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

Re: Rotators
by Eric H Christensen 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

Joe, It looks like the U-100 and the U-110 are only one plane and won't handle both the azimuth and the elevation control. Would you have to use two or is the picture deceiving? How would PCsat32 control such a device? 73s, Eric W4OTN >As far as the U-100 and U-110 are concerned, Norm's bought what was left and >is selling both new and refurbished at very reasonable prices. You can find >them at: > >http://www.rotorservice.com/ > >I know several Hams quite happy with Norm's work. > >They are quite common on eBay as well. > >73, >Joe kk0sd > >-----Original Message----- >From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On >Behalf Of David Donaldson >Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 9:56 PM >To: 'AMSAT-BB' >Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Rotators > >Let me join the question...The Yaesu are great rotors but are there any >options anymore that don't cost the price of a new rig? I wish now I had >not sold my Allient (spelling not right) U-100 TV rotor a few years ago now >that I want to get back into satellites. > >Dave WB7DRU, MN > >-----Original Message----- >From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On >Behalf Of Thomas M. Webb >Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 8:59 PM >To: Eric Christensen; AMSAT-BB >Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Rotators > >The Yaesu 5X00 series (5400, 5500, 5600). They are in general use in the >AMSAT community so there is lots of support. > >Tom, WA9AFM/5 >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Eric Christensen" <eric(a)christensenplace.us> >To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 7:57 PM >Subject: [amsat-bb] Rotators > > >>I know this is a general question but I'm hoping to get some insight. >> >> What's the best azimuth and elevation rotator available these days? I'm >> hoping to get some antennas up before the end of the year and this is >> one of the pieces of the puzzle I don't have any idea about. Any >> information would be appreciated. >> >> 73s, >> Eric Christensen, W4OTN >> AMSAT Area Coordinator - Southeastern Virginia USA >> AMSAT Member 35360 >> http://www.ericsatcom.net >> >> Donate to the Eagle Fund - >> http://www.amsat-na.com/donation.php?donate=eagle >> >> GPG Key Fingerprint: 4675 2BBE 666B 8FF7 A9A1 4D00 67F2 1E7A B685 F578 >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >> > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > > >--- http://USFamily.Net/dialup.html - $8.25/mo! -- >http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html - $19.99/mo! --- > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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ao-27 radio programming.
by Eric Fort 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

How should my radio (vx-6) be programed for ao-27?

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Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 2, Issue 554
by Clint Bradford 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

A hearty CONGRATULATIONS to member Eric Fort - he passed his upgrade exam yesterday while at the Los Angeles County Fair's AMATEUR RADIO EXPO...then came over and helped me with my AMSAT booth for a while! Clint Bradford, K6LCS 909-241-7666

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GB5OSO will be active for the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik one launch
by Robert Turlington 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

Hi All John ,G7HIA, and myself will be using the special call sign GB5 OSO starting on the 4th October for one month to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the launch of the first earth orbiting satellite SPUTNIK ONE on the 4th October 1957 by the former USSR.It is anticipated that all of the available analogue satellites will be used as time permits but there will certainly be a flurry of activity starting on the 4th Oct for the first few days then at other times as and when.A special QSL card will be available after the event, so shake the dust off your satellite gear and join in the fun! Regards Robert G8ATE _________________________________________________________________ Got a favourite clothes shop, bar or restaurant? Share your local knowledge http://www.backofmyhand.com

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Re: FM sat frequencies?
by John Kopala 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

The frequencies given for each of the easy satellites are: AO-27 436.795 SO-50 436.795 AO-51 435.300 AMSAT gives the details for the individual satellites and their uplink and downlink frequencies. Go to the following site and then simply click on the satellite you are interested in. http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/status.php With doppler shifts as the satellites make a pass the actual receive frequency could vary by as much as about 10 KHz plus or minus the nominal frequency. The only time you would ever receive the satellite exactly on its downlink frequency would be when the satellite heading is exactly 90 degrees from your bearing to the satellite. At that point the satellite is tangential to a circle whose center is your location and is neither moving toward or away from your location. I am using an IC-910H. For manual tuning at the beginning of a pass, I simply tune about 5 to 9 KHz higher (depending on the elevation of the pass) than the nominal frequency. With the AFC turned on, the radio will automtically lock into the signal when it becomes strong enough and track the frequency as the doppler shift changes the receiving frequency during the pass. At loss of signal, the receive frequency will be below the nominal frequency by about the same amount it was above at the start. John Kopala N7JK > Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2007 19:44:15 -0700 (PDT) > From: Bob Stewart <bob(a)evoria.net> > Subject: [amsat-bb] FM sat frequencies? > To: Amsat-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <869490.76831.qm(a)web909.biz.mail.mud.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Does anyone know the actual downlink frequencies of the > easy sats? From messing around with my hack for gpredict, > I get the values below, but it would be nice to know the > correct values as a check against what I'm doing. > > AO-27 436.7972 > SO-50 436.7920 > AO-51 435.3008 > > Bob - AE6RV

