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

Re: FO-29 on Sept. 12th?
by Mineo Wakita 14 Sep '07

14 Sep '07

A planned change from JARL: We changed the use of September 12 for cancellation, 04:12-, 06:00- (UTC). Sorry. de JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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RE Logging software
by Steven Raas 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

Joe, I was using the AClog for Terestrial V/U contacts.. and I attempted to use it for sat contacts .. but it just dosent work well with lotw for that. Then I asked the BB and got this email: Steven, Take a look at DXKeeper, and associated programs. www.dxlabsuite.com It handles satellite QSOs well, supports LoTW, eQSL, imports and exports of AIDF files, contests, etc, etc. Very powerful, but the learning curve is surprisingly gentle. You can use as little or as much as you wish. The author, Dave, AA6YQ also has a great support forum for questions and suggested features. And the price is definitely right. Alan WA4SCA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- So I figured I woulkd try it out.. after all it is FREE. I downloaded it into my PC (VISTA).. Imported my SAT log from AClog with an adif file. And started editing QSO's so they mated with the appropriate fields for the sats and the up/down bands. After about 3 hours and 400+ contacts edited.. on the 1st try I succeeded in uploading every contact into LOTW. I gained 20 QSL's in the process too! I think I will still use AClog for my non-satellite contacts.. but I may use this one for sat qso's alone. Its complex.. but only as complex as you want it to be. ( hard to explain until you try for yourself) Give it a shot.. and post to the board what you think! Steven J.Raas QRV From FN20vg on 2/432 Terestrial-Sats-Digital-EME Member of - ARRL & AMSAT Supporter of N3FJP Software <http://www.n3fjp.com/> http://www.n3fjp.com Page - <http://n2jdq2007.tripod.com/> http://n2jdq2007.tripod.com/

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Re: AO-27 (TOPR?) SCHEDULE
by Eric Fort 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

Are there any pieces of software or web tools that will allow the input of qth and give pass data for ao-27 that shows transponder on passes only? I'm looking for a simple way to tell weather or not the pass (or portion thereof) is workable. Eric KG6KQT On 9/13/07, Patrick STODDARD <wd9ewk(a)amsat.org> wrote: > > Hi Eric! > > > I just reviewed the pass prodictions for ao-27 on the amsat website. I > then > > followed the link to ao27.org. now I'm a bit confused. On ao27.orgthere > > is listed a TOPR schedule with little explanation of what TOPR is. It > > appears however that this causes the satellite to turn on and off it's > > transponder at various times. If this is the case how does one > determine > > usable passes? A satellite overhead without a functional transponder > is > > about as useless as mammaries on a bull! It seems it could be a source > of > > significant frustration if trying to work a pass only to find out the > sat > > had switched itself off! > > First of all, AO-27 is an old satellite - about 14 years old. Its > batteries, although > functional, aren't what they used to be. This satellite originally > had a non-ham > use along with its use as a ham FM cross-band repeater, but now it is > pretty much > just used by the hams. To keep from ruining what's left of the > batteries, the control > operators of that satellite (most of the time, just Michael N3UC) have > found a way > to keep it functional through this summer despite its age. Especially > when > considering that summertime is generally the "eclipse season", when > the satellite > is in darkness for a significant part of each orbit, not able to get > its batteries > fully charged to support full-time operations. > > Last year, the satellite was working through the winter into > springtime. In early > May 2006, it started to operate intermittently, and then stopped > working. At > that time, it was on as an FM repeater for 6 minutes per ascending pass > (from > South to North) over the Northern Hemisphere along with telemetry > transmissions > before and after the repeater time plus an additional telemetry > transmission on > descending passes (passes going from North to South). It stayed > silent until early this > year, and - after many weeks of testing and tweaking - and now it has been > on > for 7 minutes per daytime pass over the Northern Hemisphere. > > The TOPR (previously TEPR) scheduling determines when the satellite is on > and > in what configuration - analog repeater or digital telemtry > transmission, and the > power level. Most of the time the power level is "Med" (around > 500mW). For the > past couple of years, the FM repeater would come on after 20 seconds of > data > and then there would be another minute or so of data after the repeater > switches > off. Currently, the repeater switches on for 7 minutes once the > satellite reaches > approximately 28-29 degrees North latitude on any ascending pass (moving > from South to North) where the satellite is in daylight. The schedule > is uploaded > to the satellite, but the satellite's onboard clock runs a little fast. > > Officially, you can see AO-27's schedule for the upcoming 24 hours on this > page: > > http://www.ao27.org/AO27/listing.shtml > > My observations show that the schedule listed on this page is about 5-6 > minutes later than the actual times. There is a program you can download > and run on your computer (Java-based) that will do the same thing. It can > be found at: > > http://www.cs.rit.edu/~cjh9783/programs/satsched.php > > If you don't have a program to unpack RAR archives, I can e-mail the > AO-27 program to you in a ZIP archive. > > You can tell when the schedule was made from looking on the > http://www.ao27.org/ homepage. Look for the "TOPR Epoch" near the > middle of the page. The last time the schedule was updated was in > late June, so you can determine the approximate difference between > the satellite's onboard clock and the "real" time when looking at the > schedule. > > For my location, I have two possible AO-27 passes this afternoon according > to the pass-prediction utility on the AMSAT web site: 2137-2152 UTC, and > 2317-2331 UTC. The AO-27 Satellite Schedule program shows that, for those > passes, the repeater should be on for 7 minutes starting at 21:42:51 and > 23:23:40 UTC (before accounting for the satellite's clock discrepancy - > about > 40-60 seconds before these times). > > Is it frustrating that a satellite like this is only available for > only portions of > some passes? Sure. This has been the way AO-27 has operated for > many years, and despite those limitations there are usually good crowds > working the passes that cover most of North America. In my satellite log, > I > have made almost 25% of my 2800+ satellite contacts on AO-27, despite > its limitations and the fact it had been off for several months in 2006 > and > into the start of 2007. > > Good luck and 73! > > > > Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Phoenix AZ > http://www.wd9ewk.net/ >

