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

WG: COMPASS-1 beacon
by Mike Rupprecht 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi all, the beacon was heard by Robert in Hawaii - very low batteries and the heater is on. 18.08.2008 20:29UTC FF080008180000210000900001 --------------------------------------------------- Solar Cell Voltage 5.00 V Solar Panel 6 Cur 50.20 mA Solar Panel 2 Cur 0.00 mA Solar Panel 3 Cur 150.59 mA Solar Panel 4 Cur 50.20 mA Solar Panel 5 Cur 0.00 mA EPS Reset Counter 0 Power Level Critical Battery Capacity Heater Active Battery Heater ON Power Safe Counter 0 Emergency Mode Counter 0 Battery Voltage 2.82 V Battery Current 0.00 mA Battery Temperature 1 °C At this point it is very important to switch off the heater to charge the batteries. Hopefully we are on the right way... Thank you for your support! 73, Mike DK3WN -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Robert Smith [mailto:dukenuke@pixi.com] Gesendet: Montag, 18. August 2008 22:24 An: Mike Rupprecht Betreff: Re: [amsat-bb] COMPASS-1 beacon GOT IT Mike! Strong signal! 00COMPASSFF080008180000210000900001. 1953Z 08/18/08 at 37 el. east of honolulu. Unreal that I deleted Sound Forge last nite for a newer version. I will send AUDIO ASAP. Respectfully robert smith NH7WN Honolulu.

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June 2008 meeting of the IARU Administrative Council
by Trevor 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

