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

Re: Grids on the Road
by Rafael Valdez G. 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

John, Congratulations for your VUCC, is impressive to have this achevement with the less possible stations. I also agree that all the /P stations have done a great job letting us to get the rarest grids on satellite... Anyway, griDXpeditions is a great way to hit the road an have aditional fun... 73 DE XE2RV DM41mh ------Original Message------ From: John Papay To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Sent: Aug 10, 2009 7:11 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Grids on the Road Here are some interesting statistics on the movers and shakers in the world of grid dxpeditions. The list represents cards that I have received that have been used for VUCC filings or that will be used in a future filing. If you add them up, the 11 stations that I worked and needed in 4 or more grids total up to 100 grids, enough to file for the basic VUCC award! This is all in the past 2-1/2 years with the vast majority in the last year alone. These stations have operated from many more grids that I had already confirmed. Therefore, the number of grids they operated from is much higher than what I have listed below: Station Nr of New Grids -------------------------- WD9EWK 20 ND9M 16 KD4ZGW 15 KB0RZD 9 KD8CAO 8 N5AFV 7 N5ZNL 7 VO1ONE 6 W6GMT 4 VE6AB 4 WA4NVM 4 Thanks to all of you for making the effort to operate away from home and for giving all of us many new grids. John K8YSE _______________________________________________ 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 <http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb>

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Re: SumbandilaSat Sept 15
by Rodney Waln 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

C@@L i know it it still a month away before it goes up and hope there are no more delays, is amsat thinking of a name to give it yet?? just courios, thanks Rodney kc0zhf

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logging software
by Douglas Anoman 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a great logging software for my contacts, and i'm open for suggestions. Thank You Douglas Anoman KC9MLN KC9MLN(a)AMSAT.ORG Amsat #37043

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keps
by Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

DRAGONSAT 1 35690U 09038B 09221.89608423 +.00022175 +00000-0 +11546-3 0 00164 2 35690 051.6395 030.5236 0004962 117.8896 242.2609 15.80851730001648 ANDE DEB (POLLUX CYLIN) 1 35691U 09038C 09221.70802767 +.00035012 +00000-0 +18101-3 0 00126 2 35691 051.6372 031.5130 0003278 060.5793 299.5342 15.80733597001589 ANDE DEB (CASTOR CYLIN) 1 35692U 09038D 09221.70695586 +.00062797 +00000-0 +31457-3 0 00147 2 35692 051.6378 031.5075 0003507 047.1048 312.9989 15.81158879001585 ANDE POLLUX SPHERE 1 35693U 09038E 09221.70956582 +.00019877 +00000-0 +10632-3 0 00114 2 35693 051.6401 031.5281 0003927 062.6051 297.5208 15.80349868001585 ANDE CASTOR SPHERE 1 35694U 09038F 09221.71086029 +.00010853 +00000-0 +60531-4 0 00126 2 35694 051.6408 031.5388 0004491 065.1875 294.9492 15.80061125001583 ANDE DEB (AVIONICS DECK) 1 35695U 09038G 09221.71034237 +.00026177 +00000-0 +13913-3 0 00128 2 35695 051.6404 031.5352 0004608 067.4387 292.6889 15.80288280001582 -- Nigel A. Gunn, 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA. tel +1 937 825 5032 Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF), e-mail nigel(a)ngunn.net www http://www.ngunn.net Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pigs QRP Club International #385, Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, AMSAT-UK 0182, MKARS, ALC, GCARES, XWARN.

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U-100 rotor on ebay
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

I have a U-100 "elevation" rotor on ebay. XYL says too much "stuff" laying around! http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p4522.m38.l1313&_nkw=alliance+eleva… 73 Bob W7LRD

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Houston AMSAT Net special edition
by Bruce 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

The Houston AMSAT Net on Tuesday August 11 at 8PM Central time (Wednesday August 12 0100 UTC) have planned AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, and AMSAT Vice-President of Human Spaceflight Will Marchant, KC6ROL, as their special guests. Join us on Echolink (conference *AMSAT*) or on our audio stream http://www.thathamkid.com/redirect.php?to=145.47 (works best when pasted directly into Winamp) 73...bruce -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on Echolink - Conference *AMSAT* Also live streaming MP3 athttp://www.amsatnet.com Podcast athttp://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml or iTunes Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org AMSAT on Twitterhttp://www.twitter.com/amsat

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Re: New Cubesat - the Ultimate Fox Hunt
by G0MRF＠aol.com 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

