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

Fw: Re: Predict 2.2.3 for Linux
by Snyderb 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Robertson" <ve9qrp(a)gmail.com> To: <w8iss(a)wideopenwest.com> Cc: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 9:25 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Predict 2.2.3 for Linux > On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 9:44 PM, <w8iss(a)wideopenwest.com> wrote: >> Bruce, >> >> Do you have Gnome Predict installed also? I have found the same problem >> after >> installing Gpredict, but it will do it still even after uninstalling >> gpredict. >> >> James W8ISS > > I just checked my Ubuntu 7.10 and, no, I did not have the gpredict > package installed. In a private letter to KD2BD, I noted two other > things: first, if I uninstalled the package and built predict from > source the result was a properly-functioning copy of predict; > secondly, the 'broken' copies could be fixed by putting a predict.tle > and predict.db file from a working copy in the ~/.predict directory. > It must be something about the routines that create those files for > the first time in ~/.predict; however, permissions are an obvious > problem because the predict.qth file makes it just fine. > > 73, Bruce > VE9QRP > >> >> ---------- Original Message ----------- >> From: "Bruce Robertson" <ve9qrp(a)gmail.com> >> To: "John Heaton" <john(a)manchester.ac.uk> >> Cc: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >> Sent: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:23:58 -0300 >> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Predict 2.2.3 for Linux >> >> > On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 7:37 AM, John Heaton <john(a)manchester.ac.uk> >> > wrote: >> > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- >> > > Hash: SHA1 >> > > >> > > >> > > On 16 Mar 2008, at 05:50, Bruce Robertson wrote: >> > > > Your Predict is possibly dying for a lack of a TLE file. Point to >> one >> > > > with the -t command-line parameter. Ensure also that a qth file >> is >> > > > being created in ~/.predict and that you as user can read it >> with, >> > > > e.g. 'cat'. I believe predict is supposed to find a tle file in >> that >> > > > same directory, but I think I've had troubles with that option. >> > > >> > > Predict will run without a TLE file - you won't see any predictions >> > >> > I just double-checked this, and I still find that if there is no tle >> > file and none pointed to with a -t switch, it will die as Kent >> > described below. Namely, it will send you to the new user screen and >> > then exit when the info is entered. (Unfortunately, it exits with the >> > terminal in a funny state.) In my experience, it does this on a fresh >> > install with apt-get on Ubuntu, or with a build install (using root). >> > This is a frustrating loop for the user, since he or she can >> > reasonably expect that the data is entered after the first attempt, >> > and furthermore the qth file can be found in the ~/.predict >> > >> > I've taken a screenshot and posted it at >> > http://heml.mta.ca/Amsat/predict-fail.png >> > >> > If, however, you use -t to point it to a tle file it can't parse, it >> > will do as you, John, describe above. More specifically, you can >> > select the [P] option from the main menu, but this results in a blank >> > list of satellites from which to choose. >> > >> > For instance, the following command will produce this effect: >> > brucerob@heml:~$ touch foo >> > brucerob@heml:~$ predict -t foo >> > >> > I get the exact same effect if I use the documented nasa tle files. >> > For example: >> > >> > brucerob@heml:~$ wget >> http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/keps/current/nasa.all >> > brucerob@heml:~$ predict -t nasa.all >> > >> > Fails the same as my 'foo' file above. However if I edit out the >> > comments in the file describing the file format so that the first >> > line begins with 'AO-07', predict operates normally. >> > >> > > > Finally, make sure that your tle file does not have any comments >> at >> > > > its top before the actual elements. For instance, the commonly >> used >> > > > nasa.tle files have a set of comments describing the tle format. >> > > > Predict dies on these. >> > > >> > > Predict ignores data in the TLE file before the TLE data, so if you >> > > get your TLE as a meil message you don't need to remove the headers >> > >> > Perhaps predict is written to ignore the headers of a mail message, >> > but not the comments that appear in the nasa file? >> > >> > I hope it is understood that I'm documenting this because I like >> > predict and consider it a wonderful arrow in AMSAT's quiver. Indeed, >> > since it might be a potential AMSAT'er's first encounter with pass >> > prediction -- given that it is part of the debian world -- I think we >> > should ensure that it is very easy to use. Furthermore it >> > cross-compiles like a dream: as I've said elsewhere it works >> > identically on a Nokia N800; and another member of this list got it >> > to run on the gumstix platform. >> > >> > 73, Bruce >> > VE9QRP >> > >> > > >> > > > >> > > > On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 12:59 AM, Kent R. Frazier >> <k5knt(a)amsat.org> >> > > > wrote: >> > > >> I just installed Ubuntu Linux 7.10 and Predict 2.2.3 on my >> > > >> notebook. When I >> > > >> start Predict I get the "new user" screen where I enter the >> required >> > > >> information. After pressing the "enter" key on the last entry I >> > > >> get a >> > > >> command prompt. I can not seem to get to the main menu. >> > > >> >> > > >> Is anyone using this software that could offer some >> suggestions? >> > > >> Or maybe >> > > >> another alternative to run under Linux? >> > > >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> > 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 >> ------- End of Original Message ------- >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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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Spirit of Knoxville
by G0MRF＠aol.com 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