The Summary Record of the 24-25 June 2008 meeting of the IARU Administrative Council is now available. It can be seen at http://www.iaru.org/ac-0806min.pdf The news release describing the meeting was previously distributed and is available at http://www.iaru.org/rel080626.html The spectrum requirements document referred to at Agenda Item 10.2 is posted at http://www.iaru.org/ac-08spec.pdf The booklet by ON4UN and ON4WW that is referred to in the footnote at the bottom of page 10 is at http://www.iaru.org/Eth-operating-EN-iaru-SITE-1july2008.pdf International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) http://www.iaru.org/ ---- Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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Re: DIY: Parabolic mirror
by Joe 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Yes,, BUT,, it may be good enough for a low sreq radio signal, but in this casting they still had to make the reflecting surface the same old way, grinding with grits, to even out the surface,, then polish it, then paraboloze it. all the spin casting does it take the "Rough Grinding" portion out of the process, since 90%+ of the concave shape is raedy. But as is, it's still no where near as accurate as it needs to be for optical work. Radio, maybe,, optical nope. mvm wrote: > Joe, > > ?? > > As you surely can see this is an example of rotation casting. In this > case of a large mirror. > > Joe schreef: > >> And your point is? >> >> mvm wrote: >> >>> http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/tech/mirror.htm >>> >>> Greg D. schreef: >>> >>> >>>> Best "form" is probably not to have one. Wasn't there a post >>>> recently talking about making a mirror by spinning casting resin in >>>> a shallow round dish? Perhaps a good use for that old record (*) >>>> player gathering dust in the garage... >>>> >>>> Greg KO6TH >>>> >>>> (*) an ancient mechanical instrument for storing music in an analog >>>> form >>>> >>>> >>>> ---------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> >>>>> Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:59:26 -0400 >>>>> From: ka2pbt(a)arrl.net >>>>> To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >>>>> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: DIY: Parabolic mirror >>>>> >>>>> agree ..... what would be a good form to start with rather than >>>>> the bottom >>>>> of some random water tank?? >>>>> >>>>> Assuming you had a proper form ... I think the construction >>>>> process has >>>>> merit. >>>>> >>>>> The next step would be to coat the fiberglass shell with something >>>>> metallic >>>>> ... foil ... screen ???? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 2:04 PM, Franklin Antonio wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> At 07:34 AM 8/14/2008, Joe wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> Too bad it's not parabolic, and probably far from even spherical. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Precisely. Apparently the author thinks "parabolic" just means >>>>>> some kinda >>>>>> symmetrical concave surface. >>>>>> >>>>>> This guy obviously isn't an antenna guy. >>>>>> >>>>>> I've found Make magazine to be a crock in general. Too bad. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> 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 >>>>> >>>> >>>> _________________________________________________________________ >>>> Reveal your inner athlete and share it with friends on Windows Live. >>>> http://revealyourinnerathlete.windowslive.com?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_W… >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> 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 >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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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Re: COMPASS recovery efforts :-)
by Alan Cresswell 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi Mike, ****14#200# command sent twice at 1047 UT and accepted. Did not send any other commands. Tried again once or twice at higher elevations but no response. Alan ZL2BX -----Original Message----- From: Mike Rupprecht [mailto:mail@mike-rupprecht.de] Sent: Monday, 18 August 2008 09:50 To: Alan Cresswell Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: COMPASS recovery efforts :-) Hi Alan, you are really restless :-) Yes, please try it whenever you can. If COMPASS heard during an eclipse shows me that he didn't made a hard reset. The most important command is the ****14#200#. If the heater remains off we have a good chance that the batteries will be further charged in sunlight. If the voltage reaches an value of 3.7 volts then COMAPSS will switch back to normal mode. What should we do without you ???? Gracefully thanks, Mike ----- original Nachricht -------- Betreff: [amsat-bb] Re: COMPASS recovery efforts :-) Gesendet: Mo, 18. Aug 2008 Von: Alan Cresswell<alancresswell(a)xtra.co.nz> > Hi again Mike, > > Have just had a Compass pass here in eclipse. On the off chance I sent the > heater off command and it was accepted at 0912. Further commands gave no > response. I tried again shortly before LOS and commands 1 and 2 were > accepted. This was a 16 deg pass. The next pass is better but not sure if > you want commands sent during eclipse. Should I try again on the next > pass? > > Alan > > -----Original Message----- > From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On > Behalf Of Mike Rupprecht > Sent: Monday, 18 August 2008 08:56 > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: [amsat-bb] COMPASS recovery efforts :-) > > Hi all, > > > > good news ! Tetsu (JA0CAW) heard the beacon at 00:23 UTC over Japan ! > > > > A great thank especially to Alan (ZL2BX) who switched the heater > successfully off for 3 times (at 1946, 2124 and 2302 UTC), Sion (9W2QC and > Bob (W1ICW). > > And of course to all who tried her best - thanks for your time and support. > > > > This is a good sign, that the batteries will be charged. Please continue to > send the 4 commands to COMPASS whenever you hear the beacon or COMPASS is > in > full sunlight. > > > > Let's hope the recovery efforts are a success! > > > > Respectfully, > > Mike > > DK3WN > > > > > > > > > > Dear Mike > > > > The mail that I sent Compass Team is sent. > > > > 73 > > > > JA0CAW(Testu) > > > > ************************** > > > > > > Dear Kevin > > > > COMPASS-Beacon Report > > > > I heard the Compass Beacon what Beacon might. > > > I slowed the preparation for the recording, and was able to record > only by the last two frames. > > > However, the conviction is not popular whether this is Compass Beacon.. > > > Please hear the recording. > > > > Received time:UTC 00:23 > > > > Aug-18-2008 > > > > UTC Aos 00:14 ELMax(46.0) 00:21 Los 00:27 > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > --- original Nachricht Ende ----

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COMPASS recovery efforts :-)
by Mike Rupprecht 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi all, good news ! Tetsu (JA0CAW) heard the beacon at 00:23 UTC over Japan ! A great thank especially to Alan (ZL2BX) who switched the heater successfully off for 3 times (at 1946, 2124 and 2302 UTC), Sion (9W2QC and Bob (W1ICW). And of course to all who tried her best - thanks for your time and support. This is a good sign, that the batteries will be charged. Please continue to send the 4 commands to COMPASS whenever you hear the beacon or COMPASS is in full sunlight. Let's hope the recovery efforts are a success! Respectfully, Mike DK3WN Dear Mike The mail that I sent Compass Team is sent. 73 JA0CAW(Testu) ************************** Dear Kevin COMPASS-Beacon Report I heard the Compass Beacon what Beacon might. I slowed the preparation for the recording, and was able to record only by the last two frames. However, the conviction is not popular whether this is Compass Beacon.. Please hear the recording. Received time:UTC 00:23 Aug-18-2008 UTC Aos 00:14 ELMax(46.0) 00:21 Los 00:27

