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

re polarity control help needed
by Angus 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

Hi all, I have built a simple polarity control box to allow V, H, RHCP & LHCP off my 6 element homebrew crossed yagi. The yagi had an SWR of 1.1 to 1 on 145mhz on the 45degree and 135degree elements, so they are fine. The control box is a copy off the G6LVB website and the VHF/UHF manual 4th edition. The unit is basically 2 x 1/4waves of 75ohm coax to use as a matching unit and then relays to switch in or out 1/4 wave and a 1/2wavelength of 50ohm coax to give the different polarities. My small problem is although the SWR through all the modes is under 1.5 to 1 I would like to bring it down a little, but is it worth the effort? results: V polarity 144mhz 1.2 to 1, 145mhz 1.3 to 1, 146mhz 1.5 to 1 H polarity 144mhz 1.5 to 1, 145mhz 1.3 to 1, 146mhz 1.2 to 1 RHCP 144mhz 1.1 to 1, 145mhz 1.3 to 1, 146mhz 1.5 to 1 LHCP 144mhz 1.5 to 1, 145mhz 1.3 to 1, 146mhz 1.1 to Am I worrying over nothing or should I go and alter the unit to give a slightly better result, my head says 'leave lt alone or you will muck it up'. But I am also thinking a little shorter cable might be all it needs? Does anyone know by looking at the figures what cable needs to be altered (longer/shorter). Thanks for any advice regards Gus M0IKB -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 1298 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len

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Tuesday (22 July) activities from WD9EWK
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

Hi! Tuesday was another busy day, with another 459.6 miles/739.5km on the odometer and adding the 10th grid to the list of where I have operated from during this trip. Unlike the previous few days, this was the hottest day - driving through desert instead of mountains and higher elevations as I had done in the previous 5 days. As I was preparing to leave Las Vegas, I worked an SO-50 pass from the DM25/DM26 grid boundary. I only logged 2 QSOs from there. I set out for the Bullhead City AZ/Laughlin NV area south of Las Vegas, where I got lunch before an 85-degree AO-27 pass. For that pass, I parked south of Bullhead City on the Arizona side of the Colorado River, on the DM24qx/DM25qa grid boundary: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=15092323201430215166,35.00000… This was a nice pass, with 15 contacts in 7 minutes. Lots of activity, and not too much non-ham QRM except in the first minute or so of the pass. Many stations were able to talk over the QRM. It was hot outside, at 107F/42C outside, so I parked my truck to get as much shade as possible for this pass. Even with that, I was sweating a lot and drinking a lot of water to keep from dehydrating. I had thought about working later passes on AO-51 from somewhere else in DM24, or possibly DM23. The heat was the main reason why I didn't bother to make additional stops. In the summertime, the area I was driving through (along the Colorado River dividing Arizona and California) generally gets the hottest temperatures in the continental USA - and I wanted to get home. I will go back through my logs and notes, and post a better summary of the trip including the hamfest at the start of the group late last week. I can say that I drove 1603.5 miles (2580km) in 6 days, operated from 10 grids, and had fun despite the high prices of fuel along the way. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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AMSAT-UK Colloquium this weekend via the Web
by Gould Smith 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

The BATC (British Amateur Television Club) has announced that they will be broadcast the AMSAT-UK Colloquium live from Surrey University via web video. This will be on the weekend of July 26 and 27. All will be welcome to watch with no log in or membership requirements The Colloquium is a chance to listen to the satellite designers and builders, and get the most up to date information about on going satellite projects and techniques. The Live text will be working throughout the weekend so you can field any questions directly to the floor of the lecture hall. Their site is http://www.batc.tv . The AMSAT-UK Chairman, Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO will open the Colloquium Friday, July 25 at 1500 UTC. Thanks go to BATC for providing this service. Gould, WA4SXM

