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

Thick as 2 short planks.
by John Hackett 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Hello Al, You said ... >I already have the equations for LO19 in front >of me... simple ennuf for a five year old! Aye, well, then you can appreciate the work LA2QAA had doing is' sums "longhand". Remember, my last remaining active dozen or so braincells have been 'out to lunch' for the past 5 years. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

1 0

Re: [eu-amsat] Re: Good ideas for the AO-7 log.
by John Hackett 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Igor, You're right of course, the actual "data" is public domain, only the site is 'copyright'. I don't know if you're computer competent - I'm not - but Mak SV1BSX is ... though whether he has time to create a dedicated site ... or whether you want to do it ... I don't know ... so I'll throw the ball up into the air and see if anyone else is interested in creating a site where the data is "controllable" - and therefore valid and correct. The great advantage of the current AO-7 site is the eclipse charts and the seasonal statistics - though these are now becoming misleading due to the accumulative errors. Anybody want to stick their hand up?. BTW ... I've been in direct contact with Alex of Amsat.ru for quite some time now so I'm indebted to you for the introduction. In fact, GM1SXX and myself have proposed a common project. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org> To: eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com From: rw3xl(a)yandex.ru Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 17:30:27 +0000 Subject: [eu-amsat] Re: Good ideas for the AO-7 log. John, copyright about what?? Records which were made by me, they mine? And records which has made LA2QAA, they whose? :) I think, that with copyright problems cannot be basically. I'm try to import log data from ao7 site and for a less then hour have 2006-2008 years in CSV-format. It is not complex. But I had a second question. It is necessary for whom else, except for LA2QAA and RW3XL :) --- In eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com, John Hackett <archie.hackett@...> wrote: > > > Igor, > A good idea but I'm not sure about eventual copyright issues. > > I am the 'official' administrator of the AO-7 Resource Page Log but the problem is - I cannot do anything without N1DID's - > (ex: W0EEC) - permission since she (exclusively) holds the original copyright. > > The whole problem stems from the fact that N1DID "disappeared" into SECOND LIFE and doesn't answer her mail. > > My editing privilages which were normally renewed every 1st January with a cookie - have been suspended due to the lack of contact with N1DID so there's nothing I can do to edit the mistakes like I used to. > > A pity, but such is the situation. > > 73 John. <la2qaa@...> > > To: eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com > From: rw3xl@... > Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 10:36:19 +0000 > Subject: [eu-amsat] Re: Good ideas for the AO-7 log. > > Hello! > I have such offer. > Can be copy all data in new base and place it on other site? > Probably, that any part of data will be gone. But I think, that not > so much. > A question in the one who will write the program for work with this > base? > I could find a place with a suitable name (for example oscar7.net, > oscar7.org) and which support MYSQL and PHP4/5 :) > In this case becomes possible: > To find the new Administrator who will have full access to a site. > Count QSO/Points or any other position in the log, like we need (As > we shall explain to the Administrator), e.t.c. > It is necessary to do it on a noncommercial basis. I, for example, > can find a hosting. > --- In eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com, John Hackett <archie.hackett@> > wrote: > > Alan, > > > A timely and intelligent mail - nice! one. > > > I played at super dooper pooper scooper - (log cop) - for a couple > > of years but it was as you correctly percieved taking up too much of > > my time. > > I wused to be Emily's page administrator but since she disappeared > > into the burrow of 2nd Life and despite "millions" of 'carrots' - > > (read: e-mails) - I've lost contact with her. > > I do wish she'd pop her head out with a quick - "What's up Doc?". > > I'm now involved in other aspects of the Grand Old Lady ... AO-7, > not N1DID. > > > 73 John. <la2qaa@> > > > > From: ve4yz@ > > > > To: la2qaa@; sv1bsx@ > > > > CC: amsat-bb@; eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com > > > > Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] More AO-7 log. > > > > Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 09:01:17 -0600 > > > > > > > > Regrettably, there seems to be only a few ways of "Ham - > > Proofing " the > > > > logging system. > > > > > > > > One would be to add some logic to the code for the form entry to > > prevent > > > > submitting unless at least one of the QSO entries are completed. > > This may > > > > require diving into the rabbit hole to rescue Emily from her > > Second Life and > > > > nicely asking her to tweak the code. However, it would not > > prevent entrants > > > > from adding dummy info just to get a count. > > > > > > > > Another would be having a super user act as "log-cop" and zap bad > > entries. > > > > That may be perceived as badly as a "grammar cop" or "spelling > > cop" on this > > > > BB, and, who would want to waste that amount of time each day > > cleaning up > > > > other's messes. But it could be mitigated if a warning line was > > added to the > > > > top of the table. "Invalid entries and empty QSOs will be > > deleted" > > > > > > > > Another that comes to mind would probably involve Emily and may > > actually be > > > > the easiest. The entire database could be conditioned > > occasionally. Again > > > > a super user could execute a single line SQL statement that > > purges all > > > > entries where the QSO is blank or includes text such as "CQ". > > DELETE FROM > > > > table_name WHERE column_name = some_value. I'm ignorant of the db > > used here > > > > but hesitantly *assume* in might me MySQL or something similar. > > > > > > > > The SQL statement could even be automated in a chron process and > > executed > > > > automatically each day. > > > > > > > > Or, folks could just use common sense and read the second > > sentence at the > > > > top of the log - "IF YOU HAVE A CONTACT TO REPORT...." Oh, we > > already > > > > tried that and it didn't work... > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: amsat-bb-bounces@ [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@] On > > > > Behalf Of John Hackett > > > > Sent: March 4, 2008 2:17 AM > > > > To: sv1bsx@ > > > > Cc: amsat-bb@; Eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com > > > > Subject: [amsat-bb] More AO-7 log. > > > Mak, > > > > Despite our repeated requests ... yesterday ... > > > > > > > > W7AIT 15:49 > > > > W7AIT 15:50 ... (seperate QSO's) > > > > PY4AJ CQ > > > > VK4ZQ CQ > > > > > > > > Like I mentioned ... don't these people 'look' at what they > > write? ... or > > > > note how those that fill in the log correctly do it? ... or even > > read the > > > > Amsat mail?. > > > > > > > > What can one do?. > > > > > > > > Statistics are no use to man nor beast if they're incorrect - and > > over the > > > > first 3 months of this year there are enough errors to ensure > > that the > > > > statistics *ARE* wrong ... agreed, they're only small mistakes > > and agreed > > > > that - "it's only a hobby" - but what is the point in filling in > > the log in > > > > the first place if you're not going to do it correctly?. > > > > > > > > Having pointed out the errors once, twice and three times on both > > bulletin > > > > boards in the last 14 days I assumed that ought to be enough - > > obviously it > > > > wasn't ... so I don't know about you but I'm not going to bother > > anymore. > > > > > > > > Since the main "contenders" are English speaking one cannot blame > > the > > > > language. The panes are clear enough and cannot be misconscrued. > > The hour > > > > glass is self explanitory - you yourself have explained more than > > once how > > > > to fix things if they do occasionally go amok - (data is "data") - > > I'm > > > > referring to the - 'remember me' - checkbox issue. > > > > > > > > It's a pity such a useful resource is allowed to become a mess. > > > > > > > > EOR ... (End of rant). > > > > > > > > 73 John. <la2qaa@> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Sent via AMSAT-BB@ 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 > > > > __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (4) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group Share Photos Put your favorite photos and more online. Featured Y! Groups and category pages. There is something for everyone. Yahoo! Groups How-To Zone Do-It-Yourselfers Connect & share. . __,_._,___

