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

FO-29 schedule
by Mineo Wakita 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

4 Sep 22:45UTC 5 Sep 21:50UTC JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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Re: Improving satellite reporting
by William Leijenaar 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

Hi AMSATs, The tinny transponder design is finished and tested. I can make copies when there is interrest. My visit to Ham Fair in Tokyo was for me a kind of milestone to finish the design and make it public to the people. (I like to design something well done, before make it available to others, this avoids modifications and extra work later). It is not easy to make the LE005-R2 transponder design without having the right tools. This is also the reason why I cannot sell it like a kit for people to solder at home. The design is made at a profesional level (as development engineer I am dealing with it dayly) and can be made with use of a pick and place machine and reflow soldered for large quantities in a factory when needed. This is only profitable at large quantities. For small quantities its cheaper and faster to do it with my small reflow system. The quality is guarenteed as I can do manual inspection and full testing myself. The next step is doing space environment tests, but that takes some more time and money. In case you have a working thermal vaccuum chamber in your garage, let me know ;o) The LE005-R2 is designed for space environment but not officially tested yet. However, the design is well suited for applications like terresterial transponders. 73, with kind regards, William Leijenaar, PE1RAH --- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Robertson" <ve9qrp(a)gmail.com> To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:04 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Improving satellite reporting [snip] > > (Similarly, I hope that William's extraordinary vision in building his > transponder board might, after broad testing and examination, be > validated by it becoming an 'AMSAT' off-the-shelf product. With > William's approval, let's appeal for the bucks to have a team of > people replicate these, test them, and set them up as temporary > terrestrial repeaters around the world. We'd much more easily convince > a cubesat team to include one of these if we could say one was running > uninterrupted in Toronto for a year, or if we could have them do a QSO > through one in a live demo!) > > > 73, Bruce > VE9QRP Hey, if William will make the boards available, I'll start building one tomorrow!!! 73, George, KA3HSW

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Demo from DM13 Thursday Night
by Clint Bradford 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

THANK YOU to the operators in Mexico and the United States for making my demonstration to the Moreno Valley (CA) Amateur Radio Assn. a success last night! They were, indeed, properly impressed! My upcoming "How to Work Ham Sats With Your HT" presentations ... September 11 - EchoLink/IRLP via K0GQ September 17 - Conejo Valley ARC October 5 - WARA (Fullerton) meeting October 17 - Victor Valley ARC’s JOTA Clint Bradford, K6LCS http://www.k6lcs.com

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First TAPR President & Packet Radio Pioneer, KD2S SK
by Mark Thompson 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9159 Den Connors, KD2S (SK) (Sep 3, 2009) -- The first president of Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) Den Connors, KD2S, of Pepperell, Massachusetts, passed away September 3 from lymphoma. He was 58. Connors, an ARRL Life Member, conducted the first amateur packet radio contact with all-American hardware and software, using the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Terminal Node Controller (TNC) with Lyle Johnson, WA7GXD (now KK7P), at 9:12 PM (PST) on June 25, 1982. The tests were conducted at 146.55MHz, with both stations sending plain-text ASCII messages. "Den was instrumental in the early PACSAT work, and as TAPR's first president, led that organization from a local club he co-founded into an international organization," Johnson said in an e-mail. "His was a very cheerful, positive, can-do influence." ARRL/TAPR DCC (Digital Communications Conference), Chicago, September 25 - 27, 2009 www.tapr.org/dcc TAPR Updates & Announcements on Twitter www.twitter.com/taprdigital

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CUTE-I silent
by Mike Rupprecht 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

17:30 UTC - 45 deg pass - nothing heard from CUTE-I over Europe. Can anyone confirm this, please ? 73, Mike DK3WN

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Re: Why PCSAT is hard to recover
by Robert Bruninga 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

