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

Satellite WAS
by Frank A Cahoy 12 Aug '09

12 Aug '09

Hello All, It's been a very long time since I've posted to the BB. All the recent discussion about Satellite WAS has given me a chance to do some bragging. My first ever satellite QSO was on RS-12, Mode K, Jan. 29th, 1994. It was on CW with WA6OWM and one of the greatest thrills of my ham radio adventures. It took me about nine more months to complete my WAS. Believe it or not my last state worked/confirmed was KY! I had both AK and HI long before the elusive KY QSO. My RS-12 Elmer was Roger, N4ZC, who to my knowledge is the only station to ever achieve DXCC on a LEO bird. When the conditions were really good we could "cheat" a bit on RS-12. It was quite easy to work that bird when it was well below the horizon. I have DXCC entities such as SM, OK and JW (Actually in the footprint but for only about 3 or 4 minits.) confirmed on RS-12. I often heard this bird when it was well below the horizon and have received emails from several Europeans that tell me I was being heard but not hearing those that were calling me. My Satellite WAS no. 211 is dated Oct. 17, 1994. All 50 were worked via RS-12. I have been licensed since June, 1960 but the Satellite WAS Award is the only WAS I've ever applied for. Now I cannot even work the LEO birds. I've taken my AO-40 earth station completely down and put a 4 element 6 m. Yagi up in its place. As stated several times on this BB in the past, I am a DXer (115 DXCC via satellite and 368 DXCC alltime via HF.) and trying to work any DX at all on the LEO birds is more of a challenge than this OM has left. It would appear that there is no hope of getting an HEO up anytime in the near future so hence the move to 6 m. All of my station is safely stored away and I don't plan on selling any of it just in case we do actually experience a miracle launch. Most painful is seeing the ICOM 910 sit and gather dust and used to work, very occasionally, the local 2 m. repeater. 73 to all. Frank, KØBLT ____________________________________________________________ See the difference a digital projector can make. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTMWJBShejJ9vXsnmVagzoXxom…

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FUNcube on Front Cover of Electronics Weekly magazine
by Trevor . 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

AMSAT-UK's FUNcube satellite project features on the front cover of the August 12-18 edition of Electronics Weekly magazine The printed edition of the magazine will be dropping through letterboxes during Wednesday morning and you can read the digital version of Electronics Weekly magazine online or download the pages in PDF format at http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1D4a803d8814a11352.cde The full FUNcube article titled 'Bringing FUN back to the classroom' by Steve Bush is on page 8 and contains an interview with Graham Shirville G3VZV. FUNcube is an educational single cubesat project with the goal of enthusing and educating young people about radio, space, physics and electronics. It has received major initial funding from the Radio Communications Foundation (RCF). It will support the educational Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (STEM) initiatives and provide an additional resource for the GB4FUN Mobile Communications Centre. The target audience consists of primary and secondary school pupils and FUNcube will feature a 145 MHz telemetry beacon that will provide a strong signal for the pupils to receive. It is planned to develop a simple receiver board that can be connected to the USB port of a laptop to display telemetry in an interesting way. The satellite will contain a materials science experiment, from which the school students can receive telemetry data which they can compare to the results they obtained from similar reference experiments in the classroom. FUNcube will carry a UHF to VHF linear transponder that will have up to 1 watt and which can be used by Radio Amateurs worldwide for SSB and CW communications. Measuring just 10 * 10 * 10 cm, and with a mass of less than 1kg, it will be the smallest ever satellite to carry a linear transponder and the choice of frequencies will enable Radio Amateurs to use their existing VO-52 or DO-64 station. A key feature of the satellite is the absence of an On-Board Computer. For reliability and maximum power efficiency, the design has been kept as straight-forward as possible with satellite control being achieved using simple commands. FUNcube contact: Graham Shirville G3VZV Tel: +44 (0)7713 665725 Electronics Weekly Magazine http://www.electronicsweekly.com/ Radio Communications Foundation http://www.commsfoundation.org/ GB4FUN http://www.gb4fun.org.uk/ AMSAT-UK http://www.uk.amsat.org/ FUNcube a UK Linear Transponder Satellite http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2009/funcube.htm AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium videos http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2009/amsat_colloquium_videos.htm AMSAT-UK publish a colour A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, full of satellite information. You can join online at https://secure.amsat.org.uk/subs_form/ ---- 73 Trevor M5AKA

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SumbandilaSat Sept 15
by Trevor . 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

SumbandilaSat launch scheduled for Sept 15 http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2009/sumbandilasat_launch_date.htm

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Re: Best walkie for portable?
by Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

There is nothing currently better than you already have. Fco. Jiménez-Martín Sánchez wrote: > Hi there, > > > > I’m searching replacement for my old icom ic-w32e to use with my arrow > antenna for the fm sats. > > > > I would like to know your opinions about what can be the best walkie with > full duplex operation to work these birds. > > > > Any comment/suggestion is welcome! > > > > Regards from the old 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 > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.50/2296 - Release Date: 08/11/09 06:10:00 > -- 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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Re: satellite WAS #309
by Rafael Valdez G. 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

