January 2008 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

[ans] ANS-013 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins
by Dee 13 Jan '08

13 Jan '08

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-013 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org In this edition: * AO-51 Report * SW Conference * AMSAT Engineering Team Meets * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ARISS Status - 07 January 2008 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.01 AO-51 Report AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 13, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.01 Correction to the previously sent news item. AO-51 update The period of no eclipse for AO-51 is about a week old. The no eclipse period has proven to exhibit many short periods when the bad sun angle has caused the solar cells not to supply sufficient power, this has been supplemented by the batteries. We have increased the power output significantly over the last week, TXA (L/U digital BB) is now running 630 mW and TXB (analog V/U repeater) is running 820 mW. We plan on experimenting with the S-Band trans- mitter and a U-Band transmitter during the next couple of weeks. We do not have a published schedule as we are adapting the outputs to optimize the satellite operation and decrease the temperatures. Updated Note:1/13/2007-- AO-51 stopped transmitting and is going to be re-booted ASAP. Keep an "ear" on it. [ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM and the AO-51 Command team for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.02 SW Conference AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 13, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.02 A conference on global shortwave coordination will be held February in Kuala Lumpur. This, to try to resolve potential interference problems likely to affect shortwave transmissions. According to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the February meeting will be hosted by VT Communications on behalf of the High Frequency Coordination Conference, the Arab States Broadcasting Union and the Asian Broadcasting Union. Using mutual coordination, delegates will try to resolve many of the potential interference problems that are likely to affect shortwave transmissions in the 2008 joint global broadcasting schedule. At present, a single global seasonal database of seasonal frequency requirements, compiled by the High Frequency Coordination Conference secretariat, assists in the coordination process. A new database of frequency requirements for the shortwave radio broadcasting season from March 30th to October 26th will be on the agenda of the conference. Hams will want to keep an eye on the outcome of this gathering because whatever is decided could impact on Amateur Radio operations in spectrum that shared with international shortwave. (Southgate) [ANS thanks ARNS for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.03 AMSAT Engineering Team Meets AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 13, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.03 With the holiday season behind and everyone settling back into winter in the northern hemisphere, the AMSAT Engineering Team kicked off the new year with the first meeting of 2008 on Tuesday, January 8. Thirty-two radio amateurs met via a VoIP teleconference call to get down to work on AMSAT's main missions which include the Eagle Satellite, the geosynchronous Phase IV Lite rideshare opportunity with Intelsat, and educational support for university projects. Engineering project manager Barry Baines, WD4ASW moderated the meeting along with AMSAT's Vice President of Engineering, Bob McGwier, N4HY. AMSAT's volunteer engineers provided status and planning information for the projects listed below. Barry, Bob and engineering team members will provide members with detailed project information in future columns of the AMSAT Journal. Rick Hambly, W2GPS, AMSAT President, reported that negotiations are continuing with Intelsat and are now going to focus on size, weight, and cost of the geosynchronous rideshare arrangement. Rick reminded everyone that our mission must excite potential grant funding sources via our unique emergency communication and educational capabilities. Watch the Journal for future details! Matt Ettus, N2MJI has taken on the design of the Advanced Communication Payload. The first steps toward specification of the high speed digital channels, power requirements, uplink and downlink protocols, and class of stations supported have begun. Watch the Journal for future details! Howard Long, G6LVB continues work on the linear transponders based on Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology. Development and testing are underway. High altitude balloon, SuitSat2 and SSETI missions are planning to utilize this transponder technology to provide early experience prior to P3E and Eagle utilization. Watch the Journal for future details! Marc Franco, N2UO has started work on the VHF amplifier driver stage using the silicon carbide technology enabling the 86% efficiency of the main PA. Space rated components are under study. The 2 meter band HELAPS amplifier will be the initial design and possible scaling upward to the 70cm band is under consideration. Watch the Journal for future details! Lou McFadin, W5DID leads the team developing SuitSat-2. The internal housekeeping unit (IHU) and AMSAT's software defined transponder technology are the main items under development. Solar cells have been donated by NASA. A new antenna system on top of the helmet has been completed. Watch the Journal for future details! Bob Davis, KF4KSS, AMSAT Lab Manager reported on several good projects that have arisen out of the cooperative efforts of AMSAT and the HAWK Institute of Space Sciences at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. Construction of the AMSAT lab in the 8500 square foot facility continues. The clean room and machine shop will be coming on line to begin the development of the Eagle satellite space frame. University students will utilize the facilities to develop and launch a high altitude balloon project and a university cubesat both carrying research-related and AMSAT-related payloads. Watch the Journal for future details! If you want to help with the AMSAT Engineering Team, send an e-mail to Bob N4HY via n4hy(a)amsat.org. [ANS thanks, Bob, N4HY, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.04 Satellite Shorts From All Over AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 13, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.04 Satellite Shorts From All Over + Clint Bradford, K6LCS reports success from his Wednesday, January 9 AO-51 club demonstration. "AO-51 performed tremendously! We worked Mexico and a couple California stations", said Clint. + Drew, KO4MA, AMSAT-NA VP Operations, says, "The satellite is now in full sun, with no eclipses, for the next several months. The downlink power has been increased substantially, to 630mw on the data side, and 820mw on the repeater side. Temperatures aboard the satellite have increased, but are within expectations". + Ed Long, WA4SWJ, Editor, The AMSAT Journal reminds authors that the dead-line is approaching for article submissions for the Jan/Feb 08 Journal. If you have an article to submit Ed would love to have it as soon as possible. + AMSAT Store Manager, Bruce, KK5DO suggests you check out the new 2GB USB Flash Drive in an aluminum finish with the AMSAT logo in the store. Bruce says, "This has to be one of the best items we have carried. Something that all of us can use." + The current launch date for the PSLV-C9, carrying the NLS-4 set of nanosatellites (CanX-2, Delfi-C3, AAUSat-II, COMPASS-1, Cute-1.7+APDII, SEEDS) is February 14. + Reserve your seat! For his next big plan for the private space industry, Richard Branson is thinking up new ways to excite affluent space tourists: flying them into the biggest lightshow on Earth, the Aurora Borealis. Although the New Mexico Virgin Galactic Spaceport isn't scheduled for com-pletion until 2010, the British entrepreneur is already planning his next project intended for cruises into the spectacular space phenomenon from an Arctic launchpad. (Universe Today) + Amateur radio to the moon? Possible rideshare arrangements to the moon via ESA and NASA student projects are discussed in the November/ December 2007 AMSAT Journal. Not a member? Didn't get the Journal? Sign up for membership today at http://www.amsat.org! [ANS thanks everyone for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.05 ARISS Status - 07 January 2008 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 13, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.05 ARISS STATUS 07 January 2008 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to ISS crew schedules, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in late January. 2. Astronaut Training Status Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI, is scheduled for a training session in basic radio operations and school contacts on Tuesday, January 8. Creamer is a backup crew member for the Expedition 18 mission. 3. ARISS Annual Report The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) FY2007 annual report has been written and is being finalized. It will soon be posted on the ARISS section of the AMSAT Web site. [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org

