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

Re: 2m/70cm Quadrifilar Helix antenna Antenna Kit from Antennas.us
by Richard Lawn 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

I purchased their 440 antenna built a year or so ago and waited forever to get it. The wait wasn't really worth it in the end and I felt like I got a better downlink signal with a homebrewed K5OE design. In both cases I used a preamp close to the antenna mounted at about 20' above ground. I'm now in the process of trying to build a few other stationary antennas and will let the group know the results if they are worth reporting! Rick W2JAZ

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Special event for Royal Wedding
by Chris Bloy 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Hi All, For those in Europe we will be operating on all FM sats on Friday under a special event callsign of MR0DQO. Please visit our website after the event for callsigns worked. http://wordpress.projectoscar.co.uk/#/?cat=45 Many thanks, Chris Bloy M0DQO - Founder Project OSCAR Uk www.projectoscar.co.uk Sent from my iPhone

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Re: VUCC, grids, and a new QTH
by Lowell White 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

HeeHee... Worked All Planets. :-) I must presume that's limited to the solar system... otherwise will take many eons to complete. Talk about being an OM... Lowell ------ Original Message ------ Received: Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:10:41 PM CDT From: Eric Christensen <eric(a)christensenplace.us> To: K5OE <k5oe(a)aol.com>Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VUCC, grids, and a new QTH > On Mon, 2011-04-25 at 12:50 -0400, K5OE wrote: > > Zack, > > Other things to consider before moving to CO: > > - your WAS award will only count for contacts made from OH > > - your DXCC award will count from anywhere in the lower USA > > - your WAC award will count from anywhere in N.A. > > - your WAP award will count from anywhere on Earth > > WAP? > > --Eric W4OTN > > _______________________________________________ > 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

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Re: VUCC, grids, and a new QTH
by K5OE 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Zack, Other things to consider before moving to CO: - your WAS award will only count for contacts made from OH - your DXCC award will count from anywhere in the lower USA - your WAC award will count from anywhere in N.A. - your WAP award will count from anywhere on Earth 73, Jerry, K5OE --- original message --- Hi Patrick, Your response does confirm what I thought the answer was. I guess the only thing I am wondering now is, if I move to SC, would it be acceptable to say I have 500 grids confirmed, or should I say 0? VUCC is one aspect of it, but how about the day to day grid collecting. Since it would not be counted towards an award, I do not see an issue with that, as long as you keep track of what grids were working in OH and which ones were worked in SC. I also know it is 200km - I was confusing it with 124mi. ;-) BTW, I am not considering moving to SC (no offense to SC residents). If I had to move somewhere other than OH it would be CO. Thanks for the response! Zack KD8KSN -----Original Message----- From: Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 12:08 PM To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VUCC, grids, and a new QTH Hi Zack! > I have an “out of the blue” question that hit me the other day since I am > a freshmen in college and will likely move away from home sometime in > the next 5+ years... I know the VUCC rules say you can count any grid > towards VUCC that was worked from two locations no more than 120km > apart. Actually, the limit for the maximum distance between the locations you use for satellite VUCC is 200km, or approximately 124.2 miles. See section 6 in the current VUCC rules at: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Awards/VUCC%20Rules%202011_Rev%2020110215.pdf > Lets say I have 500 grids worked by the time I move out (which is a LOT > of time, work and $$), and I decide to move to SC. Are those 500 grids > that I worked/confirmed no longer valid towards VUCC (if I wanted to get > an endorsement)? If your location in South Carolina is more than 200km from all locations you are currently operating from and using toward your current satellite VUCC, then the South Carolina location could not be used toward your existing satellite VUCC. You would have to start working on a new satellite VUCC based on your new location in South Carolina. You would still maintain your existing satellite VUCC award, and could add to it if you operate from other locations that would fall within the 200km limit for that satellite VUCC. This probably isn't the answer you were looking for, Zack. Then again, you would have a new challenge to work stations from a new location further east than you are now. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Fw: VUCC, grids, and a new QTH
by Zachary Beougher 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Resending in plain text.... -----Original Message----- From: Zachary Beougher Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 11:48 AM To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] VUCC, grids, and a new QTH Hi All, I have an “out of the blue” question that hit me the other day since I am a freshmen in college and will likely move away from home sometime in the next 5+ years... I know the VUCC rules say you can count any grid towards VUCC that was worked from two locations no more than 120km apart. Lets say I have 500 grids worked by the time I move out (which is a LOT of time, work and $$), and I decide to move to SC. Are those 500 grids that I worked/confirmed no longer valid towards VUCC (if I wanted to get an endorsement)? 73! Zack KD8KSN _______________________________________________ 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

