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

XE2/WD9EWK from DM21 and DM22 yesterday
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 19 Feb '10

19 Feb '10

Hi! As I'm getting ready to make the 45-minute drive from Calexico CA to the hamfest at Yuma AZ, I wanted to post a little more about my exploits (along with Larry KI6YAA and his son Kevin KJ6DDS) yesterday... It took longer to get paperwork yesterday morning in Mexicali. Instead of a 5- to 10-minute process at the border to get the "tourist card" entry visa required to apply for the XE ham permit, it took over 20 minutes. More paperwork was required, to satisfy any Mexican army checkpoints away from the city (which we did not see). Once that was done, and the newly-issued entry visas were photocopied, we went to the Mexican communications ministry office on the south end of Mexicali. Computer problems here delayed the process for Larry and me to file the paperwork for our XE radio permits, but we were able to get out of there in about 45 minutes. Instead of stopping for an early lunch before leaving Mexicali for DM21 after filing the paperwork for the permit, we left the city and drove quickly. Unfortunately, we were a few miles/km short of the DM21 boundary before the first AO-27 pass around 2025 UTC. We stopped at kilometer 61 on Mexico route 5, the highway from Mexicali to the town of San Felipe on the Gulf of California. After a few minutes to set up the station, XE2/WD9EWK was on the air from grid DM22ib (32 4.915 N 115 15.305 W). Since the plan for the day was to try for DM21, this AO-27 pass was the only time I transmitted from DM22 this afternoon. As usual for this satellite and a pass that favors the US east coast, it was busy. Even with that, XE2/WD9EWK logged 17 QSOs on the 7-minute pass. When this pass wrapped up, we packed my truck and first went north to a small shop to get some food and drink. After that, we drove south a little further. I was not so interested in working from the DM21/DM22 grid boundary, but definitely wanted to find a safe spot on the north edge of DM21 with good visibility to both the east and west. We found that spot south of kilometer 78 on route 5, parking near a bridge over a section of the Laguna Salada, a salty dry lakebed that is mostly below sea level and is the lowest spot in northern Baja California. According to GPS, this was in grid DM21jw (31 56.845 N 115 12.612 W). SO-50 came up from the south around 2130 UTC, and we were ready. Larry and Kevin were taking pictures and listening to the passes with their gear, and I was working stations with my gear. The first contact I logged at DM21jw was with Omar XE1AO in central Mexico. I also heard ND9M on this pass, when Jim parked at the DL79/DM70 grid boundary in Texas. Very nice to work him there, even as I wished I could have made that contact when I was closer to home. :-) In all, I was able to log 13 QSOs on this pass. Not long after that SO-50 pass, I had another AO-27 pass to the west at 2205 UTC. Fewer stations were on, but I was able to work all of them - 7 in all. At this point, Alex XE2BSS/N2IX drove down from Mexicali and joined us for the rest of the afternoon. The AO-51 pass that came by around 2240 UTC was one I had not planned to work originally. The maximum elevation for this pass was only 2 degrees, but it was in the direction that had no obstructions for at least 100 miles in that direction. Nothing got in the way at this roadside spot from NNW working clockwise around to SSE. I was able to hear stations around 2243 UTC when I had AOS, worked 6 stations between 2245 and 2249 UTC, and the satellite simply went away as predicted at 22:49:23 UTC. Twenty minutes later, another SO-50 pass came up from the southwest toward the Pacific coast. Eight stations were worked, from the west coast across to KD8CAO in Michigan in the last seconds I could hear the downlink. Again, I could make QSOs down to the horizon in the direction SO-50 went away from me (NNE). The second AO-51 pass I had out here came by at 0017 UTC. This was the pass with the highest elevation I had all afternoon at DM21jw, with maximum elevation of 51 degrees toward the east. ND9M was on from another grid (DM80), and we both worked lots of stations. I logged a total of 17 QSOs on this pass. Even though the third - and last - AO-51 pass from DM21jw was scheduled to appear at 0157 UTC, just after sunset, we decided to stay out for this pass. We also saw NH7WN's e-mail and his plans to work this pass from Honolulu, and I wanted to try to make a contact with him before we left this area. Two minutes into the pass, I heard Robert through the satellite, and we made the contact. Robert was very happy, and all of us in the salty lakebed were also happy with this. I don't know if NH7WN has worked Mexico via satellite before, but it was our pleasure to have had the chance to make that QSO last night. Seven other stations in the USA and western Canada were logged before the satellite went behind a mountain at 0208 UTC. NH7WN also worked a few stations while he could hear the satellite. We packed up our equipment with the light from our vehicles. The sunlight had evaporated during the last AO-51 pass, and we did not want to stay out there into the nighttime. Alex and I drove back to Mexicali, making the 78km drive in about an hour. We met another Mexicali ham when we reached the city, David XE2DAK. David has been on the satellites lately, and was very interested in hearing of our stories from this afternoon. For the afternoon, XE2/WD9EWK logged 78 QSOs - 19 from DM22ib, and 59 from DM21jw. Some stations were worked from both grids, and others were only worked in one or the other. I think that these passes, despite the presence of other stations in unusual or rare grids along with my station, gave many the opportunity to get all of these grids in their logs. ND9M was on a few passes, along with NH7WN on the western AO-51 pass. When I return home, I will design and print QSL cards for both of these locations. I will be happy to send QSLs to all who worked XE2/WD9EWK yesterday, and I would like to receive your QSLs for these contacts toward a future satellite VUCC certificate from that area. Thanks to all the stations on these 7 passes for the QSOs, to my audience for the afternoon (Larry KI6YAA, Kevin KJ6DDS, and Alex XE2BSS/N2IX), and Mother Nature for a nice afternoon to sit in the middle of the dry lakebed. Lots of photos were taken, along with a nice high-quality video of the 0017 UTC AO-51 pass; all of this will find its way on the Internet shortly. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK (and, for the next 6 months, XE2/WD9EWK) http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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HO-68 Schedule - 21-28 Feb 2010
by Alan Kung 19 Feb '10

