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

IC-910H/ Packet
by Peter 19 Nov '08

19 Nov '08

Hi All, I have an Icom IC-910H, and would like to operate 4800 and 9600 bps; I looked into the Kantronics KPC-9612, great TNC but very pricey! Has anyone set up packet for the abovementioned baud using a cheaper alternative, thank you. 73, Pete, WB2OQQ

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Arrow antenna
by Jim Leder 19 Nov '08

19 Nov '08

I am a user of an Arrow II handheld yagi. I am also very impressed with it's performance. Has anyone attempted to weatherize it for permanent outside tower use? Seems a little Loctite on the element threads and some shrink wrap around the BNC connectors, pull the foam handle and mount it. Anyone try this? Jim Bob Buckeye AKA **** Jim Leder**** K8CXM since 1961 IBM retiree since 1999 There are 10 types of people in this world -- those who understand binary and those who don't.

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Re: First week as a satellite newbie
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

Congrats Bryan, be aware this stuff is very habit forming <grin>. 73 Bob W7LRD -- "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it" -------------- Original message -------------- From: Bryan Green <bag(a)mac.com> > Greetings, all: > > Bryan KL7CN/W6 here in CM98fn. > > A week ago, the used IC-W32A and Arrow 146/437-10WBP I purchased from > N3PKC via QRZ.com arrived. Hurray! > > The very first night I stood in the back yard and waved the antenna > above my head in one hand and held the IC-W32A in the other. I heard > K6LCS on SO-50, but couldn't quite manage to get things aligned to get > them to work. > > The next night I brought the gear to our local Sacramento Java Users > Group meeting. It might seem like a funny association, but there have > been a couple members of the group who very recently got their radio > licenses and I wanted to share the satellite experience with them. > > So, later that night, Marnie KI6SXU and I stood on a darkened street > corner between buildings in a business park in Rancho Cordova, and > scanned the sky for SO-50 with the Arrow. Late-leaving workers and > security guards made double-takes at us as they drove by, but then we > heard him! Chris, KG7EZ in DN32! I stuttered through calling him back, > and we made contact! Chris was very gracious and encouraging as we > elatedly told him that he was our very first satellite contact! > > After the thrill of first contact was done, we packed up the gear and > went inside to look up the call sign and grid square -- sure enough, > there he was! We spent the next hour looking at Google Maps, > AMSAT.org, and QRZ.com. We completely skipped the rest of the meeting! > Marnie, who's had her license all of two months, concluded that this > was actually fun and that she could imagine herself chasing satellites > with her retired grandfather at his middle-of-nowhere cabin in Arizona. > > Since then, I've made 10 more contacts on both AO-51 and SO-50. It > took a while to discover the mode schedule for AO-51; it sure started > working better after the 17th when mode VU was turned on. I added an > old tripod to the mix after watching K7AGE's excellent video tutorials > which helps quite a bit. I've heard the ISS on 145.825 Packet but > haven't heard anything else from them. > > This is fun. It's inspiring! I keep imagining the science curriculum > that could be written around this! I want to show it to my high-school > age cousins! > > Of course, I aspire to a lovely ground station with a wonderful > computer-controlled high-power VHF/UHF transceiver and a fabulous > antenna array mounted on rotors on a tower. But this manual operation > makes it fun! I walk around outside on the sidewalk, moving the tripod > so it has the best view of the pass. I make a complete fool of myself > as I juggle the HT, the notebook with coordinates, the flashlight, and > my cellphone to check the time. (Note to self: petition Icom to put a > clock chip in their HTs -- obvious?) What a hoot! > > Thanks for listening; I'll hear you on the birds -- I'll be the fellow > that sounds like a noob. > > -- bag > _______________________________________________ > 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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PCSAT-1 Returns on 9 Dec
by Robert Bruninga 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

PCSAT-1 should return to full operations on 9 Dec 08. Plan on another Satellite Simulated Emergency Test. This should give a few weeks for some good 2m packet contacts and the SSET, and if the ISS is also operational on 145.825, then there is the possibility for some lucky 2-hop DX contacts via both birds. Combined, that is 12 opportunities per day for contacts without any change in the radio. Operating PCSAT-1 is just like any 1200 baud 2 meter packet repeater. Uplink and downlink are on 145.825 and the path is VIA ARISS. This path is identical to the ISS path so that you do not have to change anything between the two spacecraft. (Until PCSAT-1 is reloaded, however, its digipeating alias is its FCC call W3ADO-1.) You can hear it every day, but its packets die before completion because of poor power budget. I just commanded PCSAT-1 yesterday and all functions are normal. All we need is the first full-sun orbit on the 9th of Dec to be able to do a full recovery; and then it should last for 2 weeks or more. You can easily operate mobile using any of the APRS radios as is (D7, D700, D710, VX-8R, DR-135), or any other radio with an external TNC, or even any radio with no TNC if you use a sound-card packet application. You can make two-way contacts, send beacons and bulletins and send your position so you will show up on the PCSAT web page http://pcsat.aprs.org I'd suggest everyone plan on testing their emergency Email capability during this time. Lets set the time window of 12 to 15 December for everyone to try to send an Email via one of these birds. Please see the Satellite Simulated Emergency Test www.aprs.org/sset.html. You can use any packet system and no special software is required. Bob, WB4APR