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AO7 Info for kb2hsh
by tjjapha＠earthlink.net 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

You may have hit the nail on the head. I don't do Mode A, but that's what I found on Mode B. 5watts just didn't hack it (small antennas at even a great portable QTH) on Mode B. That was uniformly the case for me at a number of QTHs. I added a 20 watt amp. and it works great. The 817 was used in all cases. Nobody says I'm too strong with the 20 watts! Good luck, Tony, N2U

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FO-29 on Sept. 12th?
by Bruce Robertson 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

I attempted to collect telemetry from FO-29 during the morning (UTC) two passes of Sept. 12th listed in the schedule. This was as it traveled over the North Atlantic. On other occasions, this has gone well, but this morning I could hear nothing, despite the fact that the bird was in full sun from Japan to my QTH. (The first of these I undertook manually; the second was recorded automatically, a process that has worked well for me in the past.) Can anyone confirm that FO-29 was activated according to the schedule yesterday morning? 73, Bruce VE9QRP

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Logging software
by Steven Raas 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

Hello everyone! I have been looking for a decent general purpose logging software that can handle satellite contacts AND can handle LOTW uploads. The software that I am testing out ( trial basis ) is great except for this one area. Any one out there have any input as to what is good for sat contacts that is LOTW friendly? It also must support AIDF imports from my current log as I want all my sat qso's on LOTW as well. Thanks! Steven J.Raas QRV From FN20vg on 2/432 Terestrial-Sats-Digital-EME Member of - ARRL & AMSAT Supporter of N3FJP Software <http://www.n3fjp.com/> http://www.n3fjp.com Page - <http://n2jdq2007.tripod.com/> http://n2jdq2007.tripod.com/

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15:24 UTC ISS Pass
by Eric H Christensen 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

I should be up on the 15:24UTC ISS pass from SE Virginia if anyone else is around. Send messages to W4OTN-9 and I'll try to respond in kind. 73s, Eric W4OTN

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Coverage of the FOTON M3 launch tomorrow
by Graham Shirville 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

The launch of the Foton M3 tomorrow by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur will be carried live on the internet by this site: http://www.viewontv.com/esa/2007-09_foton-m3/ The ESA website has these details of this mission: +++++++++++++++++++ An unmanned Foton-M3 capsule, carrying a payload of around 40 European experiments, will launch onboard a Soyuz-U rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 13:00 CEST (11:00 UT) this Friday. The Foton capsule carries a 400 kg European experiment payload with experiments in a range of scientific disciplines - including fluid physics, biology, crystal growth, radiation exposure and exobiology. The capsule spends 12 days orbiting the Earth, exposing the experiments to microgravity and, in the case of a handful of experiments also exposing them to the harsh environment of open space, before re-entering the atmosphere and landing in the border zone between Russia and Kazakhstan. During the flight the European experiments and equipment are monitored by ESA’s Operations Team at the Payload Operations Centre based at Esrange near Kiruna, Sweden. They are responsible for receiving, evaluating and disseminating scientific data generated by European payloads on Foton. The team also receive support from two ground stations in Canada. Later in the mission, students from all over Europe will wait with bated breath for the moment when their Young Engineers Experiment (YES2) is deployed from the Foton capsule. On 25 September, a small re-entry capsule will be released from the end of a 30 kilometre tether to demonstrate the possibility of returning small payloads to Earth at a fraction of the cost of current methods. Some 450 students have contributed to the experiment which, if successful, will be the first proof that 'space mail' can be sent using a relatively simple and cheap mechanism. Simple and cheap enough for example to send experiments from the International Space Station down to scientists on Earth ++++++++++++++++++ For those in Europe coverage is also available direct by satellite Satellite parameters: Eutelsat W2 at 16 deg East, Transponder F6, vertical, (SCPC, 4:2:0) F=12676.83 MHz, SR = 5.632 Ms/s, FEC = 3/4 It is not clear when these transmissions actually will start but the have 30 mins of background material ready so maybe all of that will be before the launch 73 Graham G3VZV

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OSCAR-11 Overdue ... Reports Requested
by Clive Wallis 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

Hi, Nothing heard from OSCAR-11 recently.. Eclipses finished on 20 August, although previous observations had suggested that sustained operation could have been supported any time after 10 August. I would appreciate any reception reports of the satellite. Please post to AMSAT-BB or directly to g3cwv(a)amsat.org . If you are able to record as a WAV file, please do so, and make a note of the exact time of the start of recording in UTC. Please let me know what you have, but PLEASE DO NOT send recordings without further discussion. The frequency of the VHF beacon is 145.825 MHz, mode FM. If you require further information, or need to hear what the satellite sounds like, please visit my website - www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew 73 Clive G3CWV Hitchin, North Hertfordshire, UK.

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AO-27 (TOPR?) SCHEDULE
by Eric Fort 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

I just reviewed the pass prodictions for ao-27 on the amsat website. I then followed the link to ao27.org. now I'm a bit confused. On ao27.org there is listed a TOPR schedule with little explanation of what TOPR is. It appears however that this causes the satellite to turn on and off it's transponder at various times. If this is the case how does one determine usable passes? A satellite overhead without a functional transponder is about as useless as mammaries on a bull! It seems it could be a source of significant frustration if trying to work a pass only to find out the sat had switched itself off! Eric KG6KQT

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