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

Mars Express rx by F5PL (ESA)
by f6htj＠aol.com 08 Mar '10

08 Mar '10

Hello all; at ESA blog: http://webservices.esa.int/blog/post/7/1058 73 de Michel F6HTJ

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current handheld
by Bob- W7LRD 08 Mar '10

08 Mar '10

I have been asked- "what is the best current handheld for FM sats"? What are we using? I have an old IC-w32a, no longer in production. 73 Bob W7LRD

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videos from XE2/WD9EWK (DM21) and Yuma hamfest in February 2010
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

Hi! I'm slowly getting the hang of video and putting it online in a usable form. I have placed 3 videos on YouTube this evening. One video is of a demonstration from the Yuma (Arizona) hamfest on 20 February 2010 where Kevin KJ6DDS and I worked the microphone. Larry KI6YAA operated the video camera (my Nokia N900 phone). At the end of the video, a Marine Corps Harrier jump jet was making its approach to land at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, which is across the street from the hamfest site. That video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwyFsk9tFAc The other two videos were from an AO-51 pass I worked as XE2/WD9EWK from grid DM21jw in northern Baja California on 19 February 2010 at 0019 UTC. On this afternoon, I was accompanied by Larry KI6YAA and Kevin KJ6DDS, and Alex XE2BSS/N2IX worked the video camera. We parked along the highway on the "Laguna Salada", a dry salty flat area near the Colorado River on the way toward the Gulf of California. The video had to be split into two parts, to comply with YouTube's 10- minute limit on video length. The first 7 minutes can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW5-hL3SDig The remaining 7:14 can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k2yAMGeALc When we were down at DM21jw, it was windy. XE2BSS tried his best to shield the phone/camera's mic from the wind, and allowing the speaker that was connected to my radio to be heard in the video. I worked several other passes from this location, all of which I have MP3 audio recordings of, but this was the one we decided to make a video of. I hope to have the QSL cards from last month's trip to Baja California and the Yuma hamfest ready this week. I've received a lot of QSL requests already, especially for QSOs with DM21. :-) Please be patient, the cards will be on their way. And, eventually, the QSOs will make their way into ARRL's Logbook fo the World system (more on that in a separate message). 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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FS ICOM W2E
by Dave Aitch 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

UK Only please. Works OK but only with DC in the top connector. DC lead, got a headset too. I used to use it /M with a 19" whip when out and about trucking. Worked great. Don't do trucking anymore, so its surplus to me. Lets haggle. Cheers, Dave. G1OCN. AMSAT UK 5766.

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Re: Current Handheld
by Clint Bradford 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

>> ... "what is the best current handheld for FM sats"?? We do not have a currently-manufactured TRUE DUPLEX HT available. Alinco tried - but the sub-band receive performance on their DJ-G7T is gruesome. I use and like the Yaesu FT-60R - for MANY reasons ... -Receives 108 to a gig -bulletproof case -strongest belt clip of any amateur HT chassis on the market -easy to manually program -1,000+ memories -large, easy-to-read display -and a battery situation that is great. Load up the optional FBA-25 AA alkaline tray with alkalines or NiMH cells, and you have FULL TX POWER available, is needed. Do that on, say, a Kenwood TH-F6a, and you have ONE-HALF WATT TX power. Oh - and the Yaesu FT-60R can be programmed for "split freq" ops - where is receives on 440 and transmits on 2M. Overall, it is a tremendous value for your money. Under $200 at HRO and AES and other authorized Yaesu dealers. Clint Bradford, K6LCS 909-241-7666

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Re: current handheld
by Andrew Glasbrenner 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

At the moment there are no new HTs that are full duplex and work well enough for me to personally recommend. I've been pointing folks to going the two radio route, with anything that will receive 435, and anything that transmits on 2m (with PL for SO-50, 67, or 68). For a half duplex radio, I like the F6A as it will receive dc-daylight on FM and SSB/CW. I strongly suggest people use full duplex on the FM birds, but this rig works well as the receive portion. 73, Drew KO4MA -----Original Message----- >From: Bob- W7LRD <w7lrd(a)comcast.net> >Sent: Mar 7, 2010 2:09 PM >To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >Subject: [amsat-bb] current handheld > > > >I have been asked- "what is the best current handheld for FM sats"? What are we using? I have an old IC-w32a, no longer in production. > >73 Bob W7LRD >_______________________________________________ >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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Re: Membership Benefits
by Bob- W7LRD 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

