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

Pass prediction algorithm
by Reid Crowe 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

I'm trying to write my own pass prediction program for tracking FM satellites. This program will this notify the users of upcoming passes via APRS messaging. I would like to find an algorithm that will predict AOS/LOS time and azimuth and the maximum elevation. I'm also hoping this algorithm will not be too computationally intensive as it may possibly be used for hundreds of different station locations. Can anyone help? 73, Reid N0RC

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[Fwd: Uploaded Amsat Schedules]
by Andrew Glasbrenner 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

Forwarded from the Sumbandila team: Hi Guys, The schedules below were uploaded to the satellite. 29/06/2010 North America 19:35 Brazil 23:37 30/06/2010 South Africa 07:00 North America 00:00 03:10 04:45 Brazil 01:10

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Negai Reentred??
by Masahiro Arai 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

Japanese CubeSat Negai (object ID number:36575) reentered?? The latest keps which is element set number 29, epoch 10172.70653775 shows Negai's perigee altitude is under 100km. There is no official info (eg. Space Track) but I guess Negai already reenterd. Does anyone have reenter info?? 73 Masa JN1GKZ

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WD9EWK - 2010 Field Day
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

Hi! Field Day was fun, even if my "contest" was only a Saturday event. I did not stay out for the whole time, but enjoyed being in the mountains in a forest playing radio. I also had a chance to make some QSOs on HO-68 about an hour or so before the start of Field Day. A good way to avoid the 111F/44C heat in my home city of Phoenix. On my way to my Field Day site, I stopped in Flagstaff AZ near the I-17/I-40 junction to sneak in on an HO-68 pass at 1645 UTC. I parked in a parking lot west of the junction and the Northern Arizona University campus in grid DM45de, and made 7 QSOs before the satellite was out of range. After that, I packed up my gear and finished my driving to my Field Day spot. I parked at the same place I used for Field Day last year, the Garland Prairie Vista picnic ground in the Kaibab National Forest. This picnic area is 20 miles/32km west of Flagstaff AZ, along old US-66 in grid DM45ag. Along with last year's Field Day, I have worked from along the road just west of here at the DM35xg/DM45ag grid boundary several times in the past couple of years. I set up my station in the back of my truck, catching some shade and enjoying the occasional breeze through the forest. There have been some forest fires near this area, but those were some distance away from me. I worked HF and 6m, along with the satellites, enjoying the much cooler weather at this site. This year, for the first time, I made some SSB satellite QSOs. :-) I had a VO-52 pass right at the start of Field Day, 1800 UTC Saturday. It was a shallow pass, and at that time the satellite was only up a few degrees from the horizon to the southwest. No luck in completing a QSO in the 4 or 5 minutes of the pass that started Field Day, but I'd get a QSO on VO-52 later. Off to HF and - when I heard activity - 6m to log some QSOs before SO-50 and AO-27 passes to the west starting at 2112 UTC. I was able to make my SO-50 QSO with W0NT in Colorado before AO-27 started up. Then a quick QSO on AO-27 with "neighbor" WA2DFI in another part of Arizona took care of my QSOs for 2 of the 3 FM birds. A few stations called for me toward the end of the pass after I made my QSO. I responded, so they could get their QSOs on AO-27. These additional AO-27 QSOs were listed on my ARRL and AMSAT logs, but not counted in the score for either event. I then went back to HF for an hour, before an AO-7 pass at 2242 UTC. Lots of stations, but the 7- degree pass at my location proved to be a barrier. No QSOs logged on this pass, but I had 2 more AO-7 passes later. Back to HF and 6m... Between 0018 UTC and 0110 UTC, I had passes on AO-51 followed by AO-7 and FO-29. I was able to get Alvaro XE2AT on AO-51, something on the order of a miracle with all the stations trying to get on there. Then over to AO-7, which - once again - was as busy as 20m SSB. Near the end of the pass, Rick VE4AMU was able to hear me well enough to make a QSO. Then the fun really started on FO-29. FO-29's pass to my east, starting at 0055 UTC, was what I hoped it would be for my Field Day effort. During that 15-minute pass, I was able to work 4 stations. It was easier for me to find my 5W signals in the downlink, and hold it for the QSOs I made. I know there were many more stations I did not work on that pass, but these QSOs got me excited for more satellite passes an hour or so later. Before the last group of satellite passes in the hour starting around 0222 UTC, I copied the W1AW Field Day bulletin on 17m SSB. After that, I packed the HF/6m side of my station and got ready for 3 more passes - AO-7 at 0222 UTC, then FO-29 at 0240 UTC, and VO-52 at 0308 UTC. The first two passes were to my west, and VO-52 was on a pass to my east. When AO-7 came up, I was able to quickly find myself in the downlink and started calling CQ. Throughout the 20-minute pass, I made 5 QSOs! The most-productive satellite pass I worked all day. As AO-7 was going away, FO-29 was coming up. Despite hearing myself through the bird and alternating between calling CQ and trying to answer other CQ calls, I made no QSOs. Not a problem, since I had one more pass I wanted to work as the sun was setting. VO-52 was loud, with many stations just like I heard on the earlier AO-7 and FO-29 passes. Near the end of the pass, WI9MRC in Wisconsin patiently asked for repeats in order to complete our QSO. This was my only VO-52 QSO, but it was fun to slug it out with my 5W radios trying to make that QSO happen. When VO-52 went away, I turned on a couple of flashlights to help see as I dismantled the satellite station and pack things in my truck for the drive down I-40 to a truck stop for food and fuel, followed by the 2-hour drive home. For ARRL Field Day, I logged 49 QSOs on bands between 40m and 6m plus the satellites. For AMSAT Field Day, 14 QSOs on 6 satellites - 6 on AO-7, 4 on FO-29, and one each on the other 4 (AO-27, AO-51, SO-50, VO-52). All done on battery power with a pair of 12V/20Ah jumpstart battery packs, 5W transmitter power, without generators or running off my truck's electrical system. No world records, but spending the day in the mountains playing radio was a lot of fun. The SSB satellite activity, in particular, was a great test of my skills in advance of my trip to Canada next weekend. I used an IC-703 HF/6m transceiver at 5W with an Outbacker Joey HF/VHF vertical for my HF and 6m work, and my Elk Antennas handheld 2m/70cm log periodic as my satellite antenna. I swapped between different radios for the FM satellites (an IC-2820H 2m/70cm FM mobile radio, throttled back to 5W) and SSB (two FT-817NDs, connected to the log periodic through a diplexer). My ARRL web site soapbox entry for this year's Field Day, along with some photos, can be seen at: http://www.arrl.org/soapbox/view/7117 I've worked Field Day with my call as a 1B/1-op/Battery station every year since 2001, and since 2006 on the satellites. My ARRL score won't be as big as in 2009 with a slightly-lower QSO count, but being able to log those SSB satellite QSOs meant I achieved the goal I set for myself for this year's Field Day. And, as always, having fun at the same time. Field Day is always a fun time for me, and I look forward to the 2011 event. Thanks to all the stations that made QSOs with WD9EWK, whether on the satellites or on HF or 6m. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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field day
by Bob- W7LRD 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

