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

Tracking ARISSat-1 with SATCP32
by Alan P. Biddle 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

If you are going to be listening for ARISSat-1 on the 12th, and use SATPC32, you will be using the ISS for antenna tracking, but you will need to add a few modes in the DOPPLER.SQF file for the ISS: ISS,145918.5,0,USB,,,0,0,BPSK/CW-2 ISS,145950.0,0,FM,,,0,0,VOICE/SSTV ISS,145938.5,0,USB,,,0,0,CW-1 If you use something other than ISS, such as Zarya, then substitute that so SATPC32 will know what you mean. These will appear along with all the "real" ISS modes. The FM frequencies should be good, and the SSB modes as usual will need a little tweaking. Assuming your rig is calibrated, you should be at least close enough to hear the short transmit periods. 73s and good luck, Alan WA4SCA

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Re: multi-sat, chronilogical pass predictions
by Clint Bradford 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

>> ... a listing of passes for multiple satellites in chronological order? PocketSat for Palm and WinOPC ... as well as PocketSat3 for the iPhone and iPod touch sure do that - I use that function every day. http://tinyurl.com/sat-track Clint, K6LCS

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Is AO-51 ON at 1930 utc?
by Mark L. Hammond 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

Did anybody hear it during this recent pass? Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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QSOs on AO7 and Invitation
by Luis Quintas 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

I Tnx Jay (AA4FL), Alvaro (XE2AT) and Doug (W3HH) for QSOs done during this week on AO7 Mode B. All of them with the sat just a few degrees up. Jay recorded our QSO (it was on cw) and also part of the QSO with Alvaro. Jay have also loaded the audio of these (and other fine) QSOs via satellite in the W4DFU Radio Club web page: http://gatorradio.org/satellite.html I am QRV and I would like to invite other stations from North America who would like to attempt a QSO via AO7 mode B either in SSB or CW. My grid locator is FF66TQ. My mail is lu6quintas(a)gmail.com Tnx agn, Best 73 de --luis LU6QI ex-LQ16DX - LR6QI - LU6QI/W9

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AO-51 reported silent
by Mark L. Hammond 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

Hi All, We are seeing the reports that AO-51 is down (as of about 1345 utc 18 April 2011). Thank you for the notification. Hopefully it's just another battery trip event. I'll do my best to get it going during the 2100 utc pass today. -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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Re: ground plane on
by Greg D. 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

Hi Dan, On 17/04/2011, at 15:53, KF1BUZ <kf1buz(a)gmail.com> wrote: > A Copper Jpole, has this been tried? > Just thinking it might make my getting into the birds better. > > Thanks > Dan > KF1BUZ > If I interpret this right (subject + message), you are asking if adding a Ground Plane to a J-pole antenna will improve its performance in a satellite ground station application. I believe the answer is no, though someone would need to do the modeling to understand for sure. A J-pole is an end-fed dipole, with the "J" portion being a 1/4 wave long at the frequency of the antenna. Recalling some RF theory stuff, a 1/4 wave "matching section" has a low impedance on one end, and a high impedance at the other. One end goes to the coax feed line (low impedance), and the other is attached to the end (high impedance) part of the dipole. You will find that the single pipe section of the J-pole antenna is about a 1/2 wave long at the antenna's design frequency, and since it's connected directly to the end of the matching section, it makes for an end-fed dipole. Some designs use a 5/8 wave dipole section for a little extra gain towards the horizon. So a J-pole antenna is actually a pretty effective satellite antenna, similar to a simple ground plane antenna but mechanically more robust. I've used both kinds. My very first satellite contact ion 1993 was using one for the uplink into RS-10, and that contact was followed by many many more. That antenna is still in service nearly 18 years later. (If you hear or use the KO6TH APRS iGate, you're using it!) I've got two SO-239-type Ground Plane antenna carcases in the garage; they didn't last. As a satellite antenna, both Ground Plane and J-pole antennas do have a null directly overhead, but very few satellite passes go directly overhead, and when they do, they spend very little time there. So don't sweat it. A J-pole with a 1/2 wave section on top will also work as a dual band 2M / 70CM antenna, with the upper band on the antenna's 3rd harmonic. Using the antenna that way, I'm told, it has a radiation pattern that is lifted somewhat from the horizon, so it should be a good match for satellite work. But, back to your question... The J-pole antenna is a totally balanced system in itself, and doesn't suffer for not having a ground plane below it. What putting a ground plane some distance below the end of an end-fed dipole will do to the radiation pattern, however, is a modeling task for someone at a higher mental pay-grade than me. My guess is that it will depend very significantly exactly where the ground plane is mounted. You could alter both the radiation pattern and the feed point impedance with that addition, and maybe make things worse. Hope this helps a little, Greg KO6TH

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ground plane on
by KF1BUZ 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

A Copper Jpole, has this been tried? Just thinking it might make my getting into the birds better. Thanks Dan KF1BUZ

