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

FUNcube Dongle for Satellite and EME reception
by Bill Dzurilla 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

Hi folks, Have not been working the sats much recently, been playing around on EME with a new antenna. I recently discovered the FUNcube Dongle, a nice little gadget that was developed by AMSAT-UK for satellites, but it also makes EME reception a lot easier. The FCD is a 64 mhz to 1700 mhz all-mode software defined radio that fits in the palm of your hand and costs $190 shipped from the UK to the USA. I was playing around with it with a free program called MAP65-IQ to receive EME on 144 mhz. What a joy to see a decode of every station I can receive on the entire 144 mhz digital EME segment of the band, no tuning needed. Screen shot here: http://qsl.net/nz5n/funcube.htm How to set it up? See this video: http://qsl.net/nz5n/FUNcube_Dongle_with_MAP65-IQ_for_EME.swf Not interested in EME? How about using it as a scanner or to monitor repeaters, satellites, and other activity on 2m, 70cm, and 23cm? They also sell an HF down converter that extends the range from DC to 1700 mhz. Thanks to AMSAT-UK for this amazing device. 73, Bill NZ5N

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New Crew to ISS
by Clint Bradford 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-251 STATION CREW SET TO LAUNCH TO A NEW HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS HOUSTON -- Just in time for the holidays, the residents of the International Space Station will welcome three new crew members. NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit, Russian Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands are set to launch in their Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:16 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Dec. 21 (7:16 p.m. local time). NASA Television will air video of prelaunch activities at 5:45 a.m. and provide live coverage of the launch beginning at 6:30 a.m. On Friday, Dec. 23, the trio will dock to the Rassvet module of the station at 9:22 a.m. The new crew will join station Commander Dan Burbank of NASA and Russian Flight Engineers Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin, who have been aboard the orbital laboratory since mid-November. NASA TV will provide live coverage beginning at 8:45 a.m. Hatch opening and the holiday welcoming ceremony will occur about three hours later. Burbank has discussed what it will be like to spend the holidays in his home away from home, 240 miles above the Earth. Video is available online at: http://go.usa.gov/NjD Space station sighting opportunities are available across the United States this week, mostly in the northern third of North America, including Alaska. To find sighting details by city, visit: http://go.usa.gov/81R NASA TV's scheduled coverage for launch includes (all times Central): Wednesday, Dec. 21 5:45 a.m. -- Video file feed of the crew prelaunch launch day activities in Baikonur 6:30 a.m. -- Launch coverage (launch at 7:16 a.m.), including launch replays 9:30 a.m. -- Video file of prelaunch and launch video b-roll and postlaunch interviews Friday, Dec. 23 8:45 a.m. -- Docking coverage (docking at 9:22 a.m.) followed by the post-docking news conference from Mission Control in Korolev, Russia 11:45 a.m. -- Hatch opening and welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 12:20 p.m.) 2 p.m. -- Video file of docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For International Space Station information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station -end- Clint Bradford clintbradford(a)mac.com

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DK79....
by Omar Alvarez 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

Hello I will be on vacations with my family in Manzanillo Colima, the grid is DK79, some maybe have it thanks Ismael XE1AY. I will try to be on afternoon passes of AO-27 and SO-50 when the family activities let me do it. I will be there from 20th to 23th of december as XE1AO, all the QSOs will be upload to LotW, if some need QSL just email me. Not SASE or green stamp. Happy Holidays Omar XE1AO DK89df ******************************** M.C. Omar Alvarez Cárdenas Facultad de Telematica, U de C 316 1075 xe1aom(a)ucol.mx omar_ac(a)hotmail.com ********************************

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Re: ISS
by K5OE 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

Kevin, et al, I listened on Saturday and did not hear any packets on 437.550. The 2 m downlink was working FB. 73, Jerry, K5OE > ISS is working great but I forgot to try the 437.550 anyone know how that side > is working? > > Kevin > KF7MYK

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ISS
by Kevin Deane 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

ISS is working great but I forgot to try the 437.550 anyone know how that side is working? Kevin KF7MYK

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Meteor Shower DX
by Bob Bruninga 18 Dec '11

18 Dec '11

Meteors scatter works not just during showers, but give enhanced paths throughout the day and night on a regular basis. We jsut missed the Geminids 4 days ago, but anyone in remote areas with a TNC can easily monitor for packets anytime, as long as they pick a frequency where there is known activity around 500 to 1200 miles away (and nothing local). In the USA, 144.39 can give that opportunity if you live in a remote area, far from any APRS activity on 144.39 such that the frequency is clear. then you have an Excellent chance to capture some DX meteor packets whenever a lucky meteor goes by. Your porbabliities are high, because there are tens of thousands of APRS transmitters on 144.39 all over the country, and if you are lucky to be in a dead zone, then you have an ideal chance to capture some DX ones that might come in. Just set your TNC to monitor 144.39 (assuming it is quiet in your area). And see if you capture any DX in 24 hours. Of course, even if you have no local traffic on 144.39 some mobile might drive through your area, so you might capture him. But other wise, if you capture a callsign, you can check him out with http://aprs.fi/CALL-SS where CALL-SS is is callsign and SSID. If the packet came in from 500 to 1200 miles away, good chance it was via a meteor. If 144.39 is dead in your area, and you have an old TNC... why not? Bob, WB4APR

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ARISSat-1/RADOSKAF-V/KEDR
by Farrell Winder 18 Dec '11

18 Dec '11

Note excellent ARISSat-1 SSTV Pictures today from DJ3AK and JA0CAW listed on the ARISS SSTV Gallery. How about these stations and others trying to send pictures through the Transponder 435.750 up and 145.950 dn and posting results on the Gallery. Possibly only a few weeks left to experiment with this Historical satellite! It appears that only 3 stations have sent images through the transponder to date? Respectfully submitted, Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, Ohio

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One Last Mission For Deep Impact?
by B J 18 Dec '11

18 Dec '11

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/17deepimpact/ http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1112/18DI/ 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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Doppler Curves ?
by John Heath 18 Dec '11

18 Dec '11

hi guys, in the "olden days" a satellites TCA could be determined by using pencil and graph paper and plotting time v frequency. Is there a modern and more elegant way of doing it with signal anaysis software like Spectravue, Spectran or similar. Need it for an education outreach project and I just know that graph paper and pencils will not be cool. 73 John G7HIA

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Re: ARISSat-1 - NOT Dead Yet!
by Burns Fisher 18 Dec '11

18 Dec '11

> > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:55:29 -0800 > From: Clint Bradford <clintbradford(a)mac.com> > To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Subject: [amsat-bb] ARISSat-1 - NOT Dead yet! > Message-ID: <56BFE4E9-AEE0-4F10-A1C7-75D071F787F2(a)mac.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII > > Wow - ARISSat-1's pre-recorded voice messages, computer voice info, and > images were booming here in Southern California just now! > > > Clint Bradford K6LCS > > Agreed! I got a real strong signal yesterday in New Hampshire on a 20 or 30 degree pass and just before eclipse. In fact I was watching as it went into eclipse. I say watching because I was actually looking at the waterfall on SDR-Radio and trying to feed the BPSK-1000 into the telemetry program with a physical audio cable. I had no luck making that work, but I could see strong FM and SSTV, and I could *see* the SSB even if I could not decode it. Burns, W2BFJ

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