Looks like the Spirit of knoxville balloon flight is over the Atlantic and heading for the UK and Europe _http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/dashboard/dashboard.html_ (http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/dashboard/dashboard.html) 73 David

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Help with AO-16 and "reverse tracking"
by Rick Mann 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

Hi. I'm pretty new to all this. I've had one successful contact in my life (with ISS, no less!), but I decided last night to try AO-16. I have an ICOM IC-910H. I put it into satellite mode, and set it up to receive LSB/USB on 437.0260 MHz, and transmit FM on 145.9200 MHz. One thing the IC-910H instructions said to do is transmit a tone (like a whistle) and be sure one can receive that. After listening for some time (to a nearly overhead pass), at 5am, I tried doing that. Now, I *think* I heard myself, but a weird thing was if my whistle tone got lower in pitch it sounded higher. Not sure if that was just my imagination. In any case, MacDoppler seemed to be changing frequencies differently for transmit vs. receive. The 910H's manual talks about reverse tracking, where doppler on receive goes up while it goes down on transmit. Could someone clarify these things for me? Why would they be different? Thanks! -- Rick

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Predict 2.2.3 for Linux
by Kent R. Frazier 18 Mar '08

18 Mar '08

I just installed Ubuntu Linux 7.10 and Predict 2.2.3 on my notebook. When I start Predict I get the "new user" screen where I enter the required information. After pressing the "enter" key on the last entry I get a command prompt. I can not seem to get to the main menu. Is anyone using this software that could offer some suggestions? Or maybe another alternative to run under Linux? Thanks, Kent -- Kent R. Frazier, K5KNT

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Replacement switch part for Yaesu G-5500
by Eduardo Jacob 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

Hi A switch of our faculty's club Yaesu G-5500 Controller is broken. We have put another one but I would like to know of it's possible to get a replacement for aesthetic view. Sent a message to Yaesu with no answer. Any ideas? Best regards and thank you Eduardo/EA2BAJ

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comprar antena arrow para satellites 144-432
by ea4fg fermin ciudad real im88ax 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

Gentlemen am EA4FG Ciudad Real in IM88AX SPAIN want any radioamateur I can do or sell ARROW antenna hope hearing 73's

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8 hour Backup Power Rule
by Robert Bruninga 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

