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

Terrestrial QRM to FM satellites
by Bob Stewart 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

Today on passes of both SO-50 and AO-27, there were terrestrial QSOs going on. It was especially bad on AO-27 with a few people clearly unable to get through due to the strength of the QRM. It almost sounded like there was a repeater setup on 145.850 with Roger beeps happening. So, what is the "proper" thing to do in situations like this? Ignore it and talk to anyone who can overpower them? Stay off the air and hope you can hear callsigns that you can ask carefully to QSY? Something else? I'm pretty new to this stuff, and I'd like to do the right thing. Bob

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Fwd: Re: Terrestrial QRM to FM satellites
by Nate Duehr 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

Oops, I replied to Luc and not the list. Meant to send follow-up to the list. LOL! Begin forwarded message: > From: Nate Duehr <nate(a)natetech.com> > Date: September 21, 2007 12:42:19 AM MDT > To: Luc Leblanc <lucleblanc6(a)videotron.ca> > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Terrestrial QRM to FM satellites > > > On Sep 20, 2007, at 3:25 PM, Luc Leblanc wrote: > >>> There are apparently several stations. I heard a part of a call >>> "?A9??" on voice and at another time "/R" on CW on the 20:00Z >>> pass of AO-27 over the US. Someone else was complaining of >>> a strong unmodulated carrier for awhile. I guess I'll have to >>> set the computer up to start recording. I doubt it's malicious. >>> Hopefully it's just "I didn't know". But, as time passes, they >>> will perceive ownership of the frequency, of course. >>> >>> Bob >> On the 2000Z AO-27 pass i was on this pass and i hear 2 folks >> discussing about >> a hamfest and they seems to be on a trunking system as we can copy >> clearly the >> "trunking tone" at the beginning of their transmission. AO-27 was >> over the >> eastern side of NA. If someone is aware of an amateur trunking >> like repeater >> this can give a clue even if the path of AO-27 was covering near >> all North >> America... >> >> P.S. with 50W on a 14 elem cross yagi their signal capture mine!!! >> at a time!!! > > My previous note notwithstanding, this description sounds like it > might be a link transmitter for a voted receiver link on a large > repeater system. > > How high was the tone you heard Luc? 1950 Hz or 2175 Hz? Those > are the two most common voter "pilot" tones for receiver links, one > GE the other Motorola, typically. > > Hams don't use much trunking but in certain areas of the country, > voted receiver sites are heavily used, and they might be on VHF now > that Auxiliary Stations are allowed in VHF, meaning that repeater > links can also be allowed in VHF which wasn't allowable prior to > this year -- or the thing might be throwing a wicked spur or > something. > > Generally, but not always... voted systems tend to be in high- > population density areas, and the coasts and the eastern mid-west > are the most common places to see them used. As you get into the > Mountain West, the repeaters are high enough that voting receivers > may or may not be useful for anything other than small "blackout" > area fill-in coverage... > > But that's not saying a whole lot -- it could literally be anywhere. > > -- > Nate Duehr, WY0X > nate(a)natetech.com > > > -- Nate Duehr nate(a)natetech.com

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GO-32 & D7 successful
by F. R. Aragão - PT2TD 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

During a pass today afternoon (max elev 70 deg) I was able to repeat my posits easily using D7g + Arrow antenna on uplink 145.930 up 25deg elev. I received 3 bulletins from 4XTECH-12: Test APRS!!Use pth via 4XTECH D7&D700 posits use 145.93 APRS msgs and clients use 145.85 Upl I was able also to repeat a BLN msg on 145.85. I followed the very clear instructions from Bob Bruninga but I suggest to add: Set DATA BAND A:TX B:RX So DCD Sence was kept D or T BAND Francisco, PT2TD Brasilia, Brazil Flickr agora em português. Você clica, todo mundo vê. http://www.flickr.com.br/

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Re: Terrestrial QRM to FM satellites
by Tony Langdon 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

At 05:57 AM 9/21/2007, John Marranca, Jr wrote: >happening during the Mode K Russian sat days. Quite honestly, I think it's >rude and selfish that any person would not follow a gentleman's agreement Sometimes it's simple ignorance, and a bit of education can go a long way when this happens (and you might get a new satellite operator if you do it right :) ). >bandplan. (Reminds me of a local guy about 15 years ago that would talk to >his buddies on 144.000 FM.) Well that one is not only ignorant, it's illegal, as half of his signal is outside the band... 73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com

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Re: Terrestrial QRM to FM satellites
by Tony Langdon 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

At 02:45 AM 9/21/2007, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) wrote: >In the past, the non-ham stuff from Mexico had been identified and - with >lots of pressure - the Mexican authorities forced the taxis and Red Cross >ambulances to move their radios to other frequencies. Unfortunately, some >of the new frequencies were somewhere else in the 2m band, but at least >the satellite uplinks were free from those QRM sources. It took a lot of work >by some Mexican hams to find the sources of the transmissions, sending >the documentation to the Mexican "FCC", along with complaints from >outside Mexico showing the international impact of these illegal >transmissions before any action was taken. Well problems here are much more severe. The QRM on 2m is what sounds like thousands of long range cordless phones coming from Indonesia. When a satellite with a 2m uplink has Indonesia in its footprint, the uplink gets clogged with masses of phone calls. Not sure how one would clean that mess up. The same cordless phones have occasionally surfaced down here, but the local hams and the authorities together have been quick to jump on them. 73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com

