February 2009 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Linksys routers and 2M "birdies"
by Mark L. Hammond 05 Feb '09

05 Feb '09

Hello All, I know this was discussed before, but I want to bring it up again. Does anybody have a Linksys wireless router/4-port hub that does NOT make ugly noises around 145.870 MHz (and the satellite portion of 2M in general)? I don't want a D-Link (bad previous experience), and I prefer Linksys; but I would consider some other brand. Thanks in advance for the feedback! -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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Re: Cell Phone in Spce
by Tony Langdon 05 Feb '09

05 Feb '09

At 01:33 PM 2/4/2009, Kelly Martin wrote: >Cell phones need about -95 dBm received to work at all (and really at >-95 dBm about all you get is network beaconing, with no ability to >actually place a call). Typical cell transmit powers rarely go past >one watt, and I think the cell base stations rarely go much over ten >watts (per channel). I think you'll find that there's too much path >loss for that to work to even LEO, notwithstanding the fact that cell >tower antennas typically have radiation patterns that send virtually >all the signal into terrain, that being where the cell phones are. Some systems (GSM being the main example) have a distance limitation, of how far you can go from the base station, without losing sync due to propagation delay. Suffice to say this is well short of any LEO, even the ISS. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com

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SatPC32 and VR-5000
by Andrew Glasbrenner 05 Feb '09

05 Feb '09

Is any one successfully using a VR-5000 controlled with SatPC32? 73, Drew KO4MA

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Re: New HT for 144/430/1200MHz
by Clint Bradford 05 Feb '09

05 Feb '09

Alinco DJ-G7 - This is the radio that should be announced at Dayton this year. Production of the U.S. version expected to start in June. Neither price nor specs for the US version are currently available. It's on Alinco's Japanese Web site ... http://www.alinco.co.jp/denshi/03/djg7_f4.html Clint Bradford, K6LCS / KAF3359 909-241-7666

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SumbandilaSat launch
by G0MRF＠aol.com 05 Feb '09

05 Feb '09

A brief announcement has been made on the Clydespace website saying that the South African satellite SumbandilaSat will be launched from Baikonur on the 25th of March. Not sure that some of the detail is correct, but they seem positive about the date. _http://www.clyde-space.com/news/127_date-set-for-launch-of-sumbandilasat-s… (http://www.clyde-space.com/news/127_date-set-for-launch-of-sumbandilasat-sa) _http://www.sunspace.co.za/programmes/ZA002.htm_ (http://www.sunspace.co.za/programmes/ZA002.htm) 73 David G0MRF

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New Alinco DJ-G7 HT questions?
by davidmkelly＠gmail.com 04 Feb '09

04 Feb '09

I had Google translate the webpage about the forthcoming Alinco DJ-G7 and am still left with a few questions. • Since the modes are F1D/F2D/F3E am I safe to assume it doesn't receive SSB or CW? They almost made the perfect HT! • The 1200 MHz frequency output is 1 watt. Is this sufficient with a hand held Yagi to work AO-51? The EIRP math doesn't look good to my thinking. • So they show it at Dayton and given past timelines when would it be available for sale? • The translations says nothing about packet operations that I can see. Does anyone have any thoughts on this aspect of the new HT? Given the right answers this could be as the Google Translation of the Alinco website says "This is the handy machine, I want!" David AC7LY

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Iranian satellite keps?
by andy thomas 04 Feb '09

04 Feb '09

Re the Iranian launch: Celestrak reports the following keps: 2009-004A 1 33506U 09004A 09034.19387999 .00095226 13865-4 25133-3 0 80 2 33506 55.5083 313.4501 0099270 151.1927 209.4657 15.86589494 74 2009-004B 1 33507U 09004B 09034.19673867 .00095923 13300-4 31019-3 0 92 2 33507 55.5529 313.4400 0144903 154.1368 206.6998 15.75803087 65 Day 34 of 2009 is February 3rd and it's a 55 degree inclination so visible in the UK: I would check through 435-437 MHz for unusual signals at predicted AOS, you never know. 73 de andy G0SFJ

