January 2011 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

WD9EWK and LOTW - coming soon
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 17 Jan '11

17 Jan '11

Hi! With the news last week that ARRL's Logbook of the World now supports the VUCC award, I have started the work to get my satellite QSOs uploaded to LOTW. As I previously mentioned, the ability to associate up to 4 grids with a station location will make my work so much easier. Grid-boundary QSOs won't require any extra work to upload. QSOs from other boundaries will still require a little extra work to properly represent them in LOTW, but that is a small number I can manage. I just renewed the LOTW certificates for all of my calls, and they dropped into my e-mail in-box this morning. Once I load the renewed certificates into the TQSLCert program, I will take my spreadsheet log and start making ADIF files for all of my calls and locations I have worked from. I have received QSL cards over the years where my callsigns have /P after them, and a couple where the XE2 comes after my US call and not before it as is it listed on my Mexican ham permits for QSOs when I was in Mexico. Since I operate portable almost all the time, I do not identify on the air as "portable" or "/P". If you have logged QSOs with WD9EWK (or my other calls) with a "/P" in LOTW, you will need to correct those entries in order to have QSLs in LOTW with me. Based on e-mail exchanges with ARRL when I set up my LOTW account in 2008, there are 5 key elements that have to match in any two LOTW QSO records to make a QSL. The call sign is one of those key elements. The others are date, time, band, and mode. I will soon upload satellite QSOs to LOTW for these calls: WD9EWK (two QSOs from 2000, one from 2003, and a bunch since 2005) VA7EWK (used on my July 2010 trip to Canada) CJ7EWK (used on my November 2008 trip to Vancouver - CJ was a one of the special prefixes available at that time to Canadian hams) XE2/WD9EWK (for my 3 trips to Mexico since February 2009) I have also operated with other call signs in January 2007 (W7W) and May 2008 (K7RDG). Since I do not hold those calls, I am not able to upload anything to LOTW for those satellite QSOs. QSOs made from other boundary lines - county, state/province, or national - will require uploading two QSO records to LOTW by *both* stations to confirm the contact from both sides of that line. Each of my QSO records for these contacts will be from a station location on each side of the boundary line. I have worked satellites from these non-grid boundary lines: Apache/Navajo county line in Arizona (August 2009) Indiana/Ohio state line (several times since 2006) Arizona/New Mexico state line (October 2009) Illinois/Wisconsin state line (October 2010) Canada/USA international border (July 2010) Since the QSO records for the county-line and state-line QSOs would have the same 5 key elements matching, I will vary the QSO time for QSOs from one side of the county or state line by one minute (i.e., QSO at 2300 UTC from Indiana and 2301 UTC from Ohio). Otherwise, the second QSO record with the same 5 key elements will overwrite the first QSO record in LOTW with those elements. The Canada/USA border QSOs won't have that problem, since the calls in the two QSO records won't match (VA7EWK for one QSO record from Canada, and WD9EWK for the other QSO record from the USA). I still need to make my initial satellite VUCC application, but want to get my satellite activity into LOTW so others may be able to use QSOs with me toward future award applications. I've waited for VUCC to be supported in LOTW since I first set up my LOTW account almost 3 years ago, and it is great that it has finally happened. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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small grid trip
by Rodney Waln 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

i would like to thank those that worked me on Friday and Saturday from DN 70-80, i was down there for a ham fest and trying out a new transceiver (ts-2000) Mobile, only had it sense Thursday,it seemed to work very well. AO-51 was doing very well, those wanting a qsl,can email details of contact or send cards, i have not had time to redo lotw for satellite contacts yet. best regards kc0zhf

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FunCube Dongle test
by n1jez＠burlingtontelecom.net 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