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go32 techsat/data sat
by Mr Jeffrey L Ross 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

hi folks, no-go this am with the new rig, so am trying the old rig as i have a less dcd blinking with the old rig. I think it has to do with pkt mode, dig mode, lsb, usb, etc control on the new rig, the old rig has none of this, just 9600 baud/1200 baud. I have caught go-32 before with this set up so should be able to get it again. It's been awhile though. Was wondering if anyone got any data from the sat this am pass USA? Now if i could reach the mail box on this sat and leave mail for someone on the other side of the earth, now that would be sat comms. Would probley even send in more money. hi . To even download (a piece at a time) of a pic of earth, now that would be a treat. What year is it? 2008. And we can not do this yet, hmm. oh well waiting, For the USA Team to get one out there. Thanks Israel, Thank you AMSAT-NA for doing what you can. kc8gkf #32321

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Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - Operating Survey
by John Price 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

At Dayton I ask the folks what there plan was and they said there was none. If it ain't right the horse lied. 73's << John On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 1:45 AM, Edward Cole <kl7uw(a)acsalaska.net> wrote: > At 02:34 AM 7/22/2008, you wrote: >> >> James, I wont be investing in 3 gig equipment. If I had plenty of >> money and lots of expertise all things would be possible. In the real >> world it just don't work that way. You are trying to sell Amateur >> Satellite service to the masses by offering them a chance to work >> something that they can't use or afford. The time and expense that is >> put into developing transponders that you can't buy a radio to work is >> not practical. Do you know that Yaesu has withdrawn from the satellite >> market? > > Where have you gotten this news? The FT-847 is out of production but that > does not mean they aren't working on new satellite rig. > > > ***************************************************** > 73, Ed - KL7UW BP40iq, 6m - 3cm > 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xp20, 185w > http://www.kl7uw.com AK VHF-Up Group > NA Rep. for DUBUS: dubususa(a)hotmail.com > ***************************************************** > -- N4QWF Amateur Radio Operator AO-7,AO-27,SO-50,AO-51,VO-52,ISS Internet N4QWF(a)AMSAT.ORG Echolink nodes #110903 -L #388463 Formerly KC4AHW VK3FEZ Amsat Member #27845 DXCC #33,478 VUCC SAT #135 WAS SAT #296 51 on AO-51 #13 LON -79.256 LAT 37.459 Grid FM07il >From the Foothills of the Blueridge *Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - "WOW, What a ride!"

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Just finished the survey
by Michael Tondee 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

I have to say I'm in agreement with some of the comments already expressed here. I found some of the answer choices too limiting. For instance I'm like everone else in that I'd like to see an HEO launched, or a GEO if it's at all within the relam of possibility but I wonder if there shouldn't be a parallel pursuit of an LEO linear transponder bird. I just have this fear of putting all our eggs in one basket with an HEO only to find we will never be able to find a launch for it. I've already expressed the opinion that P3E will be finished at the end of this year and then languish in storage for God knows how long before a launch can be found. I do sincerely hope I'm wrong but suppose I'm right. What is the fallback plan? FO-29 is gone as far as North America is concerned and the venerable AO-7 probably can't sustain it's wonderful ressurection forever. That leaves VO-52 and Delfi -C3 when it comes to linear transponders. Tell me if I'm missing one. Unlike some here, I am one that enjoys the FM birds but doesn't AMSAT-NA need to be at least considering a linear transponder LEO? It may very well be the best we can do. 73, Michael, W4HIJ

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Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - Operating Survey
by Bill Ress 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

Hello all, On August 10-11, the AMSAT Senior leadership will be holding a critical "strategy" meeting with the theme of "Can We? Should We?" launch a HEO satellite. As a board candidate, I feel it's essential that "strategic" decisions must consider the membership's opinions and desires. The last membership survey taken was in 2004 by Gunther Meisse, W8GSM. So, to get the current thinking of the membership, I invite you take the simple, anonymous, no cost (probably unscientific) survey that I have prepared to determine your operating preferences at . . . . . http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/55247/amsat-operating-preferences I will be using this simple, easy e-survey format to get membership opinion on future topics. This is my first go at it, so I hope that I selected the right buttons to make it work. Let me know if you run into any issues at . . . n6ghz(a)amsat.org I'll let the survey run for about a week and then I'll share the results here on the -bb with a copy of the results to the senior leadership. Regards...Bill - N6GHz

