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

ANDE/AWARD
by Mr Jeffrey L Ross 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

FOLKS, BEEN FUN, I ONLY GOT 19 POINTS BUT ITS BEEN A NICE LEARNING EXPERENCE.. 73 KC8GKF HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL

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Re: FT-847 Disaster - THE PAIN!
by David Donaldson 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

I too have felt THE PAIN with my FT-817. After burning some traces due to very high SWR from an external amp, I replaced all the relays, still would not work. I gave up after having one of the driver fets burn (real fire!) TWICE. I have a new PA board (not the finals) coming from Japan. The PA board is only $275 and the other parts??? Priceless. Why not just throw away???? I'm to mad (both in the head and emotionally) to give up! Beside's I am starting to make friends at Yeasu (or this that Motorola) Happy New Year's Dave ________________________ WB7DRU; Navy Mars NNN0AXK Burnsville, MN USA -----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of K7XQ Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:55 PM To: k7zt(a)suddenlink.net Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FT-847 Disaster Don't feel too bad Joe. ...... --- http://USFamily.Net/dialup.html - $8.25/mo! -- http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html - $19.99/mo! ---

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"KiwiSAT" build fund support.
by Fred Kennedy 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi Guys, Just had an update from Terry (ZL3QL) - AMSAT-ZL President - on the very good response to his request for funding help in support of the build of "KiwiSAT". Magnificent. It will make all the difference and give us the opportunity to order things early and say "yes" rather than "probably" to the guys that are actually doing the practical build and assembly work. A real New Year boost for us! From us all - thanks. And have a peaceful and successful 2008. Fred Kennedy (ZL1BYP for the "KiwiSAT" team

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Re: Ande
by andy thomas 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Celestrak gives keps today for 07 358 - today (Dec 27th) is 07 361, so 358 was Dec 24 UTC (when last reported). I suppose NORAD will announce when ANDE is down? andy G0SFJ ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it now. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/

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SatPC32 Installation problem
by Doug Shields 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hello, I purchased SatPC32 from AMSAT recently. I finally got around to installing it tonight. I didn't get far. I put the CD into the drive and as soon as I click "Setup" I get the message: "C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application." I am running Windows 2000 on a reasonably fast computer. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Doug W4DAS

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Compass difficulties, was Re: How to calibrate the azimuth angle?
by joe cassano aka jmario 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

I am kind of surprised at the number of "compass is hard to use" comments here. I use a compass and a Home Depot angle locater to set the azimuth and elevation of a 220 yagi that I have mounted on an old Atlas studio boom microphone stand in by back yard to capture the passage of the moon through the SPASUR (Lake Kickapoo) radio fence. I usually try to do the antenna pointing during daylight hours. It is a lot easier to read the compass while sighting along the boom in daylight. Whenever I check my alignment by sighting along the antenna boom when the moon is passing through the fence (i.e. moon is at azimuth of 91.4 or 271.4 degrees relative to Lake Kickapoo and the moon is above the horizon at both Lake Kickapoo and my QTH in Pennsylvania) I find I've got the moon boresighted. It is a given that you keep the compass away from ferrous objects while taking a reading - that includes non-obvious objects like the wrench or pliers in your back pocket that you might have forgot about :-) Alternatively, if you are going to be climbing a tower or some such thing, you can always calibrate the azimuth angle (that was the original question) by determining the bearing of a distant object then pointing the antenna at that same distant object. The unmentioned question in the original post is just how accurate does the azimuth angle calibration need to be? The above mentioned 220 yagi is (if I remember correctly) 3db down at +/- 15 degrees so az angle is not critical but a hi gain EME array might have a 3db width of +/- 2 degrees requiring more pointing/azimuth accuracy. JoeC K3FMA

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70cm yagi design
by Andrew Rich 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Can someone steer me towards a yagi design that works, I know there are heaps on the net. What I want it is a design you use and have had good results and repeatable results with. I can bend alum tube, never made a folded dipole before, but got a pipe bender here. Willing to have a go. Andy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Re: Listen before transmitting?
by Dave Guimont 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

> >The intent was probably to listen for which mode the satellite is >using, as in: listen for the beacon or other signals that would >indicate which mode the satellite is in. >Alternatively, if the instruction was written POST-AO7 resurrection, >then it may also mean to listen for the quality of the other >downlink signals, to determine if AO7 is being trampled by strong >uplinks, and would therfore not support more QSO's at that time. >Either way, for the sake of other users of AO-7, that point could >not be stressed enough, or more simply put, as it is so on the WSR page. What difference the mode!! Respond in kind.... If it is being trampled by strong uplinks, and you can't compete you can't compete....You are not helping anything by not TRYING TO TRANSMIT... I've been on AO7 since the day it was launched, so I've had a little experience!! LISTEN ON ANY FREQUENCEY ANYWHERE IN THE AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM BEFORE YOU TRANSMIT! SATELLITE OR OTHERWISE.... Against the rules and dumb not to listen first.... Again, why the admonition??? 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Using a compass
by Dave Guimont 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