> Is this cross-connect sequence hard coded > in the firmware? No way to replace that > small bit of code directly from earth? We used the KISS principle and since we had no programmers on the team, we put no cotroller or CPU on board. PCSAT is nothing but a pair of TNC's, and pairs of TX and RX's. And a simple 555 timer chip that reboots them if they have not beaconed in over a minute. The STOCK TNC's have all the command, control, telemetry, I/O we needed. All of our satellites to date flew with nothing but a TNC as the "system" with the 555 backup timer as a fail safe reset. Bob > On 9/4/09 9:44 AM, "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga(a)usna.edu> wrote: > > >> Why is pcsat having so much trouble > >> carrying its 5 watts then? Even > >> when the satellite is in full sun? > >> Even on the Z panel? ...what went wrong. > > > > Error in design. Since it was our first satellite, and the > > first time that hamtronics TX and RX were flown in space, we put > > in multiple redundancy. Two identical RX=>TNC=>TX systems. We > > thought the most important thing was the command link. > > > > To make sure we could still access both TNC systems even with a > > TX or RX failure we added a second UHF RX to both systems. In > > additionl we had a relay to CROSS-CONNECT the transmitters. > > > > THen we made the mistake. We assumed that to recover from an > > anomoly, the most important thing was to regain the command > > link. Hence, from cold-boot, the spare UHF receivers would both > > come on AND the transmitters would be cross-connected. This > > assured we could access either TNC even if we had lost one RX or > > one TX. > > > > The mistake was assuming that in such a recovery effort, the > > first thing we would then do is TURN OFF the extra receivers and > > DISCONNNECT the cross conneced transmitters once we had command. > > > > Well... DUH.... If the reason the spacecraft crashed back to > > defaults was because it was low on power, then the last thing > > you want to do is QUADRUPLE the power budget by having the > > recovery-defaults turn on double the number of receivers and > > double the number of transmitters! > > > > So we need FOUR times the average power just to get command and > > that only happens during mid-day passes during maximum eclipse > > periods, and sometimes right at the beginning of full sun > > periods in the southern hemisphere. > > Our first commmand then IN SEQUENCE is > > 1) LOGON > > 2) Send command to separate the transmitters > > 3) Send command to turn off the two spare UHF reciverss > > > > If those are successful, AND PCSAT then has a full orbit in full > > sun, then we can recover. But the loggon password challenge > > from the satellite is the LONGEST packet in the command > > sequence, and if is not successful on the FIRST try, then the > > battery is exhausted and you loose the pass. > > > > Bob, Wb4APR > >> > >> On Sep 3, 2009, at 17:34, "Robert Bruninga" > > <bruninga(a)usna.edu> wrote: > >> > >>>> To get good coverage you need as many > >>>> LEO satellites as possible so they should > >>>> each be as small as possible. > >>>> Intersatellite linking could be done > >>>> via automated ground stations. This > >>>> eliminates the need for high-power > >>>> transmtters and/or high-gain antennas > >>>> on the satellites for interlinkng. > >>> > >>> Yep, that is what we have been trying to do now for 8 years > > with > >>> the APRS satellites on 145.825. We just need several of > > them in > >>> orbit at the same time. We have demonstrated dual-hops > > several > >>> times whenever two or more of the APRS satellites (and > > ARISS) > >>> are operational at the same time. If we could get 6 to 10 > > of > >>> the University cubesats to simply carry the 3.4" square APRS > >>> transponder (Byonics TinyTrck-4), then we would have a > >>> constellation providing nearly continuous connectivity via > > these > >>> satellites from any handheld or mobile APRS radio. With 6, > > you > >>> might have to wait 30 minutes or so to make yoru contacts. > > With > >>> 10 or so, you might have to wit no more than 5 to 10 minutes > > for > >>> connectivity. > >>> > >>> See www.aprs.org/cubesat-comms.html > >>> > >>>> It's better to put that gain and power > >>>> consumption on earth. > >>> > >>> The advantage of the APRS satellite concept and Packet, is > > that > >>> we can use a 5 Watt transmitter on the satellite to be able > > to > >>> hit any mobile or HT using its existing omni antenna because > > the > >>> packet has a low dutycycle. So running 5 watts on a cubesat > > is > >>> easy, because the transmitter dutycycle is only on less than > > say > >>> 5% of the whole-orbit time. (average power 1/4 Watt) > >>> > >>> Whereas ECHO which is on all the time, has to be set at 1/4 > > watt > >>> TX power because it is on all the time. > >>> > >>> Also, EVERY APRS satellite would be on the same frequency > >>> 145.825 with no doppler to track, and since every one of > > them > >>> does the same generic relay, independent of callsign, then > > the > >>> user on the ground just operates... He does not have to do > >>> anything to go from one satellite to another... > >>> > >>> Bob, WB4APR > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> 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 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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Trolls on the -bb
by Andrew Glasbrenner 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

