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

AO-51 Cardboard Model needs test builders!
by Stefan Wagener 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

AO-51 Satellite Cardboard Model Hi folks, I have just finished the 1st prototype of an AO-51 cardboard model design and would like to give a few dedicated individuals the opportunity to actually build the model and help me with the final design and the necessary instructions. At this stage I will need individuals that have built cardboard models (ships, airplanes, rockets etc.) before and don't need detailed instructions but know the tools that are required to assemble such a model. Pictures of the current prototype can be seen at: www.msig.ca/model.html It is still a work in progress and hopefully will end up as a product that AMSAT can offer for a donation. I designed the model in a 1:1 scale but for the purpose of this project it has been reduced to 75% size. This will allow builders to print it on regular size photo paper and still have a beautiful model for display in the shack or wherever. Building the model will require time, patience and a color printer since the model is distributed as pdf files. This form of distribution will save me paper and will allow you to print it as many times as you need (trust me, once you messed up the first piece, you will be glad that you can print it again). As mentioned above, I am looking for up to five test builders (with experience) that are willing and able to finish the model in four to five weeks. No, it is not a two hour project and dedication to detail and exact cutting and gluing is required. Those that help and provide me with updates on their progress and final feedback will get the final distribution files as well as the model files in a 1:1 scale. Send me an email off line if you are interested! 73, Stefan VE4NSA

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Re: mentpor help
by G0MRF＠aol.com 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

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_ (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 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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Atlanta 08
by G0MRF＠aol.com 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

Has the date of the 2008 symposium been set ? I saw the announcement saying it was going to be held in Atlanta but haven't been able to locate the dates. Sorry if this has been posted and I missed it. Just forward planning. Regards David G0MRF

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SuitSat 1 Anniversary !!
by Stefan Wagener 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

Message from Frank Bauer, KA3HDO .............. All, Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the deployment of SuitSat-1/Radioskaf/AO-54 from the ISS. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers around the world that supported the SuitSat-1 development, deployment, public outreach and ground station reception. Despite its lateness, I would also like to announce that the SuitSat Certificates have been mailed to the regional QSL distributors who will, in turn, mail these to you in the very near future. Specifically, this is the ARRL in the U.S. and ARISS-EU in Europe. The Canadian certificates were mailed directly to their QTHs. I will take responsibility for the lateness in delivery of these. My extensive work travel over the past two years coupled with needing to focus on keeping the ARISS program alive despite looming budget threats were factors in not getting these to you in a timely basis. I hope you will enjoy them, just the same. I ask that you please wait for about 2 weeks before making further requests regarding the certificates. I would expect that they will be in your hands in that time frame. At the end of February will we make a second call regarding the certificates, if for some reason you did not receive it from us. 2008 brings new opportunities to you, the hams interested in ARISS. This, as we plan to commemorate the 25th anniversary of human spaceflight ham radio operation---the flight of Owen Garriott, W5LFL on the space shuttle Columbia, STS-9 in 1983. As you know, we are working to bring SuitSat-2 to reality. It is not clear when it will be deployed, but we are working feverishly to have it ready for deployment before the end of the year. And we expect to have significant ARISS crew participation starting in the October timeframe with the launch of the Expedition 18 crew and Soyuz taxi flight. As we get more details on specifics, the ARISS team will inform you through e-mail and the ARISS and ISS Fan Club Web sites. I thank all of you for your interest in ARISS. This program is truly inspirational for students, the ham radio community, and the communities surrounding the schools that have been touched by the 334 (to date) school contacts conducted since December 2001. Enjoy the currently operational ARISS voice repeater! 73, Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO ARISS Internatonal Chairman AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs

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Stretching the footprint!!
by Frank A Cahoy 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

