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

Re: Cal Poly's CP6 Satellite Launching May 5th
by Bob Bruninga 03 May '09

03 May '09

> Cal Poly's next satellite, CP6, is > scheduled to launch on May 5th between > 20:00 and 23:00 EDT. > Modulation: FSK (but uses LSB cheat to make AFSK) > Radio Mode: LSB (neccesary for LSB cheat) > Baud Rate: 1200 baud > Beacon rate: 1 beacon every 2 minutes I sure hope they have a true FSK demodulator, because trying to match almost 9000 Hz of Doppler in the blind to within 100 Hz or so to use AFSK for something that only lasts a second will be a real challenge.... But it is good to see something new in space! Bob, WB4APR

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Re: Elk Mounting (Jerry Felts)
by Mike Ryan 02 May '09

02 May '09

I rigged something that works pretty well from a few more bits of PVC, a couple L brackets and a hose clamp. I can take a few snaps with my phone and send them to you directly if you like. Mike WB1AAT --------------- You wrote: Got my Elk antenna today its too bad I can't find time till maybe tomorrow eveing to play with it. It looks really super. Any one use it on a tripod?? Trying to figure out ideas on how to mount it. Holding it in your had with a lil extra PVC is fairly easy but off hand I don't see a way to do it on a tripod. -- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota www.freewebs.com/nr5a

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Another memorable AO-7 QSO
by n3tl＠bellsouth.net 02 May '09

02 May '09

Hey everyone, I love it when a plan comes together! As I pointed the Elk through the wall toward the northeast this morning - 11:13 UTC - I heard my call in CW, coming from Pedro, EA8AVI. We had a couple of exchanges, and I added Africa via the Canary Islands to the log here. Pedro is one of several hams on the islands who appear on the all-time "roster" of AO-7 users that is part of the Web site for our Grand Old Girl. After finding his call on the roster, I looked him up on QRZ.com and emailed to ask whether he was still active and would be willing to try for a schedule. In typical ham fashion, he not only agreed - but he enlisted another operator on the islands, Cecilio, EB8BRX. The three of us exchanged emails and tried a couple weeks ago, but a computer glitch on this end messed that up. I noticed on Thursday that this early pass this morning and the early one this evening had a good footprint for Georgia and west Africa, so I emailed them again. They responded just as quickly and enthusiastically as they did to my earlier emails, and Pedro was waiting on me this morning. My thanks to them for their cooperation and friendship. Thanks, too, to Joe - K3SZH - who mentioned some calls of African stations he'd heard on AO-7 and pointed me in the direction of the all-time roster on the Web page. Thanks, too, to Patrick, WD9EWK, who suggested Africa as my next target after a couple of European countries made it into my log. What a great way to start the day! 73 to all, Tim - N3TL Athens, Ga. - EM84ha

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AMSAT bouncing email redirections?
by Robert Bruninga 02 May '09

02 May '09

Is anyone else having issues with the AMSAT email re-director? For the last few months or so, everthing I send that happens to have a copy to my wb4apr(a)amsat.org address then gets bounced back at my firewall. Our sysadmin says it is an error at AMSAT that is not properly carrying through the true originators email identity or something liket that. Thus when the copy gets to our system, it bounces because the originators address does not match that field which should be carrying the originators address. Or at least that is how it is explained to me. I have no clue of course, but if others are experiencing something like this, maybe we need to look into it. Thanks Bob, WB4APR

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Typo in earlier post
by n3tl＠bellsouth.net 02 May '09

02 May '09

Hey everyone, My apologies. Cecilio's call is EB8BRZ, not EB8BRX. He prefers SSB to CW, so I'm going to try to work him this evening in SSB just for the heck of it! 73 to all, Tim - N3TL

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Elk Mounting
by n8bbq＠roadrunner.com 02 May '09

02 May '09

Jerry - NR5A, Here are some pictures of my Elk setup: http://www.flexresources.com/n8bbq/pics/ElkAssembled.jpg http://www.flexresources.com/n8bbq/pics/ElkDisassembled.jpg The instructions stressed getting the feedline away from the antenna at a 90 degree angle. I tuck the end of the plastic pipe under my right arm and hold the closest strut with my right hand. When held like a pistol grip, the antenna is horizontal. Polarity can usually be corrected by rotating the right wrist 90 degrees one way or the other. The feedline is a 6 foot RG58 BNC to BNC jumper with a BNC to PL259 adapter at the antenna end. A better feedline might be in order but it's what was on the shelf in the shack. The IC-W32A and headset with remote PTT complete the setup. Preliminary testing is good on the FM LEO's. Have fun. '73 de N8BBQ Ed Got my Elk antenna today its too bad I can't find time till maybe tomorrow eveing to play with it. It looks really super. Any one use it on a tripod?? Trying to figure out ideas on how to mount it. Holding it in your had with a lil extra PVC is fairly easy but off hand I don't see a way to do it on a tripod. -- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota

