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

ARRISSat-1 Report and Thanks
by Nitin Muttin 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

It was a great pleasure to watch the deployment of the ARRISSat-1 from the ISS on NASA TV. On behalf of AMSAT INDIA I would like to thank all at AMSAT , ARRISSat project team for enabling this capability for the Amateur Radio fraternity. I was able to hear the signals on 145.950 during the 03:57 UTC on 08/5/2011 over India and decoded a SSTV image and heard the CW on 145.919 but was unable to decode the telemetry using ARISSATLM application. Will try again to decode the telemetry and also the linear transponder. Many Radio Hams in Bangalore have reported hearing the signals on 145.950. The image can be found at http://vu3tyg.addr.com/ARRISSAT/Arissat.jpg The recording of the voice message, SSTV and CW can be heard at http://vu3tyg.addr.com/ARRISSAT/rec0805-092348.mp3 73's Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA

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AClog/LOTW Working and uploaded back to 7/05
by John Henderson N4NAB 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

Thanks to all who offered guidance, especially W5MPC Mike... all is working now. I have uploaded SAT logs back to July 2005 so hopefully some of us will get some confirmations! r/ John N4NAB

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NASA Accepting CubeSat Proposals
by Clint Bradford 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

August 05, 2011 Joshua Buck Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 jbuck(a)nasa.gov RELEASE: 11-256 NASA ANNOUNCES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR CUBESAT SPACE MISSIONS WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking proposals for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned to launch between 2012 and 2014. These miniature spacecraft, known as CubeSats, could be auxiliary payload on previously planned missions. CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites are approximately four inches long, have a volume of about one quart and weigh less than three pounds. Proposed CubeSat investigations must be consistent with NASA's Strategic Plan and the Education Strategic Coordination Framework. The research should address aspects of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations. Applicants must submit proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14. NASA will select the payloads by Jan. 30, 2012. Selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. The selected spacecraft will be eligible for flight after final negotiations when a launch opportunity arises. NASA will not provide funding for the development of the small satellites. NASA recently announced the results from the second round of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. From the first two launch initiatives, 32 payloads made the short-list for launch opportunities in 2011 and 2012. They are eligible for launch pending an appropriate opportunity and final negotiations. The satellites come from 18 states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia. For additional information about NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative program, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/puk9K2 http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSatOp For more information about NASA's Strategic Plan, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/budget For more information about NASA's Education Strategic Coordination Framework, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/nRCvjH -end- Clint Bradford clintbradford(a)mac.com

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ARISSat-1 WAV file
by Edwin M. "EMike" McCardel, KC8YLD 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

I made this recording this morning from EN80um beginning Approx. 1124 UTC http://www.kc8yld.com/arissat.wav Recording was made on an Olympus handheld digital recorder. My equipment was Wouxan handheld and Arrow Antenna. I had my Yaesu VX-8R equiped with a rubber duck antenna laying on the ground. Near the closest approach I could also hear the transmission through it. Load enough at times I turned down its volume so not to interfere with my recording. >From the recording I was able to decode the SSTV transmissions using the SSTV app on my iPad (I didn't think of trying this direct in the field) these images are at http://www.kc8yld.com/5Aug2011-1126.png http://www.kc8yld.com/5Aug2011-1128.png<http://www.kc8yld.com/5Aug2011-1126.png> http://www.kc8yld.com/5Aug2011-1130.png<http://www.kc8yld.com/5Aug2011-1126.png> EMike, KC8YLD E. Michael McCardel, KC8YLD Ohio Section Affiliated Club Coordinator, ARRL NO CODE REQUIRED When All Else Fails... There's Amateur Radio Learn more via www.ARRL.org

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2 X CW QSO via ArisSat-1
by Andre' v Deventer 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

a 2x way cw contact with ZS6A Pierre. Got to be quick to beat the fades. Got a nice recording of this contact too.\ 73 andre ZS2BK

