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

Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS (rebuttal)
by Jeff Davis 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

On Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 12:58:30PM -0500, Rocky Jones wrote: > > That is not a flaw in my argument, it was a fact. As best I understand it, and it has been sometime since I looked at it in any depth, the flaw in the AO-40 rocket motor was that a procedure was missed in preping the motor for flight. This is a deviation from your previous posting where you linked the demise of AO40 to it being a "super sat which was going to do things that were simply out of reach of all but a very few hams (40ghz? or whatever it was)". Clearly the kind of mistake that caused the catastrophic failure could have happened on any spacecraft assembled by any organization. > The folks building /E have figured it out and returned to a rather robust "simple" satellite...More then one homebuilder of airplanes (garage planes) has found in someway that their modifications were mistakes (the lucky ones when the DER's shut them down). You can call it "simple" if you like but a) it remains firmly affixed to earth and b) it is being sold to the German government as an adjunct to a mission to Mars. If you want to call an interplanetary mission "simple" that's your call, but P3E was scheduled to be launched years ago to support the P5 mission that was supposed to launch in 2009 and I'll buy the first beer whenever either of those fly... > I dont know this for a fact but would suspect that one reason launches are hard to come by for anything with rocket propulsion in it (ie a hamsat with a rocket engine in it) is what happen with AO-40. If I owned the rocket that failure would scare me For the last time (from me, I promise) we have been told in no uncertain terms that the cost for a launch to GTO that would carry a craft of the size required to provide a happy medium of solar panels and antennas will cost no less than $6 million US and maybe as much as $8 million. Years ago (has it been almost a decade now?) when we first started talking about 'Eagle' it took AMSAT-NA two years to raise $90,000 US. At that rate, it would require a century for us to raise enough money to get back to GTO. Facts on the ground have already determined the outcome of this debate. Whether or not AMSAT members (and officers for that matter) are willing to accept reality is an entirely different matter. Many actually prefer the blue pill... -- Jeff, KE9V

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Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS (rebuttal)
by Daniel Schultz 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

>As for AO-40. It failed for the same reason that suitsat 1 did, and for the >same reason that a lot of people who build their own airplane kill themselves >every year trying to "test fly it"....the project got to big for the >organization that was building it...ie their technical competence was >insufficient for the task at hand. Spaceflight is dangerous business, unforgiving of the smallest human error. Results are never guaranteed. If we can't take a bloody nose without crying about it then we don't belong in this business. Dan Schultz N8FGV

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Fw: Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS (rebuttal)
by rwmcgwier＠gmail.com 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: rwmcgwier(a)gmail.com Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:05:42 To: Rocky Jones<orbitjet(a)hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS (rebuttal) This note is based on an almost complete ignorance of both projects. On AO40 a signature on a checkout document at launch site says motor was checked by those responsible. The checkout document (not amsat's) reveals that the necessary mod to doc revealing need to do an extra operation was not present. Result: crap happens. Everything tested before motor burn seemed fine. Don't know many craft that could take this amd go on to deliver years of service. We all cry over the lost opportunity but it was still a major achievement. Suitsat 1 worked before transport. It was tested. We will never know what went wrong in transit. I understand everyone's desire for more and better results but before you level a cannon, at least know what you are talking about. 73's Bob n4hy ------Original Message------ From: Rocky Jones Sender: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org To: n8fgv(a)usa.net To: amsat bb Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS (rebuttal) Sent: Aug 23, 2009 1:38 PM > > Dan Schultz N8FGV > > based on your logic no criticism whatsoever is warranted. As for AO-40. It failed for the same reason that suitsat 1 did, and for the same reason that a lot of people who build their own airplane kill themselves every year trying to "test fly it"....the project got to big for the organization that was building it...ie their technical competence was insufficient for the task at hand. But in your view (at least as best as I understand it) that evaluation should not be made because "at least they tried". sorry I dont buy that logic Robert WB5MZO _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=PID23391::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:… _______________________________________________ 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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MFJ/Cushcraft
by Bob 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

I don't know if this is good or not. We'll see. http://www.mfjenterprises.com/cushcraft/ 73 Bob W7LRD

