AMSAT-BB February 2012

157 participants
254 discussions

LVB Tracker USB serial port driver for Windows 7 x64?

by Bill Bordy, NJ1H

Has anyone located a driver for the LVB Tracker internal USB to serial port adapter on Windows 7 x64? If not, has anyone reverted to the serial port connection on LVB Tracker and used an external USB to serial port adapter successfully with SatPC32 on Windows 7 x64? I have an Edgeport multiple USB to serial port that has drivers for Windows 7 x64 that I will use if I have to. I would prefer using the LVB Tracker with its USB to serial adapter if someone has another solution. 73, Bill NJ1H

5 years, 6 months

AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010

by Mark L. Hammond

Hi All, Here is a quick AO-16 update. On Sunday I turned AO-16 long enough to get some telemetry packets. The satellite would remain on for less than one minute after being commanded on. A quick test of the "bent pipe" voice mode repeater was successful. . The "hardware watchdog timer problem" is still evident; as expected, spacecraft temperatures are insufficient to keep the transmitter ON (needs to be above 15 deg C). Orbit projections suggest that satellite illumination conditions will not result in increased temperatures for nearly 10 years. Command stations do periodically turn AO-16 "ON" to check on its condition and see if the hardware timer problem has "automagically" fixed itself (which in not anticipated, but who knows...). AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010 1838 utc PACSAT MBL Telemetry Decoder Ver. 1.3 (c) Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN =============================================================================== (average values) +10V Battery Bus : 0.00 V Battery Charge Reg : 0.55 mA Base Temp : 9.07 °C PSK RF Out : 1.90 W +5V RX Bus : 4.87 V +8.5V RX Bus : 8.49 V +10V RX Bus : 11.24 V Here is another teaser :) Several months ago I commanded the AO-16 S-band transmitter ON; it too remains functional (albeit weak), and was received by me, Drew KO4MA, and Alan WA4SCA. 73, -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

5 years, 12 months

Call for Papers--2007 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference

by Ford, Steve, WB8IMY

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 26th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference to be held September 28-30, 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut. These papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings (you do NOT need to attend the conference to have your paper included in the Proceedings). The submission deadline is July 31, 2007. Please send papers to: Maty Weinberg ARRL 225 Main St Newington, CT 06111 or you can make your submission via e-mail to: maty(a)arrl.org Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights. 73 . . . Steve, WB8IMY ARRL

9 years, 11 months

Re: EggBeater

by Bill Dzurilla

Steve, I have both a commercial and a homebrew Eggbeater and am disappointed with both, especially in light of its rather high price. Connected to my IC-7000 via an ARR mast-mounted preamp, performance is far less than with an HT and an Arrow. Guess an omni can't cut it, at least not from my QTH. Maybe if I could get it up higher, clear of all roofs, it would do better. I can make contacts at relatively high sat elevations, but can do just as well with a $10 dual band ground plane. My friend has an Eggbeater and the same preamp at a clearer QTH, and he hears substantially better, down to 10 degrees elevation in some directions. Good luck and 73, Bill NZ5N > > Hi Steve, > > > > It is surprising to read that you are not hearing > anything. I have > > repeatedly used a 2m and 70cm Eggbeater for the sats > and have had no > > problem hearing things. No pre-amp. > > > > I was using a short cable (e.g. less than 10 meters). > The rigs I > > used were a FT-736r (deaf) and a FT-847 (so-so). > > > > 73, > > > > Dave

10 years

AO-51 wikipedia error

by Andrew Glasbrenner

Hi All, Would someone more familiar with wikipedia please edit the photo currently claimed as AO-51 in that entry? I'm not sure what satellite that is, maybe one of the SaudiSats, but it's not 51. The error was carried over to this month's QST even. http://n4hy.smugmug.com/AMSAT/AO-51-ECHO/02-Preparing-ECHO/042-CIMG1769/108… is a good shot of AO-51 just before launch. Thanks, Drew KO4MA

