October 2010 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

check your logs (please)
by John Becker 12 Oct '10

12 Oct '10

Nothing like being late but, I don't seem to have and QSL's for AO40. Was looking the other day at the cards that I do have and don't seem to have one for AO-40. I did work a good number as well as some DX. my logging computer was lost in the big fire awhile back or I would use that info to try to get one. Tnx John, W0JAB

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Symposium
by Dale Hershberger 12 Oct '10

12 Oct '10

I just want to say thank you to all that helped with this past weekends AMSAT Symposium. I had a very good time meeting folks and all the presentations were very informative and educational. I Learned a lot and hope to pass this on and spread the word about AMSAT is all about. 73, Dale/KL7XJ AMSAT 30600

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conference
by Nick Pugh K5QXJ 12 Oct '10

12 Oct '10

Thanks to all who put on a great conference JoAnn and I had a good time. I cannot wait to operate ARRIS nick Office 337 593 8700 Cell 337 258 2527 Helping UL become a world Class Engineering and Educational School

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SO-67 sounds fuzzy?
by Mike Ryan 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Got my first QSO on this very strong SAT. Signal is at least 3 S units more here than than the average pass of other birds. Very excited about working it. But the audio on it did sound very "fuzzy" to me. Not the usual crisp clear FM I hear on AO-27, SO-50, and AO-51 when tuned in to center. I tried FM and FM narrow on my FT-857 and tried fine tuning with the VFO but it didn't seem to help. Is this the nature of this bird or am I missing something I need to change on my settings? 73's Mike WB1AAT

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AMSAT Banner
by Bob Herrell 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

HI all, Where can I get an AMSAT Banner to use when we do demos? Could not find any in the Amsat Store online. 73, Bob AJ5C

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Re: amsat satellites in use
by PA3GUO 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

A very good resource is the website of Mike, DK3WN, in Germany: http://www.dk3wn.info/satellites.shtml Daily reports on satellite reception are posted here: http://www.dk3wn.info/p/ Here is a video showing a recent satellite, HO-68, which has a CW (morse-code) beacon you can easily receive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=o6oDgUTHCwg Success ! Henk, PA3GUO http://www.pa3guo.com =========================================== Dear amsat member. I am a university student and research on getting stated with amsat satellites. could you please tell me what amsat satellites are in use and i can receive beacon and telemetry from them? also How do I can setup a UniTrac 2003 with a G-5500 rotor? Then with Nova? Thanks for your attention. Best Regards. N.Mahdinejad -- Henk, PA3GUO

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trip to NC
by wa4hfn＠comcast.net 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

I will be taking a trip to N.C. this week and will be in FM06 will also actavite FM05 and on Sunday I will TRY to go to FM 13 and 14 for a AO27 and maybe AO51 contact 16 Oct I will be using A kenwood TMD 710A an an elk antenna . I will know more later this week WA4HFN Damon

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NO-44 Pcsat-11 is alive !
by Pedro Converso 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

NO-44 heard and operated from South America. Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[06:07:00] T#010,075,095,090,084,214,11111111,0001,1 Fm LU2HAM-7 To APRS Via ARISS,RS0ISS-4,WIDE3-3 <UI pid=F0 Len=60 >[06:07:51] =3120.48S/06418.04W`Sat Gate H-24 Cordoba Argentina {UISS52} You can track & report daily sats operation in http://amsat.org.ar?f=z 73, LU7ABF, Pedro Converso Lu7abf(a)amsat.org.ar www.amsat.org.ar

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AO-51 mode: dual repeaters (to support JOTA)
by Mark L. Hammond 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Hello All, Thanks to Kevin WA6FAF we are now running dual repeaters on AO-51, as per the schedule below. The 145.880/435.150 repeater is for QRP operations only --unless-- you are contacting a Scout station during the Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) this weekend. The early part of this week is a GREAT time for new and/or inexperienced operators with simple/portable gear to make some contacts on the QRP repeater! Some hams are reluctant to attempt contacts because of the normally fast pace on 435.300, so here is a chance for folks to make some contacts they might otherwise not even attempt... Encourage people to make use of this mode--both for QRP and for JOTA!!! Operators on the East coast can expect some early morning interruptions on 435.150 while we download telemetry. AO-51 Schedule October 10 (late UTC) FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM (no PL tone) Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM QRP (Oct. 10-15) and JOTA (Oct. 16-17) Only FM Repeater, V/U Please give way to JOTA stations or QSO’s with JOTA stations Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM (no PL tone) Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM 73, -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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Re: amsat satellites in use
by Andrew Glasbrenner 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