Hi Joel and all -This is a timely question for me. Yesterday I organized and ran (with the help of Wayne-W9AE) a AMSAT table at a local hamfest. I had the opportunity to meet many local hams both satellite ops and the curious. I extolled the virtues of AMSAT and the satellite community in general. A few points I noticed as an undercurrent in some of the conversations. We hams are generally a frugal bunch and in some cases just plain cheap. I had several antennas on display as well as several pictures, one was of an astronaut on a EVA installing one of our antennas on the outside of the space station. Some of the questions went like this, one guy asked, "do you have to belong to AMSAT to operate satellites?", can I get this software (Satpc32) free on line?" "are these books available any where else?" My response to these and similar queries was, "see this picture?" what do you think the shipping cost is?" "What we do, is rocket science, and rocket science is not cheap". How many active satellite operators do not belong to AMSAT? How many use pirated tracking programs. How many do not contribute "something" to AMSAT. Maybe some aspect of of AMSAT ticks you off, so you cut the cord. I'm sure some part of the government ticks you off, you don't move to Canada. In order for AMSAT and our efforts to succeed it takes money, and yes probably lots of it. This event was a learning process for me and in the future I hope to hone my abilities and create more dues paying and contributing members. Finally- "this is rocket science and rocket science is not cheap. 73 Bob W7LRD Washington State AMSAT area coordinator ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joel Black" <jbblack68(a)gmail.com> To: "AMSAT" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Sunday, March 7, 2010 6:40:33 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [amsat-bb] Membership Benefits AMSAT-BB, I realize what I'm going to get by asking this... If you were giving a presentation to amateur radio operators who know little or nothing of AMSAT, what would you list as some of the benefits of being a member of AMSAT? What would be the single most important reason? 73, Joel, W4JBB _______________________________________________ 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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Re: Membership Benefits
by Edward Cole 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

At 08:02 AM 3/7/2010, Bob- W7LRD wrote: >Hi Joel and all -This is a timely question for >me.Â Yesterday I organized and ran (with the >help of Wayne-W9AE) a AMSAT table at a local >hamfest.Â I had the opportunity to meet many >local hams both satellite ops and the >curious.Â I extolled the virtues of AMSAT and >the satellite community in general.Â A few >points I noticed as an undercurrent in some of >the conversations.Â We hams are generally a >frugal bunch and in some cases just plain >cheap.Â I had several antennas on display as >well as several pictures, one was of an >astronaut on a EVA installingÂ one of our Â >antennas on the outside of the space >station.Â Some of the questions went like this, >one guy asked, "do you have to belong to AMSAT >to operate satellites?", can I get this software >(Satpc32) free on line?" "are these books >available any where else?"Â My response to >these and similar queries was, "see this >picture?" what do you think the shipping cost >is?"Â "What we do, is rocket science, and >rocket science is not cheap".Â Â How many >active satellite operators doÂ not belong to >AMSAT?Â How many use pirated tracking >programs.Â How many do not contribute >"something" to AMSAT.Â Maybe some aspect of of >AMSAT ticks you off, so you cut the cord.Â I'm >sure some part of the government ticks you off, >you don't move to Canada.Â In order for AMSAT >and our efforts to succeed it takes money, and >yes probably lots of it.Â This event was a >learning process for me and in the future I hope >to hone my abilitiesÂ and create more dues >paying and contributing members.Â Finally- >"this is rocket science and rocket science is >not cheap. 73 Bob W7LRD Washington State AMSAT >area coordinator ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Joel Black" <jbblack68(a)gmail.com> To: >"AMSAT" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Sunday, March >7, 2010 6:40:33 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific >Subject: [amsat-bb] Â Membership Benefits >AMSAT-BB, I realize what I'm going to get by >asking this... Â If you were giving a >presentation to amateur radio operators who know >little or nothing of AMSAT, what would you list >as some of the benefits of being a member of >AMSAT? Â What would be the single most important >reason? 73, Joel, W4JBB >_______________________________________________ >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 Re: being a member of Amsat: That is the "minimum" we can support amateur satellites with. I am proud of my low Amsat membership# as that shows I have been a long-standing member. If I could afford more I would become a life-member, but in my retirement we will manage to come up with our annual dues. "Cheap"? I know, considering the cost of "rocket science"! I have been a field-op since about 1998. I have handed the torch off (sponsored) to four others in Alaska to become field-ops (they do a superb job). I now try to support with technical advice, if I can. I have fond memories of the early years in ham satellites (AO-6). Looking forward to more with Amsat in the future. My hat is off the volunteers that make it all possible (and to the members that support them). 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)hotmail.com ======================================

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Re: Membership Benefits
by Clint Bradford 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

AMSAT members receive an every-other-month printed Journal ... discounts on some satellite tracking software and publications ... members can proudly boast that they are supporting amateur satellite programs ... and talk to your CPA - AMSAT-NA is a 501(c)(3) organization that can be left a few bucks in one's will, Clint Bradford, K6LCS

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Membership Benefits
by Joel Black 07 Mar '10

07 Mar '10

AMSAT-BB, I realize what I'm going to get by asking this... If you were giving a presentation to amateur radio operators who know little or nothing of AMSAT, what would you list as some of the benefits of being a member of AMSAT? What would be the single most important reason? 73, Joel, W4JBB

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