Congrats Bob. I'm actually jealous. I have yet to hear Europe on AO-7 but that's only because I've been very QRV on HF. I'm sure it can be done from DN81. It's a feather in your hat no matter how you look at it. I think I'll throw my hat into the ring for footprint stretching. I have to go back to AO-40 for my bragging rights. On 20 Oct. 2003 I worked VK9CD in NH87 and that figures to about 10073 miles to DN81. I was hearing the fellows on the West Coast work VK9CD and again, I was very jealous because I figured I had but only 8 to 10 minute window under the best of conditions. To make matters worse the window was totally below 10 degrees of elevation. Then rubbing salt into the wound was a very tall line of Chinese Elm trees between my sat antennas the horizon. When I saw that I had a slight chance I began calling them. The West Coast guys told me that VK9CD was hearing me! I could not hear them or my own downlink. Determination was also the key for me. I finally heard them ever so faintly just as LOS was almost on us. All of the sudden I heard my call clearly and distinctly and the exchange happened in literally, the last few seconds of the footprint. I stepped out on my front steps to try and figure how such a piece of great good luck could have happened. Looking up at that row of trees I saw a "hole" through the leaves about the size of a bushel basket. My prize piece of AO-40 DX was worked in the few seconds that the bird was actually "line of sight". BTW, all of this on CW!! This may be off subject a bit but I've been a DXer for 47+ years and that was by far one of my most memorable QSOs satellite, HF or otherwise. I was never tempted to post the above story until Bob's good fortune on AO-7. See what great fun we could have with an AO-10 type bird up in an HEO!! That's it. I'm climbing down off my soapbox. 73 to all. Frank, KØBLT

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AO-16 in repeater mode
by Jim White 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

In ANS this week the note on AO-16 is a bit incomplete regarding the current state of the satellite. Here is some further detail. The on-board computer has not failed. What is no longer working is the computer's ability to access the EDAC SRAM needed to run uploaded software. The boot loader (MBL) software was burned into ROM prior to launch and continues to run. The processor itself works OK and is running that MBL software just fine. One of the unique features of MBL is that it does not use any SRAM but runs entirely in processor registers. It also does not use DMA or interrupts. One of the design goals was for it to continue to run even when several hardware things had failed - and that has proven to work well now that the SRAM access no longer works. With the computer still processing instructions and running MBL it remains possible to send commands directly to various hardware modules using the AART bus (another innovation in these satellites). It is that capability which allowed the mode to be switched. Further, we know the computer continues to successfully run MBL because any glitch in processing would likely reset the computer. That would cause MBL to restart and reset the hardware to the default, turning off the U TX, and resetting the downlink to digital. Should that happen it might be possible to get it back into the repeat mode, and perhaps do that more than once. But at this point it's anyone guess how long enough hardware will work to allow more use from this rugged old bird. Jim jim(a)coloradosatellite.com wd0e(a)amsat.org

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FCAL & Quakesat
by Chris Bloy 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

Hi All, Is FCAL still in orbit or has it gone the way of ANDE? Also, anyone heard Quakesat this month? Thanks, Chris No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.18/1255 - Release Date: 01/02/2008 09:59

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Re: Tired on off topic fake QSO:s on this reflector
by Steven Raas 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

