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

FUNcube Dongle SDR Available from ML&S
by Trevor . 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

The AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio can now be purchased online from the Amateur Radio retailer Martin Lynch & Sons, see http://tinyurl.com/MartinLynchFCD A reminder that a link to view videos of the presentations given at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium can be found at http://www.uk.amsat.org/ AMSAT-UK publishes a color A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, that is full of Amateur Satellite information. The Spring OSCAR News can be seen athttp://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf Join AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK/ 73 Trevor M5AKA

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Re: ARISSat-1 â€“ telemetry top submitters
by Mike Rupprecht 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

Hi Jerry, ... let me explain what the graph means. All these data are based on the STP telemetry files from the AMSAT-FTP server (Kursk / Spacecraft). Every telemetry frame exist only once. So the graph represents NOT really the amount of submitted frames per sender. If 10 stations listen to ARISSat and every station is forwarding the telemetry to the server - only one packet wins. Maybe the first one (due to the speed of internet connection or whatever). That means if you live in New Zealand - you have a greater chance to see your submitted packets on the server as we in Europe or you in the US. I can confirm the second issue - regarding the KURSK files. There are no new telemetry data on my hard disk since August 13. I know that I have received KURSK data but they did not appear in the telemetry directory. But you can see on the AMSAT FTP server that the latest KURSK frames are from Aug 16 - so they are transferred to the server... 73, Mike DK3WN -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] Im Auftrag von n0jy(a)lavabit.com Gesendet: Mittwoch, 17. August 2011 15:08 An: Roland Zurmely Cc: AMSAT Betreff: [amsat-bb] Re: ARISSat-1 â€“ telemetry top submitters Thanks Mike and Roland, I was curious about the relative value that our telemetry had to the project (i.e. was there a deluge, not enough, just right). A question for all, for a few days now my ARISSatTLM has been reporting the Kursk as being (I believe, I'm not at home to check right now) something like Kursk-944.x or perhaps it was Kursk-444.x (some real low number compared to previous in my log) and it has not reported any new Kursk frames for the past 3 days or so at least on the ARISSatTLM display. I see from Mike's page that my Kursk to Telem ratio is lower than many. Is the Kursk data affected by the battery state, or is my ARISSatTLM perhaps hung up on that and needs a restart? Anyone else, what are the latest Kursk frames that you are seeing? Thanks and 73, Jerry N0JY > http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=22435 > > 73 de Roland PY4ZBZ > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ 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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South Texas Grid-peditions & LotW
by Clayton W5PFG 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

I've attempted to reconcile recent Texas grid-peditions in Logbook of the World. This includes my operations in EM01, EM02, EM03, EM04, EM10, EM11, EM12, EM22, DM94, DM95, DM96, EL29, and EL39. If you are waiting on a QSL via LotW and you don't see it, send me the QSO data and I will check to see that I uploaded our contact from the right location in TQSL. August 22-24 I am going to be in the "neighborhood" of EL07, DL98, DL99, and DM90 in Southwest Texas. My exact operating times are not ironed out but my intentions are to make passes of AO-27, AO-51, and potentially SO-50. As this is a work trip and satellite operations are a secondary task, I cannot confirm the dates and times where I'll make passes just yet. 73 Clayton W5PFG

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Us Vi
by newsradio6＠gmail.com 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

Hi all..a last minute work trip has placed me in St Thomas, us virgin islands for the next 2 days. No arrow but I have the handheld and was on the 2pm pass of ao27. Will try to be on some of the high angle passes of 27, so50 and echo time permitting. Anyone know the grid sqr here? John WP2/VA3BL Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network. Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

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Re: ARISSat-1 â€“ telemetry top submitters
by Ben Bishop 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

G'day Jerry, I don't think there's anything wrong with your ARISSatTLM, as I've only been getting KURSK-944s since the 13th. My last 'proper good' experiment frame was: 2011/08/11-08:12:48 Received Kursk frame 2 with MET=650105 len=516. Satellite MET around then was: 2011/08/11-08:12:54 Received telemetry frame with MET=653412 Len=371 I missed the 12th, and on the 13th the telemetry and experiment MET had reset: 2011/08/13-04:34:16 Received telemetry frame with MET=2514 Len=371 ... 2011/08/13-04:34:24 Received Kursk frame 3 with MET=944 len=516. Do we have <C:\Users\Ben\Desktop\ARISSatTLM\Kursk\KURSK-944.3>? 2011/08/13-04:34:24 No. Saving to <C:\Users\Ben\Desktop\ARISSatTLM\Kursk\KURSK-944.3>. And from that point on, I have only received KURSK-944 frames (which are still auto-forwarding). 2011/08/17-05:30:04 Received Kursk frame 5 with MET=944 len=48. Do we have <C:\Users\Ben\Desktop\ARISSatTLM\Kursk\KURSK-944.5>? 2011/08/17-05:30:04 Yes. <C:\Users\Ben\Desktop\ARISSatTLM\Kursk\KURSK-944.5> exists. 73, Ben VK2FBRB On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 11:08 PM, <n0jy(a)lavabit.com> wrote: > A question for all, for a few days now my ARISSatTLM has been reporting > the Kursk as being (I believe, I'm not at home to check right now) > something like Kursk-944.x or perhaps it was Kursk-444.x (some real low > perhaps hung up on that and needs a restart? Anyone else, what are the > latest Kursk frames that you are seeing?