1 0

Telemetry.
by John Hackett 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Today I was asked how I came by the results of the TLM I posted re: LO-19. There are two ways to translate the TLM. 1) Use Mike Rupprecht's (DK3WN) excellent software at <http://www.dk3wn.info/software.shtml> mirrored at the LA2QAA/GM1SXX site at ... <http://www.observations.biz/> Or ... to make it more interesting you can do it "longhand" like this ... (see the attached pic) ... though some would say it's about as interesting as watching paint dry. You can learn a *LOT* by monitoring 17 year old birds. (Don't be "naughty".....GM1SXX) Taking some of today's TLM. 0503081016Z ... (which translates to 03-March-08 at 1016 UTC) ... we get 1 control and 8 TLM channels. LUSAT HI HI AO AVA AB4 TDA ANV TB6 ADN AVE AE6 The channels equate to ... 0 = T 1 = A 2 = U 3 = V 4 = 4 5 = E 6 = 6 7 = B 8 = D 9 = N ...and the equations are ... Ram (version) 0 = no errors E " error CH 1 = 636 divided by 131 = 4.85 volts. nominal +5v CH 2 = 0.064 times 174 = 11.1 volts. nominal +10 battery voltage CH 3 = 0.354 times 081 = 28.6 degrees C nominal CW transmitter temp CH 4 = 10.9 + 180 squared divided by 40.1 = 21.36 mW nominal tx output power CH 5 = 0.356 times 136 minus 76 = 21.36 degrees C nominal box temperature CH 6 = 0.7 x 189 = 132.3 mA nominal +10 v current CH 7 = 0.15 x 135 = 20.25 volts nominal +Z voltage panel CH 8 = 0.056 times 156 = 8.3 volts nominal +8.5 voltage Now ... if "ya'll" all have a squint at the attached pic from a "professional" TLM program you'll see that today's telemetry is correct. (Copied "manually" by LA2QAA with the characters written three times above eachother - to stay 'awake' with 12wpm CW) DEDEEZY! - and GM1SXX is right - (he usually is.....LA2QAA) - when he says it will be interesting to watch the TLM regarding the battery status after 17 years in space. As usual, I agree with him. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

