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

f.s. S-band downverter
by Patrick Marineau 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

For Sale: K5GNA AIDC 3731 downverter. Retuned for 2400 Mhz with 2 meter I.F. installed, with power supply and bias tee, cables, reflector. Unit is new, never used. Purchased for AO-40, but bird died before I could use it. $55 shipped CONUS Thanks, Pat K9HF ____________________________________________________________ Free information - Scholarships for college, university or tech school. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.mybluelight.com/TGL2341/fc/BLSrjpderLMf8hQ2znWQLMwV…

1 0

Down converters
by Douglas Anoman 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

I would like to thank everyone for helping me find the downconverters. KC9MLN Thank You Douglas Anoman

1 0

down converter
by Douglas Anoman 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

Where and how do i get a down converter from 2.4 to 435 mhz? KC9MLN Thank You Douglas Anoman

7 6

AO51 SSTV
by Ron Miles 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

What are most AMSAT folks using for SSTV software? My objective is to TX and RX SSTV via AO-51 or ISS using a soundcard interface like the Rigblaster Nomic. BTW, enjoyed the VS mode this past week on AO-51. Thanks es 73, Ron, n6paa

8 8

P3E question.......
by Chad Phillips 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

I have been trying to find the latest news on P3E on the NA, UK and Dl websites. Really cannot find anything. Can anyone enlighten me to the status and or current news of the sat? Thanks, Chad kg0mw

1 0

yagi design
by Bert Audenaert 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

Hi all, Hereby my first mail on this BB. I want to start with satellite communication. I already build an eggbeater antenna, but togheter with my TS2000 i receive only very poor signals. To work more comfotable, i want to build two yagi antennas (one for 2m and one for 70cm) with an azimuth/elevation rotor system. For the 2m version, I took the following design of DK7ZB as a start: http://www.qsl.net/dk7zb/start1.htm -> 144MHz yasis -> 6 El-28-Ohm (2m60). Because I want to tune this antenna to the upper side of the 2m band (I had 145.800MHz as center frequency in mind), I entered the data of this yagi in MMANA GAL, a free NEC program (http://mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/mmana/). After Calculation, i got totally diferent results as on the DK7ZB website. Please find the MMANA file as an attachment on this mail. What am i doing wrong? 73, Bert - ON4DMD

3 3

Re: Last heard AO-7 435 beacon?
by Greg Beat 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

Alan - I think you are correct. I heard the AO-7 2-meter beacon the last minute of an overhead pass at sunset (local) the next day (18th) last week -- while waiting for an ISS pass. I actually was surprised (and pleased) to hear it on my Icom IC-211 as it was headed over Canada! greg w9gb Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:24:51 -0000 From: "Alan Cresswell" <alancresswell(a)xtra.co.nz> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Last heard AO-7 435 beacon? To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Message-ID: <FAAA6A54FC78464AA088362C417DD59F@satellite> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Mark, The mode A beacon was always very strong here but I have not heard it for the last few days. The last telemetry I copied was 17 March at 0900 UT. Alan ZL2BX

1 0

Advise on APRS sw
by Edward Cole 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

I have a request that is sort-of off topic with this list - please excuse. I have run win APRS for several years to track vessels on water. But the graphics are all land-based for road travel and show no marine details. Also, they are kind of crude graphics for today's standards. For road travel I obtained an old Delorme Street Atlas program that supported APRS and although the program details are seriously out of date it is still usable. But this is only useful for land travel. So my question is whether there is an APRS program that easily imports map files and overlays mobile tracks? Ideally, I could import any of the newer digital marine charts as a map. There are map programs that allow laying out navigation and trace onto the map display, but the way-points need to be manually input. I need an APRS program that runs a track automatically from an APRS beaconing station. Thanks, Ed - KL7UW