People often ask me why more of the AMSAT leadership doesn't participate on the AMSAT-BB. I think that over the last few weeks we have seen ample reason why. We've been accused of stupidity, malfeasance, sloth, and called out at every opportunity. I've about had it with the trolling and the bickering and the internet commandos cruising for reactions. They've caused it to cease being fun or even interesting to participate in this email list. I'd like each and every one of you to consider how you'd feel if you gave several hours a day for free to an organization to only get sarcastic, bitter criticism at your efforts in return? Sit back and think where the organization would be today if all the current volunteers decided they'd rather sit behind a keyboard and tear someone else's work down rather than analyze telemetry, plan schedules, maintain webpages, solder circuit boards, mail ballots, test batteries, process renewals, inquire about new opportunities, mentor a beginner or a cubesat project, write an article, schedule an ARISS QSO, etc? Next time you feel that urge to criticize or even hurt AMSAT in public, remember that behind every thing AMSAT does is someone who decided to volunteer rather than do something more selfish with their time, and those folks have feelings and egos and frailties. Push them too hard and you might find they pack their bags and leave. I know AMSAT has had it's issues over it's long history, and we are all disappointed that HEOs seem to be almost out of reach for us now. We are all human and we all make mistakes, especially when it involves rocket engines, building spacecraft on hobby store budgets, and getting all past our benefactor launch agency trials and schedules. We have also learned from our mistakes, and it is time to move ahead. Our officers and our BOD is almost entirely different from just 5 years ago. I think if we can quit flinging mud at each other for a few moments, you'll see that there are some good things just around the corner for AMSAT, and those good things may lead to great things. But we need your support and understanding, not your slings and arrows. What have you done for your AMSAT lately? If a member has a problem with or suggestion for how a volunteer is doing their job, contact them through the website regardless of what your interpretation of "bug" is, or directly via email or even a phone call. Be prepared to back up your complaint with an offer of help. Sometimes it will work, and sometime it won't. But please, for the sake of the organization, keep the sarcasm, the bitter jabs, and the trolling and bickering off the -bb. 73, Drew KO4MA lowly AMSAT servant

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Improving satellite reporting
by Bruce Robertson 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

I offer the following idea in order to speed up the reporting of satellite conditions on amsat.org. The situation is, as I see it, thus: 1. The best source of information is oscar.dcarr.org. It harnesses the many-eyes that the Internet can provide and summarizes their reports in a helpful visualization. Users can gain detailed information, like how FO-29's repair is progressing, or what mode AO-7 is in. In my experience its uptime is excellent. Moreover, if I understand it correctly, it does not require manual operation. Its only fault is that its url is not in amsat.org, and so beginners or those with just a general interest are unlikely to find it. It might be subject to spamming or malicious reporting, but I have seen no evidence of this. 2. The official amsat page of information reports conditions on a roughly week-by-week basis and does not include the detailed information described above. This is because, if I understand its operation correctly, it does require manual work by an authorized individual. This precludes the moment-by-moment reporting that oscar.dcarr.org offers, but it does mean that the trust factor is high. To my mind, an ideal solution is in two steps: A. Make oscar.dcarr.org an amsat.org page. At very least, this entails nothing more than the use of the HTML iframe element. It is true that amsat is thus endorsing an external page, but I think based on past performance, this is highly warranted. On the other end of the spectrum, the entire code and server software that drives oscar.dcarr.org could be moved to amsat.org. In any case, this would require the permission of Mr. Carr and prominent recognition from the organization for his (and Bob's) pioneering application of the Internet to this problem. B. Perhaps more complicated is to make the current official page become automatically updated from the dcarr page, or by means of an operator who is automatically informed from the dcarr page, or some combination of the two. For instance, a sufficient number of 'not heard' reports from dcarr.org pertaining to a given bird would change its status in the official page to be '?' or something like this. There are further possibilities. For instance, dcarr.org could be upgraded with a broad-based trust model. The twenty most enthusiastic reporters could, for instance, be furnished with passwords in a secure mode and their data could be privileged for the purpose of reporting. Besides improving the reporting on satellite conditions, this change would have a further effect. It would communicate to the members that if they create good resources, their work might eventually become highlighted by the AMSAT community, in effect, a 'publication' of AMSAT. 'Volunteering' thus becomes not much more than 'doing cool stuff that the community likes'. (Similarly, I hope that William's extraordinary vision in building his transponder board might, after broad testing and examination, be validated by it becoming an 'AMSAT' off-the-shelf product. With William's approval, let's appeal for the bucks to have a team of people replicate these, test them, and set them up as temporary terrestrial repeaters around the world. We'd much more easily convince a cubesat team to include one of these if we could say one was running uninterrupted in Toronto for a year, or if we could have them do a QSO through one in a live demo!) 73, Bruce VE9QRP

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Re: Improving satellite reporting
by David Carr 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

Hello all, I'm glad to hear that the community is enjoying the satellite status page. I am always very happy to visit the page and see it filled with reports. I also agree that the site could benefit from some improvements. As suggested, I think stronger ties with Amsat could be beneficial and improve its accessibility. Lets continue this discussion further and how we can work together to make this resource as useful as possible. In the meantime, please send me small changes (ie: new satellites or URL updates) and I will apply them. 73s, David Carr KD5QGR

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GRID BL11 today at 2327Z (9/3/09)
by Robert Smith 03 Sep '09

03 Sep '09

Aloha All Sorry for the late notice but I will be atop Diamond Head crater today for the 2327Z +/- pass of AO-27. Hopefully W6ZQ will be up and we can do an interisland. Also, much of the west coast will be lit up. Sawson may try 50 mW and who knows what will happen. Hope to hear some friends on the bird. 73 de robert NH7WN BL11 Honolulu, Hawaii

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