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COMPASS-1 beacon
by Mike Rupprecht 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi all, If you hear the COMPASS-1 beacon on 437.275 MHz (CW) please report your results to us. There is a simple decoder to download here: <http://www.dk3wn.info/files/compass.zip> http://www.dk3wn.info/files/compass.zip compass ff073900070300210000a300ff ^ this "1" means - heater ON In this case you can try to send the important command ****#14#200#. And the other ones as well.. COMPASS is in emergency mode - so the beacon comes every 8 minutes. Please listen and have a little patience :-) Thank you very much for your efforts, 73, Mike DK3WN

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Re: Re Compass-1 recovery efforts
by Alan Cresswell 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi Mike, No problem. I will try the test beacon command on the two good passes tomorrow. (14 deg and 58 deg.) I assume you still want me to send the other four commands as well. I will be away for the third pass tomorrow but it is only 4 deg anyway. I should be OK for all other passes for the rest of the week. Alan ZL2BX -----Original Message----- From: Mike Rupprecht [mailto:mail@mike-rupprecht.de] Sent: Monday, 18 August 2008 05:54 To: Alan Cresswell Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re Compass-1 recovery efforts Hi Alan, I can not say enough thank you so much for your time. It is unclear why we get an confirmation but no beacon is sent. The confirmation comes from the internal TTC. The beacon is commanded from EPS to the TTC. So you could try to request a test beacon. This is the code: ****35## The beacon text is: 00 dp0com-compass-1-012345-compass-1 This beacon is also controlled by the TTC. It could be that the internal system bus (I2C) is down and in case we have no internal communcation. Maybe the low voltage is the reason. So if you have a good pass (and you have the time) in full sunlight you can try to get an testbeacon. Thanks for your great support on behalf of the entire COMPASS team. 73, Mike ----- original Nachricht -------- Betreff: [amsat-bb] Re Compass-1 recovery efforts Gesendet: Mo, 18. Aug 2008 Von: Alan Cresswell<alancresswell(a)xtra.co.nz> > Hi Mike, > > All commands sent and acknowledged at 2302 UT on Compass 8 deg pass. > > Alan > ZL2BX > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > --- original Nachricht Ende ----

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Re: Re Compass-1 recovery efforts
by Henk, PA3GUO 18 Aug '08

18 Aug '08

Hi Alan, I am glad you can help them. Here, all my efforts resulted in silence. During the coming days (at least at the times when Compass is in the sun) it is QRL that keeps me busy. So I won't be of much use ... Henk, PA3GUO >Hi Mike, >All commands sent and acknowledged at 2302 UT on Compass 8 deg pass. >Alan >ZL2BX

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WG: Compass-1 recovery efforts
by Mike Rupprecht 17 Aug '08

17 Aug '08

Hi Bob and all, thats really great - good news :-) Now we have 3 successfully contacts. But it seems, the battery voltage is too low for the beacon. The only thing we can do is to try it again and again - and waiting for more illumination (end of august). Every reset of COMPASS will set the initial values and the heater will be switched on. So we need a good pass and switch the heater off when it came out out the eclipse. Maybe the time until the next eclipse is long enough to load the batteries and COMPASS remain alive during the next eclipse. Thank you very much for all your efforts. I am so glad that we have friends around the world :-) 73, Mike DK3WN -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] Im Auftrag von Bob DeVarney W1ICW Gesendet: Sonntag, 17. August 2008 16:38 An: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Betreff: [amsat-bb] Compass-1 recovery efforts Mike and team, I was able to send the commands as well this morning on the 14:30 pass over the Eastern US, and received a "chirpy" confirmation tone after each command ( basically after each second # ) I sent the commands a total of five times to make sure they "stuck". Downlink beep was a good solid S-5 using M2 436CP30 and SSB preamp at the antenna. I monitored the satellite for the entire pass and heard nothing else out of it. 73 and VY GUD LUCK de Bob W1ICW And congrats to Alan, ZL2BX! -- _______________________________________________ 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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more poking around SSB satellites (16 August)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 17 Aug '08