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Fw: George Caswell Sr. - W1ME/K1MON SK
by Jerry Muller 04 Feb '09

04 Feb '09

George was a friend for over 35 years. I will miss him. Jerry - K0TV ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hartley Gardner" <hartleyg(a)att.net> To: "Jerry Muller" <k0tv(a)arrl.net> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 8:25 PM Subject: [Fwd: George Caswell Sr.] Hi Jerry, Please pass this on to anyone you think should know. 73 DE Hartley -------- Original Message -------- Subject: George Caswell Sr. Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 18:54:33 -0500 From: Caroline P. Caswell <cspc(a)myfairpoint.net> To: Hartley Gardner <hartleyg(a)worldnet.att.net>, sara <msmj4(a)mainester.net>, Ron & Trish <patrona(a)hal-pc.org>, Judy & Bob Jamison <Jamison2(a)att.net>, John Adams <adams404(a)roadrunner.com>, <jlmono(a)earthlink.net>, Gail Teran <gailteran(a)yahoo.com>, Elsie Adams <danderlion(a)fairpoint.net>, Carl Achin - WA1ZCQ <wa1zcq(a)amsat.org>, Anthony Monteiro <aa2tx(a)comcast.net> George E. Caswell, 63, of Scarborough, ME died peacefully at the Maine Veterans Home on February 3rd after a lengthy illness. He was born and raised in Waltham, MA, the only child of Vera and Leslie B. Caswell. He was married in Newton, MA on Jan 3, 1970 to Caroline Parmenter of Palermo, Maine. In 1978 they moved to Scarborough, ME where they raised their two children, Christine and George Jr. George was an avid ham radio operator from the age of 13 when he received his first call sign, K1MON. In later years, after relocating to Maine, he changed his call sign to W1ME. George was particularly interested in amateur satellite operation and contacts with astronauts aboard Mir and the ISS. In Feb 2005, he set up his radio station at the Rockland, ME high school as part of a PenBay radio club activity and contacted the International Space Station, allowing high school students to communicate with the astronauts aboard. It was one of the highlights of his amateur radio involvement. George was educated in Waltham, MA schools and attended Westbrook College for two years. He served in the U.S. Army from 1965-1968 with 27 months being served in Viet Nam. He was employed by Verizon, originally New England Telephone, for 31 years as a central office technician. George was also a private pilot for many years and a former member of the Baldeagles Flying Club in Portland. George is survived by his wife of 39 years, Caroline P. Caswell; daughter Christine and her husband Moises Nuñez, of Somerville, MA: son George and his wife Laura Johnston, of Reading, MA; mother-in-law Elsie Adams of Palermo, ME; a special niece, Sara Robinson, her husband Mike, and daughters Makayla and Jayna; brothers-in-law Jack Adams of Fairfield, ME and Ron Adams of Houston, TX and their families: and several nieces and nephews. Family, friends, and neighbors are welcome to an open house at the Caswells? home at 16 Westwood Avenue in Scarborough on Saturday February 7 from 2-5pm to share memories and condolences. The family will have a burial service in the spring at the Maine Veterans Cemetery in Augusta. Donations in George's Memory may be made to: Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter 170 US Route 1, Suite 250 Falmouth, ME 04105

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Re: New HT for 144/430/1200MHz
by Allen Vinegar 04 Feb '09

04 Feb '09

Go to this URL and wait for translation http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home…

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KKS-1 Command send
by oguro-t＠asahi.com 04 Feb '09

04 Feb '09

Dear KKS-1 command station seems to transmit the command that changes the mode at february 4 03:19UTC. KKS-1 begins to repeat the same beacon now. 609/01/2403:17:00 Details http://www.kouku-k.ac.jp/~kks-1/kks-gs-news-e.htm JG1KOE T.Oguro

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