I don't care where you are using a compass, using it on the ground, not moving from that location, and not allowing other large masses of metal to move near you, one can 'CALIBRATE' it for that location. I don't care if is deviation or variation that is causing the needle to move, you are compensating for both... I used celestial navigation, in an airplane in the early days, but if one has an overcast your octant was excess baggage at that time.... If I had a chart, knew the territory, and could line up two fixed points of land I could fly directly between those points, and thereby get the compass calibrated for that heading... The deviation could change of course, if I made a turn, but I had at least one accurate heading...and few places in the world exist that changes variation that rapidly... And we would "swing the compass" on the ground, and use compensating magnets to reduce the deviation... And when your "landing field" the carrier is moving those methods, along with a plotting board got me home... Standing on the ground orienting and antenna, sort of simplifies the problem!! 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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OLPC transmitter
by Bob Bruninga 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

> The difference between this design effort and the > other things the GNU Radio crew has done is that > the result has to cost only incremental > pennies, cost zero power when not running, and > run on batteries when running. One thing I wish I had time for is to figure out all the neat things we can do with the parts in the bazillions of compact florescent bulbs (now going for under $2 each). The two power mos-fets and some other parts could be able to contribute to a 20 watt transmitter... Anyway, those parts are going to be as ubiqiiitous to modern youth as the old TV sets were to us as kids trying to build our first ham transmitter. I'd also like to know how to safely smash the bulb without release of mercury. Is it in the vapor? or is it in there in liquid form? The powder? Bob, WB4APR

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Re: Listening before Transmitting
by Clint Bradford 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

> >>...All sorts of weird ideas floating around now??? No, things haven't changed...(grin) I have been chastised for NOT telling folks that TRUE, FULL DUPLEX OPS IS MANDATORY - to monitor AO-51 and SO-50 downlinks while working them. Of course, it IS best to have a full-duplex setup for these birds. But these sats are so easily worked with low power, that I continue to turn folks on to AMSAT and this aspect of our hobby with my "How to Work Amateur Satellites with your HT" presentation. The "demo station" equipment I use for the presentation continues to consists of a single dual-band HT at 2.5W, and improved antenna. And so it goes.... Clint Bradford, K6LCS 909-241-7666

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AO-7 10 meter?
by Michael J. Wolthuis 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

I saw a video from Dayton on Youtube of AO-7 Mode A, does it still come up in this mode? Last notes I see on the Sat status page is November 26. I have an AR-10 and HTX-100, but I have NEVER used them for anything and was planning to Ebay, as I see no other satellite use for this equipment which is my primary radio operations. I don't do anything on 10m. It was for a project that got shelved. Could these be of any use for AO-7 or anything else sat related? Thanks, Mike Kb8zgl

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Listen before transmitting?
by Dave Guimont 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

The Weekly Satellite Report under AO7 says: Listen before transmitting! Is there some kind of "listening" one should be aware of??. We learned that 80 years ago in ham radio....That applies to any am/ssb/cw/fm modes, even if transmitting "in the blind" in an emergency.... All sorts of weird ideas floating around now??? 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Re: FT-847 Disaster - THE PAIN! - It could be worse !
by John W Lee 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Don't feel too bad, we've all done things like that at one time or another. Here's one for ya: One of the locals sold a nice FT-301 (All solid state HF rig of the 1970's-1980's). at the swap meet one time. The fella that bought it called the seller in a couple of days and complained that the thing went up in smoke the first time he turned it on ! He was very mad at the seller until he found out what happend........... Turns out that he put an A.C. plug on the end of the red and black wires and plugged it in and turned it on! Faint ! 73, John, K6YK