19 Feb '10

21 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 17:15...Turn On India, Africa, Middle East, Europe,NA 18:00...Turn Off 19:05...Turn On Africa,Europe,Middle East,NA 19:50...Turn Off 22 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 02:53...Turn On FM/Digital Transponder North Asia,East Asia,South Asia 03:08...Turn Off 11:05...Turn On Oceania,South Asia,East Asia, North Asia, Europe 11:50...Turn Off 20:20...Turn On Africa,Europe,NA 21:05...Turn Off 23 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 01:40...Turn On South America,NA,North Asia 02:25...Turn Off 02:39...Turn On FM/Digital Transponder North Asia,East Asia,South Asia 02:55...Turn Off 03:30...Turn On NA,South America,North Asia 04:15...Turn Off 12:40...Turn On Oceania,Asia,Europe 13:25...Turn Off 18:30...Turn On India,Middle East,Europe,NA 19:15...Turn Off 20:05...Turn On Africa,Europe,NA 20:50...Turn Off 24 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 02:18...Turn On FM/Digital North Asia,East Asia,South Asia 02:33...Turn Off 10:35...Turn On Oceania,East Asia,North Asia,Europe 11:20...Turn Off 13:10...Turn On Europe,NA,South America 13:55...Turn Off 16:20...Turn On India,Middle East,Africa,Europe,NA 17:05...Turn Off 23:30...Turn On South America,Europe,NA 24:15...Turn Off 25 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 02:05...Turn On FM/Digital Transponder North Asia,East Asia,South Asia 02:21...Turn Off 02:55...Turn On South America,NA,North Asia 03:40...Turn Off 07:00...Turn On NA,North Asia,Middle East,Europe,Africa 07:45...Turn Off 10:20...Turn On Oceania,Asia,Europe,NA 11:05...Turn Off 16:05...Turn On India,Middle East,Africa,Europe,NA 16:50...Turn Off 19:45...Turn On Africa,Europe,NA, 20:30...Turn Off 26 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 00:55...Turn On South America,NA,North Asia 01:35...Turn Off 10:05...Turn On Oceania,Asia,Europe 10:50...Turn Off 19:25...Turn On Africa,Europe,NA 20:10...Turn Off 23:10...Turn On South America,NA,Asia,Oceania 23:55...Turn Off 27 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 02:25...Turn On South America,NA,North Asia 03:10...Turn Off 12:45...Turn On South America,Oceania 13:30...Turn Off 19:10...Turn On Africa,Europe,NA 19:55...Turn Off 28 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder ======================================= 03:04...Turn On FM/Digi Transponder North Asia,East Asia,South Asia 03:19...Turn Off 08:15...Turn On North Asia,Europe,Africa 09:00...Turn Off 11:15...Turn On Oceania,Asia,Europe 12:00...Turn Off 73 Alan Kung, BA1DU HO-68(XW-1) Project Manager www.camsat.cn

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mode b ao7 looking for dx
by paul robinson 19 Feb '10

19 Feb '10

ill be active mode b ao7 looking west coast mid west usa dx later around 145.950 please call if heard...73 de paul 2e1eub io92bx

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AO-51 pass Hawaiian QSOs
by Robert Smith 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

WOW What a pass! What a fantastic bunch of guys! Textbook ettiquette. Unreal. Mahalo everybody for coming up on that last pass near Hawaii. It was great to hear old friends and new voices as well. Pretty much 59 all the way. I will send audio per request. 73 and THANKS de NH7WN robert, BL11, Honolulu

