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

Very Interesting Radio - Possible Sat Use
by Thomas Doyle 12 Jan '12

12 Jan '12

This may have been discussed previously but just in case it has not. I purchased an interesting radio that might be an inexpensive way to operate full duplex on the FM sats. The radio cost $65 including shipping and all accessories. It runs 2W on both 2M and 70cm. It has almost all the bells and whistles you would expect on a dual band handi. 99 memories - tone squelch ... In addition to the low cost the radio is very small. See pic - I have fairly normal size hands so you can see how small it is. http://www.tomdoyle.org/UV-X4.jpg I purchased it expecting the worst. Much to my surprise it actually works quite well. The menu system is the most intuitive I have found on any radio. The only negatives I could find were - no channel lockout when scanning - I put the local weather station in one of the memories. Since it is always on you can not use the scan function. - I fully expected a radio of such a small size would not have adequate sound from the speaker. In fact the sound from the speaker is really loud. Everything is set using a rotary digital switch with detents. This works great for selecting channels and using the menu functions. There are only 9 detent positions for the volume. The lowest volume setting is mute, one click up and it is loud and it keeps getting louder as you go up. There was nothing wrong with my radio - they all do it. - no DTMF pad None of these negatives affect the use of the radio with an FM sat. You could buy a pair of these for $130 including shipping. Add a diplexer and Elk/Arrow antenna and I think you would be good to go with a very compact low cost full duplex portable FM station. I bought mine from http://www.maintradingcompany.com and received excellent service. In case you were wondering what the goofy looking LED between the switch and the antenna is - it is for the flashlight function the radio offers as a feature. The flashlight feature is invaluable :-) Sent from my computer. W9KE Tom Doyle

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AMSAT Store
by Martha 12 Jan '12

12 Jan '12

The AMSAT store is now up and running! -- 73- Martha

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SatPC key?
by Ted 12 Jan '12

12 Jan '12

I need to purchase a key for PCSat The link to the AMSAT Store is not working.. Where else can I go, pse? TK, K7TRK

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Re: Question of the Day - Portable Power
by Clint Bradford 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

Many chapters of the indispensable guide to everything you need to know about portable power - the book, "Batteries in a Portable World" - are available absolutely free online from ... http://www.cadex.com I don't leave home without it. Literally: I bought a Kindle version ... (grin) Clint K6LCS

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HI4/AJ5C Operations
by Bob Herrell 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

Thanks for all the contacts. Today I was able to confirm the following stations during the pass: N3YKF, WA5KBH, KF5LOQ, W1PA, KB1RVT, WB3CSY, N2BX, W3KXR, WB8TGY, KD8QBA, N2HVR, K8YSE/P and WC7V. To see where I am, go to this link. I operate in a pasture next to a baseball field on the east side of town. http://aprs.fi/?_s=os&call=a%2FAJ5C-12 73, Bob - HI4/AJ5C

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AO-27 11/1801z pass
by Bob Herrell 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

Thanks for all the contacts. Today I was able to confirm the following stations during the pass: N3YKF, WA5KBH, KF5LOQ, W1PA, KB1RVT, WB3CSY, N2BX, W3KXR, WB8TGY, KD8QBA, N2HVR, K8YSE/P and WC7V. To see where I am, go to this link. I operate in a pasture next to a baseball field on the east side of town. http://aprs.fi/?_s=os&call=a%2FAJ5C-12 73, Bob - HI4/AJ5C

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Re: Palm Springs HamFest 01/28/12
by Mike and Paula Herr 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

Yep, Looks like myself and XYL Paula, N6VGW, will be making it. Hope to see you all there. 73 Mike WA6ARA On 1/10/2012 12:00 PM, amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org wrote: > > Hi! > > Besides Clint, is anyone else considering a trip to the hamfest > in Palm Springs?

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Re: Vega to launch in February
by Andrew Glasbrenner 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

>Why not take the awaiting ARISSAT engineering units already built and put >a known battery in one of them? Uh Oh, Gould's stomach is growling--HA! >Dee > I know some of you are just having fun, but some really think it's just this easy. Let me sprinkle a little reality here. Vega offered a free launch to EUROPEAN educational CUBESAT projects. Since some of the ones chosen failed to meet the deadline for delivery, had a EUROPEAN group had a 1U cubesat ready to fly, it might have had a chance. The remaining ARISSats have no deployment system, meaning no way to hold it to the rocket, and no way to turn it on, unless someone wants to ride along to flip the three switches and sling it out upon command. Furthermore, ARISSat is volume-wise as large as the two primary payloads, LARES and ALMAsat, and has roughly 50 times the mass of either of the missing cubesats. Fox-1 (and presumably FunCube?) will have more than one flight-capable model built. Fox-1 plans four total, at least two ready to fly, and the other two needing only panels (the expensive part). Had the timing been different, we might have had a spare we could have offered to be flown, but Fox is not that far along yet. BUT! This is the beauty of the cubesat standard. Even if the vehicle changes, the requirements remain the same (or close enough), and late substitutions can be made, possibly. My point is, support Fox-1 and -2 (and FunCube) -now-, so that when the next empty slot turns up, we might be at the point we can respond with a flight ready spacecraft. My version of reality....yours may differ :-) 73, Drew KO4MA

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Vega to launch in February
by g0mrf＠aol.com 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

FYI 300 x 1450km http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16480111 "Europe has named Thursday 9 February as the day it intends to launch its new Vega rocket for the very first time. The 30m-tall vehicle has been developed to take payloads up to 1.5 tonnes into a polar orbit, and will fly from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The project has been led by Italian industry and is years behind on its original schedule......... David G0MRF

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Question of the day!
by g.shirville＠btinternet.com 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

Hi All, It is "said that" NiCad battery cells usually fail to "short circuit" and that Lithium Ion ones usually fail by just loosing their ability to hold a charge viz they go "open circuit" Is this true or....? many thanks Graham G3VZV

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