1 0

Re: DM35/DM45 trip today - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

Hi! Thanks to WB3JFS for pointing out a typo in my earlier posting. I parked on 112 degrees *West*, not North. My error. The map link had my location right, at least. Time for bed... 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ On 3/22/09, Jeff Yanko <wb3jfs(a)cox.net> wrote: > Hi Patrick! > > Sounds like you had a good trip and operation. One point I need to make. > You mentioned the 112 degree North location. I think AZ would be a little > off the map. :0 > > > 73, > > Jeff WB3JFS > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)" <amsat-bb(a)wd9ewk.net> > To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 12:35 AM > Subject: [amsat-bb] DM35/DM45 trip today - report > > >> >> Hi! >> >> I just returned home in the past hour, after a fun day away from >> Phoenix in the mountains and trees of northern Arizona. It was >> a little breezy, some snow was still on the mountaintops and in >> shady spots in the areas around 7000 feet/2134m elevation or >> higher, and a great day to play radio. >> >> I used the same spot I went to twice in 2008 to park on the >> DM35/DM45 grid boundary (112 degrees North). In fact, I was able >> to put my radio gear in the back of my truck exactly on the spot >> I used for those two trips last year, and then take the now- >> obligatory photos for VUCC documentation. I was along old US 66 >> just north of the I-40 freeway 20 miles/32km west of FLagstaff >> AZ: >> >> http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35+15.570+n+112+0.00+w&jsv… >> >> I worked two AO-27 passes and two AO-51 passes from here this >> afternoon/evening. The ISS gear was turned off for the spacewalk, >> and remained off into the evening. SO-50 was passing by at almost >> the same times as the two AO-51 passes, and I decided to work the >> AO-51 V/U repeater instead of SO-50. I made 11 QSOs on each of >> the AO-27 passes, 10 on the first AO-51 pass to the east, and 6 >> on the later western AO-51 pass. Stations from southern Mexico >> to Alaska and Canada went in the log from there. Making 38 QSOs >> on 4 passes, and avoiding the heat in Phoenix... not a bad day. >> >> This was my first time on AO-27 since it was brought back from the >> dead earlier this month. Nice to see so many stations on those 7- >> minute passes. Hopefully it stays operational for a long time, to >> fill in those afternoons before AO-51 comes by later in the day >> (for those of us in the western USA). Of course, the first AO-51 >> pass I had was full of stations. Not too many, later in the day, >> on the western pass. >> >> Before I went out to the DM35/DM45 line, I took a bunch of pictures >> of the Flagstaff area including the Lowell Observatory that is >> above downtown Flagstaff. I'm thinking about taking the pictures I >> have from today, and making a small slide show and making it >> available to whoever wants it. With a digital camera I bought a >> year ago, I now have lots of pictures and - with the trips I've >> done in the last year - lots of stories I could put to "paper". >> >> If I missed working you from DM35/DM45 today, I will be back in that >> area during the upcoming summertime. There is a hamfest in Williams, >> a small town about 10 miles/16km west of where I stopped today, and >> I would probably make a trip back to this spot like I did before the >> same hamfest last year. Plus any open weekend I have could be a good >> time to go there, when it is over 110F (44C) here in Phoenix. >> >> Good night, and 73! >> >> >> >> Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK >> http://www.wd9ewk.net/ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> > > >

1 0

DM35/DM45 trip today - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

Hi! I just returned home in the past hour, after a fun day away from Phoenix in the mountains and trees of northern Arizona. It was a little breezy, some snow was still on the mountaintops and in shady spots in the areas around 7000 feet/2134m elevation or higher, and a great day to play radio. I used the same spot I went to twice in 2008 to park on the DM35/DM45 grid boundary (112 degrees North). In fact, I was able to put my radio gear in the back of my truck exactly on the spot I used for those two trips last year, and then take the now- obligatory photos for VUCC documentation. I was along old US 66 just north of the I-40 freeway 20 miles/32km west of FLagstaff AZ: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35+15.570+n+112+0.00+w&jsv… I worked two AO-27 passes and two AO-51 passes from here this afternoon/evening. The ISS gear was turned off for the spacewalk, and remained off into the evening. SO-50 was passing by at almost the same times as the two AO-51 passes, and I decided to work the AO-51 V/U repeater instead of SO-50. I made 11 QSOs on each of the AO-27 passes, 10 on the first AO-51 pass to the east, and 6 on the later western AO-51 pass. Stations from southern Mexico to Alaska and Canada went in the log from there. Making 38 QSOs on 4 passes, and avoiding the heat in Phoenix... not a bad day. This was my first time on AO-27 since it was brought back from the dead earlier this month. Nice to see so many stations on those 7- minute passes. Hopefully it stays operational for a long time, to fill in those afternoons before AO-51 comes by later in the day (for those of us in the western USA). Of course, the first AO-51 pass I had was full of stations. Not too many, later in the day, on the western pass. Before I went out to the DM35/DM45 line, I took a bunch of pictures of the Flagstaff area including the Lowell Observatory that is above downtown Flagstaff. I'm thinking about taking the pictures I have from today, and making a small slide show and making it available to whoever wants it. With a digital camera I bought a year ago, I now have lots of pictures and - with the trips I've done in the last year - lots of stories I could put to "paper". If I missed working you from DM35/DM45 today, I will be back in that area during the upcoming summertime. There is a hamfest in Williams, a small town about 10 miles/16km west of where I stopped today, and I would probably make a trip back to this spot like I did before the same hamfest last year. Plus any open weekend I have could be a good time to go there, when it is over 110F (44C) here in Phoenix. Good night, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

1 0