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Re: How to calibrate the azimuth angle?
by Ronald Long 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Here is an amsat-bb post from Tom Clark, K3IO, formerly W3IWI, on this subject. Wonderfully detailed. Thank you Tom. I have removed the From line since the original address from 12 years ago may not be accurate. ron w8gus ==== Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 20:12:13 UTC From: Tom Clark To: amsat-bb(a)AMSAT.Org Subject: North/South vs East/West The recent thread of Magnetic vs. Geodetic north-south for the calibration of antenna azimuths has overlooked an even easier way to do the deed. The idea is not new -- I believe it is the way the ancient Egyptians had their Nubian slaves establish the orientation of the great pyramids to accuracies of about a half-degree. Instead of trying to establish a North/South line, determine East/West instead! Here is the recipe (with some footnotes): 1. Wait for the morning of a clear, sunny day. 2. Find a level, flat area. 3. Poke a 3-6 foot (1-2 meter) stick in the ground vertically (south of the flat area in the northern hemisphere or north in the southern hemisphere). 4. Several times during the day, mark the location of the tip of the shadow of the stick. 5. The points you just marked will be on a straight line which is nominally East/West. Drive stakes at the ends of the line (or if your shadow is on concrete, paint the line). Footnotes: a. The accuracy of the east/west line is best at the solstices (Dec.21/Jun.21) and worst at the equinoxes (Mar.21/Sep.21). The sun's declination is a cosine curve with extrema of +/- 22.5 degrees reached at he solstices. At the equinoxes, the declination changes about 1/2 degree/day so if you are observing at the equinoxes over an 8-hour period, the line will be in error by about 10 arc minutes. b. The diameter of the sun's disk is about 30 arc minutes, so the shadow is "fuzzy" at this level. You need to be consistent in picking the point corresponding to the tip's shadow to minimize the penumbral error. The diameter of the stick should be big enough to give a solid shadow -- i.e. the stick should subtend an angle > 30 arc minutes when viewed from the level, flat area. I recommend that the stick have a length/diameter ratio of 20-30. A typical tall antenna tower will not cast a sharp enough shadow to use. c. The level area need only be level in the east/west direction. A north/south slope will not affect the accuracy. If you don't have a level area, get a 4'x8' sheet of plywood and prop it with short stakes to make it level and cast the shadow onto the plywood. You should strive for east/west "levelness" of one degree or better if you want results good to about one degree. Hope this idea helps -- 73 de Tom.

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Automated ISS station
by Andrew Rich 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

I got fed up with noisy power supplies to here is my solution. 1. A linux computer runs Predict as a server 2. A perl script wakes up every minute, and asks predict if ISS is above the horizon. 3. If ISS is above the horizon, a command is sent to a parrallel port control card. 4. The control toggles a relay 5. The relay action turns off the battery charger and engages the radio 6. When the ISS is below the horizon once more, the script turns off the relay. 7. The radio turns off and the battery charger re-engages. 8. The radio has a 30 minute time out set as well to guard against problems. So far it works really well. The rack clicks and comes to life as ISS rises and goes back to sleep when it descends. Here is a photo. http://www.tech-software.net/rack_psu.jpg I am not having much luck with the helix's i have built the front to back seems bad. I have however had great success on 2m, with an 8 element quad. Cheers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Premap overload
by Andrew Rich 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

I think I went a little overboard. I replaced my coax with heliax and fitted a pre-amp to the base of my antenna. Now all I get is break through from commercial services. Oh well. I went from RG213 to LDF4-50. And I can now access a repeater 150 km's away I could not before. Have to bay antennas and back of the pre-amp I think. Cheers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Was Oregon fireball ANDE reentry?
by Ken Swaggart 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

The Associated Press is carrying a story from Bend, in central Oregon, concerning reports of a bright fireball the night (local) of 24 Dec. I haven't been able to obtain a time to check it against the orbital predictions and see if ANDE was supposed to be anywhere in this area. Here's a quote from the story: "Keith Clinton, who lives east of Bend says he saw a "large, bright green fireball descend out of the cloudless sky east of Bend. Clinton says the fireball turned yellow and exploded about 10 degrees above the horizon, breaking into several pieces as it did." 73, Ken, W7KKE

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Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 2, Issue 840
by Peleg Lapid 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