In a message dated 09/08/2009 19:42:06 GMT Standard Time, nss(a)mwt.net writes: Why is it that all re-entries always end in the ball of fire over just a few minutes. Why cannot the re-enetry energy be disipated over a longer period to make it more survivable. Of course, if they could, they would. It appears to be the nature of the beast. You are entering an ever denser medium, so the drag has to escallate and you end up with the 6/7 minute burn. > >What if the surface of the re-entry vehicle radically changed during the re-entry phase? As the density of the atomosphere increased, the surface area decreases. An ablative system that instead of burning off a thin skin of material as in most re-entry systems, you planned on burning off 95% of the original drag volume? What re-entry profile could be achieved Could we make a golfball core "pinger" that could survive? Or, the not so 'cube'sat structure is an aerodynamic shape made from a cast ceramic material which glides in at a shallow angle allowing the energy to be dissipated over a much longer period of time. OK the solar cells burn off but an internal antenna would be OK as ceramics are fairly transparent to RF and a battery would provide the final hour or so of tlm. Would love to see the temp readings as it comes down. Would not love to be on the final end of the trajectory when it arrives. David G0MRF

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Wavetek 3000
by WILLIAMS MICHAEL 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

On the Wavetek 3000 signal generator, there are coax jumpers between the modules. What kind of plug/jacks are being used on these cables? It looks like SMC. I've lost lock on one of the modules and want to do some troubleshooting. Tnx, Mike (K9QHO)

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Re: US ANTENNA
by Jim Jerzycke 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

Steve Ford did a review on these a while back in QST. He said they work "As Advertised". Jim KQ6EA --- On Sun, 8/9/09, Fco. Jiménez-Martín Sánchez <ea1jm.fran(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Fco. Jiménez-Martín Sánchez <ea1jm.fran(a)gmail.com> Subject: [amsat-bb] US ANTENNA To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 11:04 AM Hi there, Has anyone of you tried the us quadrifilar antenna to receive? It’s offered in this page: http://www.antennas.us/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?itemID=229# and it seems it’s a solution for me. Any report or comment is welcome. Thanks and regards from Spain, Fran. _______________________________________________ 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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New Cubesat - the Ultimate Fox Hunt
by Bob Bruninga 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

One university at this year's Utah Cubesat Workshop, is designing a re-entry cubesat. Talk about the ultimate ham radio fox hunt! Find this pebble somewhere over a few million square miles... The problem is having a transmitter to survive the re-entry... One figure is that about 300 Killowatt Hours of energy has to be disipated in a few minutes. Why is it that all re-entries always end in the ball of fire over just a few minutes. Why cannot the re-enetry energy be disipated over a longer period to make it more survivable. Of course, if they could, they would. It appears to be the nature of the beast. You are entering an ever denser medium, so the drag has to escallate and you end up with the 6/7 minute burn. What if the surface of the re-entry vehicle radically changed during the re-entry phase? As the density of the atomosphere increased, the surface area decreases. An ablative system that instead of burning off a thin skin of material as in most re-entry systems, you planned on burning off 95% of the original drag volume? What re-entry profile could be achieved Could we make a golfball core "pinger" that could survive? With the cheap $8k launches and only 3 month mission life, this idea of concentrating on making an interesting mission at the re-entry phase is a new opportunity.. The ultimate fox hunt? Bob, WB4APR

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keps
by Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

DRAGONSAT 1 35690U 09038B 09220.56856233 .00021783 00000-0 11381-3 0 94 2 35690 051.6413 037.4034 0005151 113.8576 246.2967 15.80788312 1436 ANDE DEB (POLLUX CYLIN) 1 35691U 09038C 09220.31717645 .00033475 00000-0 17407-3 0 97 2 35691 051.6395 038.7253 0003231 070.2278 289.9196 15.80629826 1369 ANDE DEB (CASTOR CYLIN) 1 35692U 09038D 09219.93719056 .00058653 00000-0 29734-3 0 116 2 35692 051.6389 040.6892 0003711 050.2950 309.8548 15.80925592 1308 ANDE POLLUX SPHERE 1 35693U 09038E 09220.00220717 .00019471 00000-0 10456-3 0 91 2 35693 051.6408 040.3791 0003921 060.7056 299.4416 15.80278896 1319 ANDE CASTOR SPHERE 1 35694U 09038F 09220.00320411 .00010606 00000-0 59344-4 0 107 2 35694 051.6416 040.3869 0004636 061.2908 298.8567 15.80020970 1319 ANDE DEB (AVIONICS DECK) 1 35695U 09038G 09219.93966721 .00024959 00000-0 13344-3 0 91 2 35695 051.6419 040.7123 0004748 061.1903 298.9647 15.80189807 1302 -- Nigel A. Gunn, 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA. tel +1 937 825 5032 Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF), e-mail nigel(a)ngunn.net www http://www.ngunn.net Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pigs QRP Club International #385, Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, AMSAT-UK 0182, MKARS, ALC, GCARES, XWARN.

