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

SatPC32 Icom706 Subtone enable for AO-51
by Robert L Lasso 23 May '08

23 May '08

I am using SatPC32 to control a pair of IC706MkIIG's. The CAT control with the SubTone "T" feature does not enable the subtone when trying to use AO-51. I enable the sub tone on the IC706 Uplink xcvr, toggle the T button to T1, but as soon as CAT control changes the frequency to allow for doppler shift, the tone function is disabled in the xcvr by the program even though T1 in the program is still enabled. What is the correct instruction code to enter in the SubTone.SQF file in SatPC32 for the IC706. The current command line in the file reads: AO-51,67.0,$3F,1. Any help is greatly appreciated. 73, Robert W6RQR

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satellite antennas for sale
by Bill Bruno 23 May '08

23 May '08

The Arrow antenna has been sold. Thanks for all the inquires. Bill KB2RC

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Moscow Space Symposium.
by John Hackett 23 May '08

23 May '08

Notabene ... (NB, to you!). Regarding contacting Alexander Zaitsev for the Moscow Space Symposium. If the @izmiran.ru address bounces your mail ... you may use this one. zait007(a)rambler.ru 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

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UNIVERSAT symposium. Moscow.
by John Hackett 23 May '08

23 May '08

Al, Please add this notice to Observations. ............................................................................................ Call for papers. UNIVERSAT Space Symposium. Moscow, Members of EU-Amsat, Amsat-UK, Amsat-NA and anyone else interested in Amateur radio satellites are cordially invited to submit papers on space related subjects - particularly cubesats in education - to The third International Symposium UNIVERSAT-2008, which is organised by the Skobeltsyn Institute Of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University - which will take place on September the 1st to the 6th, 2008 at the Conference Halls of The Moscow State University Boarding Houses in Zvenigorod, Moscow Region, Russian Federation. Details can be seen at <http://cosmos.msu.ru/universat2008/> Papers and/or queries should be submitted to Alezander Zeitsev RW3DZ <zaitsev(a)izmiran.ru> The deadline for papers is May the 31st but extensions may be possible. This is an excellent forum for satellite interested individuals to take part in an international space symposium as well as discuss the possibility and prospects for future projects and launch opportunities. On behalf of RW3DZ and the forthcoming space symposium ... 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org> Homepage: <http://www.observations.biz> This notice is submitted to EU-Amsat and the Amsat-bb. It also appears on http://www.observations.biz

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ANDE FCAL Re-entry
by Armando Mercado 23 May '08

23 May '08

Hello, Space Track is now predicting ANDE FCAL re-entry this Sunday, May 25 at 1120 UTC +/- 14 hours. Predicted location of re-entry is 42.9 N 59E. ANDE FCAL (NO-62) altitude is less than 108 miles. Beacon is 437.385MHz and doppler is amazing on an overhead pass. ANDE FCAL SPHERE 2 1 29667U 06055J 08144.15059494 .01241272 12319-4 12424-3 0 9692 2 29667 051.6119 077.8021 0003880 260.9751 099.0908 16.37292428 82558 73, Armando N8IGJ

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Re: Satellite antennas for sale
by Stephen Melachrinos 22 May '08

22 May '08

Bill - With all due respect, since you require "pick up only" it would be a lot easier for buyers to gauge interest if you included your address (or at least region) or even your callsign (so that they could look you up on QRZ). Steve W3HF >I'm getting out of the satellite portion of the hobby. I have 3 antennas to >sell at about half the cost, pick up only. Contact me off line if >interested. > Gulf Alpha 2M-5ELSAT and M2 436 CP30. Also have an Arrow antenna. >Bill > >

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SEEDS II CW report
by andy thomas 22 May '08

22 May '08

SEEDS II heard on CW: At 2050 +/_ UTC 000000014d6v7vv03v jqiyga seeds g4 01 fe r0 sa d33 fr e9 av 009 000 000 067 422 60f ad4 699 b26 possibly, then lost in noise cw copied manually from .wav file, the groupngs are how they appeared to me, I haven't checked tlm format. RIG: IC910H doppler corrected by Ham Radio Deluxe, switched to usb on 437.484 (was expecting packet on FM). WiMo 70cm RHCP helix no preamp, fixed el/az to max-el. Locator: IO92 NL I cannot send the WAV file throug h the website and will send a qsl card to: Nakamura & Miyazaki Laboratry Nihon University College of Science and Technology Department of Aerospace Engineering 7-24-1 Narashino-dai Funabashi-city Chiba 274-8501 Chiba Japan 73 de andy G0SFJ __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail. A Smarter Email http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

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FM satellites...
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 22 May '08