1 0

Re: Success: AO-51 Heard This Morning!
by Bill Dzurilla 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

You can make a dual band ground plane as simply as this: http://www.eham.net/articles/7005 If you prefer to buy, something like would work nicely: http://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=ZMF-1754 Or just put your Comet or other dual band vertical somewhere on your roof. Many people with flat roofs even use a mag mount over a large cookie pan or other sheet of metal. In my (limited) experience, all vertical and omni directional antennas work about the same, including the expensive Eggbeaters. They work fine as long as the satellite is more than about 25 degrees elevation above the horizon, which for most people is good enough. If you get serious about the sats and want to work the lower elevations, an Arrow or other dual band yagi will be needed, and you will have to rotate it, either by hand or with a small rotator. When you are ready to make a contact, remember that AO-51 is busy and you need to talk quickly and clearly, or else someone else will step all over you. You might want to start on a late night weekday pass when it's not so busy, weekend afternoons are the worst. 73, Bill ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

1 0

Earlier Message
by Martha 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

To clarify my earlier message, the block of rooms I mentioned was for Dayton. In addition, we have rooms blocked for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. -- 73- Martha

1 0

Re: Success: AO-51 Heard This Morning!
by Bill Dzurilla 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Congrats, Kent, now hope to work you soon. What was the problem? If best reception was at .310, your receiver is probably a few khz off, which may have been a factor. If it turns out that the driveway location was bad, a simple ground plane on the roof will get you going strong. 73, Bill NZ5N ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

2 1

Tongue-in-cheek.
by John Hackett 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Oyez!, I'd forgotten why it was I tended to avoid FM satellites like the bubonic plague ... hey!, back off - I did have a QSO on AO-51 once and two !!! on AO-27, 10 years ago. Anyway, this morning I decided to see if things had changed so I fired up my trusty (and otherwise totally useless) IC-E91 and 'arra' aerial ... OK !!!!, antenna. Stepping out into the 33.9cm of 'manna from heavan' (snow, to you!) I aimed my pointed stick at the sky like any intellegent person would do (!) and tried the age old tricks of ... portable ... JP33WB ... Frei Island ... (not all at once of course). After only a few minutes I 'remebered' ... it isn't the FM satellites that are are fault ... though they are not the 'smartest' things for amateur radio communications ... it's those operators who call without actually listening who muck it all up. What *is* the point of calling somebody while they're actually speaking to somebody else ??? ... I'm so THICK I can't figure out how this works ... (on FM) ... maybe somebody with a few more braincells would like to enlighten me as to the theory behind this technique. I'm quite familiar with 'tailending' while QRP operating but calling somebody while they're speaking ... (on FM) ... I havn't figured out yet. However ... "each to his own" ... and that's how it should be - but I'll stick to LINEAR satellites thank you very much. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

3 2

Here It Is
by Martha 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

To answer many a query - Yes, we have a block of rooms. You can email or call me with the following info: name, daytime phone number, dates room needed, credit card number and expiration date. We have 15 rooms Wednesday, 30 on Friday and 30 on Saturday. Remember "if you snooze, you lose"! -- 73- Martha

1 0

Success: AO-51 Heard This Morning!
by Kent R. Frazier 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

I missed the pass last night that I was planning on listening for due to family commitments. At approximately 14:02 UTC (08:02 CST this morning) I heard traffic on 435.310 MHz! Hooray, hooray, hooray! <grin> I was en route to work, so I wasn't able to write anything down and I don't yet have a recording device. As soon as I reached the parking lot at work the buildings blocked the signal. At least now I know I'm not going crazy. I was about ready to give up, but this has renewed my determination. I have downloaded quite a lot of the resources that have been suggested and I'll read them as time permits. Thanks to all who have been helpful and replied both on and off this board. If I haven't responded personally I still appreciate all of the help and suggestions. 73, Kent, K5KNT -- Kent R. Frazier, K5KNT