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WD9EWK from DM54/DM55 - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

Hi! Yesterday's road trip out to DM54/DM55 had been on my mind since my July 2008 road trip around northern Arizona. I have worked from most of the Arizona grids, and had thought I would need to make a multi- day road trip along the Arizona/New Mexico border to reach these two grids. After lots of looking at maps, I found a couple of spots near the I-40 freeway in eastern Arizona that could be reached in a day- trip from Phoenix. I e-mailed a few people, asking if they needed either grid (or both) and if they were available to be on the radio if I went out there. Things fell in place, leading to yesterday's 558.8-mile/899km road trip. After spending some time this morning transferring the QSOs from my mini-logbook to my log spreadsheet, I saw that I made a total of 69 QSOs. I worked 4 passes from the DM54bx/DM55ba grid boundary (2 AO-27 passes, 1 pass each on AO-51 and SO-50), and one shallow AO-51 pass from a location northeast of the grid boundary in grid DM55ba. The location that was not on the grid boundary was a different sort of boundary - the line between Navajo and Apache counties. There were 56 QSOs made at the grid boundary, and 13 more from the county line. For all of these passes, I used my normal FM-satellite setup when I do these road trips - Icom IC-2720H 2m/70cm FM mobile transceiver, Elk Antennas handheld 2m/70cm log periodic, Sony ICD-P620 digital audio recorder. I had another mobile radio as a backup (Yaesu FT-8800R) as well as assorted HTs I could have used in case of a problem with the IC-2720H. Here's a summary of activities from the two locations... ***** east of Goodwater, Arizona, along old US-66 east of I-40 exit 303 in Navajo County (grids DM54bx and DM55ba) 35 0.000 N 109 53.745 W In recent weeks, I had identified this area as the easiest way to work from DM54/DM55 in a day-trip. This area is approximately 50 miles/80km west of the Arizona/New Mexico border, where there is a portion of the old US-66 highway next to the I-40 freeway. I was able to park at an Indian trading post to be on this grid boundary. This part of Arizona is on a plateau, a desert without cactus, but this particular spot is lower than the surrounding area. Except for shallow passes to the east or west (below 10 degrees elevation), it worked well. Once I parked and took the photos to establish my location, I waited for the first of two AO-27 passes at 2046 UTC. This old satellite has been performing well lately, and this was a busy pass covering almost all of North America while the repeater was on. I was able to work 21 stations during this pass, so I guess there was some interest in this location. :-) The second AO-27 pass to the west at 2226 UTC was not as crowded, with 8 more QSOs going into the log. This pass was the only time I worked a Canadian station at DM54/DM55 (VA6BMJ). Later in the afternoon, I worked two more passes from this spot - an AO-51 pass at 0042 UTC, followed by an SO-50 pass at 0137 UTC. The AO-51 pass was a very high pass, with maximum elevation of 75 degrees at that location. Other than a 3-minute span just after the midpoint of the pass when I could not hear myself through the satellite, this was another good pass - 17 more QSOs, with stations from all over the US and a couple of Mexicans. SO-50 at 0137 UTC put 10 more QSOs in the log, with more stations across the US plus a Mexican station. This made a total of 56 QSOs logged at the DM54bx/DM55ba grid boundary, not bad for a handful of passes during a single afternoon. I had mentioned before the trip that I might try working an earlier AO-51 pass from this spot. Had I stayed here, I would not have had a chance to see/hear the satellite, due to the local surroundings. That's why I moved up the road a few miles/km for that pass, and I apologize if that meant some of you were not able to work both of these grids while I was out there. There will be other trips I can make to this area, now that I know of a quick way to get to DM54 when there is no snow in northern or eastern Arizona. ***** Navajo/Apache county line in eastern Arizona, along old US-66 3.4 miles/5.5km east of I-40 exit 303 (grid DM55ba) 35 1.122 N 109 50.694 W Between the two AO-27 passes, I drove around the area to find a spot where I could possibly attempt a 7-degree AO-51 pass at 2306 UTC. This location was northeast of the grid-boundary spot, with a nice clear view down to the horizon toward the northeast - where AO-51 would be. Since the grid-boundary spot was not a location I could have tried a shallow pass, I had a choice.... move to a better spot, or take a long break between the last AO-27 pass and the high AO-51 pass around 0042 UTC. Not wanting to lose a chance to make QSOs and give out at least one of these two grids, I went down the road for this pass. The county line was at a cattle guard on the road. I found a marker on one side of the road that appeared to mark the county line, and saw the signs on each side of the cattle guard announcing the county names. I took a series of pictures of the area including where I parked my truck, along with pictures of my GPS receiver's display. Once I did all of that, I drove away until just before the AO-51 pass. A couple of minutes before the start of the pass, I drove back onto the cattle guard and set up my station. I was surprised at how soon into the pass I could hear the AO-51 downlink. The increased power made a difference! I was able to work several minutes of the pass, logging 13 QSOs. A better way to spend that time, instead of driving to a nearby truck stop for an early dinner (I did that later). ***** It was nice to have the additional power on the AO-51 downlink. That helped me with the shallow pass at 2306 UTC, where I heard it earlier than on a similar pass last month up in Utah. AO-27 has been working well, and I had no problems on the SO-50 pass I worked up there. I did not stay out there for the later passes on AO-51 and SO-50, since I would have had to find another location with a better view to the west for a 9-degree AO-51 pass. The 3.5-hour drive home was also on my mind. There will be other times I head out there, now that I have a nice spot where I can park and be off the road at the DM54/DM55 grid boundary. I am printing QSL cards for yesterday's trip now, and those cards - along with other cards from my road trip last month - will start going to the post office tomorrow. If you worked me yesterday and want to receive a QSL card for any QSOs, please e-mail me directly with the information for each QSO. If you're in my log, I will send the card(s) for those QSO(s). Thanks to AMSAT's AO-51 Operations Group for having another weekend on AO-51 with a V/U voice repeater mode, as well as for the increased power on the 435.300 MHz downlink. As K8YSE mentioned in a recent post to the -BB, stations on the FM satellites from unusual/rare locations draw more activity to these passes. And, as always, thanks to all the stations who made contacts with WD9EWK yesterday. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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FT-736r com port settings.
by Norman W Osborne 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

