes, on which topics? Stefan concludes, "That's a start and hopefully it sparks your interest as a participant, facilitator or instructor. As always, your opinion counts and even more your help is greatly appreciated." [ANS thanks Stefan, VE4NSA for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.03 KiwiSAT Status Update From New Zealand AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.03 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.03 This week Terry, ZL3QL, President AMSAT-ZL, provided AMSAT members with a summary of the New Zealand KiwiSAT project. KiwiSAT is a Microsat scheduled for launch into a LEO, will carry FM and Linear transponders with inputs on 70 cm & 23 cm - outputting on 2 meters. A unique feature will be the on-board Small Satellite Attitude Control scientific experiment. It will also carry a special environmental global warming scientific unit. Over the years AMSAT-ZL has contributed some $10,000 to Phase 3 and UoSAT programs. Now they are getting on with completing KiwiSAT for your amateur radio enjoyment. ( See http://www.kiwisat.org ) Terry says, "We want this to be a truly radio amateur satellite and while we could get some extra sponsorship, which we will do for the launch, the satellite itself needs to be completed using amateur radio resources and amateur radio money. So far our investment is some US$15,000 cash and perhaps US$100,000 in time and effort. We have a further US$12,000 in the bank reserved towards the cost of the solar cells which are estimated to cost US$30,000." The KiwiSAT team spends a lot of time looking for economy without engineering compromise thus this is a real cost effective satellite. They have abandoned purchasing ready made modules and opted for self design and construction. In some areas we have had to use professional services such as SMD handing which is limited by our standard ham- shack tools and techniques. However we have made much of the test equipment ourselves - including the thermal vacuum chamber. To finish the satellite to flight-ready status, (less solar cells) KiwiSAT needs to raise about $10,000, which is about what we have given to other projects. So if you agree that its pay-back time, and you like what they are doing, perhaps you might like to contribute to this venture into space. You can contribute large or small, direct or via PayPal, just visit our informative website at http://www.kiwisat.org, all help is greatly appreciated. Be assured your contribution will be thankfully received and faithfully applied. Terry concludes,"Our grateful thanks to those who have already made a commitment to supporting this project. What a great time to help and what a great Yuletide gift to a worthy cause." [ANS thanks Terry, ZL3QL for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.04 AMSAT Awards AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.04 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.04 Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards has issued the last awards for 2007. We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club: Jeremy Ramirez KB9QIC Charles Doolittle N1SPX Jose Vitor Toste CU3EQ AMSAT Communication Achievement Award John Henderson N4NAB, #456 Charles Doolittle N1SPX, #457 South Africa AMSAT Communication Achievement Award John Henderson N4NAB, US115 Charles Doolittle N1SPX, US116 To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org. [ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.05 ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 24, 2007 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.05 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.05 1. ARISS Contact with Russian School The ARISS contact was not successful with the 15 Korolev City School in Korolev, Russia on Thursday, December 27 and will be rescheduled. Fifth graders will speak with flight engineer Yuri Makenchenko, RK3DUP. 2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held The monthly ARISS teleconference was held on Tuesday, December 18. The topics discussed included the 2008 Face to Face Meeting to be held in Moscow, Russia, the progress being made on SuitSat-2 and the Kenwood radio software reload status. Minutes will be posted to the ARISS Web site in the near future. 3. Astronaut Gives Talk on ARISS at AMRASE Conference The first AMRASE International Aerospace Research Conference was held on December 8 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes was one of the speakers at the meeting. Pontes gave a presentation on his training and his participation in the Centenario Mission onboard the ISS. He also talked about the importance the ARISS program plays in the education of youth. See: http://www.amrase.org/english.html [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.06 ANDE Satellite De-Orbits AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.06 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 30, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-364.06 Henk, PA3GUO reminds everyone of the special ANDE de-Orbit AWARD available for everyone who makes a QSO via ANDE or receives telemetry during its final days in space. Bob, WB4APR, will set the official date/time of de-orbit. E-mail a copy of your final ANDE packets to Henk at pa3guo(a)amsat.org. ANDE was no longer copied on December 25, 2007. Mike, DK3WN reported the last packet from ANDE was received by by JA0CAW on December 24, 2007 at 22:27 UTC: Fm ANDE-1 To APRS1 Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=72 >[22:27:08] :BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve. Fm ANDE-1 To BEACON <UI pid=F0 Len=39 >[22:27:43] T#001,145,132,135,135,137,10101111,000 [ANS thanks Henk, PA3GUO and Mike, DK3WN for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org