Try to reduce the comunication bit rate to minimum, it helped for me with the 857 73 Peleg 4x1gp -----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:00 PM To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 2, Issue 840 Send AMSAT-BB mailing list submissions to amsat-bb(a)amsat.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org You can reach the person managing the list at amsat-bb-owner(a)amsat.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of AMSAT-BB digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: RigExpert Tiny to Yaesu FT-847 (Alan P. Biddle) 2. Re: Questions on physically offset CP yagi feeding (i8cvs) 3. Yaesu FT-897 and HRD satellite tracking problem (Dave Matthews) 4. Ande. (John Ronan) 5. Re: Yaesu FT-897 and HRD satellite tracking problem (Simon Brown (HB9DRV)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:19:41 -0600 From: "Alan P. Biddle" <APBIDDLE(a)UNITED.NET> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: RigExpert Tiny to Yaesu FT-847 To: "'Amsat-Bb'" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <000001c8473b$dd3f60e0$6401a8c0@WA4SCA> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Rod, Take a look at http://www.usinterface.com/naviusa_007.htm for a wide variety of cables for the full RigExpert. (The Navigator uses the same pin out.) They should give you some good ideas for the Tiny. Note that the FT-847 has the cables for the PKT and DATA ports wired in parallel, so you will need swap the plugs depending on what mode you are operating. Or, as I did, wire up a simple AB switch. Note that for the PKT connection to use the 1200 baud RX. Several of the RE sites have the wiring incorrectly using the 9600 baud output. It will work, somewhat, but with a very poor S/N. The interface will not handle 9600 baud. 73s, Alan WA4SCA ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:04:29 +0100 From: "i8cvs" <domenico.i8cvs(a)tin.it> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Questions on physically offset CP yagi feeding To: "jonny 290" <jonny290(a)gmail.com>, "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <001d01c8474a$815a7440$0201a8c0(a)tin.it> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" ----- Original Message ----- From: "jonny 290" <jonny290(a)gmail.com> To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 10:59 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Questions on physically offset CP yagi feeding > I've decided to rebuild my 2m antenna and have a couple of questions. > > My thinking is to build a six element wide-band 50 ohm match yagi and > mount the vertically polarized elements 1/4 wavelength ahead of the > horizontal ones, and feed the elements in phase. Hi Matt, KC4YLV Mounting the vertical and horizontal elements with an offset of 1/4 wavelength over the boom is good because feeding the driven elements in phase you get almost a one sense CP without adding delay lines. . > I have > examined the possibility of masthead CP phasing, but am concerned > about mismatching and like the arguments given for the physically > offset, in-phase fed elements. There are masthead CP phasing and switching circuits with a minimum of mismatching and in addition the lenght of coax relays is not to be taken into account because the length of relays is compensated for provided all relays are of the same type and the same lenght. As an example using 4 coax relays of the same type antenna mounted you can switch from the shack V-H-RHCP and LHCP as described into the AMSAT-Journal march/april 2007 and may/june 2007 > > My antenna to radio coax run is right around 30 feet. I am thinking of > running two lengths of LMR-240, speced at 3 dB loss/100ft, so loss > should be about 1 dB. If I cut the two feedlines to identical lengths, > I should be able to connect them with a coax tee in the shack and use > a > 1/4 wave 37 ohm line to bring the system impedance back up from 25 (at > the tee) to 50 ohms. This is correct but you must be able to exactly cut two runs of coax cable 30 feet long and having the same electrical lenght and first of all it is good to use both coax lines coming from the same coil and if you have access to a network analyser you can check if the phase difference between both feed lines is 0? degrees or not. > I'd then have an RHCP signal for the birds. If the vertical driven element is ahead of the horizontal one to get RHCP the center conductor of the coax cable feeding the vertical driven element must be connected UP and the braid DOWN while looking the elements standing behind the reflector the inner conductor of the coax cable feeding the horizontal driven element must be connected to the RIGHT side and the braid to LEFT side. Since you plan to run two identical coax lines from the shack if you add in the shack a 1/2 electrical wavelenght of coax into the line feeding the vertical driving element then you get LHCP without changing any coax connections on top of the dipoles. The use of folded dipoles with the classic 1/2 wavelength coax balun is recommended. > Do I > _need_ to cut the feedlines to half-wave multiples, or is it just a > good idea? I plan on tuning the antennas as dead on to 145.8 as I can, > so mismatch will be a minimum at that frequency. In theory if you cut the feedlines to half-wave multiples you only have the advantage to exacly measure the impedance of the antenna with an impedance bridge from the shack without to go on the roof and disconnect cables from the dipoles. By the way the VSWR into the line do not change cutting feed lines to half-wave multiples or any other lenght if the impedance of the antenna do not match with the impedance of the coax line. > > When I don't need RHCP, I can simply use the horizontal feedline for > SSB work and the vertical feedline for FM work, setting the coax tee > nonsense aside. It is correct > (as a note, the two sets of elements would be tuned identically, > centered for minimum swr on 145.8, It is good > but in my experience > operation across the band is no problem). > Agree > A good coax relay costs about 60-80 dollars and requires associated > mounting hardware and weatherproofing, this only adds another $15 for > 30 more feet of LMR240. Since your need is satellite and tropo your project sound to be good and simple. > > Anybody care to share thoughts on this? > > 73 and merry christmas > matt kc4ylv > 73" and merry cristmas from i8CVS Domenico ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:09:39 -0600 From: Dave Matthews <dave(a)lostfrogs.com> Subject: [amsat-bb] Yaesu FT-897 and HRD satellite tracking problem To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Message-ID: <47719BC3.80609(a)lostfrogs.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed 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 ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:44:28 +0000 From: John Ronan <jronan(a)irishsystems.com> Subject: [amsat-bb] Ande. To: AMSAT-BB BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <54CED6C4-364E-44C6-8876-B92B145DF982(a)irishsystems.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Has it's fate been ascertained? Regards de John EI7IG ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:14:55 +0100 From: "Simon Brown $HB9DRV$" <simon(a)hb9drv.ch> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Yaesu FT-897 and HRD satellite tracking problem To: "Dave Matthews" <dave(a)lostfrogs.com>, <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <002001c847eb$37d34b20$a400a8c0@hairycreatures> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Sounds like radiation from the CT-62 cable - try putting a ferrite or two on the cable. Simon Brown, HB9DRV ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Matthews" <dave(a)lostfrogs.com> > I have a periodic 'polling?' noise issue with my Yaesu FT-897 ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat-bb(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 2, Issue 840 ****************************************