For relatively recent status and frequencies, take a look at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/status.php . I'm not familiar with the Unitrac interface, but I am familiar enough with Nova to strongly recommend you avoid it in favor of SatPC32 ( http://www.amsat-na.com/store/item.php?id=100020 ). What university are you at, and are you working on a cubesat project? 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations -----Original Message----- >From: MAHDINEJAD(a)aut.ac.ir >Sent: Oct 11, 2010 5:36 AM >To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >Subject: [amsat-bb] amsat satellites in use > > >Dear amsat member. >I am a university student and research on getting stated with amsat satellites. >could you please tell me what amsat satellites are in use and i can receive beacon and telemetry from them? >also How do I can setup a UniTrac 2003 with a G-5500 rotor? Then with Nova? >Thanks for your attention. >Best Regards. >N.Mahdinejad > >_______________________________________________ >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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amsat satellites in use
by MAHDINEJAD＠aut.ac.ir 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Dear amsat member. I am a university student and research on getting stated with amsat satellites. could you please tell me what amsat satellites are in use and i can receive beacon and telemetry from them? also How do I can setup a UniTrac 2003 with a G-5500 rotor? Then with Nova? Thanks for your attention. Best Regards. N.Mahdinejad

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G-5500 Orientation
by Dean Maluski 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

I am installing a G-5500 Elevation rotor and trying to determine orientation of elevation with reference to software specifically rtrcontrold for Linux but I'd suspect this would be typical to most PC applications. If a sat is 45 degrees above horizon should rotor control read 45 or 135 degrees on the hardware control dial? What I'm asking is when I want to mount antenna where 90 degrees is horizontal or vertical? It seems natural that midway point is horizontal but midway point is 90 degrees. I don't think I ever have a reason to point antenna into the mud so it makes most sense that midway 90 degrees is straight up??

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ND9M Road Trip Update #6
by claryco＠aol.com 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

We'll be leaving the Glacier Nat'l Park vicinity around midday tomorrow (11 Oct) and start heading east. The following plans are tentative, and I'll update when I can. Although grid lines are measured linearly, the roads in this area aren't; mountains and foothills will eat up a lot of the afternoon's drive time. We're just a very few miles away from the DN28 / DN38 line, but we probably won't get to DN37 until mid- to late afternoon. The crystal ball puts us on the DN37 / DN47 line for the AO51 passes that rise locally at about 11/2142Z (low easterly) and 11/2318Z (high easterly). On Tuesday (12 Oct), I may still be in DN47 (on US 87) when HO68 comes up, but I'll try to be on the DN48 / DN58 line for the AO27 passes that rise locally at about 12/2002Z and 12/2142Z. We'll probably still be in DN58 when AO51 comes up. Three days is a lot to forecast, but we'll see about DN56 and DN57 for Wednesday. More to come... 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Columbia Falls MT / Flathead Co. / DN28

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ts790 split programming
by Gary Lockhart 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

I have the operating manual and followed the instructions for loading split freqs but I keep getting unexpected 2M freqs., just random changes from what I tried to load. Is it just a weak memory battery? Very little TS790 forum history for this problem or others for that matter. Off list reply is fine since this isn't really the mission of this bb. Gary AB3ID