Had an absolute blast on field day. AO-7 sounded like a 20M pile up <grin>. Even the S band operation on AO-51 was busy. With so many stations on the satellites should we not have more AMSAT members? Defined as more dues paying and contributing members. This is rocket science and as I been preaching, "this is rocket science and that ain't cheap". 73 Bob W7LRD

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Field Day Results
by Bruce 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

I would like to remind everyone that participated in Field Day that you need to email your results to me. Per the rules.... The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (email or postal mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Monday, July 12, 2010. The preferred method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do(a)amsat.org or kk5do(a)arrl.net. You will receive an email back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your email submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other email address. Good Luck 73...bruce -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on Echolink - Conference *AMSAT* Also live streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Podcast at http://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml or iTunes Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org AMSAT on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/amsat

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US Space Policy - Export Restrictions
by Trevor . 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

Do I detect a very slight loosening of the Export Restrictions with regard to Space in the new policy released Monday. Compare below with "12 Effective Export Policy" in the 2006 version. National Space Policy of the United States of America http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/national_space_policy_6-28-10… Effective Export Policies Consistent with the U.S. export control review, departments and agencies should seek to enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. space industrial base while also addressing national security needs. The United States will work to stem the flow of advanced space technology to unauthorized parties. Departments and agencies are responsible for protecting against adverse technology transfer in the conduct of their programs. The United States Government will consider the issuance of licenses for space-related exports on a case-by-case basis, pursuant to, and in accordance with, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations, and other applicable laws, treaties, and regulations. Consistent with the foregoing space-related items that are determined to be generally available in the global marketplace shall be considered favorably with a view that such exports are usually in the national interests of the United States. Sensitive or advanced spacecraft-related exports may require a government-to-government agreement or other acceptable arrangement. 2006 US Space Policy http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/space.pdf 1996 US Space Policy http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/national/nstc-8.htm ---- 73 Trevor M5AKA Daily Amateur Radio Email/RSS News: http://www.southgatearc.org/ Email Your News To: editor at southgatearc.org Or Upload Using Form At: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/your_news_1.htm ----

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DN35, DN36, DN37
by KERRY LA*DUKE 29 Jun '10

29 Jun '10

All, My plan is to operate from DN35 starting about 1245Z on 6/29/2010. I will be in DN36 around 1800Z and DN37 around 2000Z. I may be able to operate from grid boundries for some passes. I will be active on SO50, AO51, SO67 if available and AO27. 73 WC7V Kerry _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:…

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Cubex antennas- any feedback?
by John Heath 28 Jun '10

28 Jun '10

Hi, Just moved to a new QTH in southern england and considering new satellite antennas. The Cubex 2 and 70 dual band quad "Yellow-Jacket 46" looks interesting at www.cubex.com Anyone using this antenna on satellites? Any problems with desense with the two antennas on the same boom? Feedback welcome 73 John G7HIA on IO80JE

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Re: [sarex] Ariss casual phone contacts
by Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL 28 Jun '10

28 Jun '10

At 08:27 PM 6/26/2010 -0700, patrick(a)aceweb.com wrote: >How about letting us know why there are no casual contacts anymore and >only rehearsed and choreographed public shows. >I read many times about how busy the astronauts are but it is glaringly >apparent they have no interest or are refraining from unrehearsed >contacts. >They could at least turn on the cross band repeater. The navy had enough >control over the amateur radio with the packet. >Frankly, I am personally no longer interested in talking to the astronauts >but the repeater was a lot of fun. >Someone please make it happen. > >A mere citizen > >pat I was thinking about this, and you know I've never have made a contact with anyone the ISS. There were a few times I could have fired up the mfj-1278 and done some digi, but even that hasn't been turned on much. I didn't monitor to see if they were on for FD. KB7ADL

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