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Re: How to add Moon Keps to SatPC32
by Louis House, KD5GM 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Simply fascinating, Thank you gentlemen for the great information. CW, The original digital mode LOUIS, KD5GM > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:35:27 -0800 > From: Wayne Estes <w9ae(a)charter.net> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: How to add Moon Keps to SatPC32 > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Message-ID: <4B7C530F.7010600(a)charter.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Mark Hammond wrote: > > SatPC32 has a special program for the Sun and Moon. It's called SuM. > You can find it under the Start/Programs button, with the SatPC32 > programs. > > Wayne replies: > > The separate SuM program controls rotors and displays the moon's az/el, > but it doesn't display the moon's visibility footprint on a world map. > I can see how EME operators would want Moon Keps in the main SatPC32 > program in order to see the moon's visibility footprint. > > Wayne Estes W9AE > Oakland, Oregon, USA, XCN83ik > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:21:30 EST > From: MLengruesser(a)aol.com > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: How to add Moon Keps to SatPC32 > To: w9ae(a)charter.net, amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Message-ID: <16174.19d6c949.38adc5ea(a)aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi all. > to work with planets in main SatPC32 with footprints, create this 2 files > below. > > select in main menue bottom "satellite" , "group" , "planets" > ok > and work like normal satellites > > > C:\Dokumente und > Einstellungen\admin\Anwendungsdaten\SatPC32\Kepler\moon.txt > > C:\dokuments and adjustments\admin\userdata\SatPC32\Keps\moon.txt > > > C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\admin\Anwendungsdaten\SatPC32\planets.SAT > > C:\dokuments and adjustments\admin\userdata\SatPC32\planets.SAT > > > > moon.text file: > > MOON > 1 00000U 00000A 10019.90529622 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 0004 > 2 00000 25.1631 348.5977 0637000 142.8591 221.8486 00.036600996 6 > > > planets.SAT file: > > MOON > + > > > > 73 > Michael, DD5ER > Amsat - DL > > ------------------------------ >

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XE2/WD9EWK from DM22 (1 pass) & DM21 (several passes) today
by Patrick STODDARD 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Hi! Still sitting in DM21jw 45 miles/78km south of the city of Mexicali and the USA/Mexico border, enjoying the afternoon here. I was not able to get here in time for the 2025 UTC AO27 pass, which was worked from a few miles/km north of here in DM22. I hope to hear NH7WN on the next AO51 pass. I worked 1 AO27 pass, 2 SO50 passes, and - so far - 2 AO51 passes. Lots of QSOs, and many thanks to all on these passes. It has been nice to work ND9M, and hear many work both of us this afternoon. This has also been a demonstration for hams in the Mexicali/Calexico area at the border. Larry KI6YAA, Kevin KJ6DDS, and Alex XE2BSS/N2IX have been down here with me on route 5 on the Laguna Salada - a mostly dry lakebed at sea level. KI6YAA now has a 6-month Mexican ham permit, so maybe I can get a shot at working DM21 when I'm back home when he is on as XE2/KI6YAA. :-) More to follow later. I will be on at the Yuma (Arizona) hamfest tomorrow afternoon and Saturday with demonstrations. Hope to hear you then. 73! Patrick XE2/WD9EWK - south of Mexicali, Baja California http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Short road trip
by Gkcarr 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Drew, I am missing EM72 and EM85. Any chance for either? tnx and 73, George WA5KBH EM30 -----Original message----- From: Andrew Glasbrenner glasbrenner(a)mindspring.com Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:11:33 -0600 To: Amsat-BB amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [Spam] [amsat-bb] Short road trip > I'll be headed to Knoxville tomorrow morning, and back on Sunday. None > of the grids between EL88 and EM75 are particularly rare, but if you > need something along the I75 corridor, let me know by email tonight. > I'll also have email while on the road. I could probably justify coming > home down the west side of Georgia through the EM7x grids if lots of > folks need something in there. > > 73, Drew KO4MA > _______________________________________________ > 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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Thanks to the travelers
by Tim - N3TL 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Thanks to Jim, ND9M, and Patrick, WD9WEK, for taking the time and making the effort to activate so many grid for satellite operators. Many of the grids they've worked passes from are fairly rare. Thank again guys, Safe travels! 73, Tim - N3TL Athens, Ga. - EM84ha

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Hawaii and AO51
by Robert Smith 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Aloha All Very late notice!! BUT, I will give 51 a try on the next pass at 0159Z (AOS). Max el. here is 4 deg. and the footprint should cover as far east as Colorado. Will QRP it with Arrow and HT after traveling to the easternly beach area of Oahu. Hope to year you. 73 de robert NH7WN BL11cg, Honolulu

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AMSAT and Software Discounts
by Perry Yantis 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Yes MacDoppler is still sold at a discount from Amsat. http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.php http://www.dogparksoftware.com/MacDoppler.html Perry WB8OTH

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