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geloso 3-pin jack
by Scott Smith 13 Jan '08

13 Jan '08

hi, maybe some of the older chaps might remember this kind of jack. I would like to know where i could buy one and if someone could send me a diagram how to make a cord to go from the geloso (3pin out-put plug) to a 1/4 mono jack. Hope all had a very good new year. 73 de ve6itv Scott

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AO-51 operation off
by Gould Smith 13 Jan '08

13 Jan '08

AO-51 stopped transmitting and went into Boot Loader mode. The command team has reset the satellite and have the digital downlink up and running. We will reload the satellite as quickly as possible. 73, Gould, WA4SXM AO-51 Command Team

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Moonbounce/Early Spy Satellites
by Trevor 13 Jan '08

13 Jan '08

The use of moonbounce and Early Spy Satellites get a mention in this 56 minute Google Tech Talk presentation which deals with the largely unrecognised work of Fred Terman whose favourite hobby as a boy was Amateur Radio. See YouTube - The Secret History of Silicon Valley http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2008/silicon_valley.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 --------------- __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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OH8MBN
by k3szh＠netzero.net 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

Hi Mika Time flies CONGRATULATION on your 1000 plus qso's on AO7,Your signal is always great on this side of the pond. 73 Joe K3SZH Amsat 3788 _____________________________________________________________ Click now to save big on brand name luggage. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4tn9Y1A6Hjc8dfwSSqODXN…

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FW: [psk31] New Film With Amateur Radio Theme......
by John R. Klim II 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

Nice trailer, if you have time watch it. 73 ES CUL =========================================== Mr. John R. Klim II N3KHK ARRL LM-0008416263, AMSAT LM-2187, QRPARCI #10392, FISTS # 5015, MQFD #115, 10-X Life Member # 68135, Springbok Chapter # 1874, Chesapeake Bay Chapter # 549 -----Original Message----- From: psk31(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tom Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 8:34 PM To: psk31(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [psk31] New Film With Amateur Radio Theme...... I though this might be of interest to some of you..... link to YouTube trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L81DqSpkz7M Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/psk31/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/psk31/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: psk31-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

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Re: Trasatlantic QSO on AO-51
by Luc Leblanc 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

The grid JO station has been indentified it is Ib OZ1MY from Denmark missed the QSO be half a degree it is a very near edge horizon scraping last second type of contact... > Transatlantic QSO is actually possible on AO-51 from my grid FN36 i copy a > station in grid JO and make a QSO with EA8CEI Alberto on Canary Island when the > satellite was at 3 degrees of elevation (4 deg max on that early morning > pass). Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE

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Coax cable
by John Wright 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

I have some 15mtr long off-cuts of coaxial cable, I'm having trouble identifying. It is marked " WESTERN WIRE 9119 WTV 01105 SUPER 3 SHIELDED CATV LV" Anyone any ideas? can't seen to find any data on it. I assume it is 75 ohm, being CATV cable

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wisp help
by Andrew Rich 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

Hello Wondering if someone can help I am trying to get WISP to track the ISS. I have updated the keps and wisp says "ISS - added to database" But any attempt to get it to track says "ISS is not in the database" Ideas ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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AMSAT Web Update
by JoAnne Maenpaa 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

Hello everyone, The http://www.amsat.org web page has been updated with an executive summary of the EAGLE engineering team meeting which was held on Tuesday, January 8. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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