Hello everyone, Could some one tell me the com port settings for cat control of the FT-736r. Can't seem to find the settings for the computer, I believe it is 4800 baud but not sure about the rest of the settings.. Norman.

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FW: ANS-221 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins
by Dee 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-221 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org In this edition: * AMSAT-UK Colloquium Video and Powerpoint Available On-line * CW Contest Milestone * SpaceJam-3 Introduces Scouts to Amateur Radio in Space * UT Austin Requests Help to Track BEVO1 * Satellite shorts * ITAR Update * ARISS Status - 03 August 2009 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.01 AMSAT-UK Colloquium Video and Powerpoint Available On-line AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.01 The videos of the presentations at this years successful AMSAT-UK Colloquium in Guildford are now available to watch on the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) website Among the fascinating video presentations are: + FUNcube, the new AMSAT-UK linear transponder satellite project by Graham Shirville G3VZV + AMSAT-NA Update by Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA + AMSAT-DL Update by Peter Guelzow DB2OS + Electronics and Teddy Bears: A Near-Space Adventure" by Ed Moore M0TEK and Fergus Noble M0NBL, Cambridge University + Engineers Wanted! Tempting Teenagers to Explore Technology by Garry Bulmer, Software Architect + Medium Earth Orbits by David Bowman G0MRF All 18 videos can be seen at http://www.batc.tv/ Click on the "Film Archive" icon on the left to see all the videos available then select the video you wish to see (they start with 2009 AMSAT). To see the video full screen click on the icon at the bottom of the video player. PDFs of the slides from the presentations can be found on the AMSAT-UK website at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,278/ Thanks to the BATC for recording and editing the videos (a time consuming job) as well providing this invaluable video service at batc.tv for the Amateur Satellite community. [ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.02 CW Contest Milestone AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.02 FOR RELEASE: Immediate (August 4, 2009) 2008 CQ World Wide CW Contest Marks Major Milestone for K0DQ Becomes Possibly the Only Person Ever to Win All Six Major Ham Radio Contests Scott Redd, K0DQ, operating the 2008 CW weekend of the CQ World Wide DX Contest from Aruba as P40Q, racked up over a million more points than his closest competitor in the Single-Operator Low Power Class, and became perhaps the only person ever to win single-op world championships in all six major ham radio DX contests. "I don't know of anyone else" who has won all the major contests, said CQWW Contest Director Bob Cox, K3EST, in announcing the results, which will be published in the September issue of CQ magazine. Scott had his first taste of contest victory back in 1966, as a young Navy officer posted to Uruguay and operating CX2CO in the phone weekend of the CQ World Wide DX Contest. Over the succeeding years, Scott worked his way through the Navy ranks to Vice Admiral and became Commander of the Fifth Fleet, then served as a civilian in the Iraq Coalition P rovisional Authority and as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center before retiring in late 2007. But ham radio and contesting were never far away, and operating from Mexico as XE1IIJ in the early 1970s, Scott won single-op world championships in the CQWW Phone Contest, the ARRL DX Phone and CW Contests and the CQ WPX Phone Contest. Thirty years later, when his professional life permitted a little more hamming time, Scott added the WPX CW crown as P41P, operating from P43P's station in Aruba, in 2002. The only prize that eluded him -- until now -- was the CQWW CW. "I've been trying like a son-of-a-gun to win (the) CQ World Wide CW," Scott commented in a 2008 interview with CQ. "I've come in number two, I've come in number three, but I've never won that one . so that's still my goal, every time I get close, in CQ World Wide CW, to win the world." When informed that he had finally achieved that goal, K0DQ said, "I guess the message is if you keep at it long enough good things happen. In this case, four decades. It's been a great ride ... and it's still magic!" CQ congratulates Scott -- already a member of the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, for his contesting achievements on top of all his other achievements. [ANS thanks CQ Magazine for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.03 SpaceJam-3 Introduces Scouts to Amateur Radio in Space AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.03 While the world was watching replays of the history making moon walk last week, dozens of Illinois Boy Scouts were taking their first steps toward space technology. Space Jam 3 got off the ground last week with a high altitude balloon launch in Rantoul, Illinois. Space Jam is sponsored by DePauw University. It's purpose is to get Scouts into technology. With assistance from the Vermillion County Amateur Radio Asso- ciation, they were able to launch a helium filled balloon and use the cross band repeater for amateur radio contacts across the Midwest. The longest radio contact occurred when the balloon reached the 99-thousand foot level. Two stations, one in Walbridge, Ohio the other in Mexico, Missouri, completed a 470 mile QSO. On the ground, Dave Cline KB9ZMF, said he thought 200 Boy Scouts were on the radios throughout the Space Jam. They also worked on high tech merit badges in Space Exploration, Aviation, Radio & Electronics and on Nuclear Science Composite Materials Talking with Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA, onboard the Inter- national Space Station, topped the weekend Space Jam activities. Space Jam Four is already being planned for August of 2010. [ANS thanks Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1668 - July 31 2009 for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.04 UT Austin Requests Help to Track BEVO1 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.04 Last week STS-127 deployed DragonSat last week via its Space Shuttle Picosatellite Launcher (SSPL) system. Dragonsat was the designation for both Aggiesat2 and Bevo1 (DragonSat = AggieSat2 + BEVO1). They were ejected together from the SSPL, but it appears that they failed to separate. As of ANS press time still no signals have been received from BEVO1, although beacon packets were heard from AggieSat2. The current theory on the state of the satellites is that only partial separation occur- red. The inhibit switches keeping the satellites powered off have been closed, allowing the satellites to boot up. However, it is likely that the antennas did not deploy correctly, leaving the antennas disconnec- ted from their respective transmitters. AggieSat2 transmits with 1W of power so it is easier to hear, while BEVO1 only transmits with 200mW during beacon mode. AggieSat-2 transmits on 436.250 MHz using a proprietary data format. BEVO1 Downlink Information: Beacon Mode Downlink Freq: 437.325 MHz Modulation: FM, 200mW, Morse Code, ~20 WPM Data Mode Downlink Freq: 437.325 MHz Modulation: GMSK, 1W, 9600 baud, AX.25 (default) FM, 1W, Bell 202, AX.25 UT Austin has also posted some pictures here: http://paradigm.ae.utexas.edu/ops/ The 2-line tracking elements are: DRAGONSAT 1 35690U 09038B 09217.97658609 +.00019083 +00000-0 +10072-3 0 00133 2 35690 051.6416 050.8490 0005305 104.3300 255.8301 15.80669917001027 [ANS thanks Karla Vega, KE5FKU for above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.05 Satellite shorts AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.05 +AMSAT-UK's FUNcube Amateur Radio satellite project is featured in this week's Electronics Weekly email newletter and a longer article should appear in the next issue of the printed magazine which will also be available in digital format. See http://tinyurl.com/kmlssm for the article in the e-mail newsletter. A free subscription to the digital version of Electronics Weekly maga- zine is available at: http://www.qssweb.co.uk/controlledcirc/main/index.aspx Electronics Weekly Magazine is on-line at: http://www.electronicweekly.com/ [ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information] + Gould, WA4SXM reported the AO-51 Command Team has set the satellite into the following configuration: FM repeater V/U (620 mW) Uplink 