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

Re: H.R. 607
by Clint Bradford 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

>> ... This works I just sent my letter . Recommend everyone join in ... The ARRL is wisely recommending that we do NOT send letters directly to our reps (unless you have an inside contact with a legislative aide). To be most effective, we are sending signed letters/faxes to our ARRL lobbyist, Chwat & Company. They will hand-carry these letters to the appropriate officials. Normal mailed letters can take up to TWO MONTHIS in is post 9/11 world to actually get to where you want it to on Capitol Hill. Complete instructions are on the ARRL's site. Clint Bradford, K6LCS 909-241-7666

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GPS jamming exersise
by Nigel A. Gunn 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

Date: 17 March 2011 10:50 Subject: Ofcom Update: Forthcoming GPS jamming exercises To: The MoD has informed Ofcom of the following GPS jamming exercise: Dates: Jamming will be conducted on a maximum of 3 week-days in the period 10-21 July 2011.Times: 0900 -1730 BST. Location: Jamming aircraft will orbit at 10,000ft above mean sea-level (AMSL) along a 50nm flightpath on a heading of 270°T from Kirkwall, starting 10nm to the west of Kirkwall and ending 60nm to the west of Kirkwall Possible areas affected: The GPS jamming is likely to affect civilian Standard Positioning Service (SPS) receivers over a large area. A minimum jammer to signal vulnerability of 30dB has been assumed for a civilian receiver. Signal theory suggests that a SPS civilian receiver should have approximately 32dB of jamming resistance. Safety of Life Operations: Safety of life operations will take precedence over exercise activities at all times. To this end, the AWC is open to further discussion with any official recipient on the potential implications of this jamming exercise. Contact point: During the exercise, any official recipient (or their delegated representative) and any member of the Emergency Services may terminate the jamming for safety reasons by calling the contact numbers below: (1) Primary: Duty Controller Flying (TLT), RAF Kinloss - Tel: 01309 617857. (2) Backup: Duty Controller Flying (TLT), RAF Lossiemouth - Tel: 01343 817428. (3) Tertiary: Duty Air Surveillance Officer, National Air and Space Operations Centre – Tel: 01494 494812.

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ISS reboost coming Friday
by Alan P. Biddle 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

All, Roscosmos has announced the ISS will be reboosted 3.7 km tomorrow. Since the orbital period changes _roughly_ 1.2 seconds for each 1 km of altitude, we should see almost 5 seconds of change. Usual caveats about tracking program ISS discrepancies until the Keps catch up. http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=11541&lang=en Alan WA4SCA

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Contact your representatives now to oppose HR 607 threat to 70 cm operations
by Alan P. Biddle 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

To our US members, This information has been disseminated by the ARRL, AMSAT, and other amateur related news services, but I will recap it here. A bill, HR 607, has been introduced with the aim of expanding Public Service communications. However, this bill uniquely proposes to transfer the 420-440 MHz band away from its current users. Considering that most amateur satellites use these frequencies, this would effectively end our operations if implemented. We are working with the ARRL to make this issue public, and to urge our members to contact their representatives. For more details on the threat, and on how to respond effectively, see: WWW.ARRL.ORG There is currently a brief video near the top of the page on HR 607. http://www.arrl.org/regulatory-advocacy The regulatory link has multiple articles, updated as needed. WWW.AMSAT.ORG Currently toward the bottom of the page is a review of the situation from AMSAT's perspective, and a letter representing our unique concerns. http://www.kd4pyr.net/hamletter.htm This site will take your call, and generate a letter to your representative with your name and address in PDF format. Alan WA4SCA AMSAT Corporate Secretary

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HO-68
by Dads 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

Hi: Do you know if the ground control has turned the HO-68 back on yet? I had e- mail contact with Alan several months ago and he said he would have it turned on all the time soon. The rest of our sats are on all the time like A0-07 FO-29 VO-52 etc. Jerry w0sat

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XE2AT - 1000 Grids!
by Clary, James T, Civilian 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

I worked XE2AT this morning on AO7 at 16/1254Z when I was in grid DL40. He told me later that not only was it a new grid, but that it was grid #1000 for him. That's a terrific accomplishment! Congrats Alvaro! Muy bueno! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Grid DL40

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ND9M/MM Op Sked: 17 March
by Clary, James T, Civilian 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

Here's my planned ops for tonight and Thursday. Pse note that as we sail further south, AO27 becomes less available to me. I'm already leaving the footprint before the seven-minute timer runs out, and it'll get worse for me before it gets better. There'll be only pass available while we're in DK68 tonight, and it's a westerly pass that'll be low at my QTH. Hopefully a few ops will get this one as we'll likely be out of the grid by the time the oh-dark-30 FO29 pass comes around. Also, we will probably be in DK96 for a couple hours, but no passes are expected while we're in that grid, so that one will be a wash. Planned VO52 - 17/0317Z - DK69 VO52 - 17/0455Z - DK68 (very low western pass here) FO29 - 17/1016Z - DK78 AO7 - 18/0021Z - DK86 VO52 - 18/0200Z - DK86 AO7 - 18/0216Z - DK86 FO29 - 18/0922Z - DK95 Probably VO52 - 17/1516Z - DK77 AO27 - 17/1916Z - DK77 AO27 - 17/2046Z - DK87 FO29 - 17/2325Z - DK86 VO52 - 18/0334Z - DK86 Maybe AO51 - 17/1109Z - DK78 FO29 - 17/1203Z - DK78 or DK77 (western pass) AO51 - 17/1249Z - DK77 VO52 - 17/1653Z - DK77 (western pass) SO50 - 17/2136Z - DK87 or DK86 (very close to the line) FO29 - 17/2141Z - DK87 or DK86 (very close to the line) AO51 - 17/2211Z - DK86 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Grid DK69

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Looking for mast mounted preamps (2M and 70cm)
by David Mennerich 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

Hi all, does anyone have a 2M or 70cm mast-mounted pre-amp for sale? Let me know what you have, condition, price, etc. I'm considering adding pre-amps to a portable Az/El satellite station I'm putting together. Thanks! - Dave N2TEB

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Re: 1000 Grids
by K5OE 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

OOPS! 1998! 73, Jerry, K5OE

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Re: AO-51 - Idaho Repeater QRM on uplink?
by Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

At 10:20 AM 3/16/2011 -0700, David Palmer <zdap42(a)gmail.com> wrote: >Hi Zack, > >Yeah, noticed the same, KD7QAF likely wasn't the correct call. My >ears hadn't fully woken up yet this morning, darn it! > >Maybe it was KD7QAS I heard ... that's an IRLP node in Middleton, ID, >and the robot voice definitely announced Middleton. And "F" and "S" >do sound kinda alike..... > >Dave QRZ.com does show A KD7QAS in Middleton. KB7ADL

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