22 May '08

Hi! It is interesting to see all the messages and opinions on the "Organized Chaos" thread(s), and similar threads in the past, when it comes to the FM satellites. Sad, also. FM satellites, whether you want to accept this fact or not, serve as the entry point for those interested in satellites but not interested in a large outlay of $$$ for a satellite station. Many hams have the gear - a 2m/70cm FM dual-band transceiver, or separate 2m and 70cm FM transceivers - to give this a try. Some try it, make a few contacts, and go away. Others stick with it, never progressing beyond these satellites but enjoying hearing other people who come and go on these passes. Some go on to assemble nice stations for use with all sorts of satellites (I want to do this, once my situation stabilizes in the next few months). AO-51 provides opportunities to try something other than 2m and 70cm, a nice resource for those building stations for use with future satellites using 1.2 or 2.4 GHz or digital modes for example. AO-16 has been a nice challenge, with its 70cm DSB downlink - especially when using a portable station without the benefit of computer control. Although I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to make QSOs via VO-52 with my portable gear, I have not given up on that satellite. Here in North America, there are some crowded passes that don't allow for much more than an exchange of call signs and grid locators - not unlike working a big DXpedition or contest station on HF. Other passes have maybe a couple of other stations, and those are fun for having a little more of a chat to make use of the pass. There are people who will work an HF contest for up to 48 hours, with very little communication going on there - an enjoyable activity to them. Look at the results in CQ magazine for their big international contests, or the ARRL web site and QST for the ARRL contests, to see that. Others like me enjoy getting on the satellites for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, working whoever happens to show up. For me, it has been much easier to make time for these passes than to work any significant portion of a weekend HF contest. I see in the QSL cards I receive lots of "thanks for my first satellite QSO" or "thanks for my first Arizona satellite QSO" or "thanks for a new grid (or new grids)". My log has well over 600 unique calls in the 3800+ satellite QSOs I have made in the past 2 1/2 years, from dozens of locations in 4 states and almost 20 different grids. Sure, there are some who show up regularly, and those stations have been very helpful to the new operators. We need more of that. I've also engaged in lots of e-mail exchanges with those just starting out, giving suggestions and advice for those wanting to get started or wanting to improve on their stations. As for those who insist that FM satellite operation is about equal to the same degree of difficulty to cell phone operation... I'd like to know what cell phone requires one to adjust the receive frequency to deal with Doppler when making or receiving calls, for example. I don't remember seeing a VFO on my Nokia phone, either. A computer-controlled station takes care of the frequencies and antennas, allowing the operator to just make contacts - but this is hardly an "apples to apples" comparison with using a cell phone. If this was the case, that FM satellite operation was as difficult (easy) as cell-phone operation, why are demonstrations and presentations at hamfests and clubs popular events? We can build large and complex stations that many people think of for satellite operation, but there is the other extreme (handheld radio with handheld Yagi or long telescoping whip, for example) - like those using a used 100W rig with a dipole on HF, compared to towers and big Yagis and new rigs with amplifiers. I have read about those who used to travel all over, putting many different grids on the air in the past. There are some like N5AFV, W6GMT, and KD6PAG here in the US (among many others) who have done this for a long time and still enjoy doing that. I've done a little bit of that in recent months, operating from 11 different Arizona grids since March. There are a few Mexican hams who have been doing the same thing - XE2AT and XE1MEX have done this for a long time; in recent times add stations like XE2HWB, XE2JA, and XE2RV (among many others) who are doing the same thing in their areas. All of this is happening on the FM satellites. Why do we do this? Because it is fun! Would I like to have a high-orbit satellite to use? Sure! I would enjoy the opportunity to travel and put grids on the air for those outside of North America to hear and work. I would enjoy hearing other continents without dealing with propagation as on HF. I was not around this part of the hobby for the days of AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40. Like everyone else, I'm hoping to see P3E, Eagle, and the Intelsat-AMSAT venture (or anything else) put a high-orbit bird into operation. Until then, I will use what we have now - the FM birds, work on my station for VO-52 and AO-7 (I've heard myself in SSB through VO-52, but have to work better on hearing myself clearly on the downlink when transmitting when not using computer control), and have fun. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ (going to DM44 and maybe the DM43/DM44 line northeast of Phoenix on 24-26 May, then I'm off to a hamfest DM34 in the morning followed by DM25/DM35 in the evening on 31 May - all on FM satellites, with maybe a try for VO-52 during the upcoming weekend for my first non-FM satellite QSO)

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Satellite antennas for sale. more info
by Bill Bruno 22 May '08

22 May '08

My call KB2RC, Antennas are Located in Orlando Florida. Sorry for the omission. Bill

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Satellite antennas for sale
by Bill Bruno 22 May '08

22 May '08

I'm getting out of the satellite portion of the hobby. I have 3 antennas to sell at about half the cost, pick up only. Contact me off line if interested. Gulf Alpha 2M-5ELSAT and M2 436 CP30. Also have an Arrow antenna. Bill

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