I've ran several passes today on AO-27 and AO-51 with the FunCube Dongle (FCD) as my receiver. I'm also using Mike, DK3WN's Funcube Dongle Doppler correction program. Below are two links to a couple of screen shots. The first is WRPlus, the software I use with the FCD (there are others). You can see the AO-51 downlink clearly. This was a 15 degree pass from here in Vermont, FN34im. http://www.burlingtontelecom.net/[email protected]/WRPlus.JPG The second screen shot is the software running behind WRPlus. Top left is the FCD Tuning Program. It's partially covered by SATPC32 in the upper right. In the lower right is the FCD Doppler correction program sending frequency correction to the FCD tuning program. http://www.burlingtontelecom.net/[email protected]/FCD_Test.JPG I need more screens and a better video card. Thanks for those who contacted me. If I sound a bit distracted at first it was becasue the first time I keyed up, I forgot that when I heard my downlink it would be delayed significantly due to the DSP processing of the FCD. The delay reminded me of working HEO! 73, Mike, N1JEZ AMSAT 29649 "A closed mouth gathers no feet"

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Re: Hot solar panels
by G0MRF＠aol.com 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

In a message dated 16/01/2011 18:50:42 GMT Standard Time, bruninga(a)usna.edu writes: For what it is worth, we have just completed our in-depth thermal analysis of the 4 deployable solar panels on our cubesat (Psat) and were shocked to learn how hot they will get. Probably 90C or nearly boiling. If it's sun pointing....just use thermocouple junctions and a radiator on the back..... Or maybe a few thermo electric coolers will output a volt or two at several amps ?? David G0MRF

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Offtopic - antennas, was Re: Re: VUCC & LoTW
by K5OE 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

Thanks, Gordon. You are too kind. You won't believe it but that little 3-element hand-held beam is still in use today (I built it over a dozen years ago). I used it Friday and Saturday while mobile in Texas for two passes of AO-51 (I keep saying I am going to replace the aging RG-8X coax, but just never get around to it). I have an FT-100 in my truck and use an MFJ duplexer to split the signal to the 70 cm beam and a 2 m vertical on the back window. I operate split mode, so it isn't the best setup--but it works (besides V/U, I can also operate V/S and L/S, using hand-held antennas out the window... and even U/V with whatever I can hear on the vertical). I was mobile and inadvertantly stated I was in EM10, when actually I was in EM20 (too much coffee), so to the following stations, I apologize: 14.01.2011 2148 WA5KBH AO-51 M-J FM EM30 LA USA George 14.01.2011 2154 WC0X AO-51 M-J FM EM07 KS USA Larry portable 14.01.2011 2155 KD8KSN AO-51 M-J FM EN80 OH USA Zachary 15.01.2011 2354 W7VEW AO-51 M-J FM DM37 UT USA Steve 15.01.2011 2355 WA6ARA AO-51 M-J FM DM15 CA USA Michael 15.01.2011 2356 N5UXT AO-51 L/S FM EM40 LA USA Angelo For anyone looking for an easy to build and use (did I mention cheap?) hand-held antenna for portable work, try this mirror link: http://web.archive.org/web/20071105220834rn_1/members.aol.com/k5oe/ and click on the "70 cm Handi-Tenna" link on the left frame. BTW, the young girl in the picture graduates from St. Thomas Univ this year (I told you it was old!). 73, Jerry, K5OE (also M0GOE, btw) On Sun, 2011-01-16 at 14:42 -0500, K5OE wrote: > > 73, > Jerry, K5OE Hi Jerry, I built a couple of your Handi-tenna three-element yagis for 70cm, one for myself when I was getting into satellites first and a couple for other people. They work great and it's a nice repeatable design, guaranteed to work if you build it right. I've had QSOs through AO-51, SO-50 and the ISS with mine, as well as a lot of terrestrial low-power work. Thanks for such a simple but significant contribution to amateur satellites ;-) Gordon MM0YEQ

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G6LVB FCD and G0MRF Signal Generator--great combo!
by Mark L. Hammond 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