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Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 6, Issue 221
by Louis McFadin 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

To all those speculating on the reason for ARISSat not coming on, I recommend patience. We will have a telecon with the Russian ham radio specialist and get the actual information from him. As soon as we have real information it will be passed on. The satellite is very robust and is probably still useable without any modifications. If a component has failed, we have another complete satellite already in Moscow. Any module that has failed could easily be replaced. So let's just wait and see what they tell us. Lou McFadin W5DID ARISS US Hardware manager On Apr 16, 2011, at 3:00 PM, amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org wrote: > Send AMSAT-BB mailing list submissions to > amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > amsat-bb-owner(a)amsat.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of AMSAT-BB digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. ARISSat-1 Failure to Transmit (Peter Portanova) > 2. ARISSat-1/KEDR declared success by Roscosmos! (Alan P. Biddle) > 3. Subject: Re: Verticals & Such on SSB Birds (Richard Lawn) > 4. Re: ARISSat-1 - Battery Failure (tosca005(a)umn.edu) > 5. Re: ISS Packet using AGWPE (JoAnne Maenpaa) > 6. Re: Subject: Re: Verticals & Such on SSB Birds (Dave Guimont) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:41:26 -0400 > From: "Peter Portanova" <wb2oqq(a)verizon.net> > Subject: [amsat-bb] ARISSat-1 Failure to Transmit > To: <AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <0214AF1853F4487491EA8FC1CEA11C86@Desk> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=Windows-1252; > reply-type=original > > Hello, > > I don't possess any "inside information" on what the cause was of ARISSat-1 > not to be heard, however I have a theory. We know that Packet > transmission's ended and began soon after the posted times for ARISSat to be > powered on/off, this action was done because they agreed that the satellite > "woke up". The power on sequence for ARISSat-1 is visual, meaning that if > their was a battery failure they would not have seen the satellite power up. > If we believe that this occurred a possible reason for not hearing the > satellite was that it was connected to the wrong antenna, and seeing the > coax in this area it is conceivable that this might be the cause. I know we > will learn what actually occurred, at some point, it's our priority not > theirs, perhaps we can have a contest, "pick the cause" and the winner can > win a good night's sleep in a motel of their choice, satellite equipment not > permitted. > > 73's Pete > WB2OQQ > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 09:26:22 -0500 > From: "Alan P. Biddle" <APBIDDLE(a)UNITED.NET> > Subject: [amsat-bb] ARISSat-1/KEDR declared success by Roscosmos! > To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <7619564B827B4702B5E854FE39695EB2@WA4SCA> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Looks like we have all been wrong about this. Yesterday, just after > midnight Moscow time, I found this on the Roscosmos site: > > > http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=11669&lang=en > > Russian Educational Satellite Works 16.04.2011 > > Russia's Kedr minisatellite designed by students from Kursk and carried to > the ISS under UNESCO's program in January has went on air. > Its first broadcast was carried out on April 11-13 to mark the 50 years of > the first manned space flight. > The 30-kg Kedr will transmit 25 greetings in 15 different languages, photos > of the Earth, telemetry and scientific data. > > > > Hats off to the satellite designers at Kursk U. > > More seriously, aside from the "embellishments" concerning Kursk, which in > fact only did their experiment package, it looks as if someone had a timed > release news article which they forgot to cancel. > > > Alan > WA4SCA > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 11:39:26 -0400 > From: Richard Lawn <rjlawn(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Subject: Re: Verticals & Such on SSB Birds > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Message-ID: <BANLkTim2p_3oSdh4vT_Q88Aq5jBTWNcioQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I too am always looking for ideas as I get older and know downsizing is > sooner rather than later forcing me to move and shed my M2 rotatable pair. > I've been slowly working on building double Moxon's for 440 and 2 meters > both using #6 copper wire and trying to measure very carefully. Another list > serve participant suggested I tried these as they have worked well for him > and better than other stationary antennas he has tried. Next up for me when > I have time is to try your Quadrifilars and I have another article or two on > construction suggestions. My one big question is how did you get the #6 wire > to solder? I use a gun and inevitably the joint breaks. What's your secret? > Torch? > > Rick > W2JAZ > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: 16 Apr 2011 10:47:57 -0500 > From: tosca005(a)umn.edu > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ARISSat-1 - Battery Failure > To: R Oler <orbitjet(a)hotmail.com> > Cc: Amsat BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <Gophermail.2.0.1104161047570.7641(a)vs-a.tc.umn.