AMSAT: As I have been interested in finding ways to offer emergency communications support via some of our satellites if possible, I came across this topic which might provide a useful consideration for ham radio emergecny planning... That is, conider the magic "8 hour" rule being pushed by the FCC onto the cell phone companies. Attached below is more than you want to know about it, but it suggested to me a thought for Ham radio. That is, if ham radio is going to "offer services" for emergency preparedness, then if we made sure that we could offer more than "8 hours of black-out" communications, then we are one step ahead of the nations cellular network... Who are fighting the FCC to avoid that requriement. Just something to use in your quiver. The Satellite Simulated Emergecny Test SSET web page is where I am collecting these thoughts... http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/sset.html Bob, WB4APR -----Original Message----- From: tacos-bounces+bruninga=nadn.navy.mil(a)amrad.org [mailto:tacos-bounces+bruninga=nadn.navy.mil@amrad.org] On Behalf Of Karl W4KRL Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 6:07 PM To: tacos(a)amrad.org Subject: Cell Carriers Fight Backup Power Rule KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When Hurricane Katrina assaulted the Gulf Coast in 2005, wind and flooding knocked out hundreds of cell towers and cell sites, silencing wireless communication exactly when emergency crews and victims needed it. To avoid similar debacles in the future, the Federal Communications Commission wants most cell transmitter sites in the U.S. to have at least eight hours of backup power in the event main power fails, one of several moves regulators say will make the nation's communication system stronger and more reliable. Two and a half years after Katrina and eight months after the FCC's regulations were first released, the two sides are still wrestling with the issue. A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., put those regulations on hold last week while it considers an appeal by some in the wireless industry. Several cell phone companies, while agreeing their networks need to become more resilient, have opposed the FCC's backup power regulations, claiming they were illegally drafted and would present a huge economic and bureaucratic burden. There are almost 210,000 cell towers and roof-mounted cell sites across the country, and carriers have said many would require some modification. At least one industry estimate puts the per-site price tag at up to $15,000. In a request for the FCC to delay implementing the change, Sprint Nextel Corp. wrote that the rules would lead to "staggering and irreparable harm" for the company. The cost couldn't be recouped through legal action or passed on to consumers, it said. Jackie McCarthy, director of governmental affairs for PCIA - The Wireless Infrastructure Association, said the government should allow the industry to decide how best to keep its networks running, pointing out that all the backup power in the world won't help a cell tower destroyed by wind or wildfires. "Our members' position is that the 'one size fits all' approach to requiring eight hours of backup power at all cell sites really doesn't accomplish the commission's stated purpose of providing reliable wireless coverage," McCarthy said. The wireless carriers also are claiming the FCC failed to follow federal guidelines for creating new mandates and went far beyond its authority when it created the eight-hour requirement last summer. FCC officials have so far stood their ground. "We find that the benefits of ensuring sufficient emergency backup power, especially in times of crisis involving possible loss of life or injury, outweighs the fact that carriers may have to spend resources, perhaps even significant resources, to comply with the rule," the agency said in a regulatory filing. "The need for backup power in the event of emergencies has been made abundantly clear by recent events, and the cost of failing to have such power may be measured in lives lost," it said. A panel of experts appointed by the FCC following Katrina was critical of how communications networks performed during and after the storm. The group noted that service restoration was "a long and slow process." Panel members recommended the FCC work with telecommunications companies to make their networks more robust. Regulators then created the eight-hour mandate, exempting carriers with fewer than 500,000 subscribers. Wireless companies quickly complained about the regulations, calling them arbitrary and saying they would rob them of the flexibility to target backup power upgrades at the most important or most vulnerable cell sites in their networks. They also said local zoning rules, existing leases and structural limitations could make it impossible to add batteries or backup generators to cell sites. Miles Schreiner, director of national operations planning for T-Mobile, said it can take 1,500 pounds or more of batteries to provide eight hours of backup energy in areas with a lot of cell phone traffic. "In urban areas, most of the sites are on rooftops and those sites weren't built to hold that much weight," Schreiner said. In regulatory filings, the FCC has said the wireless carriers chose to put their equipment in areas that can't be readily expanded. However, the agency agreed in October that it would exempt cell sites from the rules but only if the wireless carrier provided paperwork proving the exemption was necessary. It would give companies six months from when the rules went into effect to submit those reports and then another six months to either bring the sites into compliance or explain how they would provide backup service to those areas through other means, such as portable cellular transmitters. CTIA-The Wireless Association and several carriers asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to intervene, saying the exemptions would still leave wireless companies scrambling to inspect and compile reports on thousands of towers. On Feb. 28, the court granted Sprint Nextel's request to stay the regulations while the case moves forward. Oral arguments are scheduled for May. An FCC spokesman said the agency was disappointed with court's decision. Not all carriers have joined the fight. Verizon Wireless is not a party to the appeal and has a history of installing backup generators and batteries to its cell sites. Most famously, during a 2003 blackout that kept much of the Northeast in the dark for hours, Verizon customers could still communicate. AT&T, the nation's largest wireless carrier, would not comment on the FCC regulations. McCarthy, whose organization represents both the wireless carriers and companies that lease space on their own cell towers, said her members worry that they will face a high hurdle to get exemptions. "I don't think it's hyperbole or exaggeration to say if it gets to that point with specific sites it could lead to sites being decommissioned," she said. "If the ultimate endgame is a site being turned off because of noncompliance, the area immediately around that site is going to have an immediate negative impact. It's going to hurt public safety from day one." By DAVID TWIDDY AP Business Writer _______________________________________________ Tacos mailing list Tacos(a)amrad.org http://www.amrad.org/mailman/listinfo/tacos