Hi Pat. Congratulations for WAS Award, I know for sure how difficult it is to work all states with a portable set up and LEO satellites. And is great to know that you could get it, since you have helped so many of us to get our awards by traveling (even during the expensive gas times) or elmering, specially the mexicans I hope to be hear you soon in the satellites.... 73 XE2RV ------Original Message------ From: Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Sent: Aug 10, 2009 10:37 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] satellite WAS #309 Hi! After over 3 1/2 years working the satellites, getting on the air for around 6000 satellite QSOs followed by requesting QSL cards from stations across the USA, I was able to complete one of my goals when I started on the satellites - work and confirm QSOs with all 50 US states. I had my applications and cards for the satellite Worked All States award reviewed here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, and the certificate arrived today. :-) Out here in the western part of North America, it is possible to work all 50 states with the existing group of LEO satellites we have. In fact, it can be done with just the FM satellites from out here if there are stations on from each of the states. My application used QSL cards from contacts only on the 3 FM satellites (AO-27, AO-51, SO-50). There is no special endorsement for doing that; the WAS certificate has "OSCAR" to identify this as a satellite WAS, along with the serial number for this version of the WAS (#309) and the date it was issued (last Thursday, 6 August). I wanted to use cards from only the FM-satellite QSOs, as that was one of the two goals I wanted to do when I started out in late 2005 (the other thing was to get QSL cards from at least 100 grids, for the satellite VUCC award). I'll use many of the same cards toward the AMSAT Sexagesimal award (confirming contacts with at least 60 US states/Canadian provinces/DXCC countries), and then do the bigger task of assembling a satellite VUCC application (I'm somewhere between 250 and 300 grids confirmed). Or I can go back on the radio, and leave that paperwork for some other time. :-) In any event, thanks to all the stations over 3 1/2 years that got on the air from the different states - and for sending those QSL cards to confirm the contacts. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ <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 <http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb>

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AO-51 Telemetry
by Nitin Muttin [VU3TYG] 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

I have downloaded and configured Willow and Sabins to receive and decode the telemetry from AO-51.Anyone has the information of the IP address of the telemetry reflector to be setup in Sabins. 73's Nitin [VU3TYG] ________________________________________________

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satellite WAS #309
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

Hi! After over 3 1/2 years working the satellites, getting on the air for around 6000 satellite QSOs followed by requesting QSL cards from stations across the USA, I was able to complete one of my goals when I started on the satellites - work and confirm QSOs with all 50 US states. I had my applications and cards for the satellite Worked All States award reviewed here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, and the certificate arrived today. :-) Out here in the western part of North America, it is possible to work all 50 states with the existing group of LEO satellites we have. In fact, it can be done with just the FM satellites from out here if there are stations on from each of the states. My application used QSL cards from contacts only on the 3 FM satellites (AO-27, AO-51, SO-50). There is no special endorsement for doing that; the WAS certificate has "OSCAR" to identify this as a satellite WAS, along with the serial number for this version of the WAS (#309) and the date it was issued (last Thursday, 6 August). I wanted to use cards from only the FM-satellite QSOs, as that was one of the two goals I wanted to do when I started out in late 2005 (the other thing was to get QSL cards from at least 100 grids, for the satellite VUCC award). I'll use many of the same cards toward the AMSAT Sexagesimal award (confirming contacts with at least 60 US states/Canadian provinces/DXCC countries), and then do the bigger task of assembling a satellite VUCC application (I'm somewhere between 250 and 300 grids confirmed). Or I can go back on the radio, and leave that paperwork for some other time. :-) In any event, thanks to all the stations over 3 1/2 years that got on the air from the different states - and for sending those QSL cards to confirm the contacts. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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SumbandilaSat launch
by Pieter Kotze 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

The article link is slightly outdated, SumbandilaSat has been in Baikonur for quite some time now. Amsat numbers are usually only allocated once the bird has been succesfully activated on the ham frequencies. I would personlally vote for an SO-xx number for SumbandilaSat Oscar-xx, this would also link back to SO-35 which led the way for SumbandilaSat. Regards ZS1PK/M0PAK -- This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright terms and conditions, e-mail legal notice, and implemented Open Document Format (ODF) standard. The full disclaimer details can be found at http://www.csir.co.za/disclaimer.html. This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. MailScanner thanks Transtec Computers for their support.

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Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK- WAS-
by Peter 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

Patrick, Congratulations on your WAS achievement, East or West, it is a significant accomplishment! You have contributed a great deal to the AMSAT community, Hamfests, Elmer, driving to rare Grids; we are enriched having you and the many friends you have made along the trail, thank you. 73, Pete, WB2OQQ

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Grids on the Road
by John Papay 11 Aug '09

11 Aug '09

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

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