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ARRISSat-1 Heard Passing Over Cuba
by Mike Schaffer 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

On Wednesday, August 17 heard a very weak ARISSat-1 on 2M 145.950 FM pass over northeast Camaguey, Cuba for less than thirty seconds in SSTV mode. Minutes later it was tracking northeast towards northern Cat island, The Bahamas at 2242 UTC. Azimuth 139, Elevation +22 according to my satellite tracking program. 73's Mike Schaffer KA3JAW Tampa, Florida EL87

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Beaconers
by Kevin Deane 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

Bob is absolutely right, the people beaconing on 145.825 are ruining it for others. Which reminds me of the spanking I got for using FM on the SSB birds, I am sure there would be a lot bigger stink if people were affecting those satellites and not just the poor forgotten and obviously abused NO-44, and the countless people trying to talk to beacons on the ISS... I like my call showing up on the ISS/NO-44 page just as much as the next guy, but I do it myself not while I am at work or sleeping. Thanks by the way for the recent fun contacts on the ISS, I am sure the beacon comments were just as well veiwed as the Qso's... Kevin KF7MYK

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ARISSAT-1 report
by g.shirville＠btinternet.com 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

Hi All, Just popped outside from the IARU Region 1 Conference meeting to catch an ARISSAT pass. Good signals with an Arrow and a FCD and also using a G0MRF prototype filter amplifier with 5v being supplied by the Dongle. (Thanks David for the loan) Voice telemetry reported MET of 41 mins - which corresponds very well to when it left eclipse over the Pacific. Battery volts 35.74 and current -4ma I just failed to identify a ZS station using the transponder! The signal had no fading but several occasional ~ 100 msec breaks in transmission were noted. best 73 from sunny ZS6 land Graham G3VZV

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KB1GVR
by jerry keeton 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

I think Mark was My first 2 way packet contact on ISS and also NO 44 . Thought I had a qsl card from Him but can't find it . He was one of the few that could reach NO-44 when no one else was getting there . Miss You on the birds Mark . Congrats Kevin , not much traffic on NO-44 ( w3ado-1 ) I guess because it's so hard to reach . Will look for You there. Jerry WB5LHD

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MARK AUSTIN KB1GRV
by Pete Norris 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

Hi all:I received this from Phil, N1EP. I thought there would be a number of you that might like to know.Pete, K1HZU Hello Folks, If you have not heard already, local (Franklin/Ellsworth) ham Mark Austin, KB1GVR, became a silent key on August 8. Graveside services will be this Thursday, Aug 18, at 11AM at Woodbine cemetery in Ellsworth. Mark was very prolific in space communications. In 2002, he told me that he was listening to his scanner, I think in 1997, and heard Russian voices coming over the speaker about every hour and 36 minutes. He discovered the voices were from cosmonauts on board the Mir Space Station. He then started recording their SSTV broadcasts and then went out and bought his first computer so he could see the pictures he had previously recorded from the Soviet slow scan TV transmissions. That inspired him to earn his ham ticket so he could talk to the cosmonauts. And talk, he did. Since then, Mark has become well known aboard the space shuttles and International Space Station by many astronauts and cosmonauts. Not only has Mark talked to them on voice mode, but became extremely proficient at using the space station and satellites to communicate digitally. He even discovered a new way of using one particular satellite to extend communication capability. Mark had the opportunity to meet some of the spacemen he had befriended on-the-air when he made visits to Mission Control in Houston and to Kennedy Space Center, where he also was thrilled to watch a shuttle launch. His enthusiasm with space communications inspired many hams to give it a try, including myself. His advice was spot on so that I twice successfully made voice contacts to the space station. I also had fun with Oscar-14 with Mark's tips. If you operated an APRS station in Maine, you would recognize the KB1GVR call sign, as Mark was also an avid APRS fan. Mark's other pastimes included racing and flying with his brother in his plane where his same determination brought him lots of success, rewards, and joy. The walls of Marks home were decorated with the many ham radio and racing certificates and awards he had earned and his vast collection of space communications QSL cards is amazing, as many EAWA members can attest to as Mark has brought them in for display in the past. Mark was only 50 years old, but in his too-short life, he accomplished a lot. As N1DP said on last night's Washington County ARES Net, Godspeed Mark. We will miss you. 73, Phil Duggan, N1EP

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