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OSCAR-11 Report
by Clive Wallis 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

OSCAR-11 REPORT 17 March 2008 OSCAR-11 celebrated its 24th birthday on 01 March 2008. It was designed, built and launched, within a time scale of six months, using commercially available components. Congratulations to Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO, his team at the University of Surrey and associated groups of radio amateurs, for their magnificient achievement. This report covers the period from 17 February to 17 March 2008. The satellite was heard from 03 to 13 March. Previously the transmissions which started on 11 February were terminated prematurely after only four days. The watchdog timer cycle appears to have continued for its full 21 days, thus restarting transmissions on 03 March. Signals have been very variable in strength sometimes very strong, sometimes undetectable, even at high elevations. Low signal strength was particularly noticeable at AOS and LOS, and also towards the end of the transmission period, which on this occasion, lasted the full ten days. The next transmissions should start on 24 March. However, permanent eclipses start a few days beforehand, which will probably cause the transmission period to be terminated prematurely, and may even prevent it being heard at all. After March it is unlikely that the satellite will support any sustained period of operation, and will only transmit for a short time, possibly less than a single orbit, every 21 days. The real time clock now serves as a crude indicator of the state of the satellite. Between 04 and 13 March showed an average loss of over two hours per day. time every orbit. When last heard the clock was 83.0958 days slow. I am indebted to Peter ZL3TC, Mark KU7Z, John KB2HSH, Antonio EA1CXG, Edward BX1AD and Andrew VK5LAC for their reports. Many thanks. The satellite is now in continuous sunlight, and this is expected to continue until mid March, when eclipses will start again. Unfortunately eclipses will then become a permanent feature of the orbit, which is likely to prevent any periods of sustained operation after March. The current status of the satellite, is that all the analogue telemetry channels, 0 to 59 are zero, ie they have failed. The status channels 60 to 67 are still working. The real time clock is showing a large accumulated error, although over short periods timekeeping is accurate to a few seconds per month. The day of the month has a bit stuck at 'one' so the day of the month may show an error of +40 days for some dates. The time display has switched into 12 hour mode. Unfortunately, there is no AM/PM indicator, since the time display format was designed for 24 hour mode. The spacecraft computer and active attitude control system have switched OFF, ie. the satellite' attitude is controlled only by the passive gravity boom gradient, and the satellite is free to spin at any speed. When telemetry was last received it showed that one of the solar arrays had failed, and there was a large unexplained current drain on the main 14 volt bus. After 23 years in orbit the battery has undergone around 100,000 partial charge/discharge cycles, and observations suggest that it cannot power the satellite during eclipses, or sometimes during periods of poor solar attitude. The watchdog timer now operates on a 20 day cycle. The ON/OFF times have tended to be very consistent. The average of many observations show this to be 20.7 days, ie. 10.3 days ON followed by 10.4 days OFF. However, poor solar attitude may result may result in a low 14 volt line supply, which may cause the beacon to switch OFF prematurely, and reset the watchdog timer cycle. When this occurs, the beacon is OFF for 20.7 days. The Beacon frequencies are - VHF 145.826 MHz. AFSK FM ASCII Telemetry UHF 435.025 MHz. OFF S-band 2401.5 MHz. OFF Listeners to OSCAR-11 may be interested in visiting my website. If you need to know what OSCAR-11 should sound like, there is a short audio clip for you to hear. There is an example of the latest telemetry received from the satellite. The website contains an archive of news & telemetry data. It also contains details about using a soundcard or hardware demodulators for data capture. There is software for capturing data, and decoding ASCII telemetry. The URL is www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ If you place this bulletin on a terrestrial packet network, please use the bulletin identifier $BID:U2RPT143.CWV, to prevent duplication. 73 Clive G3CWV xxxxx(a)amsat.org (please replace xxxxx by g3cwv)