10 years, 2 months

Re: VO-52 Not Heard

by Nitin Muttin

All, We are aware of the current situation. Myself and Mani, VU2WMY tried listening to the beacon and work thru the satellite during the 04:05 UTC pass over India ( 6 degree elevation) on Feb 29th but nothing was heard. I will post further updates when I hear from ISRO on the current status and next steps. Please submit your reports at www.oscar.dcarr.org or drop me a email. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA Hi John, K8YSE Transponder and Beacon of VO-52 where also not heard over Europe at 17:55 UTC orbit Nr 36876 28 Feb 2012 73" de i8CVS Domenico ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Papay" <john(a)papays.com> To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 3:03 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] VO-52 Not Heard > VO-52 was not heard over the US at 1330z, 28Feb2012. > Reports on oscar.dcarr.org at 1100z also say that it > was not heard over Europe. > > Please listen for VO-52 and submit reports to > the oscar.dcarr.org website. > > 73, > John K8YSE

10 years, 3 months

Re: Motor for Yaesu G5500 Azimuth Rotator?

by David Palmer KB5WIA

Hi Clive, I haven't heard of failures of the controller or software directly, but this could happen. A more common problem might be mis-calibration, in that if your elevation rotor reads only 175 degrees and your software and controller is trying to send it to 180 degrees, the thing will keep going until it shuts off at the limit switches in the rotor itself (G5500). I've seen this before, no problem since the limit switches are fairly robust, but something to keep an eye on. I plan to use the thermal cut-outs for the extra protection as soon as I get a repaired / replacement motor to work with. Yesterday I built a jig for bench testing the rotor. Cables and connectors are still on the mast, so I needed a way to connect the 7-pin connector to the controller manually, also to a scope to verify alignment of the 500-ohm pot sensor. Made jig from 6 individual connectors through clear plexiglass, broken out to six terminals on side. That will help with alignment during reassembly. Also spent some time figuring out how the brake goes together - seems I didn't manage to get photos of it as I took it off of the motor before shipping it out, and just yesterday noticed the spring in there and puzzled over how the heck it works. Think I have it figured out, though. Dave KB5WIA On Feb 26, 2012 4:24 AM, "Clive Wallis" <list1(a)g3cwv.co.uk> wrote:

10 years, 3 months

AMSAT-BB from K9TSU

by Vince Waelti

Hello fellow ham-ers, I am proud to say that I will start a Saturday Night Sat-Chat on the *AMSAT* Echolink server. This will be Saturday Nights, every Saturday Night, from 7PM central time to 8:30pm central time. That's 0100 Sunday (UTC) to 0230 Sunday (UTC). I will be 'net manager,' but this is an open net. Every satellite operator is welcome to jump in. This will basically be a large round-table, and after every rotation people are welcome to jump in. I will not be "net control." There won't be a "net control." Just a place/time for an open net of satellite operators or hams wanting to be satellite operators to ask questions or talk about that rare satellite DX. Feel free to connect your -L or -R nodes, or just yourself. Please keep the participants to hams that are interested in becoming satellite ops or are already satellite ops, or ones that are curious what this is about. Thanks, K9TSU, Vince, en52, Wisconsin. Vince R. Waelti, K9TSU Green County ARES/RACES Winnebago County ARES/SKYWARN www.k9tsu.tk 608.312.0138

10 years, 3 months

Lightsquared Analogy

by Bob Bruninga

I finally figured out a good analogy about the LightSquared and GPS fiasco. --------------- There is a "music room" where people can go and, with headphones, listen to their own music. No one disturbs anyone else. Everyone is happy. A LightSquared rock band comes into the room and begins to play at max volume, and then insists there should be no problem because the headphones work just fine in providing the isolation between what each person is listening to. Therefore the interference to everyone in the room is not their fault, but the fault of the Headphone Manufacturers! Bob, WB4APR

10 years, 3 months

AH0/AE6YW on Satellites from Saipan Feb. 29 - Mar 6

by JoAnne Maenpaa

Hello Everyone, Maybe someone will get a good satellite contact! Here is one more news item that would be almost too late if we waited for the weekend ANS news cycle: Just spotted in the DXNL 1769 - Feb 29, 2012 DX Newsletter ... KH0, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, OC-086 Masayoshi,AE6YW/JI1DSO, plans to hit the airwaves as AH0/AE6YW from Saipan (OC-086, USi NI002S, WLOTA 1333, Loc QK25uf) working on 80m-6m and via satellite between Feb 29 and Mar 6. QSL via JA6GMC. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org Editor, AMSAT News Service

10 years, 3 months

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AMSAT-BB February 2012