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APRS Meteor Scatter monitoring
by Robert Bruninga 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

Monitoring for Meteors on APRS: If you live in a remote area with only one APRS digipeater that you can hear, then you have a good chance of hearing some APRS packets via Meteor scatter. Just point a good beam towards a high-density APRS area some 500 to 1000 miles away tuned to 144.39. (A preamp also helps)... Go to sleep and see what you have captured by the next morning. Just look on your map for any stations in that distance range. If you got any, then look at the path and be sure they were not heard via any digipeaters. If you heard them direct, or their local digipeater direct, then chances are you heard it via MS. Or TROPO. See: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/meteors.html Under the recent optimization of the APRS network under the New-N paradigm, the amount of QRM due to dupes on the national APRS channel has been significantly reduced. This means those people in remote areas that normally only hear one digipeater, will hear lots of silence between the packets. These silent periods are all great opportunities to hear distant packets via meteor bounce (from the other 10,000 signal sources in the USA for example). A beam that is low (to minimize hearing local QRM, but that can see down to 10 degrees or lower on the selected horizon, will be best. During meteor showers, we can actually configure the local digipeaters for one night to be even further reduced from out-of-area QRM making it easier to hear more silence while still supporting local APRS only. You can do this any night, or you can wait for the next Meteor Showers in Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan. WB4APR, Bob _______________________________________________ aprssig mailing list aprssig(a)lists.tapr.org https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig

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ARISS on APRS packet
by Robert Bruninga 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

ISS on PACKET! During the last two ISS passes (1430z and 1600z), The ARISS system was enabled for APRS digipeating on 145.825 using the path of "VIA ARISS". PCSAT-1 on PACKET! This is good news, since PCSAT-1 should enter a FULL SUN OPERATING PERIOD later this week. If so, then we may have a period of a few weeks here when we will have THREE APRS satellites flying in constellation. ISS, PCSAT-1, and ANDE. This will assure over 18 passes per day. And since they all respond to the same path "VIA ARISS" then which satellite is in view is transparent to the user. Just communicate! Of course, two-hop paths via ARISS,ARISS might also be possible.. IGATES on 145.825! In order for the global APRS internet system to capture all these packets, we do need volunteer ground stations to place an IGATE to monitor all packets on 145.825 MHz downlinks. In many cases, a simple OMNI antenna connected to APRS is all that is needed. See successes on http://www.ariss.net or http://pcsat.aprs.org P.S. We are also working on getting GO-32 enabled for APRS operation at 9600 baud. But since it uses different uplink and downlink fequencies, it cannot be used for multiple-APRS-satellite operations. Bruninga, WB4APR

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ANDE Life?
by Chris Bloy 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

**Sorry Eric, sent to you instead of the group by mistake!** Hi All, I wonder if anyone knows roughly how long ANDE will stay in orbit for? I have looked on Bob's pages and cannot see a definite answer? Being a perfectly round means less drag etc, but no idea of the mission time scales as such, unless I have missed something? All the best, Chris No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.13/998 - Release Date: 10/09/2007 08:48

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distributors of solid fiberglass crossbooms
by Joe Leikhim 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

The M2 fiberglass crossboom is actually two sections of fiberglass tubing with an aluminum billet slug where the elevation rotator attaches. I think solid fiberglass rod might be a bit heavy and too flexible. -- Joe Leikhim K4SAT "The RFI-EMI-GUY"© "Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason." "Follow The Money" ;-P

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FM sat frequencies?
by Bob Stewart 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

Does anyone know the actual downlink frequencies of the easy sats? From messing around with my hack for gpredict, I get the values below, but it would be nice to know the correct values as a check against what I'm doing. AO-27 436.7972 SO-50 436.7920 AO-51 435.3008 Bob - AE6RV

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