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Arrow and ELK Comparative Antenna Tests
by JOHN FICKES 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Gentlemen Great work,very informative. As I read the article I wondered to myself how my homebrew portable satellite antenna would stack up ? The Tape Measure Beam. I don't expect any results, as one could spend a lifetime analyzing everyone's homebrew antennas. But topics like this it just goes to show that there are many many options and some at little expense to get on the birds. Great Job 73 KCØBMF John

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Re: 2m/70cm Quadrifilar Helix antenna Antenna Kit from Antennas.us
by Mark L. Hammond 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Interesting, Zack. I would ask them about transmitting through the one with the preamp built in. Can you do it? (i.e., is it RF-sensed/switched) Or does the preamp make it a "receive only" antenna, with the accidental transmission through it smoking the device :) It's bound to happen on a dual band radio... (I think you'd be better off building a pair of AA2TX style Lindenblads...) Mark N8MH At 12:01 PM 4/25/2011 +0000, vtnn43e(a)comcast.net wrote: >Antennas.us is selling a combo package of 2M and 70cm quadrifilar helix antennas and a bias tee for $330.00. The 70cm antenna has a built-in 15db LNA BTW. > >http://www.antennas.us/store/p/391-UC-AMSAT-KIT-2-m-70-cm-Amateur-Satellite… > >The UC-AMSAT-KIT, 2 m / 70 cm Amateur Satellite Antenna Kit is a discounted bundle combination of quantity 1 each of the following three antenna products: >UC-1464-433, VHF Amateur Satellite QFH Antenna, Passive >UC-4364-513, UHF Amateur Satellite QFH Antenna, with built-in LNA and SMA Male connector >BIT-1500-385, UHF Bias Tee > >I was wondering though what some of you on the list think of these antennas for FM LEO users that are looking for fixed outdoor antennas? > > >73 >Zack >N8FNR >_______________________________________________ >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

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2m/70cm Quadrifilar Helix antenna Antenna Kit from Antennas.us
by vtnn43e＠comcast.net 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Antennas.us is selling a combo package of 2M and 70cm quadrifilar helix antennas and a bias tee for $330.00. The 70cm antenna has a built-in 15db LNA BTW. http://www.antennas.us/store/p/391-UC-AMSAT-KIT-2-m-70-cm-Amateur-Satellite… The UC-AMSAT-KIT, 2 m / 70 cm Amateur Satellite Antenna Kit is a discounted bundle combination of quantity 1 each of the following three antenna products: UC-1464-433, VHF Amateur Satellite QFH Antenna, Passive UC-4364-513, UHF Amateur Satellite QFH Antenna, with built-in LNA and SMA Male connector BIT-1500-385, UHF Bias Tee I was wondering though what some of you on the list think of these antennas for FM LEO users that are looking for fixed outdoor antennas? 73 Zack N8FNR

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Congresswoman Giffords Will Attend ...
by Clint Bradford 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will attend husband Mark Kelly's space shuttle launch in Florida on Friday, Kelly said, allowing the Arizona congresswoman to travel for the first time since she was flown from Tucson to Houston more than three months ago to recover from a gunshot wound to the head. In an interview with CBS' Katie Couric, Kelly said Giffords' doctors had given her permission to travel to Cape Canaveral, Fla., for the launch of Endeavour, which is scheduled for 3:47 p.m. Friday. Kelly is the commander of the shuttle mission. There will not be a dry eye in the Bradford household on the 29th ... Clint, K6LCS

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Endeavor's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
by Clint Bradford 24 Apr '11

24 Apr '11

My wife and I "rate" books and articles on their topic sentences - the initial declarative sentences - and whether or not that initial sentence grabs and holds our attention or not. Those that do, we continue to read, Those that do not, we dismiss and move on. >From the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, here's one that grabbed me ... "Stowed in the cargo hold of space shuttle Endeavour for its final launch Friday is a science experiment that could upend astronomy in ways unparalleled since the Hubble Space Telescope. Or — if it flops — it could end up as a $1.5-billion hood ornament on the International Space Station." Read more about the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer at NASA's Web site. Clint, K6LCS

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