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Re: New version of AO-27 Schedule Lister released!!!
by George Henry 02 May '09

02 May '09

I'm no Java whiz either (my son is the programmer, not me), but my best guess is that you need to update your Java Runtime version. The program was compiled on a computer with JRE 1.6.0, so you probably need that version. The Windows .exe has run fine on all 5 computers I've tested it on, and all are at JRE 1.6.0. The .jar ran fine on the Ubuntu 8.04 ("Hardy Heron") box I tested it on, but I did not check the Java version on that machine. In Windows, you can check your JRE version clicking the Java icon in Control Panel, or by typing java -version on the command line. 73, George, KA3HSW ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg D." <ko6th_greg(a)hotmail.com> To: <ka3hsw(a)att.net> Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:18 AM Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] New version of AO-27 Schedule Lister released!!! Hi George, I'm kind of dense when it comes to Java applications, but I can't get either version to run. The Windows version pops up an error box saying "Could not find main class. Program will exit.", and the Linux (cross-platform) version says all this stuff, below. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Greg KO6TH greg@p3200:~/download/AO-27_Scheduler> java -jar AO-27Lister1.1.jar Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: Bad version number in .class file at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass2(Native Method) at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:719) at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:160) at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:254) at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(URLClassLoader.java:56) at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:195) at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:188) at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306) at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launcher.java:268) at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:251) at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClassInternal(ClassLoader.java:319) greg@p3200:~/download/AO-27_Scheduler>

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Question about building the "Cheap" Antenna by WA5VJB
by racer5039 01 May '09

01 May '09

I am working on some a couple of the "Cheap" antennas by WA5VJB, that have been talked about on here. I am building these for Field Day and th use for some moble work on AO-51 & AO-27 after that. My question is this, Is the "J" /DE element centered in line with the others or is just the long side in line? My guess is the long side but thought it better to ask. Thanks Marv N0FJP

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Homebrew Elk antenna??
by Jerry Felts 01 May '09

01 May '09

Maybe I'm dreaming this but I thought I saw online somewhere a set of plans or a article on building a copy of the Elk antenna. It was 9 elements and seems like it used a square boom. Am I going totally nuts or just loosing it? -- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota www.freewebs.com/nr5a http://nr5abikeblog.blogspot.com/ http://nr5abeaconblog.blogspot.com/

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Elk Mounting
by Jerry Felts 01 May '09

01 May '09

Got my Elk antenna today its too bad I can't find time till maybe tomorrow eveing to play with it. It looks really super. Any one use it on a tripod?? Trying to figure out ideas on how to mount it. Holding it in your had with a lil extra PVC is fairly easy but off hand I don't see a way to do it on a tripod. -- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota www.freewebs.com/nr5a http://nr5abikeblog.blogspot.com/ http://nr5abeaconblog.blogspot.com/

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Quadfilar Construction
by Dave Guimont 01 May '09

01 May '09

I've resurrected my web site, and can now pass on the instructions on to build a quadfilar. I've since lost the e-mail of the requesters, but send any questions directly to me... It is the best performer of any small antenna, easy to build, and the connectors are the most expensive part, use the best "N's" you can find! http://cid-1973adc8c1d3207c.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public?sa=897861… and click on Quadfil1 for construction... Several other files pertain..... 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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WD9EWK from DM51/DM52, Saturday (2 May) evening...
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 01 May '09

01 May '09

Hi! After the hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ (grid DM41) tomorrow morning, I will plan to stop on the DM51/DM52 grid boundary in southeast Arizona for the AO-51 passes around 0040 and 0220 UTC Sunday (Saturday evening in North America). I know that these grids are not heard often on the satellites, and would be happy to make QSOs with anyone needing either - or both - of these grids. As I typically do on my road trips, I would be happy to send QSLs to anyone I work from DM51/DM52 and/or from the hamfest tomorrow morning. Just e-mail me the QSO details, and I'll put a card in the mailbox. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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special event station ON769MS
by Bert Audenaert 01 May '09

01 May '09

Hi all, >From tomorrow about 10:00h zulu till sunday 15:00h zulu we will be active with our special event station ON769MS. We will be active in several modes, and we gone try to activate the birds also. Special QSL cards are printed for this event. More information (only in dutch) onhttp://www.zevergem.org/TLS/default.aspx 73, Bert - ON4DMD

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Details on Elk Ant
by Jerry Felts 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

I had a bad day dialysis wise and I''m fixin to go to bed. I ordered a Elk Antenna which should be here tomorrow or Sat. How much coax do you need to hook it up? Also what kind?? I will see about mounting it on a camera tripod I have, or hold it. I'm real excited about it. Jerry - NR5A -- Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota www.freewebs.com/nr5a http://nr5abikeblog.blogspot.com/ http://nr5abeaconblog.blogspot.com/

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