January 2012 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Electronics Weekly Printed Edition - FUNcube satellite
by Trevor . 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

The article on the FUNcube satellite has now appeared in the printed publication Electronics Weekly (Jan. 25-31). For details of how to download a PDF of the article see http://www.uk.amsat.org/4006 73 Trevor M5AKA

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Re: m9 class solar flare
by Dave Guimont 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

Roger, What in the name of ham radio is an HCWA???? Dave >I'd seriously consider the cells...I'm having trouble with my 62 >year old ones lately...is there a HCWA around? > >Roger >WA1KAT > >On 1/23/2012 9:32 PM, Dave Guimont wrote: >>My garage door malfunctioned when I tried to activate it for the >>first time since the m9 flare. >> >>It is programmed to limit by a series of button presses on the >>remote control to set its limits, and the code changes with each >>press to activate over a billion new codes...It is a Liftmaster Professional.. >> >>Peter, Dom, Franklin, or anyone, am I way off base by making the >>assumption that the charged particles from the flare could caused the >>malfunction?? >> >>Or has one of them hit one of my 90 year old brain cells??? >> >> >> >> 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-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >>Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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m9 class solar flare
by Dave Guimont 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

My garage door malfunctioned when I tried to activate it for the first time since the m9 flare. It is programmed to limit by a series of button presses on the remote control to set its limits, and the code changes with each press to activate over a billion new codes...It is a Liftmaster Professional.. Peter, Dom, Franklin, or anyone, am I way off base by making the assumption that the charged particles from the flare could caused the malfunction?? Or has one of them hit one of my 90 year old brain cells??? 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Re: spaceweather.com
by Andrew Glasbrenner 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

>This is the strongest proton event in about 7 years. "There's something very important I forgot to tell you! Don't cross the streams… It would be bad… Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light." 73, Drew KO4MA

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Some Key Players In Private Spaceflight
by B J 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

http://reason.com/archives/2012/01/23/rocket-men 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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HI4/AJ5C
by Bob Herrell 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Hi all, Looks like I have run the gamut of all the usual suspects as they say. Is there anyone else that needs a contact with me on AO-27? Please email me direct at aj5c<at>amsat.org and let me know. I will be operational until Feb 8th. Most contacts now are duplicates.. Remember, QSL cards will be sent out when I get back to all that made a good contact with me. NO SASE NEEDED. Will also upload to LoTW and Eqsl. 73, Bob HI4/AJ5C

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Quadrifilar Helix antenna question
by William Leijenaar 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Hi AMSAT's, Because I can not set up my rotor/elevation system at the new QTH, I try to get some omni antenna's to be active on the OSCAR's. I made a 2m version and 70cm version from some calculation website (www.jcoppens.com) on the internet. Unfortunately both were too low resonant in frequency. Cutting the lengths shorter, (to get a higher resonance frequency) didn't work well, as I got too short elements at a certain time and the mechanical construction didn't allow more shorter elements. So I started all over again, this time taking the well known Rothamel antenna book as example. There is an GPS example which I re-calculated to a 70cm version and combined it with an infinite balun that is also described one page further. For the elements (one element as infinite balun) I used Aircell-7 coaxial cable. When I measured this antenna it surprisingly had also a too low resonance frequency, some 60MHz lower then the expected 435MHz... Another thing I noticed is that the return loss is around 10dB best case for this kind of helix antenna (that's at 375MHz resonance). It gets better when I touch the elements, but that should not be the way it should work... Does anyone has experience with quadrifilar helix antenna's on 2m and 70cm for TX ? When using the infinite balun principle, should it be a number of 1/4 wavelength ? or should it fit the antenna element length ? Because the quadrifilar element length (=infinite balun length) was shorter than 3/4 lambda length. Due to this fact I actually expected a higher resonance frequency, but it went out the opposite way. FYI: The supporting of the elements is all done with PVC tubes, to avoid any metal influence. Kind regards, 73 de PE1RAH, William Leijenaar ---

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Re: Quadrifilar Helix antenna question
by Mike Ryan 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

QFH are a bear to build, especially on 70 cm unless you’re very , very skilled. I tried 3 times and failed 3 times. Finally gave up and went with a standard turnstyle. Still critical tolerances but much easier to make and works lower on the horizon than the QFH. QHtenna used to sell turnstiles (reviewed in QST) but I think they are out of business now. You might also want to consider a moxon. Cebik wrote a nice article on making a moxon based turnstile. I built one for 70 cm using PVC and like the QFH and eggbeater (with reflector) , it works best on higher passes. If you run out of patience, you might consider the Antennas.us QFH. It was also reviewed positively in QST but I don’t own one. And lastly, omnis are small and simple, but you really need a preamp to avoid a terminal case of frustration. I use the ones from ARR with good results. Mike

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Re: Quadrifilar antenna
by Dave Guimont 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Norm, Always happy to yak sat info....Just drop me a note >Dave, >Thanks so much for your input. I am reading your pages with great intrest. >73 de Norm n3ykf >---- Dave Guimont <dguimon1(a)san.rr.com> wrote: > > I've used them with great success at 435 and 2 m. > > > > Go to: > > http://tinyurl.com/wb6lloOscar > > > > and see quadrifilar antenna articles...happy to answer any questions.. > > > > Follow dimensions carefully on 435.. > > > > > > > > > > > > 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-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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HI4/AJ5C update for Jan 23rd.
by Bob Herrell 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Good contacts AO-27 1907z de HI4/AJ5C: XE1AO, N5AFV, KF5LOQ, KB1PVH, K8JMH, WC7V, WA8SME, K6YK and K8YSE. Tnx all. 73 Bob

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