145.920 MHz FM Downlink 435.300 MHz FM FM 9k6 digital (590 mW) L band uplink on 1268.700 MHz Downlink 435.150 MHz FM + AMSAT INDIA July News letter is available for download at http://www.amsatindia.org/Newsletter or directly at http://amsatindia.org/Newsletter/AmsatIndia-News-July-09.pdf + Makoto, JI5RPT will operate as JD1BLY and Yoshihi, JO1LVZ will operate as JD1BNF from Chichijima, Ogasawara Island, Japan be- tween August 9-15. Satellite operation is planned. QSLs via homecalls. (DXNL DX Newsletter #1635 - Aug 5, 2009) /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.06 ITAR Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.06 AMSAT Files CJ Requests with US State Department The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation filed four Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) requests with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, US State Department last week. These requests ask that the four commodity groups that AMSAT provided support for AMSAT-DL's Phase 3-E project (SDX, IHU-3, Can-Do! Bus, and thermal design) be transferred to the Department of Commerce and be regulated under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), removing them from ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) managed by the State Department's DDTC. "Our CJ requests are based upon AMSAT's status as a not- for-profit corporation that adheres to 'open source' and ' public domain' principles where all of our technical activities are freely available through the Internet and publications, such as the "AMSAT Journal", observed AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW. "Given the open nature of our activities, the focus on scientific and educational purposes of our satellites, and lack of military applications, we believe that our activities in these areas are better suited for EAR rather than ITAR", said Barry. The CJ requests will be reviewed by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls as well as other federal agencies such as the Commerce Department and Department of Defense. AMSAT expects this review to take several months before a decision is made by DDTC whether to grant the request. AMSAT's involvement with P3-E halted in 2006 due to concerns over possible ITAR violations. In January 2009, AMSAT filed a 'Voluntary Disclosure' with DDTC outlining AMSAT's activities with AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-UK on P3-E. In March 2009, DDTC advised AMSAT that ITAR violations did occur but that the case was being closed. AMSAT was admonished not to violate ITAR in the future. Subsequent to receiving DDTC's letter closing the case, AMSAT is now seeking a means to re-establish technical exchanges in support of P3-E while abiding under rules administered by the Commerce Department. Further details on AMSAT's efforts to comply with ITAR while developing ways which will allow AMSAT satellite builders to work cooperatively with foreign nationals on amateur radio satellite projects will be available in the next issue of the "AMSAT Journal." [ANS thanks, Barry, WD4ASW, for the above info] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.07 ARISS Status - 3 August, 2009 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. August 9, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.07 1. ARISS School Contact with Space School An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been conducted with the United Space School in Seabrook, Texas on Wednesday, August 5 at 13:47 UTC via telebridge station ON4ISS. The school is a once a year session of high school students that meets annually in the NASA/Clear Lake Area. These students come from around the world for a two week session, during which they stay with local host families while being mentored by astronauts, engineers, and scientists to design a mission to Mars as their team project. Class sessions are held at the University of Houston at Clear Lake. The contact allowed students to learn firsthand what the experience of spaceflight is like. They will use this knowledge in putting together their team project presentation, which they will present to the Houston space community at the end of their session. 2. ARISS Contact with Hospital for Sick Children On Thursday, July 30, patients of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Children spoke with Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA via telebridge station ON4ISS in Belgium and were able to ask 18 questions about life in space. Nearly 100 people were present for the event and the contact was broadcasted throughout the hospital on closed circuit television. 3. ARISS Contact Between Michael Barratt and Summer Playground Camp Borough of New Providence, NJ, Summer Playground Camp in New Providence, New Jersey took part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, July 30. Ten children asked twenty questions of Expedition 19's Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ in front of an audience of approximately 100 people. This was a town sponsored summer camp activity for elementary school children (K - 6). The New Providence Amateur Radio Club (NPARC) has been involved with this type of camp for the last five years and regularly provides an introduction to amateur radio on the air by setting up HF and VHF stations so that campers may communicate with hams around the world. The ARISS contact was an extension of this activity. 4. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline On July 31, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1668 reported on the Scout Space Jamboree in Rantoul, Illinois which included an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. To view "Ham Radio in Space: Space Jam 3 in Illinois," see: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News-A/news.txt 5. ARISS International Meeting Minutes Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its annual meeting at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands in June. Minutes are now available and have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/ARISS-I%202009%20Annual%20Mtg%20final%20edit%20minut es.doc 6. ARRL Articles on FUNcube The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a Web story on a new AMSAT-UK (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) satellite project, FUNcube. FUNcube is a cubesat which will educate youth about radio, electronics and physics. For more information, see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/07/29/10985/?nc=1 The article may also be found in the ARRL Letter: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/09/0731/ 7. SuitSat-2 Demo The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) SuitSat-2 prototype was demonstrated at the Microchip Master's conference which was held in Phoenix on July 29 - August 1. See: https://secure.microchip.com/usmasters/EveningEvents.aspx 8. De Winne Comments on Importance of Amateur Radio on ISS During a recent Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact, Astronaut Frank De Winne was asked about the importance of amateur radio on the ISS. He answered that the radio was an important means of psychological support. The audio of this contact may be found on the ARISS-Europe Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2009_07_31.htm 9. ARISS Teleconference Minutes Posted The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 21. Agenda items included a recap of the face-to-face meeting held in the Netherlands and the status of the SuitSat-2 project. The minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-07-21.htm 10. MAI-75 Experiments Planned MAI-75 (Moscow Aviation Institute) experiments are planned for August 3 and 4. The VC-H1 unit will run in auto mode (Robot-36 and transmitting once every 3 minutes) and should be operational on 145.800 MHz from approximately 0800-1600 UTC each day. Information on the MAI-75 experiment is available at: http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/researches/education-26.html 11. Astronaut Training Status - Simulated Contact Scheduled A simulated contact is planned for Thursday, August 6 at approximately 13:30 UTC. The contact will be between Euro Space Camp (ESC) and Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA. Audio should be available on EchoLink and IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project). The training session is a terrestrial-based amateur radio contact using Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) equivalent equipment. [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org