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More on the transponder.
by Rsoifer＠aol.com 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

Further to my last email, a full quarter-wavelength antenna for 435 MHz would be about 6.5 inches long. Lou estimates that the actual antenna is only about 1.5 inches. The short length has two effects: a reduced capture area for reception, and a greater likelihood of blockage by the main body of the spacecraft. If it's blocked, it won't hear much of anything. If it isn't, it looks like it will hear the bigger AO-13/AO-40 class stations (typical EIRP about 1 kW). With my EIRP of 50 watts, I tried CW instead of SSB. I heard myself for about 2 minutes, but was only 449. We'll see if anyone else can hear me in the next few days. 73 Ray W2RS

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TLM Rx 1579utc
by Edward R. Cole 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

My system received 5 frames of Telemetry and 2 Frames of Kursk - while I was sleeping! Yeah, I set the radio to 145.920 and had the telemetry program running, and went to bed after the 1111utc pass over Alaska. That was only a 1-degree elevation pass and I saw no signal. I overslept this morning (again) and woke up eight minutes after the last pass LOS, but there on my screen was the data and a message from my anti-virus sw asking if I wanted to connect to the telemetry site. I approved that so hopefully the frames made it. MY station is pretty simple: Home made "AA2TX" Lindenblad antenna with 80-feet of RG-213 coax to a DEMI L144-28 transverter (NF=1 dB) with Elecraft K3 IF radio connected to my computer via HB soundcard interconnect. Note there is no preamp but the transverter has good NF. ARISSat was at 6-degrees elevation when the data was received. I am using NOVA with keps: RADIOSCAF-B 1 37772U 98067CK 11216.75158638 .00033717 00000-0 40433-3 0 12 2 37772 051.6382 276.2984 0012892 043.5724 316.6246 15.60501122 76 Next pass visible to Alaska will be 10:14utc 8-6-2011 I will set up for the linear transponder to test ability to pass signal on a later pass. 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 50-1.1kw?, 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)gmail.com ======================================

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ARISSat-1 reception report.
by on3swy＠on4hrt.org 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

Hi Amsat, Arissat1.org, My name is Gert (ON3SWY) and I was able to receive the ARISSat1 2m FM downlink signal this morning CET. It goes without saying that I am very interested in receiving your PDF certificate. I received the FM signal with an honest 59. The secret word copied from my end was "Eagle". Full name: Gert Verswyvel. Date/Time of reception: Aug 5 2011 05:38 AM CET (03:38 UTC) E-mail address for certificate: on3swy(a)on4hrt.org Receiving a signal from an orbiting object for the very first time was quite an experience. Thanks in advance. Kind regards, Gert, ON3SWY

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KB5WIA Update - CM79+
by David Palmer KB5WIA 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