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Re: RF Modules
by John Marranca, Jr 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Happy New Year Everyone: I think it was made pretty clear in the last incarnation of this discussion that the real difficulty is not in the build, but in the delivery. VK4TEC has a good idea/concept: A simpler trasceiver. I agree. It goes along in spirit with the fact that Oscar 1 was built for $26 in 1961 (ARRL; "The Radio Amateur's Satellite Handbook, Page 1-6). But now imagine today...with a $26 satellite...paying n-thousands of dollars to launch it. Perhaps a venue that might be exploited if it hasn't already, is asking NASA if it is possible to bring one up with them when a Shuttle goes to the ISS. The problem that I see with that is that the orbit is WAY TOO LOW for that bird to be practical for very long. Think ANDE-1...or the upcoming Delfi-3 which is another temporary satellite. Anyway...what if partnerships with any of the Military Academies...or Universities with programs similar to this (such as Kentucky State's KySat Project) could be worked out? AMSAT ideas or concepts and build team partnerships with students, etc...but with a chance for greater funding available for a potential launch? Food for thought.... John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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RF Modules
by Andrew Rich 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

I wonder if anyone has consdered RF modules for a satellite. I have been playing with a module called "Easy Radio" It takes care of the pre-amble, bit flipping and CRC. Freq = 433.900 MHz They put out in the order of mW, but I put a 30 watt amp on the end and wow ! The data burst is 180 characters max, and it takes around 25ms to send. These are cheap, they cost around $80 for a full data transciever. It would eliminate a whole lot of stuff on a board. I used them for a glider tracker. Anyway here are some photos of what I am talking about. http://www.tech-software.net/glider_tx.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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ANDE: results of the de-orbit Event & AWARD details
by Henk, PA3GUO 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Dear all, ANDE (NO-61) has de-orbited last week - after spending ~370 days in space. During its short life many radio amateurs used the satellite. Most of them found it initially a challenge to hear the downlink. Yet, over time more and more stations joined. Many stations improved their antenna systems and got to hear ANDE. In the very last days, while the passes got even shorter, there were up to 8 stations actively digipeating via the satellite in a single pass. We have seen more and more HAMS enhancing their satellite radio-stations and set-up a SatGate (= automated internet forwarding of all data received on 145.825 MHz, the 2mtr APRS downlink of multiple satellites). During December up to 78 stations worldwide non-stop forwarded data they received ! A great achievement, providing value also after ANDE. Radio amateurs have proven to be able to get their act together on very short terms and set up dedicated digital communication links using very small satellites. Note that all of this has been fully operational for a period of 4 weeks non-stop. All systems on-board ANDE have been functioning fine until de-orbit. We did not observe any major deviation in the telemetry data (eg in temperature). Just a few hours before the decay in the morning of Dec 25, JA0CAW received his last telemetry packet (2007/12/24 22:27:43) and W6MSU was still able to digipeat (2007/12/24 21:14:13). That whole last day of Dec 24 many stations around the world used the tiny APRS satellite... which was running its entire life on batteries only ! ANDE has successfully completed its mission and served as a great APRS satellite. Now - back to the competition & fun part: the AWARD ! ===================================================== Many radio amateur stations from around the world participated in the special ANDE de-orbit event and have received and forwarded valuable telemetry of the satellite during its last days in space. For everyone that participated we have made available a special AWARD. Everyone that made QSOs via ANDE or received telemetry during its final 10 days in space can submit his/her achievements and apply for the AWARD. On the AWARD your callsign and achievements will be mentioned: ANDE APRS QSOs: 1 point for each 2 way APRS QSO in the period Dec 15-24 Example: 00:01:31:24 : KB1GVR]APU25N,ANDE-1*,qAO,K8YSE-6::KC2PCR :GA Doug 00:01:31:42 : KC2PCR]APRS,ANDE-1*,qAO,KB\2CEV::KB1GVR :G'Afternoon Mark ;) ANDE Telemetry reception (in total 55 telemetry points can be achieved): 10 points for telemetry packets of Dec 24, 2007 9 points for telemetry packets of Dec 23, 2007 8 points for telemetry packets of Dec 22, 2007 7 points for telemetry packets of Dec 21, 2007 6 points for telemetry packets of Dec 20, 2007 5 points for telemetry packets of Dec 19, 2007 4 points for telemetry packets of Dec 18, 2007 3 points for telemetry packets of Dec 17, 2007 2 points for telemetry packets of Dec 16, 2007 1 point for telemetry packets of Dec 15, 2007 Of course your participation is what counts most, not the final score ! We ask 4 euro for submissions in Europe and 6 euro outside Europe. This is only for printing & shipping the awards, any surplus will be donated to an AMSAT satellite project. For all details on submission/payments/status etc: http://www.ande-deorbit.com On this website we have maintained an overview of all participating stations that forwarded data. There is also an overview of all the telemetry since Nov 14, when we started this event. A draft version of the award itself can been pre-viewed as well ! Have a look yourself ! Finally we would like to thank all radio amateur stations world-wide that have contributed and participated in the event. Without your help this would not have been possible. It has really been a lot a fun ! Looking forward to your submissions & feedback on the website ! 73's Mike, DK3WN Henk, PA3GUO http://www.ande-deorbit.com