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AMSAT Awards
by Bruce 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

Here are the last awards that I will be processing 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 or http://www.amsatnet.com Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on W0KIE Intelsat Americas, T1, 6.8Mhz Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0200z on W0KIE new satellite soon. Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org

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Ande.
by John Ronan 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

Has it's fate been ascertained? Regards de John EI7IG

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Questions on physically offset CP yagi feeding
by jonny 290 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

I've decided to rebuild my 2m antenna and have a couple of questions. I currently have vertically polarized yagis up for 2m and 70cm and they work fine; however I am becoming more interested in weak signal work and just want to rebuild my antennas in general, as they need it after a year. Due to necessity and environment, i can only have a few antennas up and have thought up a plan to meet all of my needs at a reasonable price with only one cross yagi in the air. My thinking is to build a six element wide-band 50 ohm match yagi and mount the vertically polarized elements 1/4 wavelength ahead of the horizontal ones, and feed the elements in phase. I have examined the possibility of masthead CP phasing, but am concerned about mismatching and like the arguments given for the physically offset, in-phase fed elements. My antenna to radio coax run is right around 30 feet. I am thinking of running two lengths of LMR-240, speced at 3 dB loss/100ft, so loss should be about 1 dB. If I cut the two feedlines to identical lengths, I should be able to connect them with a coax tee in the shack and use a 1/4 wave 37 ohm line to bring the system impedance back up from 25 (at the tee) to 50 ohms. I'd then have an RHCP signal for the birds. Do I _need_ to cut the feedlines to half-wave multiples, or is it just a good idea? I plan on tuning the antennas as dead on to 145.8 as I can, so mismatch will be a minimum at that frequency. When I don't need RHCP, I can simply use the horizontal feedline for SSB work and the vertical feedline for FM work, setting the coax tee nonsense aside. (as a note, the two sets of elements would be tuned identically, centered for minimum swr on 145.8, but in my experience operation across the band is no problem). A good coax relay costs about 60-80 dollars and requires associated mounting hardware and weatherproofing, this only adds another $15 for 30 more feet of LMR240. Anybody care to share thoughts on this? 73 and merry christmas matt kc4ylv

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RigExpert Tiny to Yaesu FT-847
by Stargate 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Hi all, Does anyone have any experience making a RigExpert "Tiny" Model: TTL-I-1 for the Yaesu FT-100, FT-817, FT-857, FT-897 work with a Yaesu FT-847 or Kenwood TS-790. I know I will have to rewire some plugs or make adaptor wires to match the radio's but I was hoping not to re-invent the wheel if someone already figured it out. The people at RigExpert say they don't make a version for the FT-847. RoD KD0XX

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FT-847 Disaster
by k7zt＠suddenlink.net 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Many Thanks for all of the responses and Merry Christmas to all! I have done some preliminary troubleshooting and have discovered the following... The fuse and the electronic cap are fine. I get good voltage to one side of the relay, the relay coil appears to be energized but the 12 VDC stops at the relay. I did jumper the 12 volts to the other side of the relay and the display lights up and I hear noise from the speaker. But no frequency displayed. This is as far as I've gotten. I did note on the schematic that the relay has two transistors (Q1118 & Q1122). Q1118 is labeled as H-V Protection on the block diagram. Both of these devices connect to the relay (FL1001). I've looked on both sides of the board and can't seem to locate these devices. Regards, - Joe K7ZT

3 2

FT-847 Disaster
by k7zt＠suddenlink.net 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

All: I'm afraid that I reversed the polarity when I connected my FT-847 to its' power supply. It appears that the smoke leaked out :-/ I would like to know if anyone out there has had this unfortunate experience (names withheld), or has an idea where to begin looking for the problem. Thanks, - Joe, K7ZT

6 6

Crossed yagis
by Andrew Rich 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

What is the best way to set up phased crossed yagis ? Have an electric coax switch in the middle to switch from left to right circ polar ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

