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

Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 3, Issue 638
by Tim Goodrich 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

Speaking of recording the passes on a digital recorder (MP3), can anyone recommend an inexpensive mp3 recorder that will allow you to record direct from an HT's audio output line? Thanks, Tim KC2DDS -----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 4:13 PM To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 3, Issue 638 Send AMSAT-BB mailing list submissions to amsat-bb(a)amsat.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org You can reach the person managing the list at amsat-bb-owner(a)amsat.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of AMSAT-BB digest..."

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ISS 9600 pass @ 12.27utc
by David Barber 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

First station seen via ISS 9600 packet. (Still on 145.800MHz) EB1GKS Regards David G8OQW

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Kenwood TH-F6A for AO-51 / SO-50??
by Guy Brauning 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

Thanks for reading this. I am considering buying an HT for AO-51 and SO-50 as well as AO-27 (hopefully!). I have been using a Yaesu FT-817 and either an Arrow or Elk antenna and this has worked very well; however, an HT would be easier to carry around. I am looking for recommendations / warnings / etc. specific to the Kenwood TH-F6A. I would like some advice from those who have used the radio for satellite work before I shell out $320.00. I seriously considered a used IC-W32A on e-bay but it went for over $150.00 and I couldn't see paying that much for something that may or may not work properly. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Guy N3SCR Finksburg, MD

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Re: Your posting on AMSAT
by Dave Guimont 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

>I saw your posting on AMSAT-BB about building a quadfilar. I have >those files and have been experimenting with various omnis for SAT >work. So far diploes, verticals, turnstiles, and a moxon. The >quadfilar was next on my list. I even scored some copper clad coax >for the task. For 70 cm it seems pretty tough to do the bending and >get it right. May I ask how you did that (a tubing bender, pliers, >other) and if you heated the copper wire first like they suggest. Anneal the copper tubing for the three copper tubing filars, and it is very easy to shape, simply mark the dimensions on the tubing, and bend away...the length is much more important than the diameter of the bends. And make good solder joints...heat proof dialectric on the coax one,. of course....teflon, and there are some others... Pulling for P3E...

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Re: ISS 9600 succeeded in digipeat
by Mineo Wakita 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

> Just only setup 9600 bps , I still cannot monitoring ISS > in 9600bps use TASCO Modem EJ-50U. > it is a QRV power now ? QRV power is over 50W monitoring TASCO TNC-241 + TMB-965. It is only this one packet that I have digipeated then. > I succeeded in digipeat via ISS 145.825MHz simplex 9600bps G3RUH, > at 07:43:10 UTC (16:43:10 JST) 7Dec2008. > I noticed that there is no [*] via ARISS. > > JE9PEL>CQ,ARISS [12/07/08 16:43:10] <UI R>:Hello JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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Re: AO-7 Mode A Antenna?
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

Hello Sebastian- Back in the days of the RS satellites I used a horizontal one wave length loop. I even hung a reflector 6 feet underneath it and I had a two element quad looking up. I tried dipoles, random wires. Currently I use my HF four element quad, BUT it receives better off the back at 29.45Mhz. The antenna is designed for about 28.4 and at 29.45 the reflector acts like a director. This same thing might be true with yagi type HF beams. A quarter wave ground plane would work good a low elevations. Good luck with your efforts, I'll look for you on AO-7. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle -- "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it" -------------- Original message -------------- From: Sebastian <w4as(a)bellsouth.net> > I have a Yaesu FT-847 which is dedicated for satellite work, so I > don't have any HF antennas connected to it. > > I'd like to know from those on the group who are (were) using AO-7 > Mode A (10 meter receive), what type of antenna you are using? > > I really don't want to get a directional antenna for several reasons. > Also, is it possible to receive Mode A without the use of an external > preamp? > > 73 de W4AS > Sebastian > > _______________________________________________ > 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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WD9EWK at Mesa AZ hamfest (6 December 2008) - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