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Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - OperatingSurvey
by Ronald Long 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

I do not think this is helpful. IMHO a survey should come from the BOD, and of course the design should incorporate the thoughts of a number of persons - the BOD, of course, but also others that the BOD recruits. ron w8gus

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Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - OperatingSurvey
by Edward Cole 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

At 08:28 PM 7/21/2008, Dave hartzell wrote: >On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:52 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner ><glasbrenner(a)mindspring.com> wrote: > > > >> > >> Obviously, the GEO is probably the most expensive, with HEO being > >> close to it, > > > > Not necessarily. A small package on Intelsat may be significantly more > > affordable than Eagle. On the other hand, putting everything from Eagle on > > Intelsat would likely be more expensive. There are also considerably > > different risks. Eagle has all the things we've been good about messing up > > previously, and a Intelsat rideshare has almost none. > >As much as I like the idea of an Intelsat ride share, I think there >will be too much non-satellite, non-ham stuff involved, e.g. legal >things and contracts. What kind of MOUs, memorandums, contracts, etc. >are going to be involved? Will hands be tied, due to some kind of >required assurance, from either Intelsat or its manufacturer? Will we >have to buy expensive insurance, so that if the payload malfunctions >and disruptions Intelsat operations, things are covered? What >commitments and assurances need to be put into place? > >No one knows at this point. Intelsat isn't going to be thrilled with >a low-quality product from us, so therefore AMSAT's costs go up, to >help minimize their risks. > > > As Bob B said earlier...there are several tradeoffs to consider, and let me > > say even the BOD doesn't have the full details to consider yet. > >So this is why attaching a "costs vs. benefits" analysis to a simple >survey is so difficult! > > > Personally, I'm in favor of doing whatever project gets us on station with > > long distance comms first, without breaking the piggybank, or too > much risk. > > It is, without a doubt, a very difficult and complicated decision. > >I'm glad we can agree on this! > >Honestly, thanks for chiming into the BB, Drew. It is my hope that >all the other directors are reading. > >73, > >Dave >AF6KD (ex n0tgd) The Intelsat should be much less expensive: 1-free ride 2-free power 3-free stabilization All you provide is RF, antennas, and a communication processor. But the location is specified by Intelsat so only one-third of the earth is covered. Which third do you chose for satellite #1. For whole-earth coverage you need rides to three locations 120-deg longitude apart. Far north latitudes will probably not get coverage due to low angles to GEO. For my location at 60.7 latitude the GEO path is 21 degrees elevation due south and is lower as you move east or west. So continuing with Eagle offers world coverage over a couple days of orbiting. GEO stays in one position. I will see you in Anchorage, Drew! ***************************************************** 73, Ed - KL7UW BP40iq, 6m - 3cm 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xp20, 185w http://www.kl7uw.com AK VHF-Up Group NA Rep. for DUBUS: dubususa(a)hotmail.com *****************************************************

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AMSAT NA
by Jim Danehy 23 Jul '08

23 Jul '08

I have been off the satellites for 25 years. I just spent a bunch of money for antennas and rotors to get back on. After listening to all of the belly aching I wonder if I should join AMSAT (again). Maybe I should try EME . . . . the moon will be there long after I am gone. I have listened on AO 7 and VO 52 to test my 2 mtr yagis. I should be QRV soon. Belly aching just looks bad even if it is warranted. I am not sure if it accomplishes much other than venting for the vanquished. Human nature ugh. Lighten up folks. Jim W9VNE Cincinnati, Ohio em79

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