4 3

Orbital classroom #2 (AMSAT Education)
by Stefan Wagener 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Thanks everyone. The comments (primarily offline) to my first post on the existence of the "Orbital Classroom" just pointed to the perceived sad state of education within AMSAT. Now, we can whine and do nothing or maybe put our heads together and see what there is to do. The first thing is to gauge the level of interest. I and others will NOT engage in this without some significant feedback from the members and those that are interested in amateur radio and satellites and education. Here are a few questions and I would kindly request your thoughts on these. 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? That's a start and hopefully it sparks your interest as a participant, facilitator or instructor. Please email me your responses offline (don't hit the reply all button) and I will compile the answers in a response to the board and this mailing list. FYI, I have been asked to organize and coordinate these efforts. First of all, I will NOT assist, organize and/or coordinate these efforts unless I have equal partners in assisting and helping. Secondly, AMSAT has an official "Director of Education" who needs to be involved and work on this (with our help if necessary). This person serves at the discretion of the AMSAT president and I have no intention to do his work. Hope this helps to clarify positions and responsibilities! For now, it is time for the members to voice their needs for education and define if this is relevant or not. Folks, here is your opportunity! Some of us are listening and working on this. Let us know if you want this or not by answering the questions above. As always, your opinion counts and even more your help is greatly appreciated. Have a Merry Christmas, a wonderful holiday season and an even better 2008. My best wishes to you and your families. 73, Stefan VE4NSA

2 1

ANDE 1305z
by John Marranca, Jr 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Nothing heard from FN02ox. I believe she has returned home. Merry Christmas. John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

2 1

Yaesu G-450A rotator
by Andrew Rich 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

I can see that the az el rotator from yaesu has a port for tapping into a voltage to work out where the rotator is pointed. What do the cheaper ones such as the Yaesu G-450A use ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

1 0

ANDE: December 25th not heard
by Moorby, Terry: IHAB 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Nothing heard from ANDE during the 1132z, December 25th pass over eastern Canada. Terry, VE3DIJ

1 0

ANDE
by Andrew Rich 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Times = UTC + 10 | 2007-12-24 19:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 60 | | 2007-12-24 19:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 33 | | 2007-12-24 20:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 42 | | 2007-12-24 20:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 33 | | 2007-12-24 22:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 23 | | 2007-12-24 22:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 30 | | 2007-12-24 23:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 9 | | 2007-12-24 23:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 9 | | 2007-12-25 01:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 7 | | 2007-12-25 01:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 10 | | 2007-12-25 02:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 5 | | 2007-12-25 02:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 1 | | 2007-12-25 04:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 9 | | 2007-12-25 04:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 10 | | 2007-12-25 05:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 7 | | 2007-12-25 05:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 15 | | 2007-12-25 06:00:00 | ANDE | Beacon | 1 | | 2007-12-25 07:00:00 | ANDE | Digi | 1 | +---------------------+----------+--------+-------+ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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ANDE: not heared on Dec 25
by Henk, PA3GUO 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Seems ANDE hasn't been heared anymore on Dec 25th. Last packet received would be dated 2007/12/24 at 21:14:13 utc. Just in case, I took a copy of findu.com, to capture the last packets received on the 145.825 MHz downlink of ANDE (all Dec 24th): http://home.vianetworks.nl/users/hamoen/pa3guo/ande_findu_last.mht >From that I would derive: Last digipeat: W6MSU 20071224211413 : W6MSU]APRS,ANDE-1*,qAO,W6MSU-3:=3803.21NS12121.62W& Last telemetry: N0AN 20071224194836 : ANDE-1]BEACON,qAo,N0AN:T#007,138,047,049,046,214,11100001,000 Last beacon: JA6PL 20071224205458 : ANDE-1]APRS1,SGATE,qAo,JA6PL::BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve. Did anyone receive a packet later ? Henk, PA3GUO http://www.qsl.net/pa3guo

3 2

ANDE ?
by Dave Aitch 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Nothing heard from ANDE during the 0852 to 0859UTC pass from IO80SM. My prediction is/was 27th Dec. 73, Dave.

1 0

ANDE deorbit
by Rob Hardenberg PE1ITR 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Hi, Nothing heard from ANDE on the 20071225 7.12 UTC pass this morning. Last packet seen on the aprs network 20071224 21:14UTC. 73 Rob PE1ITR http://www.pe1itr.com

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Re: Oscar 9 Re-entry
by Clive Wallis 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

Hi, I was very interested in Jeff's and Dave's comments. Was there more than one 'Chicken Little' competition? AMSAT-UK took over the competition which was originally started by UoS. The winner was Geoff G3ENY, who sadly is no longer with us. I spent quite a lot of time attempting to predict the 'burn-up'of OSCAR-9 and Salyut7. I'll put together what information I can find, and post it here in a few days time. I would be very interested whether any one can find any references in the AMSAT Journal or elsewhere, other than in OSCAR News, which I already have. Seasonal best wishes to all. -- 73 Clive G3CWV Hitchin, North Hertfordshire, UK.

