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

GO-32
by Dave Aitch 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

I have not seen any other mention that GO-32 is not working in BBS mode. So, GO-32 is not in BBS mode. Hearing the occasional carrier OK, but no data. Cheers, Dave.

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QSL information for Brock W6GMT
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

Hi! As some of you may know, Brock W6GMT recently was on the road, going from his home in southern California to his summer home in northern Minnesota. While traveling, he worked many stations on the satellites from the various grids he traveled through. Now he is in Minnesota for the next few months. If you would like to send Brock a QSL card, please do not use the address in California that is in QRZ.com and other databases while he is in Minnesota. Please use the following address: Brock Thomsen PO Box 222 Marcell MN 56657 Also, if you are QSLing W6GMT for those contacts while he was on the road, please write in the callsign box the grid that Brock was in for that contact. This will help him toward a "reverse VUCC" award, operating from at least 100 different grids via satellite. Thanks and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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SatPC32 tracks....
by Len N9IJ 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

I have used SatPC32 in demo mode in the past with no dificulties. After a short hiatus from sats I loaded things up today and find all of the sats WAY off when compared to on-line live tracks and Orbitron. All seem to be half the earth away from real-time tracks and I can not figure out why the error. I have updated keps both from within the program and manually though all files show the same creation dates. Suggestions? -- Len Revelle N9IJ "My career goal is to retire"

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Re: RAFT transponder turned on yet?
by Bob Bruninga 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

> Do you have the Radar fence transponder turned on > this week? I will be in Texas this weekend and I > could listen for it if it's on. Dan, Thanks, The RAFT transponder needs to be activated by ground command when the satellite is approaching the radar fence. Problem is, we have found only one station in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia that has volunteered to help out. We have had some volunteers in other states, but they are too far from the radar fence beam. What we need are OSCAR class stations on 2m that are familiar with normal packet that can logon to the remote sysop function of RAFT's onboard KPC3+ TNC and send the command to turn on the Radar Transponder. It stays on for one minute and then fail-safe's to OFF. While the Radar Transponder is on, we get a Pure FM carrier that is also useful for hearing the "spin" of RAFT. We have several volunteers in Europe and they confirm that RAFT is no longer spinning, but since the Radar Fence is only over the USA, that part of the experiment is still un-tested. PE1ITR even built a 216.98 MHz beam and reports he can hear the 4 milliwatt RAFT radar transponder local oscillator. The way it is supposed to work, is a station in the Southern USA turns on the RAFT transponder about 30 seconds before passing through the fence beam. The 216.98 MHz receiver comes on and the 145.825 fm downlink comes up so we can hear anything the 216.98 receiver hears. When it passes through the fence, everyone in the footprint should hear the 1 second or so radar beam as a Doppler tone. >From The tone tells us the angle of passage through the beam, the time tells us when it crossed the beam. From thos two, we can tell whre it is. So, still looking for more volunteer 2m stations with beams familiiar with tracking satellites, familiar with operating packet, familiar with the KPC3 remote-sysop function, that live in those southern states from Arizona to Georgia. Bob, WB4APR

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Hamsat 2nd birthday
by Prathap Kumar 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

Hi All Hamsat will be be celebrating its 2nd birthday on 5 May, completing 2 years of healthy & successful operation rendered to Hams worldwide. ISRO and Amsatindia plan to celebrate event with one day seminar planned during the week May 7-11. One day programme 9AM - 3 PM. No Fee but Registration is a MUST. Tentative programmes have been discussed a) ISTRAC report of the Hamsat b) User reports and experiences. c) To promote new comers on easy satellite operation. Display, demo and talk on the equipments required for easy operation of satellite. d) Proposal for the Hamsat 2 , with higher orbit and innovative features. We shall be announcing the final programme soon. Anyone willing to present a talk or demo , display should sent complete details of the talk or demo etc , before 21 April 2007 However we request those willing to attend the seminar to confirm by email with complete address, tel / mob nos, email ids etc. Please note that due to security reasons all registrations should be complete and received before 30 April. I know last year most the DX hams were interested too , but this time I think there maybe little time for them to prepare their travel, however DX hams in VU around that time can reschedule to attend the seminar. DX hams attending should send scanned copy of their passport. ( subject to security clearance by ISRO ) DX and VU hams hams can also send their reports and experiences to reports(a)amsat.in which have been forwarded to the Hamsat Project director and Mission management team. You are welcome to join our discussion group amsatindia(a)yahoogroups.com by sending in your ham profile. So looking forward to the Hamsat 2nd birthday & great eyeball. Best 73 Pop VU2POP Secy Amsat India regd.

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portable questions
by Steve Attfield 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

I have a few questions for the group about a portale setup I'm orking on. I intend to use it for both linear transponder and FM satellites. the setup will consist of yagis for V and U mounted on a camera tripod with a short run 5-6 feet of coax to the radios. the first thing i'd like to know is: is it worth it to put something like lmr 400 ultraflex or will rg 213 work well. also would it be benificial to have a preamp to mount on the feedpoint of the downlink antenna? -Steve VA3SAX

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LVB Tracker users in the US
by Gould Smith 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

I built a LVB tracker board and am using it with SatPC32 and it is works quite well. I assembled mine from parts I had on hand and then ordered parts from Digikey and Mouser. There is a chance that we might offer the bare boards at the AMSAT booth during Dayton. I need to also have a US parts list available. I am looking for someone or ones that would work together and assemble a parts list with part numbers for Digikey, Mouser or Jameco as the supplier. One supplier would be good, more than one would be great. Any volunteers? Obviously I need this in the next 3 weeks. Thanks, Gould, WA4SXM Director Field Operations

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TV antenna rotators
by Tim Tapio 08 Apr '07

08 Apr '07

Do any of them offer full 360 degree rotation. I picked up a channel master, it only travels 180.. 73 de Tim, K4SHF

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ERO 3400 - 3800 MHz decision available online
by Trevor 08 Apr '07

08 Apr '07

European Radiocommunications Office 3400 - 3800 MHz decision available online http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2007/3400_3800mhz_decision.htm 73 Trevor M5AKA --------------- Daily Amateur Radio RSS News: http://www.southgatearc.org/ Email your news items to: editor at southgatearc.org News On Your Website: http://www.southgatearc.org/rss/index.htm News On Your PC: http://www.southgatearc.org/rss/newsreader.htm Upload Your News: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/your_news.htm --------------- ___________________________________________________________ Copy addresses and emails from any email account to Yahoo! Mail - quick, easy and free. http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/trueswitch2.html

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Transatlantic QSO via FO-29
by i8cvs 08 Apr '07

08 Apr '07

Hi, All To day april 8 on FO-29 orbit 52550 i8CVS in JN70ES and IW4DVZ in JN54EL will be both calling and listening for Canada and USA from 16:38 to 16:47 UTC for any possible contact on SSB or CW in the lower part of the band around 435.840 MHz Have fun and 73" de i8CVS Domenico

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