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

Re: 25 watt Moonbounce
by Oscar Diez 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

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

1 0

AO-7 DX claim
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

Hello I'm not sure if this contact is a record distance, but I will claim it until I'm knocked off my pedestal. At about 1915Z I worked Mika-OH8MBN in KP24, I'm in CN87 (running 8W John). This works out to 7229Km or 4493 miles. Mika and I have been trying to connect for several days, the window is really really short. QSO was on SSB with KC8ZFN as a witness. Has anyone else "stretched" the footprint. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle -- "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it"

1 0

Re: Explorer I
by Edward Cole 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

Martin, I was involved with the MA-10 (MVM-73) mission as a project engineer at the 210-foot Goldstone tracking station that followed MA-10 around Venus and on to Mercury. I was involved in the Venus dual-band (S/X) atmospheric study. I was one of the two receiver operators that tracked MA-10's signal as it was occulted behind Venus. The differential bending of the two microwave signals provided one of the first direct measurements of Venus' atmospheric density. How time flies! (34-years). 73 Ed - KL7UW At 08:54 AM 2/1/2008, Davidoff, Martin wrote: >1 February 2008 > > Reading the comments on the Explorer I Spacecraft by Roy (W0SL) >and Dan (N8FGV) has certainly stimulated lots of old memories. > > In late 1983 I attended a presentation by James Van Allen at a >meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in DC convened to celebrate >25 years in space. At this point in time the development of the Space >Transportation System (The Shuttle) was being seriously debated. > > Most (!!!) scientists of the era thought the program was a >political boondoggle whose costs would seriously impede the progress of >real space science. As Van Allen, a spokesperson for this group, put it >(my paraphrase) -- These guys claim they're going to reduce my launch >costs by a factor of 100 by taking a scientific instrument with a one >cubic foot volume, putting it in a bus and adding all the life support >systems necessary for five people. > > These past few weeks we've seen spectacular photos of Mercury >taken by the Messenger Spacecraft on its first flyby of the planet. How >many people realize that the Messenger mission is the follow on to >NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft which mapped about 45 percent of the >Mercury's surface during three flybys in 1974 and 1975. Because (?) of >the Shuttle Program it took us more than three decades to return. > >de K2ubc (Martin Davidoff) > > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On >Behalf Of Roy >Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:33 PM >To: AMSAT BBS >Subject: [amsat-bb] Explorer I > >If I'm not mistaken this is the 50th anniversary of the launch of >Explorer I, the USA's first satellite put in orbit. I listened to the >telemetry broadcast on 108 mHz and recorded it. The JPL had asked for >the loan of any recordings made so I sent them out for their analysis. >I received my original tapes back along with a supply of new reels of >tape for use in making further recordings. JPL sent copies on to the >Air Force Research Center at Cambridge. > >I later received letters from JPL and the Air Force Research Center >describing the data they had recovered from the recordings relative to >micrometeorite impacts and other items. It was a really exciting period > >for Amateur Radio. > >-- >Roy -- W0SL >_______________________________________________ >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 > > >-- >BEGIN-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS >------------------------------------------------------ > >Teach CanIt if this mail (ID 34618761) is spam: >Spam: >https://ssl.ccbcmd.edu:7726/canit/b.php?i=34618761&m=87ca5f44f198&c=s >Not spam: >https://ssl.ccbcmd.edu:7726/canit/b.php?i=34618761&m=87ca5f44f198&c=n >Forget vote: >https://ssl.ccbcmd.edu:7726/canit/b.php?i=34618761&m=87ca5f44f198&c=f >------------------------------------------------------ >END-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS > > >_______________________________________________ >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 73, Ed - KL7UW ====================================== BP40IQ 50-MHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xpol-20, 185w DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)hotmail.com ======================================

1 0

JH3XCU/1 and AO-7 web site
by DeYoung James 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

Greetings, I am not sure of the intent of a recent AMSAT-BB submission related to JH3XCU/1 and his entry or lack of entry of specific information into the AO-7 web site logger. As far as I can tell he is a competent operator. I also note when searching the web that almost all of his web information is in his native language (Japanese) and I therefore presume that there may be a language related issue possibly. If there is an issue with his submissions appropriate use of statistical filtering is always possible to do on the collected information. I probably have hundreds of QSO's via AO-7 where I only talked to myself, often times on purpose just to measure the loopback frequency. I don't generally even bother to log any loopbacks or QSOs anymore. In most cases others enter information from the other side of the QSO so I see no need to duplicate the information which is also a statistical problem depend on the use of the web site collected data. I hope we can all be more tolerant and give JH3XCU/1 the benefit of the doubt especially since he is a fellow licensed amateur operator. Best regards to all. KG4QWC ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