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AO-51 V/S mode
by Allen Vinegar 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

I would like to try this mode using a K5GNA downconverter. The problem is I am using an FT-736R and apparently you can not have Xmit and Rcv on same band in satellite mode. I am using SATPC-32 for doppler control. The downconverter uses a 2m IF. Anyone else with an FT-736R have this worked out? Many thanks!! 73, Al W8KHP

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AO-51 V/S mode
by Perry Yantis 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

I use a Kenwood ts 2000x for for v/s mode but think you can do it on your Yaesu ft 736 the same way I do here. I run the SSB 2.4 down converter with 2 meter output down the coax into the shack. Then the cable goes into a Hamtronics 2m to 10m downconverter. Then the now 10m signal goes into the rca jack on the back of the ts 2000 for a receive ONLY antenna or beverage ant. When this is used transmitting on 2m does not fry the 2.4 down converter. Most hf rigs do have this receive only plug on the back. Try it, works fine for me. This way was suggested here on the bbs many years ago. Perry WB8OTH I would like to try this mode using a K5GNA downconverter. The problem is I am using an FT-736R and apparently you can not have Xmit and Rcv on same band in satellite mode. I am using SATPC-32 for doppler control. The downconverter uses a 2m IF. Anyone else with an FT-736R have this worked out? Many thanks!! 73, Al W8KHP

