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

Grid activations DM82-83, DM92-93
by Clayton Coleman W5PFG 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

Next week I will be traveling to West Texas grids DM82-83 and DM92-93. I will probably activate other grids as pass times and my business travel allow. Some have expressed interest in me activating DM73 and there exists a possibility of a convenient DM73/83 grid line pass. Please email me If you need any of these grids confirmed and I will work with you to make it happen. I'm able to work AO-27, SO-50, and the ISS digipeater easily from my portable setup. I realize that these satellites don't have the capability of a telephone-quality call to Italy but these satellites are very convenient to mobile operators and those seeking grids for awards purposes. 73 Clayton W5PFG

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Received from shadow experiment
by andy thomas 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

CURRENT INFORMATION ON 02-05.11.2011 SERIES OF SPASE EXPERIMENT “SHADOW-BEACON” Dear friends! It was earlier announced that timetable of SpEx “Shadow-beacon” sessions on November 26-27 -2011 was reduced because the crew is newcomers and need much time to assimilate the experience. For the same reason earlier announced sessions on December 02-05 -2011 are cancelled all. Sergey Samburov (RV3DR), the employee of space-rocket corporation "Energia" which is responsible for an amateur radio on ISS, explains that an observed fact that the onboard radio “Sputnik” was accidentally switched on standard simplex 145.825 MHz not the ordered duplex 144.36/ 145.825 MHz digipeater mode because of old age of the onboard gear- it is in use more than 10 years. Some times Sergey has already observed malfunction like this. New radio are to be delivered onboard ISS by April cargo vehicle and Mission Control Center (TsUP) plans new SpEx “Shadow-beacon” sessions on May-June 2012. With this reason you are asked not to delete your registration on our site. Again many thanks for those submitted reports and made other assistance! The results of data processing will be presented on our site. We wait for further cooperation! --------------- 73 de andy g0sfj

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FASTRAC Digipeating Announcement
by Sebastián Muñoz Toro 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

All, The FASTRAC satellites have been in operation for more than a year and the team has been able to get a lot of data from them, in great part due to the amazing support from the amateur radio community. Over the last month the team noticed that one of FASTRAC-1’s on board microcontrollers which controls one of the experiments has not been booting up correctly. The team has done everything possible to correct this issue apart from turning it off which can only happen if the batteries fall below an specific charge level. Since the satellites have been power positive throughout this whole year the only way this can happen is if the satellites transmit more often. Given that one of FASTRAC goals has always been to eventually provide a platform for amateur radio enthusiasts to use after the primary mission was over, the team has decided to open up FASTRAC-1 to the amateur radio community with the hope as more people use it to digipeat through the satellite, the battery levels will diminish and cause a hard reset of the microcontrollers on board. The satellite will be configured so that amateur radio operators can use it beginning on Friday Dec 2 at 10:00 AM CST. Starting on this date people will be able to digipeat through the satellites. The call sign and frequencies of the satellite are summarized below and an example of digipeating through the satellite is also shown in below. To increase the chances of causing a hard reset, it is requested that as many amateur radio enthusiasts try to digipeat through the satellite on the weekend of Dec 10. If you are successful at digipeating through the satellites or have any problems doing so please let us know at fastracsats(a)gmail.com, through our Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/fastracsats) or through the forums on our website ( http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/users/phpBB3/index.php). *Frequency Information for FASTRAC-1* - FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Downlink Frequency: 437.345 MHz - FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Uplink Frequency (1200 or 9600 baud): 145.825 MHz - FASTRAC-1 “Sara Lily” Satellite Call Sign: FAST1 *Example of Digipeating through FAST1 * - cmd: c CALLSIGN via fast1 - cmd: KE5DTW>CALLSIGN,FAST1/1: <<C>>: - CALLSIGN>KE5DTW,FAST1*/1: <UA>: - *** CONNECTED to CALLSIGN VIA FAST1 Here the example shows KE5DTW (UT Austin Ground Station) digipeating through FAST1 to connect to CALLSIGN. CALLSIGN represents an arbitrary callsign and should be replaced with the callsign of the station with whom a connection is being attempted. The above example is based on a Kantronics KPC9612+ TNC. For a PDF version of the announcement please go to the following link: http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/FASTRAC_Digipeating_Announcement.pdf Thanks a lot, THE FASTRAC TEAM -- Sebastián Muñoz Toro FASTRAC Student Program Manager Graduate Research Assistant The University of Texas at Austin Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Satellite Design Laboratory email: sebastian_munoz(a)mail.utexas.edu phone: +1 (512) 471-5144 cell: +1 (512) 825-3857

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UT1FG QSLs
by Dave Webb KB1PVH 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

Has anyone other than KD8KSN had success getting grids confirmed? Back in the end of July I had a couple of successful emails with Yuri's qsl manager giving me details on what to send, I provided a list of all QSOs in an email along with sending a list along with a QSL card and some $ for return postage. It has been four months since sending all the info and nothing, not even a response to my 4 emails asking if info had been received. It would be nice to get those 31 grids confirmed. Dave - KB1PVH Sent from my Verizon Wireless DROID X