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Re: Ft. Wayne Hamfest update
by WILLIAMS MICHAEL 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

I'll second that. I've never noticed Gerd posting a message on this BB, but congrats to Gerd on a nice job and congrats also to his assistant. AMSAT's volunteers are doing a nice job. I'm still kicking myself on letting a 2.5 GHz Wavetek sweep/RF generator get away. I should have jumped. You would think I would learn after my many years at Dayton. Probably my only gripes is the $4.00 to park on an open lot and $3:00 for a bottle of water but hey it's a good hamfest. OK, I'm tight, isn't that a part of being a ham. I got to turn the knobs on a Ten-Tec Jupiter, which I can't even get close to at Dayton.. Mike (K9QHO) AMSAT 33589 (but not too tight not to be a member) KA8QCU said: Message: 3 Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:26:24 -0500 From: "Doug Kuitula" <ka8qcu(a)pasty.net> Subject: [amsat-bb] Ft. Wayne Hamfest update To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <001401c9483a$5e4a4b00$5ec964d0@net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi all, Just got back from the Ft. Wayne, Ind. Hamfest and wanted to thank Gerd, WB8IFM, for his AMSAT forum. I also wanted to say thanks to Carl, K9LA, for his talk about amateur radio and amateur astronomy. That makes me wonder how many folks on this BB use their satellite gear for any sort of radio astronomy. I would think that if you're working any EME, the same setup may possibly be used for other ventures. 73, de Doug KA8QCU

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WD9EWK from DM22 (22 November)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

Hi! On Saturday, 22 November, I am planning a quick road trip to grid DM22 in southwestern Arizona. DM22 is another grid that is not heard very often on the satellites. I am planning to work the afternoon and evening passes on AO-51, SO-50, and - if it is still on the air - AO-16 from out there. I may try to park on a grid boundary to be in two grids simultaneously (DM22/DM23 or DM22/DM32), but the main focus of this road trip is to put DM22 on the air for a few passes. If you make a contact with WD9EWK from DM22 and want a QSL card, please e-mail me directly with the QSO details. If you are in my log, I will be happy to send you a QSL card. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Re: ISS/STS-126 Position?
by Alan Sieg WB5RMG 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

Scott (& others), Whether you subscribe to elements, or your program auto-updates, you can usually look and see how 'fresh' your element set values are. Most tracking programs let you see the values in use for each particular satellite. Some have verbose descriptions, others show a compact format. Looking at an example 2-line element set from the Amsat.org website, you see the number 08318, in position as the "epoch" or the instant of validity. Any element set is just a snap-shot of one moment in an orbit. Future positions are just 'running the clock forward'. This 08318 means year=2008, day = 318, or the 318th day of 2008 (13 Nov) ISS \ / 1 25544U 98067A 08318.67148292 .00010913 00000-0 84099-4 0 6455 2 25544 051.6436 330.0973 0003809 346.3452 121.7147 15.72579683572054 So this data set for ISS was generated last week, but until something changes the 'status-quo' it should be fairly accurate. When the shuttle docks, there are slight changes, but generally that same data stays fairly accurate. However the shuttle significantly slowed down to dock. That old shuttle data set is no longer useful. At 17,500 miles/hour you may not notice right away the effect of ISS docking from the ground. Possibly a difference of seconds may show up eventually, but many of us don't keep our clocks set that close. By the time the next set of radar-derived keps for ISS show up, they will most accurately describe the current 'docked' configuration of the orbiting complex. For a quick tutorial on understanding Keplerian Elements by N6NKF: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/keps_detail.php P.S. Excellent viewing opportunity this evening for ISS/STS126. I use http://www.heavens-above.com for nice tables and sky charts. Hope your weather is clear - should be spectacular... The station complex has never been bigger, it should be really bright !!! Enjoy /;^) -- <- WB5RMG is Alan Sieg * http://wb5rmg.somenet.net ->

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Gulf Alpha satellite antennas
by Ollie Eisman 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

I just discovered that the Gulf Alpha circularly polarized 2m and 70cm satellite antennas are back in production! (Sorry if this is old news) The polarity switching units are available as well and, according to Gulf Alpha, will be shown on the website soon. http://www.gulfalphaantennas.com/ [I'm not in any way affiliated with Gulf Alpha - just a happy customer] 73, Ollie AJ1O

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Re: ISS/STS-126 Position?
by Armando Mercado 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

Hi Scott, >Do the keps for the shuttle become in accurate at some point during a docking mission? >From launch to docking to the ISS, the shuttle does several engine burns. See the following URL: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP… Armando, N8IGJ

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Re: ISS/STS-126 Position?
by GW1FKY＠aol.com 18 Nov '08

18 Nov '08

Hi all, Quite correct about this information -but you will notice that you can subscribe ( free of charge) and have these updates emailed to you during Shuttle Missions. However please also note that attention is drawn to the fact that you are not permitted to pass on the information without approval. - This could be the reason ( like myself) why no has responded with a posting of the updates. Cheers Ken Eaton GW1FKY Amsat -UK Amdsat NA

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