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

ANDE Award Arrived to Argentina
by Gustavo Carpignano 05 Feb '08

05 Feb '08

Hi folks, got my ANDE award today and is it ever nice. 73 Gustavo,LW2DTZ --------------------------------- Yahoo! Encuentros Ahora encontrar pareja es mucho más fácil, probá el nuevo Yahoo! Encuentros. Visitá http://yahoo.cupidovirtual.com/servlet/NewRegistration

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Automatic doppler tracking of DSB
by James Whitfield 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

I am trying to find out if there has been any development of a frequency tracking system to compensate for doppler shift, or at least find a person or organization with which to discuss concepts. I tried to contact AMSAT about this more than a week ago, but there has been no response. I have tried to contact AMSAT again, and decided to try this bulletin board as well. It started when I read that AO-16 had been placed in a test mode with an FM uplink and DSB downlink. I remembered a diagram of a double sideband suppressed carrier ( DSB ) demodulation technique that used a variation of a phased locked loop to recover the frequency and phase of the original carrier. I realized that it should be able to track the "original carrier" through the doppler shift caused by the relative motion between the satellite and the receiving station. I decided to find out more about the concept. I was not able to find any reference to the technique having been used with satellites, but I believe the system is called a Costas Receiver, or perhaps is refered to as a Costas Loop. If someone knows if this was used for doppler frequency tracking, please let me know where I can get more information. If there is a person or organization that would be better suited to my inquiry, I would like to know that as well. Thank you. James Whitfield n5gui

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PacComm RF Modems
by Stargate 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Hi all, I have 3 PacComm RF modems that I'm trying to figure a good use for. I looking for any information regarding them such as programming, interesting ideas to use them for, ect.... These look like they were AVL units since they have a GPS receiver board inside them and a Midland 70-201BD UHF data/voice transmitter as well. There are 3 units with the model numbers.... 1. "Base station" (no GPS receiver in this one) 2. "Head" 3. "Tail" Here are a few pictures.... http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1ool9/paccomm/paccomm1.jpg http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1ool9/paccomm/paccomm2.jpg http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1ool9/paccomm/paccomm3.jpg http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1ool9/paccomm/paccomm4.jpg http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1ool9/paccomm/paccomm5.jpg I have SOME information on reprogramming the Midland radio's inside but I'm still trying to find the schematic for the programming adaptor/cable. I've located the ACC900 software and some schematics for the Midland data radio but I haven't found anything for the complete PacComm unit or the radio programming adaptor yet. Does anyone have any information thay can be provide about these? These might make great APRS units if I can figure them out. The Midland radio's have "9.6kb mod" written on them so they must have already been modified for that speed. From what I have read, the Midland radio's can be used up to 19k2. I have talked with PacComm and they are looking for information for me but I thought someone here might be knowledgeable about them. I hooked them up to my serial port and they seem to take a few common packet commands. Any interesting ideas or help/info would be appreciated very much! Thanks, RoD KD0XX

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Looking for contact info for KB9KTD
by Joe 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

The address on QRZ is bad, as well as the one on his web page,, anyone? Joe WB9SBD

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First contact
by truckwiz 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

HI, I finally got to hear the ISS for the first time, they where talking to a guy from South Dakota. Now I have the bug. Brian

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SSTL Wins Canadian Deal (from Satellite Today)
by Eric Rosenberg 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Congratulations to Martin, Jeff and SSTL! Eric W3DQ Washington, DC ------------------------------ SSTL Wins Canadian Deal February 1, 2008 [Satellite Today – 2-1-08] Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) won a contract from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to deliver a satellite platform as part of the Sapphire space object surveillance program, SSTL announced Feb. 1. The two-year program is part of a contract from Canada's Department of National Defence valued at 65 million Canadian dollars ($65.2 million). The contract has options that cover mission support, operations and maintenance. The mission will provide a satellite-based resident space object observing service that will provide accurate tracking data on deep space orbiting objects. Sapphire will feature a space-based data collection platform for continuous surveillance of man-made objects in medium- to high-Earth orbits (6,000 to 40,000 kilometers). The data collected will be processed by a ground-based system and the results will be used to update the U.S. Satellite Catalogue used by North American Aerospace Defense Command and Canada to provide space situational awareness. ----------

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Re: mentpor help
by Jonathan Wagner 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