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435 offset yagi phasing
by Andrew Rich 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Hi I have had good success with just one yagi of an offset crossed array I am building. http://wa5vjb.com/yagi-pdf/cheapyagi.pdf I will add the other elements shortly. I am not ready to tackle the phasing part. I hope I have this right. 1. The yagi's are offset, by 90 degrees so that is the offset already. 2. Both yagis's should then have the same length of coax coming from each one. 3. Both yagi's will require a 1/4 wavelength of 75 ohm coax for each feed. 4. Remebering that the velocity factor is 2/3 in coax cable, or the speed of light 200 instead of 300. 5. Both 75 ohm feeds then join at a tee, the result of the 50 ohm antenna and 70 ohm feed giving around 120 ohm 6. By tee'ing the two together, this should present around 50 ohm, required for the main feedline. Does that sound right ? ( 200/435 MHz ) /4 = 11.49 cm for each feed to the tee junction of 75 ohm cable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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Yaesu FT-897 and HRD satellite tracking problem
by Dave Matthews 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Merry Christmas everyone. And apologies since I expect the question I ask here is old hat, but I've researched everywhere and still can't find a solution that works: When using the Ham Radio Deluxe satellite tool for satellite tracking with automatic Doppler shift adjustment, I have a periodic 'polling?' noise issue with my Yaesu FT-897, the same as I had last field day with HRD and a FT-857. There is a periodic noise burst that coincides with the black square animation on the upper left of the satellite tracking tool screen. This noise burst makes it impossible to listen to very faint signals, and is annoying as all get out when waiting for a satellite to come into range. FM and SSB modes. I want to use the HRD program with its built in Doppler shift tracking, but it is unusable -for me- as a result of this problem. During Field Day the FT-857 rig was controlled by a laptop, and yagis were about 20' away pointing at the sky. This current FT-897 setup is on a desktop style office computer into eggbeaters warming the clouds. My CT-62 interface cable is shielded, but the shield was not connected! I tied the shield to ground, no difference. The RS-232 extension cable used is also shielded. Grounds are good in this upstairs office shack but I am about 12' above the ground rod. Trying different grounding makes no difference. Ferrite Beads on the comm cable, looped multiple times through the beads, etc. makes absolutely no difference. And I just tried a USB to serial interface replacing the RS-232 from the computer, no difference. So I've shielded and beaded and grounded and experimented to no avail. This is a really annoying problem, and I feel there must be something elementary that I am missing either in the FT-897 setup or in HRD. I expect it is a Yaesu FT-897/857 problem, but again it may just be a setup issue. Any response is appreciated, Dave KI4PSR

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AO-51 quick update
by Andrew Glasbrenner 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Just a quick note that we will be shutting off the L band uplink to the BBS on AO-51 tomorrow for approximately 24 hours. We need the SQRX to do a quick RF survey for another project. The BBS should be accessible again on Sunday. We are now on the quick slide into our first full sun period starting Jan 4, 2008, and things may get a little hectic as we try to reduce the impact of the increased heat. A byproduct of this is the available downlink power is increasing rapidly, so the satellite should continue to become easier to hear this week. We may also ask for help with telemetry checks between morning and evening passes over the command stations. Thanks for your understanding. 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations

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Re: Sun shadow for True North
by Tony Langdon 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