17 Aug '08

Hi! Yesterday, I took my portable SSB satellite station (2 FT-817NDs with Arrow Antennas dual-band Yagi) to a park here in Phoenix on the DM33xp/DM43ap grid boundary: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=33+38.933+N+112+0.00+w&ie=… For the time being, I consider this location my "home QTH" when working satellites. A nice open area, plus being right on 112 degrees West doesn't hurt. I did not wake up early enough to try AO-7 during the morning passes, but I planned to try DO-64 (Delfi-C3) and VO-52 again in the late morning. Later in the day, I tried an AO-7 pass to the east. Mixed results, and a good day - other than the 104F/40C heat and humidity. I first tried a high DO-64 pass at 1727-1741 UTC yesterday morning. About 3 minutes into the pass, I could clearly hear the CW beacon. I did not try to copy the telemetry, but did hear "DELFI" coming through - confirming I was listening to this satellite. No S-meter movement on my receiver, noticeably weaker than VO-52, but workable. I then tried to hear myself through the transponder. Success! Again, signals through this satellite are weaker than VO-52, but for my portable setup I do not need a preamp to hear anything. I heard one other station, a W6, and then I proceeded to pick a spot to camp out and call CQ. I set up so I would be on/around 145.910 MHz USB on the downlink. It did not take long to hear myself transmitting through the satellite. I called CQ, and - unfortunately - only heard myself for the remainder of the pass. A suggestion... since AMSAT is now distributing keps for this satellite in the weekly keps e-mails, why not put this satellite on the web site's pass- prediction utility? I will definitely try for this satellite again, hoping to make some contacts through it. A few minutes later, VO-52 was coming by. Again, a high pass, at 1750-1803 UTC, and I went to work. Calling CQ so I could hear myself around 145.910 MHz USB on the downlink, Ken N6KTH responded a couple of minutes into the pass. We had a nice chat, longer than possible on most FM satellite passes. Ken - sorry if I was drifting around a bit; I was trying to hold my downlink steady and make any tweaks on my transmit frequency. After working Ken, I moved up to 145.915 MHz and called CQ for the remainder of the pass. Glenn AA5PK found me in the last couple of minutes of the pass. We had a quick chat - the satellite was almost out of range for him, and I had about 2 minutes left before I was out of range. In the late afternoon, I returned to the same location to try for AO-7 on a 20-degree eastern pass at 0042-0100 UTC. I forgot that, with my portable setup, I need to look for AO-7 passes with high maximum elevation to hear it with my setup. Last month, I was able to hear AO-7 passes with elevation above 40 degrees. I know that a preamp might help me in this area, but I'd rather take the time (and expense) to have computer control of at least my radios before looking for a preamp. I will try AO-7 again, another time. Some details on my FT-817NDs... both have the TCXO module, both also have the 500Hz CW filter (I also have an SSB filter at home, but with only one filter slot it's more important to me to have that CW filter in place), and I usually transmit at 5W. I bought my first FT-817ND in May 2004, and the second one 3 months ago when I decided that my AOR AR8200Mk2B receiver didn't tune SSB in small enough steps for my first attempts with the SSB satellites. I run both of the radios from a 12V/20Ah gel-cell battery, or I could use the internal NiMH battery packs in each radio (both at 9.6V, 1400mAh in the older 817 and 2000mAh in the newer 817). I have been using the newer 817 as my transmit radio. I'm getting comfortable enough with VO-52 and its powerful downlink, that I will probably include VO-52 in my hamfest and other satellite demonstrations I do. DO-64 could also be on that list, once I make some contacts through it and there are stations on those passes on a regular basis like VO-52. I might continue my focus on FM satellites during road trips, but when I'm not on the move I will try to add the SSB birds to my activities from unusual locations. :-) 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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