1 0

Congrats to Frank KA3HDO
by Bruce 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

I didn't see anything like this on the SAREX or AMSAT-BB or ANS. I must have missed it if it came across. Congrats to Frank, KA3HDO. Also a spot from the ARRL Board of Directors 73...bruce *************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 4 February 1, 2008 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * + ARRL Board Authorizes New Section Positions, Adopts Budget, More, at Annual Meeting * + NTIA Report on Broadband in America 2007 Inflates BPL Figures * + James De Loach Jr, WU0I, Named 2007 Orr Award Winner * + ARISS International Chairman Moves into New Position at NASA * + Arkansas Health Department Sponsors Amateur Radio Training * + FCC Enforcement Actions * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This Weekend on the Radio ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration + W1AW Receives New Equipment for 160 Meters Amateurs Activated as Tornado Strikes Mississippi Town Make Your Mark on the ARRL Diamond Terrace Radio Amateur Named Head of Tropical Prediction Center ARRL DXCC Desk Approves E4/OM2DX Operation We Stand Corrected +Available on ARRL Audio News<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== snip... The Board adopted a resolution of support for AMSAT's initiative seeking access to an Intelsat platform in geostationary orbit. AMSAT is in consultation with Intelsat regarding an application of an Intelsat platform carrying amateur satellites into geostationary orbit, with potential benefits for emergency communications. AMSAT has been the principal initiator of projects in the Amateur Satellite Service and continues to play a key role in significantly advancing the state of the art in space science, space education and space technology. snip... ==> ARISS INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN MOVES INTO NEW POSITION AT NASA Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, was named recently as the NASA Headquarters Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). ESMD is NASA's initiative to develop a sustained human presence on the moon, promote space exploration and serve as a stepping stone to Mars and beyond. As ESMD Chief Engineer, he provides systems engineering advice and consultation to resolve some of the most demanding and complex technical and organizational challenges within the Exploration Program. Bauer and Rosalie White, K1STO, are the two ARISS delegates for the US. He is the Vice President of Human Spaceflight Programs for the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Bauer was a 2006 nominee for the Rotary National Award for Space Acheivement, bestowed upon him for "his tireless work to engage the youth of our nation and the world in the exploration of space through unique direct communications made possible by Amateur Radio on human spaceflight missions." Bauer is the recipient of NASA's 2002 Outstanding Leadership Medal, the 1997 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal -- bestowed for Pioneering Efforts in Spaceborne GPS -- and NASA's 1992 Exceptional Service Medal (for agency contributions in GN&C). He received the Silver Snoopy Award, the highly prestigious NASA Human Spaceflight Awareness award, in 1992. For more information about ARISS, please visit the ARISS Web page <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm>. -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0200z on W0KIE new satellite soon. Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org

1 0

Re: Satellite tracking programming ideas
by Phil 02 Feb '08

02 Feb '08

----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Monteiro" <aa2tx(a)comcast.net> To: "Phil" <phillor(a)telstra.com>; "Amsat-Bb" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 1:17 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Satellite tracking programming ideas > At 10:57 PM 1/30/2008, Phil wrote: > <cut> >> >>If I read the frequency once per second while spinning the tuning knob, >>occasionally I'll see an incorrect value. That same value persists until >>the knob is moved again. I can see the problem but not the answer. > Thanks again for the replies Tony and Nate. Problem solved. It wasn't hardware but instead a bug, caused by the use of a signed char that sometimes caused a frequency calculation error. I've been tracking AO-40's ghost for the past few weeks and I'm enthused again and look forward to making contact once again through a real satellite. Regards, Phil.

1 0

8085
by truckwiz 01 Feb '08

01 Feb '08

Does anybody know where I can find some RadHard 8085 chips? Brian

1 0

AO7 Operating Tip #1
by WILLIAMS MICHAEL 01 Feb '08

01 Feb '08

If the station your in QSO with has a easily readable 5/5 signal from AO7 but your signal is three times as strong, what action should you take? 1. Marvel how well your station is performing. 2. Immediately reduce your uplink power. 3. Do nothing, keep pounding the transponder. 4. None of the above.

1 0

Services offered
by truckwiz 01 Feb '08

01 Feb '08

I don't know if this is the right place to post this. I own a fully equipped machine shop and will donate my time to any satellite projects. Brian

1 0

ISS Repeater Active
by Tony VK5ZAI 01 Feb '08

01 Feb '08

Hello all, The X band repeater has been activated on the ISS with good signals and activity over Australia. -- Regards Tony. VK5ZAI J.A.(Tony)Hutchison P.O.Box 470 Kingston SE South Australia 5275 National ARISS Co-ordinator and Satellite ground Station. Web Site :- http://www.electric-web.org

1 0