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New Preamp
by Bob Stewart 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

My new 70cm preamp came in today! I got the ARR mast-mount version. I wasn't sure I'd hear any improvement, but it's very noticeable. I was able to hear QSOs on SO-50 down to about 15 degrees tonight, whereas before, 20 was really stretching. I am using a turnstile in the attic with reflector elements at about 9.25" below the radiators. I can see that I'm eventually going to have to build more robust versions of my turnstiles and put them on top of the roof. My power supply is a bit odd, so maybe someone will get a kick out of it. I have an Atlas 210X left over from years ago, and the PSU will power either of my bricks. The 210X slides into the PSU which an SO-239 on the back of it. In order to get the power up to the preamp, I added a fused switchbox and sent the power through that SO-239. This allowed me to just screw on a Radio Shack 50 ft length of RG-58 without having to cobble up a connector on the rig end. Bob - AE6RV

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F8ZS silent key
by Bernard Pidoux F6BVP 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

It is with sadness that I must inform our AMSAT colleagues, of the passing away of Jean Edmond Gruau F8ZS, President of Radio Amateur Club de l'Espace and Honorary President of AMSAT-France. Jean was the father of ARSENE radioamateur mini satellite, launched in may 1993. He retired a few years ago from its position as Inspecteur General of the french space agency (CNES) that he contributed to create as well as the European Space Center in Kourou, french Guyana. Jean F8ZS was a very kind man with always a lot of good stories to tell to his visiting friends about his large experience in radio transmissions and preventive failure security in space industry. 73 de Bernard F6BVP, AMSAT France founding President http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc… http://www.amsat-france.org/spipamsat/article.php3?id_article=61

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FW: GO-32, APRS, D700 and WinPack and more
by Alan 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

The GO32 header/beacon now shows uplink frequencies for the new modes. Thanks to ground control for this update and reminder for those of use using multiple modes on. WinPack Users: See the SCRIPT folder under \WINPACK or wherever you installed the program for a script TM-D700.TXT For GO-32, this file requires some editing; specifically "SEND UNPROTO change this from the variable $BBS to APRS VIA 4XTECH etc ", "SEND HB 9600", "SEND MYCALL change it from the variable $MYCALL to your hardcoded call" , and at the end you could optionally add "SEND CONV" You can also add 2 lines to the top of the script "HOTKEY F?" where ? is an unused F-Key in your WinPack scripts and a second line similar to "TITLE GO-32 APRS" so that you can initialize your TNC with a single F-Key. Perhaps someone using the D7 could post their working script for WinPack. ... from an olde packet user from the '80's who as found a new use for the olde MFJ1270C with the 9600 daughter board. Just dusted it off and it works great with the FT-847 and WISP32 too. See y'all on GO-32 ... Enjoy and 73, Alan VE4YZ AMSAT 35968 http://www.mts.net/~ve4wsc/ AMSAT A-485

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GO-32 and APRS working!
by Stefan Wagener 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

APRS is working on GO-32. Saw W3ADO sending text messages. Bob seemed to have fun :-) ................................................ "Fm W3ADO to APRS via 4XTECH* <ui pid=F0 LEN=40 > [18:27:41] > hello world. Bob just typing away... ............................................... Message was received with UISS. TNC was configured for 9600baud. TS2000 and cross yagi on RX and TX. Uplink was 145.850 (for APRS text messages). Worked for me also. ................................................ "Fm VE4NSA to APRS via 4XTECH* <ui pid=F0 LEN=6 > [18:32:00] > Test ............................................... Will try position data on 145.930 on the next pass. 73, Stefan VE4NSA

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GO-32 APRS digipeat
by Mineo Wakita 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

GO-32 19:18-19:33 JST, 20 Sep 2007 10:18-10:33 UTC, 20 Sep 2007 Max ele 55 deg UN APRS VIA 4XTECH Up 145.850, Down 435.225, 9600 bps, FSK TS-790S (KENWOOD) 4XTECH-12>BEACON [09/20/07 19:18:52] <UI R>: >Thu Sep 20 10:19:15 2007 :UTC| Gurwin Techsat1B (V9.87) 4XTECH-12>BEACON [09/20/07 19:18:53] <UI R>: Gurwin Techsat1B's BBS is active again,(version 9.87 beta) . 4XTECH-12>BEACON [09/20/07 19:18:53] <UI R>: u wellcome! 4XTECH-12>BEACON [09/20/07 19:18:53] <UI R>: 2 Users/8 Broadcasts , Uplink freq:145.890,145.850(AP),145.930, 1269.800, 1269.900 JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:19:57] <UI R>:Hello JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:20:19] <UI R>:Hello via GO-32 APRS JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:20:48] <UI R>:Hello via GO-32 APRS JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:22:35] <UI R>:Hello via GO-32 APRS de JE9PEL JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:23:15] <UI R>:Hello via GO-32 APRS de JE9PEL JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:26:01] <UI R>:test succeeded JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:27:40] <UI R>:hello JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:28:19] <UI R>:Digipeat Test Succeeded JE9PEL>APRS,4XTECH* [09/20/07 19:29:11] <UI R>:Digipeat Test Succeeded

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