At 11:14 AM 12/29/2007, Dave Guimont wrote: >>>A vertical rod about 4' long (plumb it, or use a level) will have the >>>shortest shadow at noon. > >I should have said "near noon"..... You still need to know "when near noon" to within 5 minutes to get the required accuracy. :) 73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com

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Re: Sun shadow for True North
by Tony Langdon 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

At 05:29 AM 12/29/2007, Dave Guimont wrote: >A vertical rod about 4' long (plumb it, or use a level) will have the >shortest shadow at noon. Not necessarily. Ignoring DST, local solar noon can occur anywhere within a window of around 1 hour (give or take, depending on the exact borders of your local time zone), because each time zone is approximately 15 degrees wide (there are local variations that take the official zones beyond the 15 degree nominal zones). For example, here in Melbourne, local solar noon usually occurs around approximately 02:15 - 02:20 UTC (12:15 - 12:20 standard time or 13:15 - 13:20 DST). In Brisbane, it occurs before noon AEST, despite both cities being in the same time zone. Using the "shortest shadow at noon" method, you can have an error of up to 10 degrees (now THAT would ruin the performance of your high gain antenna!). Here, it would be around 4-5 degrees, if one was ignorant of the actual time of solar noon. The moving shadow to find the East - West line is a much better and MUCH more accurate idea. 73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com

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Compass Function in GPS
by James Duffey 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Unless your GPS has a dedicated compass, the direction function, which appears to be a compass will only function when the unit is in motion. I found out this the hard way on my rove in the June VHF contest. - Duffey -- James Duffey KK6MC/5 Cedar Crest NM 87008 DM65

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Re: Sun shadow for True North
by Dave Guimont 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

> >>A vertical rod about 4' long (plumb it, or use a level) will have the >>shortest shadow at noon. I should have said "near noon".....THE SH0RTEST SHADOW IS WHEN THE SUN IS DUE SOUTH OF YOU,NORTH IN YOUR CASE, No matter where you are with relation to the "clock".. Check sunrise and sunset, divide by 2, add to the sunrise, and will give you THE TIME WHEN THE SUN IS HIGHEST....FORGET WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR TIME ZONE.... That n/s line will be 90° to the e/w line made with the markers....You don't need a watch, or care where you are in the world.... >Not necessarily. Ignoring DST, local solar noon >can occur anywhere within a window of around 1 >hour (give or take, depending on the exact >borders of your local time zone), because each >time zone is approximately 15 degrees wide >(there are local variations that take the >official zones beyond the 15 degree nominal >zones). For example, here in Melbourne, local >solar noon usually occurs around approximately >02:15 - 02:20 UTC (12:15 - 12:20 standard time >or 13:15 - 13:20 DST). In Brisbane, it occurs >before noon AEST, despite both cities being in >the same time zone. Using the "shortest shadow >at noon" method, you can have an error of up to >10 degrees (now THAT would ruin the performance >of your high gain antenna!). Here, it would be >around 4-5 degrees, if one was ignorant of the actual time of solar noon. > >The moving shadow to find the East - West line >is a much better and MUCH more accurate idea. > >73 de VK3JED >http://vkradio.com 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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visual sighting possible?
by Ollie Eisman 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

A few nights ago I was outside with my Arrow and HT working AO-51. During this time I noticed the faint glow of a satellite in the direction that I was pointing my antenna (no, I was not using a compass, sticks or GPS) :) The satellite drifted across the sky and matched what I was seeing on my computer's tracking program. I followed the satellite with my antenna and I continued to get a great signal from Echo. Given that I am at 6000 feet altitude and in a dark area, do you think I really saw our small friend? Ollie, AJ1O

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mode J filter / Comet CF416c
by K & R Yoksh 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hello everyone, I'm planning to install a diplexer ahead of my 70cm mast-mount preamp soon, and was interested to know any tips or tricks before I buy a diplexer and climb the tower. I was planning to go the cheap route, and buy the $35 MFJ-916b sold by my local ham store, but read in the manual: "The MFJ-916B is designed for indoor use. If you use the MFJ-916B outdoors, it should only be used for short periods of time under good weather conditions. Do not use the duplexer outdoors when there is any kind of precipitation." After reading that, I'm considering spending a little extra and buying the Comet 416c that others have had good luck with. I had planned to mount the unit inside of a section of PVC pipe with a pipe cap glued on the top, and open at the bottom. A single U-bolt should attach the unit to the tower. Please reply with any suggestions, or perhaps you know of an unpublished sale going on somewhere? Thanks! Happy New Year to everyone on the list, and I hope we'll see P3e launched in 2008! 73, Kyle Yoksh K0KN Olathe, Kansas