I can understand this statement, however.. I for one can assure you that Knowing that there is a data base in the program is EAISLY overcome, with one simple step.. you don't fill in the call sign or grid box.. and you put your radio on desired frequency and listen. None of my low power eme qso's had pre filled in fields waiting for pro-signs to confirm a qso. So with that being said.. enjoy your pseudo QRP eme qso's using jt65, I know I did.. and when I get back on the air.. I will again. Steve Raas N2JDQ 'Hello, I would be happy to punch you back to stoneage with your deep search fake QSO:s Read more on http://www.sm2cew.com/jt65.html Hakan SM7WSJ' Re: 25 watt Moonbounce > To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <001201c865dd$b057c8e0$0b01a8c0@homepc> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi list, > > I am using a homebrew single 6 el. Yagi (DK7ZB design 10.15dBd gain) > on the terrace of my house (approx 8ft above ground on a tripod))for "QRP EME" > operations regularly. I am running about 90-100 Watt into this antenna > (approx 1 KW ERP). This is real QRP for EME standards. > > See here: > http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/index.html?con_id=146 <http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/index.html?con_id=146&call=DJ0MY&> &call=DJ0MY& > bbycal > l=1 > > Usually Gary KB8RQ always comes back on my first calls (even without > prior announcement of my call in one of the usual EME internet chat rooms). > > Thus, I would guess that it would even work with much less power (I > just never tried it)...so it seems "normal practice" at least with big > gun stations of the size of KB8RQ, W5UN, etc. > > I would even say if he could work KB8RQ with 25w he should give RN6BN > a try with only 10-15w (he uses most likely the largest private array > on earth since he has recently expanded it). The smallest station he > ever worked via OSCAR 0 was a 4 el. yagi with 40W. I am sure you can > even decode him on a > dipole+preamp, since he has exorbitant strong signals (even compared > dipole+to > other big guns). > > RX is generally not the problem: I can copy 2 and 4 yagi stations very > frequently. I even copied some single longyagi (6 lambda boom length) > stations with my tiny antenna in the past a few times. The only > problem is the return path where you simply would need more HF power. > > In total I have already worked about 8 stations (the smallest were 8 > yagi group stations) and had more than 15 QSOs with my tiny setup > during the past year. > > This is of course only possible with the help of WSJT software and > JT65 mode, hi !!! Otherwise we would still be stuck in EME stone age. > > 73 de Oscar DJ0MY _______________________________________________ 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 Steven J.Raas

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Tired on off topic fake QSO:s on this reflector
by Håkan Harrysson 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

Hello, I would be happy to punch you back to stoneage with your deep search fake QSO:s Read more on http://www.sm2cew.com/jt65.html Hakan SM7WSJ Re: 25 watt Moonbounce > To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <001201c865dd$b057c8e0$0b01a8c0@homepc> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi list, > > I am using a homebrew single 6 el. Yagi (DK7ZB design 10.15dBd gain) on the > terrace of my house (approx 8ft above ground on a tripod))for "QRP EME" > operations regularly. I am running about 90-100 Watt into this antenna > (approx 1 KW ERP). This is real QRP for EME standards. > > See here: > http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/index.html?con_id=146&call=DJ0MY&bbycal > l=1 > > Usually Gary KB8RQ always comes back on my first calls (even without prior > announcement of my call in one of the usual EME internet chat rooms). > > Thus, I would guess that it would even work with much less power (I just > never tried it)...so it seems "normal practice" at least with big gun > stations of the size of KB8RQ, W5UN, etc. > > I would even say if he could work KB8RQ with 25w he should give RN6BN a try > with only 10-15w (he uses most likely the largest private array on earth > since he has recently expanded it). The smallest station he ever worked via > OSCAR 0 was a 4 el. yagi with 40W. I am sure you can even decode him on a > dipole+preamp, since he has exorbitant strong signals (even compared to > other big guns). > > RX is generally not the problem: I can copy 2 and 4 yagi stations very > frequently. I even copied some single longyagi (6 lambda boom length) > stations with my tiny antenna in the past a few times. The only problem is > the return path where you simply would need more HF power. > > In total I have already worked about 8 stations (the smallest were 8 yagi > group stations) and had more than 15 QSOs with my tiny setup during the past > year. > > This is of course only possible with the help of WSJT software and JT65 > mode, hi !!! Otherwise we would still be stuck in EME stone age. > > 73 de Oscar DJ0MY

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mentpor help
by Nick Pugh 03 Feb '08

03 Feb '08

The University of Louisiana is asking for a volunteers to help mentor a senior design capstone project to design and test to destruction with high dose of radiation a communication control and data handling processor. 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. If you which to help students become practical engineers please let me here from you thank nick k5qxj

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