3 4

Amateur Satellite Receive Anennas
by Dave Guimont 25 Dec '07

25 Dec '07

I see a lot of discussion on here about the difficulty of receiving our present low orbit satellites... Admittedly, I have not tried other than AO7, AO51, VO52 and SO50... AO51 requires not much more than a "wet noodle" for both up and down link, so relate your sig strengths (both up and down) with relation to it, and I can help...Also tell me if your problem is up or down... Can they hear you? or cannot you hear them... It would sort of give me a guide as to the capabilities of both your receive and xmit systems. There are many factors that relate to the above questions, but let us start there. And many factors that can lead to success... Tell me the bird you are having difficulties on, and I will try it... 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

1 0

OLPC
by Robert McGwier 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

This is sent with my OLPC. What a great idea this project is. It goes to show what can be acccomplished ny dedicated individuals, something familiar to a lot of people in these two groups. The thing does appear to have sufficient horsepower to do some DSP. I would like to think we can make several things available to this project. For example, I think a tunable HF receiver for shortwave AM broadcast is easiy achievable for very modest cost. Further out, I would to see the use of this machine and OFDM skywave to provide WAN capability to large areas of the world without such capability. At least one Negroponte clearly has heart and vision. Happy holidays and I hope everyone is looking forward to 2008 with as much anticipation as I am. Bob

7 10

24 DEc 07 Great Lakes ANDE pass
by am25544 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Below are packets received from ANDE at EN62 on 24 Dec. 2007. All times are UTC 15:12:54 N8XYR>BEACON,ANDE-1* <UI>: SpEx SHADOW 10:13:00 AM ** 24-12-2007/ 15:12:59 N8XYR>BEACON,ANDE-1* <UI>: SpEx SHADOW 10:13:05 AM ** 24-12-2007/ 15:13:02 KB0JQO-6>APRS,ANDE-1* <UI>: :VE4NSA :Thanks, u 2 15:13:28 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} 15:13:35 N0AN-6>APRS,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4205.00N/09400.00WS73' Via Sat {UISS50} 15:13:56 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: >Satellite 145.825mhz US Naval Academy 16:43:51 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: T#001,141,153,134,145,137,10101111,000 16:43:52 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} 18:15:42 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} 18:15:52 N8IGJ>EN62,ANDE-1*,SGATE [UI]: 18:15:54 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: T#004,138,047,049,046,214,11100001,000 18:16:14 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: :N8IGJ :>Having fun? 18:16:20 ANDE-2>APRS1,SGATE <UI>: :BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve. 18:16:26 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} 18:16:31 KC8GKF>APRS,ANDE-1* [UI]: :EMAIL RADIOOPERATOR(a)COMCAST.NET HAPPY HOLIDAYS T E S T MESSAGE EMCOMM 18:16:49 ANDE-1>APRS3,SGATE <UI>: :BLN3ANDE :Aliases are RELAY, WIDE,APRSAT,ARISS & WIDEnN 18:16:58 VE4NSA>CQ,ANDE-1* <UI>: =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} 19:48:36 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: T#007,138,047,049,046,214,11100001,000 19:48:39 AJ5C-3>SVQU7X,ANDE-1* (UI): 'y`gl -/]>Bob in EM36KG 19:48:46 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: >Satellite 145.825mhz US Naval Academy 19:48:53 AJ5C-3>SVQU7X,ANDE-1* (UI): 'y`gl -/]>Bob in EM36KG 19:49:01 ANDE-1>APRS1,SGATE <UI>: :BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve. 19:49:26 ANDE-1>BEACON <UI>: T#008,143,148,146,151,152,10101111,000 Temperatures aboard ANDE at 19:49:26 UTC were: Temp Bat A = 27.6C Temp Sol-X = 29.2C Temp Sol-Y = 28.6C Temp Sol-Z = 30.2C Temp Retro = 30.6C 73 & Merry Christmas Armando, N8IGJ

1 0

(no subject)
by Stargate 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Hi all, Does anyone have any experience making a RigExpert "Tiny" Model: TTL-I-1 for the Yaesu FT-100, FT-817, FT-857, FT-897 work with a Yaesu FT-847 or Kenwood TS-790. I know I will have to rewire some plugs or make adaptor wires to match the radio's but I was hoping not to re-invent the wheel if someone already figured it out. The people at RigExpert say they don't make a version for the FT-847. RoD KD0XX

1 0

Testing beams
by Andrew Rich 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

I have a little signal source of 10mw on 434 MHz I would like to use it as a source to dest the directivity of some antenna projects. I am finding it it too loud How can I dampen it down besides drive it 3 kms that way ? I spose I really need to go for a drive to the country I really wanted to test here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