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WD9EWK @ EN40/EN41, Monday (11 Oct) morning on AO51
by Patrick STODDARD 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Hi! I made it to the EN40/EN41 boundary north of Galesburg IL, but not in time to work the eastern USA on an FM satellite. One very shallow AO51 pass out west, then two higher passes on AO7 and FO29, as the sun set this evening. I will go back to the same spot tomorrow morning for the AO51 passes at 1023 and 1202 UTC. I will look at other passes after these, but will probably start heading back toward Chicago after these passes. I may make a mid-morning detour to Davenport in Iowa (EN41) for a couple of passes, before hitting I-88 back to Chicago. Maybe on SO50, and/or an SSB bird. APRS is spotty in much of the Illinois flatlands, but I will run my VX-8GR with my position for that drive as WD9EWK-7 . You may see me at http://aprs.fi/wd9ewk-7 online. Thanks for all the QSOs today on all 3 FM birds, along with AO7 and FO29. I started my drive at EN51/EN52/EN61/EN62 after I left the Symposium, then an SO50 pass at the Illinois/Wisconsin state line north of Chicago (EN62), and other passes in that grid as well as EN51 and EN41 before reaching the EN40/EN41 boundary. And did I mention I was enjoying all of this? The rental car has over 350 miles (563km) on it so far since arriving in Chicago Thursday, and it will see at least 150 more miles (241km) for the drive back to Chicago. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Galesburg, Illinois http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Successful Glide Test For Spacecraft
by B J 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1010/10ss2/ 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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I'd like your shack ideas
by David Giles 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Hello All, The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter as I complete my shack renovations. Soon I will be at the all important stage of figuring out the best way to locate radios, computers, logbooks etc. This brings to mind a couple of questions. 1) Apart from the extra rotator controllers, the computer running a tracking program and the pre-dominance of VHF and UHF radios, are there any other accessories etc that distinguish a satellite operator from a 'normal' operator? 2) Given that you really find out how good you are when the PC crashes halfway during a QSO and you then have to manually operate two radios for Doppler shift and two rotator controllers as well as mic/key, what controls do you operate with each hand? Would a footswitch for PTT be worthwhile? 3) My planned layout is (from left to right): 19" rack holding various bits of equipment that I don't generally need to touch, TS-811 for 70cm, K3 for 2m, rotator control box, and computer. Eventually I will build a switchbox to use one headset between the two radios and place this between them. Though I have a TNC, I rarely do any digital work. Does this seem a logical layout for a right handed person? I will have the luxury of using a larger desk than before and the layout will be more horizontal than vertical. Contesters spend some effort on the ergonomics of their station. Any advice on how I could get mine right would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. 73 de David VK5DG (who is looking forward to getting back on the air).

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WD9EWK @ EN40/EN41 in 25 min
by Patrick STODDARD 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Hi! WD9EWK will work 3 upcoming passes from the EN40/EN41 boundary north of Galesburg IL this evening. The passes.... 2358-0007 AO51 (very low to my west) 0004-0026 AO7 (if in mode B) 0013-0029 FO29 (I will switch over when I stop working anyone on AO7, or the whole pass if AO7 is not on) I should also be on AO51 tomorrow morning from either this boundary or in EN40, before moving back toward Chicago. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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EN51/EN52/EN61/EN62 @ 1501 UTC today, SO50
by Patrick STODDARD 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Hi. One more from the 4-grid intersection in a few minutes, before heading up to Wisconsin. SO50, a nice high pass here. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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HO-68 video from yesterday now posted on YouTube
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Hi! I'm still here at the AMSAT Symposium, and posted another video of working a satellite. Thanks to Adrian AA5UK, I just put a short video of me working the last half of an HO-68 pass from yesterday morning (approximately 1750-1756 UTC) on my YouTube channel. The video should be available shortly at: http://youtube.com/va7ewk Adrian and I were outside the hotel for this pass, and we were both listening to it and I was working stations. Then Adrian decided to whip out his camera and run video of me. The video is not of the entire pass, and I apologize that I did not recruit Adrian or someone else to film the full pass. Almost time for breakfast... 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Ideas, challenges (for a world wide network)
by PA3GUO 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Hi Carlos ! Thank you very much for your report. Listening to the recordings at your site, I hear they have the same slight variation in volume as on one of my own PC's. I do not know yet what is causing this, but useful to get confirmed form your audio playback - thanks ! Honestly, we do not know what we want to do with this exactly. We need to develop new ideas and applications over time and from others around the world. Ideas: - remote monitor cubesat telemetry (scientific application) - world-wide broadcast of FM satellites (fun, demo) - live audio feedback of AO7 CW: stretch the footprint tests via internet - follow satellites while they travel around the world (multiple upstream stations needed) ... more ? Challenges: - fixed antenna vs beams (beams cannot aim at 2 at the same time) - fixed antenna give lower SNR - TS2000 (now) or SDR (only a receiver is needed, no full trx) - HW: it would be nice to have 1 SDR, with eg AO51+HO68+ISS all 3 frequencies monitored AND doppler compensated simultanious (PA3FWM like but then for sats - http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/) ... suggestions ? Today universities that launch a sat need to wait a few hours after launch before they can hear their own satellite. We often do this for them (ANDE-2 over Netherlands, Delfi-C3 over US first). Would be nice to have a system in place that solves this. Kind of like the GENSO http://www.genso.org/ project, but that by HAMs. Henk, PA3GUO http://www.pa3guo.com ---- Carlos Paoli <crpaoli(a)yahoo.com.br> schreef: > Hi Mike DK3WN, Henk PA3GUO and guys, Mike, unfortunately can not monitor your audio stream, the next time I'll be there, your site is very cool. Henk, I recorded orbits 3903 and 3916 and put on our website at http://www.sar.satfm.org/ also put a ISS record by the CT1EAT. I hope it is useful and that everyone will enjoy. 73, Carlos Paoli - PY2FFZ -- Henk, PA3GUO