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AO-51 V/S activity
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Hi! Since it is summertime here, coupled with working extra time during most of the last week, I didn't get out to work a lot of AO-51 passes while the S-band downlink was on. I was able to work two AO-51 V/S passes - a western pass Thursday evening, and an eastern pass Saturday afternoon. Using the same basic setup as I have done for V/S over the past 3 years, changing only the transmit antenna (Elk log periodic, instead of my Arrow Antennas Yagi) and receive radio (mobile radio, instead of an HT), it was as I remember it. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of stations on those passes. Thursday evening (early Friday, UTC time) had just 4 stations on - XE2BHL, W7LRD, KC9ELU, and N0JY. I was operating from the Phoenix city park where I do most of my satellite operating when I am not on the road, at the DM33xp/DM43ap grid boundary. I was in Tucson for most of Saturday, and stopped in Marana - a northwest suburb of Tucson, just off the I-10 freeway in grid DM42jl - for that pass on my way home from there. I worked 4 stations from down there (K8YSE, WA5KBH, XE2BHL, and KC9ELU), and heard one other I was not able to make a QSO with (N5ZNL). Thanks to all of you for showing up and putting some activity on those passes! There hasn't been a lot of chatter on the -BB about this week of V/S activity. Did other operators hear more activity on other passes? How did it go for those in other parts of the world? I hope there were times with more activity than having only 5 or 6 stations on these passes during a week's time. I had my S-band gear in my truck for the entire week, so I could get on whenever I had free time to work AO-51 passes. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ P.S.: If anyone who worked me yesterday from DM42 wants my QSL card for our QSO, please e-mail me with QSO details. If you're in the log, I'll send out a card.

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Re: New ICOM VHF / UHF / SHF Radio
by Nitin Muttin [VU3TYG] 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Not sure if this will be having the functions of 910H. 73's Nitin [VU3TYG] --------- Original Message -------- From: Simon HB9DRV <simon(a)hb9drv.ch> To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: New ICOM VHF / UHF / SHF Radio Date: 08/20/09 11:59 AM" > By the looks of the front panel I think it'll offer the same features for > satellites as the IC-910H. > > We should know a lot more after the weekend show in Japan. > > Simon Brown, HB9DRV > www.ham-radio-deluxe.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Geiger" <aa5jg(a)yahoo.com> > > > > Will it do full duplex for the satellites, or dual receive? > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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AO-51 mode change
by David - KG4ZLB 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

To any Command Team members: I have a great pass at just after 7.00pm edt this evening, that's only 23:00 utc - so will AO-51 remain in its current config until 00:00utc and be commanded by someone else on the planet? I just don't want to set everything up for Mode S to find that its stopped an hour earlier than scheduled! Thanks David -- David KG4ZLB www.kg4zlb.com

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Re: HR1LW Grid ?
by John W Lee 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Hi Al, ! He is in Tegucigalpa, my map shows EK64. I have 3 QSL from him, none of them has the grid on it. 73, John On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:57:50 -0500 Alvaro de Leon Romo <xe2at(a)hotmail.com> writes: > > > > Who know the HR1LW grid ? > > In QRZ is not shown... > > > > Many thanks in advance , like always > > Al XE2AT > > _________________________________________________________________ > Con Windows Live, puedes organizar, editar y compartir tus fotos. > http://www.microsoft.com/mexico/windows/windowslive/products/photo-galler y-edit.aspx > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > ____________________________________________________________ Medical Coding Degrees Earn your medical billing & coding degree, 100% online. Enroll today! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/c?cp=M0vIk0vR6fW46Sa-4LVM2AAAJ1CmZ…

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My visit to Ham Fair Tokyo and joining JAMSAT booth
by William Leijenaar 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Hello (J)AMSATs, Today was the last day of Tokyo Ham Fair, which was another great day like it was yesterday. I was at the JAMSAT booth where I showed my small transponder design to the HAM people, which gave a lot off interest from all kinds of people. Possibilities for future satellite have been created and people have been made interrested in doing satellite communication. I had also the opertunity to meet a lot of people using the VO-52 satellite, on which is my transponder. It is a great joy to see the satellite activities here on the other side of the globe (seen from my home in The Netherlands). I noticed that a lot of CW is used here. Some people are doing city junting, which means they have their car build like a satellite station (incl. rotor and elevation) and hop between satellite passes from one city to another, and try to make QSOs from as many cities as possible. The car stations are real nice contructions, and of great ham spirit. Very nice to see... There was also a list with number of contacts made for each satellite pass by one ham. The highest number was on VO-52 with 42 QSO's for one pass (over Japan), 36 in CW and 6 in SSB. Its really amazing, and it must have been done with very high time efficiency, and a very fast CW wrist hihi... It was a great time at the JAMSAT booth, and we had a nice after party with lot of JAMSAT members, and with delicious Japanese food. My thanks for the great hospitality from the JAMSAT people, and thanks for the nice talks we had about satellites. 73 de JA/PE1RAH William Leijenaar in Tokyo (till 28 August) ---

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Re: (amsat-bb) Re: Don't Fly SuitSat2 to ISS(butal)
by Dale Hershberger 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Well put Dan...Thank you! Folks need to put their energy in the positive and try to improve things if they do not agree the ways things are going. Dale KL7XJ

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