2 3

FT-847 Disaster
by k7zt＠suddenlink.net 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Hi All: I'm afraid that I reversed the DC Polarity to my FT-847. Needless to say, "the smoked leaked out", therefore, the 847 has ceased to operate. I understand that the 847 has protection for careless hams like myself.. I was hopping that someone on the board has had this experience (no need to reveal). Or if someone could let me know what may need to be replaced to get my radio back in working order. Many Thanks, - Joe Westbrook, K7ZT

6 5

KiwiSat
by John Marranca, Jr 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Happy Holidays, my friends! This bird seems to be the "Swiss Army Knife" of satellites! FM AND SSB/CW? Fantastic! Count my donation as well! May Santa bring us what we want this year! John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

3 2

ande-1 QRT?
by Luc Leblanc 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

On the Dec 24 1648Z pass nothing has been received here did anyone hear it? "-" Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE

2 1

AO7 & UK
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

AT 2319Z (very soon) I will be trying to stretch the footprint from Seattle to the Northern part of the UK. 145.952 downlink cw, aif you are in there let's give it a shot. 72 Bob W7LRD

1 0

Re: ANDE alive still over New Zealand, 07:04 UTC, 24-Dec-2007
by Geoff Clark 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Hi all, Perhaps someone can clarify this for me as well, the elset number for ANDE keps on Spacetrack seem to be "jumping around". I downloaded 07464 yesterday morning, when I looked last night the current set was back to 7297 which is what it is still showing. There is about 2 minutes difference between these two elsets. Is this a correction or something else? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, Geoff ZL3GA amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org wrote: > no problems with the current Keps from AOS to LOS (just in time). > > ANDE > 1 29664U 06055F 07356.91329490 +.01718128 +12274-4 +21513-3 0 07464 > 2 29664 051.6121 162.8370 0004479 312.1953 047.8551 16.35249221058402 > > > > -----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht----- > Von: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] Im > Auftrag von Jim Towler > Gesendet: Montag, 24. Dezember 2007 08:22 > An: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Betreff: [amsat-bb] ANDE alive still over New Zealand, 07:04 UTC, > 24-Dec-2007 > > Hi All, > > Just captured a few packets back from ANDE. > > Please note the following CRITICAL point: > > The current Keps from Space-Track at the time of this pass are 2 days and 10 > hours old. > > ANDE arrived overhead about 5 minutes EARLY!!!, based on those old keps. > > Packets received as follows, at about 07:04 UTC, 24-Dec-2007 >

1 0

ANDE Temperature rising !
by Henk, PA3GUO 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Great that so many stations keep triggering ANDE APRS and thereby get ANDE to provide telemetry ! Looking at: http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/andeTLM1.html we see now for the first time the temperature go up inside the spacecraft. How much more time is left (now it can go VERY fast) Henk

3 3

ANDE 1815z pass
by Joe Veldhuis 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Was able to copy a few packets this pass, too bad none of them were tlm... Rx: fm ANDE-2 to APRS1-0 via SGATE-0 UI pid=F0 :BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve. Rx: fm VE4NSA-0 to CQ-0 via ANDE-1 UI pid=F0 =4958.81N/09701.36W->73' Via Satellite, EN19lx, Manitoba {UISS51} Rx: fm N8FQ-0 to T2UY6W-0 via ANDE-1 UI pid=F0 `r_Il .y/ Note the first packet. I wasn't aware that there was anyone in NA that could activate side B, so seeing a beacon from ANDE-2 is quite a surprise. Am I mistaken, or did -2 turn itself on somehow? Temps are still climbing, but very slowly... -Joe, N8FQ

1 0

ANDE STILL GOING!
by John Marranca, Jr 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

As of 1818z, ANDE is STILL sending telemetry, and still digipeating. Not only did I hit her twice, but I also copied W3ADO. She's quite the tough old bird, for sure. 73, John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

1 0

Re: KiwiSAT - Not just another one!
by Andrew Glasbrenner 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Very cool! I was getting a login error message on the .nz page, but whatever works is cool by me. 73, Drew -----Original Message----- >From: K7WIN - Jeff <k7win(a)k7win.net> >Sent: Dec 24, 2007 10:55 AM >To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >Cc: 'Andrew Glasbrenner' <glasbrenner(a)mindspring.com> >Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Re: KiwiSAT - Not just another one! > >Make it 97 > >The "Make a Donation" PayPal link on the http://www.kiwisat.org website >worked fine. $131NZD converted out to be $102.72USD. > >Go Kiwisat! > >Best 73 and Very Merry Christmas, >Jeff - K7WIN >

3 2

Seasons Greetings
by Bill Greene 24 Dec '07

24 Dec '07

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my friends around the world the best of the season. I hope that these wishes finds all of you healthy and happy. Best of the season and for 2008. Warmest Regards, Bill Greene VE7WFG Armstrong, BC Canada Amsat 29777 DO00jh

1 0