Hi Everyone, Here's an update on the CM79/CM89/CN70/CN80 plans. CM79 is not an easy grid to work from. Aside from being physically remote, and being a strenuous hike (800' climbing) from the nearest road, the actual topography of the grid is difficult for radio operations. The actual grid corner is in the middle of a thick manzanita and poison-oak forest, 70 feet down the western slope of a steep ridge. In other words, from anywhere you are in CM79, there's a steep hillside blocking the radio path to the east! The best location is actually the convergence of the four grids at the northeast tip of CM79, where it's close enough to the ridge top that a remote antenna can be used to get the signal over the ridge. The problem then becomes how to have the station itself on the grid convergence (down the hill) and still be able to get signals "out". Following discussion with (and approval from!) ARRL HQ, here's the plan for operation from CM79: Station Setup for Overhead and Westerly satellite passes: Full station set up directly over grid square intersection. Specifically, I'll use the standard setup that I have used before, consisting of two Yaesu FT-817ND radios hanging from a photographic tripod, with the 6.4Ah LiFeP04 battery right next to the tripod. The antenna is an Elk antenna on top of the tripod. The area of the grid intersection will be marked with a ground tarp, and will be determined with better than 20' accuracy with WAAS-GPS. Photo and video will be used to document the station, GPS receiver, and surroundings. Station Setup for Easterly satellite passes: Since the view to the east is blocked by a ridge, 70' uphill, for easterly passes I will use the exact same station as above, except that the Elk antenna will be relocated to a second photographic tripod perched on the ridge. The Elk will be connected via 100 feet of LMR-400 coax, and I will use a preamp at the antenna to help overcome the signal loss on the 70cm downlink. As above, all station operation will be from directly over the grid intersection, including tuning, transceivers, and power source. The Elk can be re-aimed once or twice through the satellite pass to more or less keep up with the sat as it moves. What this means: 1) Lower signals. Expect my signal to be weaker than it is during my normal portable operations (ie Death Valley, etc). Since overhead and westerly passes will have tree cover, and the easterly passes will have to use the 100-foot coax, my uplink signal to the birds won't be as strong as it has been. 2) Fading on eastern passes. Anyone who has operated portable knows a big advantage of handheld ops, that helps overcome the reduced gain of the smaller antennas, is that you can rotate the antenna to exactly match the current polarization of the satellite. By necessity, I'll lose this advantage on easterly passes with the remote antenna, since there's no way I can be both at the operating location (to hear the return signals) and the antenna (to flip it back and forth). So, expect my signal to fade in and out as the polarity changes. 3) Time lag to hear sat on my RX end. Since I'll be using a 100' run of LMR400 to carry both the uplink AND downlink signals for the eastern passes, this necessarily means that the antenna-mounted preamp is going to switch off during transmit. The SP432VDG takes about 1-2 seconds to come back "on-line" after I unkey, so on V/U birds if you come back to me immediately I may not hear you. Rapid exchanges on eastern passes probably won't work for this reason, I'll have to take it slow. 4) I'll be going QRT mid-pass once or twice to re-aim the antenna. The Elk antenna has a fairly wide beamwidth, but certianly not enough to cover a whole pass. On eastern passes, I'll have to leave my operating position and hike up to the ridge to point the antenna, then will have to get back down to the operating location. I won't have to do this on overhead or western passes. 5) For specific birds: AO-51 if active: This one has good strong signals. Should be OK for both eastern passes with the remote antenna and western passes with the normal configuration. My 1-2 second time lag on RX might be problematic if the sat is congested. SO-50: This one's pretty weak to begin with. I'll be lucky if I can hear anything even with the preamp on the remote antenna, so don't expect too much on eastern passes. Hopefully will be OK on overhead or western passes. AO-27: Probably the same as AO-51. FO-29: Normal for overhead and western passes. For eastern passes, my preamp will cut out during transmit with the remote antenna, so I'm pretty sure I won't be able to find my uplink. I'll therefore be effectively running half-duplex. If you hear my call, come back to me slowly, so I can use your downlink to zero my tuning. AO-07: Normal for overhead and western passes. I'll likely have a very weak uplink on the eastern passes using the remote antenna to get over the hilltop -- input power to the Elk will only be around 2 watts. Listen carefully and have patience. VO-52: This one actually works pretty well with the remote antenna setup! Expect some fading, but this one should be okay. My website has the most recent information, and you can check the SPOT tracker on my QRZ page to see if I'm at the location or not. Hope to work many of you on the trip! 73 de Dave KB5WIA http://kb5wia.blogspot.com

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Arrisat-1 reception report
by Dean Meredith 05 Aug '11

05 Aug '11

I am sending you information about my reception report of the satellite i received this morning. Here is the Details you need so i can receive my certificate for reception of the satellite. 1. My reception report was 5/7 It was via SSTV using MMSSTV to decode. JPG. picture attached as file to this email to you 2. Dean Meredith 3. 8/5/2011 8:03am central time or 13:03 UTC 4. skycom291980(a)yahoo.com Please send my certificate ASAP to email listed above. Thanks Dean Meredith KF9L

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