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

RARE Photo of AMSAT ACs
by Clint Bradford 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Some of my fellow AMSAT friends may not have seen this group photo of AMSAT area coordinators ... I use it in my presentations ... http://tinyurl.com/SKEDS Clint, K6LCS

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Re: [amsat-bb] Fwd: Allocation of 433 – 434 MHz Band for Short Range Devices in VR2
by Trevor . 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Short Range Devices (SRDs) in 433-434 are bad news. The United Kingdom opened up 433/434 to SRDs in the 1990's. Automobile remote control key fobs used it - very short range, very low power stuff but the killer was the receivers. The Key Fob receivers had wide-open front-ends and collapsed in the presence of nearby RF. The result was that some UK Amateur 70cm repeaters were forced to shutdown to protect the unlicensed SRD's. The UK regulator Ofcom made it mandatory that applications for UK 70cm (430-440MHz) repeater licenses had to prove that they wouldn't cause "interference" to these unlicensed devices, eg wouldn't block wide-open RF front-ends! Following on from Automobile key fobs came a host of other low power SRD applications that were keen to use 433/434MHz. These have caused interference over a wide area, see Thames estuary SRD Interference on 433.500MHz http://www.g4uvj.btinternet.co.uk/isleofgrain.html SRD in 433/434MHz also impacts the Amateur Satellite Service. Manufacturers of 10 milliwatt walkie-talkies for 433/434 have cleverly run some leads through the battery compartment. If the user cuts these leads their 10mw 433/434MHz walkie talkie or base station gets converted into a 4 watt output transceiver that operates from 433.075 right up to 435.525MHz - well into our satellite allocation, see http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2009/intek_drs5070_pmr446_radio.htm YouTube - Intek MT 5050 Export http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgk5NDRP5sQ Industry needs a Globally allocated license exempt UHF allocation between 400 and 2400MHz - there isn't one !! - Global UHF license exempt spectrum is fragmented - Industry is currently trying to get 433-435MHz allocated as Global Unlicensed Spectrum so equipment can be sold anywhere. Belatedly Europe is attempting to allocate 915-921MHz (in-between European cell-phone frequencies) to SRD's. If 915-921MHz doesn't become the Global UHF SRD band then Amateurs will lose 433-435MHz for ever. Other URL's that may be of interest: Australia - SRD Interference causes Repeater to move http://www.southgatearc.org/news/jun2005/repeater_move.htm New Zealand 3.6 and 433 MHz SRDs http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2010/nz_revised_gurl.htm Short range devices in the 433 MHz band http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2008/short_range_devices_in_433mhz_b… 73 Trevor M5AKA

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Voyager 1 Still Gathering Data
by B J 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-069&cid=release_2011-069… 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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ISS As Seen From Space Shuttle Discovery
by B J 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/gallery/s133e011051.ht… 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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Re: Chinese space station
by Trevor . 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Thanks for that. The page can be read in English via http://tinyurl.com/BeijingTempleOne 73 Trevor M5AKA

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Re: [PNWVHFS] Fwd: Allocation of 433 � 434 MHz Band for Short R ange Devices in VR2
by WB6FFC 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Ed, many of the wireless WX stations here in the US are on 433 MHz as well as some of the key-less automotive entry devices. Mike WB6FFC ____________________________________________________________ Get Free Email with Video Mail & Video Chat! http://www.juno.com/freeemail?refcd=JUTAGOUT1FREM0210

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Re: Gpredict
by Gordon JC Pearce 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

On Tue, 2011-03-08 at 12:24 -0600, Howard Kowall wrote: > Hello > Ok do you have this fix > or is it the framework install > thanks > Howard Post the error that you get *verbatim*. No point in trying to guess what the problem is. My telepathy is definitely a few dB down these days ;-) Gordon MM0YEQ

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Grid Expedition CP79
by John Boudreau 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Finally have boots on the ground in CP79. Will try to be on the following passes today and tomorrow (Mar 8/9): Mar 8 18:40 SO-50 20:15 AO-27 20:20 SO-50 21:40 AO-51 22:00 SO-50 23:20 AO-51 23:45 SO-50 Mar 9 01:00 AO-51 01:25 SO-50 11:15 AO-51 15:53 SO-50 17:30 SO-50 19:15 SO-50 19:50 AO-27 20:55 SO-50 21:05 AO-51 21:29 AO-27 22:35 SO-50 22:43 AO-51 Winds are forecast at 30kmh and temps steady around -32C (!) All QSO's will be uploaded to LoTW when I get home. Don't forget the "/P" on my call. 73 John - VE8EV/P Planning for CP29/39 on Friday.

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Gpredict
by Howard Kowall 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Hello all trying to install the windows ver of gpredict I keep getting a installation error when I try and run it I have it ok on one 1 xp machine but the other fails with installation error Thanks all Howard VE4ISP

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Re: GPREDICT
by Charles Suprin 08 Mar '11

08 Mar '11

Just to make sure I understand,what OS are we talking about? We have discussed several. Charles On Mar 8, 2011 11:15 AM, "George and Cheryl Abbott" <ka1ajf(a)cox.net> wrote:

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