Hi! The 2008 Superstition Amateur Radio Club hamfest, held yesterday at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, was a successful event. There was no rain, unlike last year, so the attendance was much larger. Many walking around, and many sellers. AMSAT had a table at the hamfest, and was a very good day. As in the past couple of years, I manned the AMSAT table with the help of Gerry Baker VE4GTB/KD7MDB. Although the hamfest did not start until 1300 UTC (6am local time), I had the AMSAT table ready and was able to start working passes starting with AO-51 around 1245 UTC. WD9EWK was heard on 7 different passes throughout the hamfest - 3 AO-51 passes, 2 passes on the ISS cross-band repeater, an SO-50 pass, and a VO-52 pass. As the morning progressed, the crowds for the demonstrations grew. The largest crowd I had was for my last demonstration, a pass with the ISS and its cross-band repeater, at 1910 UTC. WD9EWK logged contacts with stations across the USA, plus contacts with stations in 3 other countries (Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela!). Once again, I was able to include VO-52 along with the FM satellites (and the ISS) I used for demonstrations, to show the crowds something other than FM satellite operation. Thanks to all who called me, and I apologize if I did not have a chance to add your call to the WD9EWK log at the hamfest. I don't bother to keep track of how many people we talk to during a hamfest. The number would approximately be "a lot". Whether the questions related to my demonstrations or were general questions about satellite operation, many hams are curious about this corner of our hobby. Gerry is a great help, talking with people and answering questions while I am doing the demonstrations. Thanks to Gerry for his help at another hamfest. He allegedly retired from doing this, but he is always willing to help out. And thanks to Judy K7JLF and the Superstition Amateur Radio Club for allowing us to set up an AMSAT table once again at their hamfest. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Kenwood TH-F6A for AO-51 / SO-50??
by Mike Ryan 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

have both the FT-817 and the THF6. I admit I use the F6 more often outside in the yard chasing FM because its smaller/lighter but I'd never exclude my FT-817 from sat operations. Here are my reasons: - If you ever consider SSB birds like vo52 and fo29, or even use ao16 that RX in DSB, the F6 cant transmit SSB and the SSB RX is very, very painful to fine tune for clear copy. - The 817 has more convenient cross band operation. With the F6 you have to flip between vfos/memories by hand during the pass. When its time to change for doppler, you have to flip VFOs, then flip back. Cant count how many times I forgot to do this and just Xmit on the downlink (duh). The speaker/mic makes this much easier because it has 3 soft buttons on top. Normally you set one for toggling between vfos, and the other two for channel up/down. Also lets you clip the HT to your tripod/shirt for convenience - 817 can do computer control (I've seen portable use via laptop and it works) - F6 not full duplex (nor is the ft-817) I do love my F6 though and if you can afford it, keep both. The nice-and-small F6 goes with me every time I take a business trip (especially post 9-11) because it can RX most anything including air traffic control, public service police/fire (except digital), AM/FM broadcast, and even TV audio (for now). The 817, on the other hand, is an awesome ham "all-mode/all-bander", rather like a QRP FT-857. I'm currently using two 817s when its too cold outside for full duplex SAT. BTW, good choices on the Arrow and Elk. I have both and love 'em. The Arrow is a total workhorse for portable ops. As an experiment, the Elk is temporarily sitting in the back yard on a sawhorse with a cheap rotor at fixed 20% elevation. With an outboard duplexor (comet cf-416) I can run two radios inside the house full duplex on it. A little cross talk going VU, but works great on UV (i.e. VO52). ----- Original Message ----- From: "Guy Brauning" <guyjeanbraun(a)comcast.net> To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 12:06 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Kenwood TH-F6A for AO-51 / SO-50?? > Thanks for reading this. I am considering buying an HT for AO-51 and > SO-50 > as well as AO-27 (hopefully!). I have been using a Yaesu FT-817 and > either > an Arrow or Elk antenna and this has worked very well; however, an HT > would > be easier to carry around. I am looking for recommendations / warnings / > etc. specific to the Kenwood TH-F6A. I would like some advice from those > who have used the radio for satellite work before I shell out $320.00. I > seriously considered a used IC-W32A on e-bay but it went for over $150.00 > and I couldn't see paying that much for something that may or may not work > properly. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Guy > > N3SCR > > Finksburg, MD > > _______________________________________________ > 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 ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:43:38 +0000 From: Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF <nigel(a)ngunn.net> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Question re rx/tx relays and diplexer To: Curt Nixon <cptcurt(a)flash.net> Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Message-ID: <493C195A.9010004(a)ngunn.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

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ISS/MKS sending SSTV
by andy thomas 07 Dec '08

07 Dec '08

Two pictures sent from ISS in last orbit, camera is evidently in the same location as it was for Monday's "Shadow" (plasma group) experiment. 73 de andy G0SFJ

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WiSP Load Keps
by Ron Miles 07 Dec '08

07 Dec '08

First time user of WiSP32. I've set AO-51 as my satellite of choice. However, a message pops up "GSC cannot find satellite AO-51 in Keplerian database". My question is how do I load my Celestrak file into the WiSP Keps database. Right now there's an empty folder for AO-51 in the Database. TIA 73, Ron AMSAT #23760

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