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Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR
by Farrell Winder 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

All, Nothing heard from ARISSat-1 this AM Dec 1 during the 13:59 Z Cincinnati pass, too close to the eclipse. Depending on updated Keps will be checking mid Dec for renewed opportunities. In the meantime, I hope many stations in other areas will keep trying to get SSTV through the TRANSPONDER. Henk, PA3GUO , the Netherlands and I were successful with a picture . (See http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/) We need other SSTV images from this historical satellite before it re-enters. Thanks to all those making efforts. 73, Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, Ohio, USA From: Farrell Winder Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 7:20 PM To: AMSAT Subject: Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR Again nothing heard from ARISSAT-1 on the Nov 30 13:43 Z pass. I will be observing the 13:59 Cincinnati pass on Thursday Dec 1. I believe it may be out of eclipse long enough to be active. If so, I will be listening, looking on 145.930 and trying to send SSTV, on 435.750. Hope many others will also try. Tx and Rx of SSTV has been demonstrated a couple of times through the Transponder even with its shortened antenna and I believe with persistence can be done again. This is the last, possible active, useable pass for my area until mid December. I will be back Dec 18 if ARISSat-1 is still in orbit. Please report any thing received Dec 1. Thanks Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:41 AM To: AMSAT Subject: Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR Nothing heard from ARISSat-1 this AM 15:04 Z Nov 29.. Did anyone hear signals from 145.930 or 145.950? Pass was very short over Cincinnati this AM and El only 2 deg.. Will try again Wednesday Nov 30 at 13:43 Z but believe eclipse will prohibit sat to be active. From: Farrell Winder Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:16 PM To: AMSAT Subject: Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR No success today Nov 28. Will set up again tomorrow Tuesday Nov 29 for the AOS 15: 04 Z Cincinnati pass. From: Farrell Winder Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:31 PM To: AMSAT Subject: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR All, With the research and recent "heads up" by Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL, Allan Biddle, WA4SCA and Clint Bradford, KCLCS it appears there may be only a few weeks left to receive and experiment with ARISSat-1/RADIOSKAF-V. On Monday Nov 28 I will be set up to receive voice, CW and SSTV via the transponder on 145.930 MHz +/- doppler. This will be on the AOS starting at 14:47 Z pass over Cincinnati. This pass may be too soon after the eclipse so the sat may not be activated. If it is active, I will try to send a couple of SSTV R36 transmissions. I will be listening and looking for others to send also. Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, Ohio.

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NASA: Nanosail-D Mission Complete
by Trevor . 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

See NASA's Nanosail-D 'Sails' Home -- Mission Complete http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/11-148.html 73 Trevor M5AKA

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ARISSat-1 (37772) decay date update for 2011 Nov. 30th
by DeYoung James 30 Nov '11

30 Nov '11

Greetings, Using solar data through 2011 Nov. 30 and updating the decay fit I am getting a re-entry date of 2012 January 12 with a rule-of-thumb error estimate of +/- 10 days or so for ARRISSat-1 (37772). Regards, Jim, N8OQ

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Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR
by Farrell Winder 30 Nov '11

30 Nov '11

Again nothing heard from ARISSAT-1 on the Nov 30 13:43 Z pass. I will be observing the 13:59 Cincinnati pass on Thursday Dec 1. I believe it may be out of eclipse long enough to be active. If so, I will be listening, looking on 145.930 and trying to send SSTV, on 435.750. Hope many others will also try. Tx and Rx of SSTV has been demonstrated a couple of times through the Transponder even with its shortened antenna and I believe with persistence can be done again. This is the last, possible active, useable pass for my area until mid December. I will be back Dec 18 if ARISSat-1 is still in orbit. Please report any thing received Dec 1. Thanks Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:41 AM To: AMSAT Subject: Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR Nothing heard from ARISSat-1 this AM 15:04 Z Nov 29.. Did anyone hear signals from 145.930 or 145.950? Pass was very short over Cincinnati this AM and El only 2 deg.. Will try again Wednesday Nov 30 at 13:43 Z but believe eclipse will prohibit sat to be active. From: Farrell Winder Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:16 PM To: AMSAT Subject: Fw: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR No success today Nov 28. Will set up again tomorrow Tuesday Nov 29 for the AOS 15: 04 Z Cincinnati pass. From: Farrell Winder Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:31 PM To: AMSAT Subject: ARRISat-1/RADIOSKAF-V/KEDR All, With the research and recent "heads up" by Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL, Allan Biddle, WA4SCA and Clint Bradford, KCLCS it appears there may be only a few weeks left to receive and experiment with ARISSat-1/RADIOSKAF-V. On Monday Nov 28 I will be set up to receive voice, CW and SSTV via the transponder on 145.930 MHz +/- doppler. This will be on the AOS starting at 14:47 Z pass over Cincinnati. This pass may be too soon after the eclipse so the sat may not be activated. If it is active, I will try to send a couple of SSTV R36 transmissions. I will be listening and looking for others to send also. Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, Ohio.

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