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TNC options?
by Kevin Hartley 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Greetings & Happy Holidays to all, After a 3yr hiatus, (IC910 sold & packed away G3RUH dish & patch ant & down converter after AO-40 died - plus I moved from ZL-land to VE7-land which was a big distraction), I recently decided to get back into chasing birds. One of the deciding factors was my neighbour lost several big cedar trees in his back yard in last year's wind-storms and I gained 120 deg of unobstructed sky to the SW as a result! Re-joined AMSAT last month & signed up to the BBS to watch & learn now I have a question to ask. Hope to start with LEOS (i.e. Echo) and other easy-sats, to get my skill level up. Seems to be absence of VE7s on Vancouver Island to ask for help but I'm taking the plunge anyway! Ordered a IC-910 & 23cm module & UHF preamp as my Xmas present to myself, still waiting on Icom Canada to deliver, but soon! Starting out simple with an Arrow 2m/70cm antenna & a 23cm loop yagi at a fixed 40deg angle, on a cheap TV rotor, with some good info from Chip W7AIT who sent me all kinds of emails (thanks Chip!). My question is, I want to try packet/data on sats once the IC-910 arrives. Have an old AEA PK-900 1200b TNC on the shelf unused. Wondering if its a good idea to spend the $$ to get Timewave upgrades to give it 9600b capability? OR perhaps better to pick up a new KPC-9612PLUS for about the same $$? The brochure I read indicates the 9612 goes up to 34000 baud? Really? Or are there other off-the-shelf options I'm not aware of that are better? Want to give myself maximum flexibility for present & future birds on packet, but not too complex, a radio engineer I'm not. I've ordered the AMSAT Digital Sat handbook a month ago, along with some other books from the AMSAT store and they haven't arrived yet. But this is more a real-world type question where I'm looking for answers from people who've had experience with working sats and can recommend packet gear to buy or tncs to stay away from? Don't mind putting some time & effort into it, but an off-the-shelf solution would work best for me. Suggestions anyone? Hoping to be on the air soon from CN88! Thanks & 73, Kevin VE7OVY

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Sun shadow for True North
by Dave Guimont 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

A vertical rod about 4' long (plumb it, or use a level) will have the shortest shadow at noon. Some one asked about waiting, for it to happen. Well don't. About an hour an a half before approximate noon (use standard time) put a mark of some sort. Then every half hour or so to increase the accuracy until ~1 1/2 hours after approximate noon standard time and you will have a true east west line....Construct from there.... You won't get the fraction degree accuracy someone mentioned with the north star, but I don't think you will need that.000009 db gain either unless you need a 30db antenna for your frequency!!! 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Re: mode J filter / Comet CF416c
by Andrew Glasbrenner 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

-----Original Message----- >From: Ken Shutt <kgshutt(a)cox.net> >Kyle, > >I would recommend putting the preamp as close to the antenna as possible. >The diplexer should go between the radio and pre amp. If you are planning >to feed dc to the preamp on the coax, you need to make sure the diplexer >will pass the dc to the preamp. > >73 de Ken W5KQ Hi Ken, I think Kyle is wanting to use the diplexer as a high-pass filter in front of the preamp to prevent the 2m uplink signal from overloading the preamp, as explained at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/Mode-J/ . 73, Drew KO4MA

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DATA SOFTWARE
by Mr Jeffrey L Ross 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

FOLKS, ANYONE KNOW OF A SOFTWARE OUT THERE THAT WILL TELL ME WHAT MODE I AM RECEIVING? I HAVE A LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH MIXW BUT WITH THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT MODE YOU WANT TO USE. OR ARE USING. I NEED SOMETHING THAT WILL TELL ME WHAT MODE IS THERE. ANY ADVISE WOULD BE HELPFULL, THANK YOU. KC8GKF P.S. LEARNING THE SOUNDS OF DATA, BUT WOW, SO MANY THERE ARE.

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Re: 70cm yagi design (photos)
by Andrew Rich 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

One is done Photos here Up the pole she goes. http://www.tech-software.net/70cmyagi/index.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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Paint and RF
by Andrew Rich 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Something just dawned on me. I have been painting the wooden booms of my antenna Does painting a boom affect it ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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