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News from WD9EWK
by Tim Lilley 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

Hey everyone, Patrick, WD9EWK, has asked me to post that he will NOT be on the 0223 UTC pass of AO-51 nor the 0315 UTC pass of SO-50. He has a drive home of about 3 hours, and is starting that way shortly. He also sends his gratitude to the 70+ stations he logged during passes of AO-27, AO-51 and SO-50 this afternoon and evening. Patrick made almost 60 contacts from the DM54/DM55 grid boundary, and he also worked another 13 stations on AO-51 from a spot inside DM55, on the county line between Navajo and Apache counties. Patrick said he will post more details tomorrow. 73 to all, Tim - N3TL

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Re: SEEDS II
by Dave Webb KB1PVH 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

SEEDS II (CO-66) is a Japanese cubesat that transmits a sstv picture and also has a digi talker that transmits a "secret code" that enables you to get a QSL card from the group that built it. Hope this helps. Dave KB1PVH ------Original Message------ From: w6zkh(a)comcast.net Sender: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org To: AMSAT BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: SEEDS II Sent: Aug 8, 2009 5:36 PM Being a noobie on satellites, what is SEEDS II ? I dont see it listed in any of my keps I have. Does it have another name? Just curious.. John W6ZKH _______________________________________________ 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 from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Re: SEEDS II
by w6zkh＠comcast.net 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Being a noobie on satellites, what is SEEDS II ? I dont see it listed in any of my keps I have. Does it have another name? Just curious.. John W6ZKH

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SEEDS II
by acjohn1＠juno.com 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Has anyone had any luck receiving SEEDS II? I have had two good passes and haven't received so much as a peep. 73. KG4VHV John Rusmiselle KG4VHV Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscripti catapultas habebunt. (When catapults are outlawed, only outlaws will have catapults!) ____________________________________________________________ Turn life into a beach with a new sandbox. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTGaFNouDr7DSezjcBofsxgjTs…

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Re: Antenna project with 2 ELK antennas
by Jean-François Ménard 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Le 8 août 2009 11:54, i8cvs<domenico.i8cvs(a)tin.it> a écrit : > Hi Jean, VA2SS > > Since the ELK antenna is a log-periodic antenna covering a wide > band from 2 meters and 70 cm it is difficult to connect 2 ELK in > phase and gain 3 dB in 2 meters and 70 cm as well. > > Also it is difficult to connect 2 ELK with a phase offset of 90° > to get circular polarization in 2 meters and 70 cm > > I would prefere to put one ELK horizontal and the other one > vertical feeding each antenna with an individual coax line. > > Using a coax relay in the shack you can immediately switch > from the Horizontal to the Vertical polarization. > > About the distance between the antennas over the plastic boom > the distance is a function of the antenna gain and higher is the gain > (in order do not overlap the aperture area of each antenna) larger > must be the distance between booms > > Since the gain of the ELK in the lover 2 meters band is 6.6 dBd > over the dipole or 6.6 +2.14 = 8.7 dBi over the isotropic then the > aperture area wich is a circle perpendicular to the antenna boom > can be computed using the following formula: > > / 2 > G x /\ > Aperture area= ---------- > 4 x Pi > > Since G= 8.7 dBi = 7.41 in power ratio > > 2 > 7.41 x 2 > Aperture area= -------------- = 2.36 square meters > 4 x 3.14 > > A circle with a geometrical area of 2.36 square meters > has a radius of > > \ /-------------------- > radius = \ / 2.36 / 3.14 = 0.86 meters > \/ > > Hence the distance between the booms is 0.86 x2 = 1.72 meters > > In this condition both aperture areas are tangents but it is better > to overlap the areas a 10 % to prevent the generation of side lobes > so that a distance of 1.55 meters between the antenna booms > is recommended. > > I hope this helps > > 73" de > > i8CVS Domenico > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jean-François Ménard" <jf.va2ss(a)gmail.com> > To: "i8cvs" <domenico.i8cvs(a)tin.it> > Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 4:00 PM > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Antenna project with 2 ELK antennas > > > Hi, > > I do not know much about antenna... But I tought that could be better > for satellite this way... I did not do any search at this time about > this project... it is only an idea that I had. > > If you have any suggestion for such project using 2 Elk antenna.... > please let me know. > > I don't want to spend much money at this moment... and I have only > these 2 antenna. > Wow !! Thanks !! This is the kind of answer that I really like. I will try this with the recommendation you gave me. I'm not familiar with all those formulas regarding antenna, so a little help time to time is really helpful.... I like to learn, so you won't repeat the same thing twice. Thank again. Best 73 J-F VA2SS > 73 > > > 2009/8/8 i8cvs <domenico.i8cvs(a)tin.it>: >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Jean-François Ménard" <jf.va2ss(a)gmail.com> >> To: "AMSAT Mailing list" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 10:44 PM >> Subject: [amsat-bb] Antenna project with 2 ELK antennas >> >> Hi, >> >> I have 2 ELK antennas here, and I would like to do an experiment with >> these two antennas. I would like to stack side by side, one vertical, >> and one horizontal. >> >> 73 >> >> Jean-François Ménard >> VA2SS >> >> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >> AMSAT www.amsat.org / Member #37102 >> ARRL www.arrl.org >> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >> >> Hi Jean, VA2SS >> >> Staking 2 ELK antennas side by side,one vertical,and one horizontal >> what type of polarization you plan to get ? >> >> 73" de >> >> i8CVS Domenico >> >> >> >> > > > > -- > Jean-François Ménard > VA2SS > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > AMSAT www.amsat.org / Member #37102 > ARRL www.arrl.org > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > > > > > > > -- Jean-François Ménard VA2SS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AMSAT www.amsat.org / Member #37102 ARRL www.arrl.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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Packet software
by Randy 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