1 0

Re: [eu-amsat] Re: Good ideas for the AO-7 log.
by John Hackett 05 Mar '08

05 Mar '08

Igor, A good idea but I'm not sure about eventual copyright issues. I am the 'official' administrator of the AO-7 Resource Page Log but the problem is - I cannot do anything without N1DID's - (ex: W0EEC) - permission since she (exclusively) holds the original copyright. The whole problem stems from the fact that N1DID "disappeared" into SECOND LIFE and doesn't answer her mail. My editing privilages which were normally renewed every 1st January with a cookie - have been suspended due to the lack of contact with N1DID so there's nothing I can do to edit the mistakes like I used to. A pity, but such is the situation. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org> To: eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com From: rw3xl(a)yandex.ru Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 10:36:19 +0000 Subject: [eu-amsat] Re: Good ideas for the AO-7 log. Hello! I have such offer. Can be copy all data in new base and place it on other site? Probably, that any part of data will be gone. But I think, that not so much. A question in the one who will write the program for work with this base? I could find a place with a suitable name (for example oscar7.net, oscar7.org) and which support MYSQL and PHP4/5 :) In this case becomes possible: To find the new Administrator who will have full access to a site. Count QSO/Points or any other position in the log, like we need (As we shall explain to the Administrator), e.t.c. It is necessary to do it on a noncommercial basis. I, for example, can find a hosting. --- In eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com, John Hackett <archie.hackett@...> wrote: > > > Alan, > A timely and intelligent mail - nice! one. > > I played at super dooper pooper scooper - (log cop) - for a couple of years but it was as you correctly percieved taking up too much of my time. > > I wused to be Emily's page administrator but since she disappeared into the burrow of 2nd Life and despite "millions" of 'carrots' - (read: e-mails) - I've lost contact with her. > > I do wish she'd pop her head out with a quick - "What's up Doc?". > > I'm now involved in other aspects of the Grand Old Lady ... AO-7, not N1DID. > > 73 John. <la2qaa@...> > .................................................................... ......................... > > > From: ve4yz@... > > To: la2qaa@...; sv1bsx@... > > CC: amsat-bb@...; eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com > > Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] More AO-7 log. > > Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 09:01:17 -0600 > > > > Regrettably, there seems to be only a few ways of "Ham - Proofing " the > > logging system. > > > > One would be to add some logic to the code for the form entry to prevent > > submitting unless at least one of the QSO entries are completed. This may > > require diving into the rabbit hole to rescue Emily from her Second Life and > > nicely asking her to tweak the code. However, it would not prevent entrants > > from adding dummy info just to get a count. > > > > Another would be having a super user act as "log-cop" and zap bad entries. > > That may be perceived as badly as a "grammar cop" or "spelling cop" on this > > BB, and, who would want to waste that amount of time each day cleaning up > > other's messes. But it could be mitigated if a warning line was added to the > > top of the table. "Invalid entries and empty QSOs will be deleted" > > > > Another that comes to mind would probably involve Emily and may actually be > > the easiest. The entire database could be conditioned occasionally. Again > > a super user could execute a single line SQL statement that purges all > > entries where the QSO is blank or includes text such as "CQ". DELETE FROM > > table_name WHERE column_name = some_value. I'm ignorant of the db used here > > but hesitantly *assume* in might me MySQL or something similar. > > > > The SQL statement could even be automated in a chron process and executed > > automatically each day. > > > > Or, folks could just use common sense and read the second sentence at the > > top of the log - "IF YOU HAVE A CONTACT TO REPORT...." Oh, we already > > tried that and it didn't work... > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: amsat-bb-bounces@... [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@...] On > > Behalf Of John Hackett > > Sent: March 4, 2008 2:17 AM > > To: sv1bsx@... > > Cc: amsat-bb@...; Eu-amsat(a)yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [amsat-bb] More AO-7 log. > > > > > > Mak, > > Despite our repeated requests ... yesterday ... > > > > W7AIT 15:49 > > W7AIT 15:50 ... (seperate QSO's) > > PY4AJ CQ > > VK4ZQ CQ > > > > Like I mentioned ... don't these people 'look' at what they write? ... or > > note how those that fill in the log correctly do it? ... or even read the > > Amsat mail?. > > > > What can one do?. > > > > Statistics are no use to man nor beast if they're incorrect - and over the > > first 3 months of this year there are enough errors to ensure that the > > statistics *ARE* wrong ... agreed, they're only small mistakes and agreed > > that - "it's only a hobby" - but what is the point in filling in the log in > > the first place if you're not going to do it correctly?. > > > > Having pointed out the errors once, twice and three times on both bulletin > > boards in the last 14 days I assumed that ought to be enough - obviously it > > wasn't ... so I don't know about you but I'm not going to bother anymore. > > > > Since the main "contenders" are English speaking one cannot blame the > > language. The panes are clear enough and cannot be misconscrued. The hour > > glass is self explanitory - you yourself have explained more than once how > > to fix things if they do occasionally go amok - (data is "data") - I'm > > referring to the - 'remember me' - checkbox issue. > > > > It's a pity such a useful resource is allowed to become a mess. > > > > EOR ... (End of rant). > > > > 73 John. <la2qaa@...> > > _______________________________________________ > > Sent via AMSAT-BB@... 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 > __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (2) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group Sitebuilder Build a web site quickly & easily with Sitebuilder. Moderator Central Get answers to your questions about running Y! Groups. 10 Day Club on Yahoo! Groups Share the benefits of a high fiber diet. . __,_._,___

1 0