Folks, If you have one of these: G6LVB FCD http://www.funcubedongle.com/ You really ought to consider getting one of these: G0MRF Signal Generator http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/article_6/2.4-GHz-Signal-Source-Kits-by-G0MRF… (with some more details here: http://g0mrf.com/source2.htm ) I have a signal source board from back in the AO-40 era with a crystal at 96.019 MHz. It has proven very helpful as a continuos test signal source for a wide range of frequencies for the FCD. Beats ker-chunking local repeaters :) You can adjust various FCD parameters and see the impact, etc. The current crystal (96.013 MHz) is just a bit different than mine (96.019), but it would do the same thing... Harmonically, it works out like this: *note--if you have an antenna connected, keep in mind that fundamental frequency is probably right near a STRONG local FM radio station ;) so the noise floor might be quite high at 96.019 MHz! That one took me a while to figure out... Xtal Multiplier Output in MHz 96.019 0.667 64.013 96.019 1.000 96.019 96.019 2.000 192.038 96.019 3.000 288.057 96.019 4.000 384.076 96.019 5.000 480.095 96.019 6.000 576.114 96.019 7.000 672.133 96.019 8.000 768.152 96.019 9.000 864.171 96.019 10.000 960.190 96.019 11.000 1056.209 96.019 12.000 1152.228 96.019 13.000 1248.247 96.019 14.000 1344.266 96.019 15.000 1440.285 96.019 16.000 1536.304 96.019 17.000 1632.323 96.019 18.000 1728.342 96.019 19.000 1824.361 96.019 20.000 1920.380 96.019 21.000 2016.399 96.019 22.000 2112.418 96.019 23.000 2208.437 96.019 24.000 2304.456 96.019 25.000 2400.475 96.019 26.000 2496.494 73, Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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Re: VUCC & LoTW
by K5OE 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

Early last year I finally got around to uploading satellite contacts (also following the guidelines at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/LoTW%20Instructions/N5JB.pdf) and got these results: You have 4,675 QSO records You have 135 QSL records Although I always log the first contact with a station, I do not log many duplicate contacts with the same station in the same grid square... but I was hoping to get a lot more QSLs than that! 3% seems to be the going rate. I think paper QSLs are going to be with us for a long time--besides, I like the records for posterity. Having a few choice QSLs hanging on the wall is a whole lot more engaging to grandchildren than sending them a link with an ap for their Iphone to see your LoTW records :-) 73, Jerry, K5OE

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FO-29 and AO-51 sharing footprint
by Mark L. Hammond 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

Hi All, Not sure around the world, but lately in the US FO-29 and AO-51 have been experiencing a mutual footprint from time to time. Since the AO-51 145.920 uplink is within the passband of FO-29's transponder, you can often hear AO-51 uplinks coming through FO-29 as an FM signal on the downlink... Anyhow, it's about to occur in about 30 mins, thought I'd mention it... 73, Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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NASA Calendar
by Clint Bradford 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

NASA’s International Space Station calendar is now available in both large and small file sizes to print at home, or with the help of a professional printer. To print it out on your home printer, download the 6.8 Mb file. To print it out in full resolution, take the link to the 74 Mb file to your preferred printer and specify the paper quality and printing instructions. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Clint

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Re: SATCONTROL_FCD
by n1jez＠burlingtontelecom.net 16 Jan '11

16 Jan '11

Hi Mike, Just tracked a pass of AO-27 here with no problem. Now to try some SSB. Tnx for a neat add-on! 73, Mike, N1JEZ AMSAT 29649 "A closed mouth gathers no feet" ----- Original Message ----- From: <n1jez(a)burlingtontelecom.net> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] SATCONTROL_FCD > Hi Mike, > > I have it configured here and it's writing frequency changes to my Dongle. > Now to wait for a Sat pass to track. > > 73, > Mike, N1JEZ > AMSAT 29649 > "A closed mouth gathers no feet"

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