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

Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 2, Issue 544
by Dr. Jay Garlitz 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

Sputnik story of interest to the entire group... located at http://www.gatorradio.org/archives.html Jay, AA4FL

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AMSAT STORE Link?
by Doug Kuitula 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

Anyone else having trouble getting to the AMSAT Store link on the Web-site? I tried it a few times and could not get in. 73 de Doug KA8QCU

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Phone home ... (ET).
by John Hackett 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

An idea?. After a trip to the new electrical appliance mall in Kristiansund, that, according to their blurb ... "If it runs on electricity, we sell it" ... on asking for a Palm Pilot PDA, I was met with a blank stare and an interogatory ... "a what?". I was of course looking for something small and convenient to predict satellite passes. Of course, I have the choice of either lugging around my laptop and using the myriad of tracking software available, also online predictions or carry around sheaves of paper printouts with the pertinent information. I could also plot the passes at home and send myself an e-mail. Then I thought ... everybody and his dog! has a mobile phone and there are a *LOT* of them that use Symbian software. How convenient if someone could write a simple satellite tracking application that would run on the Symbian OS mobile phones. I did suggest this to N1DID (ex: W0EEC) a couple of years ago but Emily has been busy with her Second Life. I'm just nearing the end of my first (real) one and wonder if this is a good idea or nay ??. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

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ZASAT
by Eric H. Christensen 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

I'm going through the AMSAT Satellite Database trying to correct anything I can see is wrong and came across ZASAT. ZASAT was supposed to have launch in April of this year. Does anyone have an update on this project? 73s, Eric W4OTN

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Out of range?.
by John Hackett 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

Well Mak, The "challenge" is the incentive. When I worked Joe I had to use knife-edge propagation to creep round the edge of a mountain. It's fairly common to use a ridge and go over the top but to creep round the side is a bit unusual. You have to use all the tricks available and the propagation has to be just right. Remember, even though it's *VERY* rare, under the right propagation conditions satellites *HAVE* been heard from the antipodes (exact opposite side of the earth to your QTH). Aldert PH7PCF and I often used to QSO on AO-7 with me firing at the mountains ... 90 degrees to the satellite ... so never say never. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

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(no subject)
by John Hackett 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

Hi All, Is anyone using MCW on AO-51 ... <http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2775/mcwosc1.html> I asked a member of the command team this question off list but as yet have not received a reply. Comments would be appreciated. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

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Video of the AMSAT Symposium
by Eric Christensen 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

I know this was talked about in years past but I thought it was time to bring it up again. I'd like to see a DVD released showing all the presentations from the AMSAT Symposium. Being that I won't be able to make it (lack of funds) this year I hate to think I'll be missing out on all the information that will be disseminated. If it was possible to buy the proceedings with a DVD of the symposium included (for an extra price of course) I think many of us that couldn't make it would be most appreciative and would make the purchase. Just an idea. 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

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Delfi-3 Launch Update
by Bill Ress 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

A launch update for Delfi-3 has been posted on..... http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86 Regards...Bill - N6GHz

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Linux Gpredict, Doppler, and the FM satellites
by Bob Stewart 06 Sep '07

06 Sep '07

One of the problems I've encountered on my FT-726R without preamps is finding the satellite signal when it's really weak. I had been just switching to USB and hunting around till it got strong enough to hear on FM, but that was rather aggravating. I use Linux and "gpredict" tracking software, so I finally changed the program's doppler readout for the FM sats to just show the khz and 100hz values. IOW, the doppler readout now shows 8032 to tell me that the sat is now on or about 436.8032. If anyone wants a copy of the source mods, let me know. Bob - AE6RV

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Re: Polarity Switcher Relay - repost
by Bob Stewart 05 Sep '07

05 Sep '07

--- Bruce Robertson <broberts(a)mta.ca> wrote: > In your previous letter, you describe the antennas as "turnstile on 2m and > a turnstiled moxon on 70cm"; are these fixed, like the moxon Cebik > recommends, or are they rotating beams? Actually, the 70cm is just like Cebik published in QST. But, for some reason, I don't get as good performance on the 2m version, so I switched that to a regular turnstile 3/8 wavelength above a layer of Reynold's Wrap. I've also managed to work a number of 2M SSB stations on that antenna. I don't have any rotators; they're just pointed straight up. > As you probably know, depending on the roofing material, you are suffering > a not inconsiderable loss on 70cm from the signal passing through the roof. > Last time I looked into it, I figured on about 2dB for my shingled wood roof. I didn't know how to figure this, but I figured it would be 1 or 2 db. Winter snow is going to be unworkable, of course, so the plan is to move them outside. One of the biggest negative impacts I've had is when I added the 70cM brick. It has about a 6db loss on receive and it took me awhile to figure that out. > If you are certain you don't want to try mode B, you could even get a > receive-only 70cm preamp, Actually, I have made a handful of mode B contacts on both AO-7 and VO-52. I've just gotten kinda sidetracked with this 70cm polarization thing and I figured anything I did that improved reception (other than using a preamp of course) would improve my mode B uplink. I've listened to a few contacts on AO-7 mode A recently, but for some reason, neither of my 2M antennas has enough oomph to get me an SSB signal that I can hear - even with the 80 watt brick turned on. I'll get that worked out, eventually. I really want to have some mode A QSOs using my KWM-2A on downlink. >On 70cm CW you can also try > LO-19, which has a booming signal. I find it easier to use these to assess > the effectiveness of an antenna than to use the FM birds.) I'll give that a try. One of the problems I have is that I don't have anything to use as a baseline. I recently found a very strong digital repeater on 433.7xx and I used the signal from that every 20 seconds to discover the amount of loss in my 70cm brick on receive. Normally, for alignments, I use the IF bleedthrough from my VX-5R in WFM mode. > Yep. I just worry that you're not getting enough out of the antennas you've > already built. Quite honestly, I'd rather spend an evening doodling on the > birds with my indoor 1/4w whip and a preamp on 70cm than with my outdoor > beam and no preamp! I'll squeeze everything out of the antenna I can and then I'll add preamps. But, I really want to build them myself if I can get over the engineering/ parts list issues. > However you proceed, *please* keep reporting your results to the list. I > think the best thing we can do as a group is support each other in > antenna-building and -experimentation. If you can demonstrate a reliable > station with attic antennas, I think you'll be breaking some ground for all > of us. Will do. I've made a lot of contacts on the FM birds with my setup. Of course that's just a callsign and a grid-square. But, the thing about doing this is that I've had to optimize everything, including squeezing the last bit of S/N out of this old FT-726R that I could tune for. For that, I resorted to the IF bleedthrough mentioned above and tuned for lowest noise. But, I have to admit that the difference from that to max signal might have been only wishful thinking. ;) Bob - AE6RV

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