What software is everyone using and / or the most popular? I would like to setup to send packets to ISS and would like To do that via the computer only , no hardware TNC. Randy - N2CUA

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Antenna project with 2 ELK antennas
by Jean-François Ménard 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Hi, I have 2 ELK antennas here, and I would like to do an experiment with these two antennas. I would like to stack side by side, one vertical, and one horizontal. My question, what would be the distance between both antenna !?!?! I will be using PVC tube to avoid interaction. The phasing line... will it be hard to figure how to do it !?!?!? Any rough guess to start with. I have an antenna analyzer here... probably will be handy for that project. I just want to experiment how good it could perform. Any help would be appreciated. 73 -- Jean-François Ménard VA2SS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AMSAT www.amsat.org / Member #37102 ARRL www.arrl.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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Avoiding statics on helix antennas
by Lars Petersen 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Hello AMSAT list, I have a problem caused by static electricity building up on my two helix antennas (23 cm and 13 cm). Two converters have already been zapped, so I have to do something about it. What measure would you recommend to avaoid statics building up on helix antennas? Does anyone have experience using the shorted quarter-wave-stub mentioned in "The ARRL Handbook 2008" pages 23.20-21? Vy 73, Lars Petersen, OZ1BXM, AMSAT-Member 36222, oz1bxm(a)pobox.com www.oz1bxm.dk

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pollux-1 and castor report
by Rob Hardenberg PE1ITR 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Received today from pullux-1 and 1 packet from castor (kd4hbo-1) on 145.825: !S 09:24:24 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:24:25 !MEMS 748836 2.58 2.57 2.45 22.03 21.225 19.06 -1.08 0.07 1.660 -8.28 3.31 3.10 24.21 25.22 24.76 2.60 20 19 42 !S 09:24:51 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:24:51 !SYST 748869 0 0 33 0 013a 15e8 fffe 1500 0022 1500 001c 05f0 0013 05d0 ffff ffff 0154 08c4 0fbe 003c !S 09:27:03 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:27:03 !SYST 749001 0 0 33 0 0003 1690 0006 15b8 001c 15b0 0033 06b0 0026 06d0 ffff ffff 0154 08c6 0fbc 003c !S 09:27:42 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:27:42 !MEMS 749034 2.57 2.57 2.45 21.771 21.09 18.990 -1.06 0.226 1.773 -8.58 4.53 -1.97 24.08 25.13 24.52 2.60 20 26 39 !S 09:28:09 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:28:09 !SYST 749067 0 0 33 0 000d 16f8 0000 15f8 0179 1600 0018 0750 0046 0728 ffff ffff 0156 08c4 0fba 0038 !S 09:31:00 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:31:00 !MEMS 749232 2.58 2.57 2.45 21.556 21.09 18.990 -1.01 0.444 1.443 -8.43 2.05 -6.98 24.10 25.11 24.46 2.60 35 34 4 !S 09:32:06 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:32:07 !MEMS 749298 2.57 2.57 2.45 21.771 21.09 18.990 -1.113 -0.119 0.559 -9.62 -2.24 8.12 24.01 25.11 24.45 2.60 3 41 38 !S 09:32:33 !POLLUX-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:32:33 !SYST 749331 0 0 33 0 0011 1858 0154 1758 0157 1788 000e 0960 001b 0910 ffff ffff 0156 08c6 0fba 003c !S 09:33:13 !KD4HBO-1>CQ,TELEM/1: !S 09:33:14 !SYS 744510 65535 0 30 0 feac 0b58 ffec 09c0 fea9 0f20 ffc1 0d48 fffa 10d8 ffd5 0f98 13.8 5.0 9.9 .00 0.13 0.55 12.21 9.91 9.91 44 19 44 73 Rob PE1ITR http://www.pe1itr.com

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