The problem is, besides probably being cost prohibitive, you blow your 250mW power budget out of the water with the FPGA. Using Actel's Power Calculator spreadsheet and the specs from the ARM7 IP Core datasheet, you're looking at a worst case of 543 mW with just the core in the 250k gate version and up to a watt in the bigger versions. That said, thanks for the input. The team needs this kind of input to guide them in their decision processes. Jonathan Wagner Office: (337)993-0778 Cell: (337)781-1513 Nick Pugh wrote: > Thanks for responce. Would you be willing to get on a web x conference > with the team? > > nick > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* G0MRF(a)aol.com <mailto:[email protected]> > *To:* quadpugh(a)bellsouth.net <mailto:[email protected]> ; > amsat-bb(a)amsat.org <mailto:[email protected]> > *Cc:* zpan(a)louisiana.edu <mailto:[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:54 PM > *Subject:* Re: [amsat-bb] mentpor help > > Hello Nick. > > Alternatively, you may be able to implement the microprocessor > functions in radiation tolerent FPGA from Actel. > > 200 - 300k rads seems to be the limit. > > http://www.actel.com/products/milaero/rtaxs/default.aspx > > Thanks > > David > > > In a message dated 03/02/2008 17:05:24 GMT Standard Time, > quadpugh(a)bellsouth.net <mailto:[email protected]> writes: > > This processor is planed to fly on the CAPE II satellite on > 2009. It is anticipated that this will involve two one hour > session a month via WEB X. We are seeking those have skill in > designing fault tolerant microprocessors and he have knowledge > how high energy particles effect memory chips. > > >

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PCSAT
by Andrew Rich 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Is PCSAT active only in sun ? The amsat website says its is down, My data streams says it is up 04/02/2008 19:14:57 TA1D>CQ,W3ADO-1*,qAo,G4HYG-1:=4104.14N/02859.67E-73 via sat NO-44 .. kadri {UIV32} 04/02/2008 19:14:38 DG4BR>APU25J,W3ADO-1*,qAo,TA1D:=5309.56N/00727.87E-Op: Alfred {UIV32N} 04/02/2008 19:14:03 W3ADO-1>BEACON,SGATE,qAo,TA1D:T#015,098,091,049,126,214,11111111,0010,1 04/02/2008 19:13:38 DG4BR>APU25J,W3ADO-1*,qAO,SP7THR-5:=5309.56N/00727.87E-Op: Alfred {UIV32N} 04/02/2008 19:13:02 W3ADO-1>BEACON,SGATE,qAO,SP7THR-5:T#014,097,086,091,124,214,11111111,0001,1 04/02/2008 19:12:36 TA1D>CQ,W3ADO-1*,qAO,SP7THR-5:=4104.14N/02859.67E-73 via sat NO-44 .. kadri {UIV32} 04/02/2008 19:12:03 W3ADO-1>BEACON,SGATE,qAo,TA1D:T#013,017,129,079,023,214,11111111,0000,1 04/02/2008 19:10:16 TA1D>CQ,W3ADO-1*,qAO,EA4EKH-6:=4104.14N/02859.67E-73 via sat NO-44 .. kadri {UIV32} 04/02/2008 19:10:07 PCSAT-12>BEACON,SGATE,qAO,EA4EKH-6:T#011,096,084,100,112,214,11111111,0010,1 04/02/2008 19:10:02 W3ADO-1>BEACON,SGATE,qAO,EA4EKH-6:T#011,096,088,048,125,214,11111111,0010,1 04/02/2008 19:09:03 W3ADO-1>BEACON,SGATE,qAO,EA4EKH-6:T#010,095,086,088,119,213,11111111,0001,1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Really nothing
by Dave Guimont 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Wow! This BBS is turning into a mutual admiration society.. Hope we get back to amateur satellite radio! 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Sat DX
by Clare Fowler 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

Of the 227 countries I have worked on satellite my most memorable one was with HC8/XE1KK (Galapagos) on UO-14. UO-14 was a single channel FM bird with an altitude of about 800 km. The distance from my QTH to there is 3277 miles which by itself is no record. I had worked Ramon on 10 meters and I mentioned I spent most of my time on satellites. He immediately came back saying he was working sats from there and he would love a contact with me. I looked at Instant Track and found we had a mutual window for about 3 minutes the next day with a max elevation of about 3 degrees for each of us. As well the path would be over North America in the afternoon with lots of activity for QRM. I didnt have much hope I would hear him let alone make an exchange. However we managed to do just that. I have his card dated 27 Mar 2002 Clare VE3NPC

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