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=UTF-8 > > On Apr 15 2011, R Oler wrote: > >> > There are LOTS of reasons that the bird could have failed, in my viewpoint > the BEST one is that the battery has some issues. Operating the vehicle in > a thermal environment that it was not designed for would be a first guess, > followed by some sort of "crib death" issue, and next comes parts connected > wrong. >> > In any event the failure does not bode well for a successful sat > deployment. >> >> See if this makes it on the board. Robert G. Oler WB5MZO >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >> > One small consolation is that if the ISS crew can't get it working before > tossing it into space, it could (possibly) be brought back to Earth on a > future return trip to be diagnosed and repaired on the ground. > > But let's hope it is something simple to fix up on the ISS and that someone > on the crew can take a little time to fix it. > > But I also understand that none of those 3 scenarios are guaranteed (easy > to fix, time to fix it, or return it to Earth). > > John P. Toscano, W0JT > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 11:50:12 -0500 > From: "JoAnne Maenpaa" <k9jkm(a)comcast.net> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ISS Packet using AGWPE > To: "'amsat-bb'" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Message-ID: <001201cbfc56$5ac10fa0$10432ee0$@net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hello Peter, > >> connect to ISS using AGWPE with my soundcard. >> can anyone help me with this? > > I found the links to JE9PEL's setup guides posted on the UISS main page to > be helpful in getting my soundcard packet running: > http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uisslinks.htm > >> How does one connect to the ISS digipeater? > > 1. One good way to learn is to see what kind of packets others are sending. > You can spy on the ISS 145.825 MHz packet log at http://www.ariss.net/ > > 2. 99% of the packet digipeats via ISS are UI packets (they aren't connected > to any specific node) and pretty much are an AX.25 CQ-with-text-string so to > speak. > > 3. To setup your packet path for the ISS setting the UNPROTO parameter to > 'via ARISS' > (UNPROTO CQ VIA ARISS) is about all that is needed for the average user. The > digipeater at the ISS plugs in its specific callsign RS0ISS-3 or RS0ISS-4 in > response to the ARISS alias. There is a pull-down menu in the UISS program > where you can select ARISS. > > 4. An AX.25 hard-connection to the RS0ISS-11 Packet PBBS (C RS0ISS-11) is > not recommended over highly populated areas. If you establish a connection > to RS0ISS-11 the full AX.25 protocol for packet retries and timeouts takes > effect. Now your hard-connection retries will compete with the dozens of UI > packet transmissions and you'll never get to the PBBS anyways. You'll see > the ISS digi faithfully retrying and retrying per AX.25 protocol as it goes > over the horizon ... it will timeout over someone else's QTH. Most of the > PBBS messages you occasionally see are "Hello There" postings and not worth > the effort compared to the quick keyboard UI packet QSOs that many > successfully complete. > > 5. If you run UI-View along with UISS and AGWPE you can get an APRS map > showing the locations of the stations sending location data via ISS digi. I > have one example of an ISS pass mapped at > http://home.comcast.net/~k9jkm/UI_View_ISS_Pass.jpg > > Hope this helps, > -- > 73 de JoAnne K9JKM > k9jkm(a)amsat.org > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 11:53:28 -0700 > From: Dave Guimont <dguimon1(a)san.rr.com> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Subject: Re: Verticals & Such on SSB Birds > To: Richard Lawn <rjlawn(a)gmail.com> > Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Message-ID: <D2.3E.09483.5A5E9AD4(a)cdptpa-omtalb.mail.rr.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed > > >> I too am always looking for ideas as I get older and know downsizing is >> sooner rather than later forcing me to move and shed my M2 rotatable pair. >> I've been slowly working on building double Moxon's for 440 and 2 meters >> both using #6 copper wire and trying to measure very carefully. Another list >> serve participant suggested I tried these as they have worked well for him >> and better than other stationary antennas he has tried. Next up for me when >> I have time is to try your Quadrifilars and I have another article or two on >> construction suggestions. My one big question is how did you get the #6 wire >> to solder? I use a gun and inevitably the joint breaks. What's your secret? >> Torch? >> > > I use a torch with a large solder tip attached to it, es the torch > heats the tip....If you are very careful not to oxidize the joint, > just the torch will work. > > > > > 73, Dave, WB6LLO > dguimon1(a)san.rr.com > > Disagree: I learn.... > > Pulling for P3E... > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via amsat-bb(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > > End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 6, Issue 221 > ****************************************

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Question, & some comments!
by Stuart Balanger 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

*Hi all, was wondering what mode both AO-51 & the ISS are in? Also, the Mt. Beacon ARC Hamfeste was a smashing sccess no rain, & abt. 18 people who passed evams, w/ 11 new Techs! Am Hopeing to make the AMSAT weekend Symposium This Yr, in Calif., & will more than likely take Amtrak out! Hope everyone has a wonderful Passover, & Easter. 73,.Stu (WA2BSS) *

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ARISSAT-1 >> Why not launch it now?
by AB9RN 17 Apr '11

17 Apr '11

Curious why NASA is delaying such a long time to hand launch the satellite until July? I would think they would want to get it out of there and de-clutter the ISS. Given that it appears to be dead without a solar panel functioning, it seems like an obvious idea to me. Is there some reason why they can't schedule this sooner?

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