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Re: Teaspoons !!!!.
by John Hackett 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

Rgr Mak, That's precisely !!! what I was referring to re: lack of intelligence. It only takes one cretin to ruin it for everybody - but personally, I don't give a rat's anymore - the log can become as corrupt as the ZZ1ZZZ wishes it to be as far as I'm concerned. I could delete the whole thing ... but that would put me on the same level as ZZ1ZZZ ... I'm just leaving 'em to it. I've wasted enough time and energy on it. After 40 years at this game I learned a *LONG* time ago, like the VFO swishers, the only sensible way is to ignore them completely. Some people can't do that, I can - like I said, I don't give a rat's anymore. I tried and failed - no big deal, some clown somewhere will be strutting his stuff thinking ... "look what I did" ... but of course the majority of people who do have a bit of common sense will be thinking - "what an idiot". 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org> From: sv1bsx(a)yahoo.gr To: la2qaa(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: Teaspoons !!!!. Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:03:55 +0200 .....what did you say? Not just "idiots", but there are also ...women and not men. They have NOT balls... Take a look at this picture (attachment), it's from the AO-7 Log before 5-10 mins. Well, this guy has not the balls to write his "callsign" and signed as... ZZ1ZZZ ! But he commented me. Of course I deleted that and I would like to see his face after the "deleting". Probably he don't know that, I can "broke" the page, at any time - ho ho ho. Anyway John, as I said to you before some of them are... big idiots. I think we spent our time for nothing. 73, Mak ----- Original Message ----- From: John Hackett To: SV1BSX Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 7:32 PM Subject: Teaspoons !!!!. Good one !! Mak, We're going to have to feed it to them with a teaspoon !! - like a baby. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org> From: sv1bsx(a)yahoo.gr To: la2qaa(a)amsat.org Subject: bulletin on... LOG ! Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:27:06 +0200 John, take a look: http://www.planetemily..com/ao7/ao7log.php "PEASE DO NOT write CQ here! ONLY CALLSIGNS" Instructions... for the .. idiots ! Of course I will DELETE it after few hours. Just I hope to see it that the usual ... idiots. OFF LIST message !!!!!!!!!!! 73, Mak Email: sv1bsx "AT" yahoo ...gr URL : http://sv1bsx.50webs.com avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 080313-0, 03/13/2008 Tested on: 3/16/2008 18:27:11 avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2008 ALWIL Software. avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 080313-0, 03/13/2008 Tested on: 3/16/2008 19:35:00 avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2008 ALWIL Software.

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Oldest Man-made object in space 50 years old today
by Daniel Schultz 17 Mar '08

17 Mar '08

Vanguard 1, the oldest satellite still in orbit, turns 50 years old today. It is estimated to have made 196,990 revolutions of the earth and traveled 10.5 billion kilometers, about 1.5 times the distance to Pluto. 1 00005U 58002B 08075.92633413 +.00000078 +00000-0 +12198-3 0 02678 2 00005 034.2528 327.4245 1846497 023.9793 343.6731 10.83896434719370 The rocket body is also still in orbit: 1 00016U 58002A 08075.15159796 -.00000019 +00000-0 +12928-7 0 07151 2 00016 034.2550 114.7671 2030531 091.0602 292.1633 10.48034668988929 along with a clamp band: 1 01576U 58002C 08076.47746087 -.00000533 00000-0 -52958-3 0 2479 2 01576 034.2201 158.0956 1478594 146.1608 224.2880 11.61518610 38390 http://www.heavens-above.com/satinfo.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&alt=0&loc=Unspecified… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/nrl-vic031308.php http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1241 If you were affiliated with Project Vanguard, please send a note to vanguard2008(a)yahoo.com Dan Schultz N8FGV (who is not quite old enough to remember that launch)

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