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WD9EWK mini IL/WI/IA (maybe) road trip, Sunday/Monday
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Hi! With the AMSAT Symposium wrapping up Sunday morning, and I don't fly back home until Monday afternoon, I am going to make use of the unlimited mileage on my little rental car for a day or so of sightseeing. And, yes, some satellite operating. After working from the 4-grid intersection with John K8YSE the past couple of mornings (EN51/EN52/EN61/EN62) and from outside the Symposium hotel (EN62aa) at other times, I will do some sightseeing in the area where I used to live north of Chicago. I plan on being up to the Wisconsin state line for at least one pass around midday (still in grid EN62, and possibly on the Illinois/Wisconsin state line), before making a hard drive toward grid EN40 in western Illinois. If all goes well, I hope to be on some passes in the late afternoon and early evening from out there. On Monday morning, I plan on working some passes from out that way - grids EN40 and/or EN41, in Illinois or *possibly* a very quick detour into Iowa to work a pass or two - before returning to O'Hare airport for the flight home. So far, around the Symposium site, I have not been able to get an APRS packet heard by the local digipeater network. I will have my VX-8GR squawking away once I start driving away from here, and that should be visible at http://aprs.fi/wd9ewk-7 if all goes well. As with my other trips where I work the satellites around the USA, there will be no need to send me QSL cards for contacts made with WD9EWK while I have been in Chicagoland. Please e-mail me with the QSO details, and I will be happy to send out cards. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Elk Grove Village, Illinois http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Re: HO-68 audio stream
by Nader Omer 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

Gentlemen Mike DK3WN and Henks PA3GUO Thanks you very much Very very enjoyable to listen to the (HO-68) satellite after LOS. I heard myself with a delay of 5 or 6 seconds . If more stations from deferent location streaming the same Satellite we could follow the sat through the globe. This is a very practical teaching method to exchange the technique and skill among satellite fan community. Thanks again gentlemen 73 de Nader www.st2nh.com

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Re: HO-68 FM live audiostream on (Oct 9th)
by PA3GUO 09 Oct '10

09 Oct '10

It is still running, and we have a 10 degrees pass coming that bridges acros the Atlantic (Europe & North America). http://www.pa3guo.com/webradio.html Henk ---- PA3GUO <pa3guo(a)upcmail.nl> schreef: > HO-68 FM live audio stream will be running again the rest of today (Oct 8th): > http://www.pa3guo.com/webradio.html > > You will hear noise when the satellite is not overhead my station > (JO21RJ, Netherlands, Europe). > > Let me know if there would be interest to switch to AO51 or the 70cm > beacon of a Cubesat, for example tomorrow, Saturday Oct 9th. > > -- > Henk, PA3GUO -- Henk, PA3GUO

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Hayabusa Probe May Have Returned With Asteroid Material
by B J 09 Oct '10

09 Oct '10

http://spacecoalition.com/blog/japan%e2%80%99s-hayabusa-probe-tiny-asteroid… Results of further investigations are pending. 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @DO33FL

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