AMSAT-BB June 2012

137 participants
191 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, 11 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]

6 years, 5 months

Solved! Icom 821 and SatPC32 uplink frequency weirdness

by Stephan Greene

...and there was much rejoicing. Trying to get back on the satellites after many (10 year?) hiatus. [Yes, I missed AO-51, Arrisat, and a lot of the earlier cubesats. Sigh.] Trying to use SatPC32 to control my Icom 821H and I was seeing weird behavior and having trouble finding and staying tuned on my downlink. Manual control worked fine, but I wanted the computer taking care of some of the work for me. Finally noticed that the frequency jumps were EXACTLY the default repeater offsets used when the rig is in FM/repeater mode. No idea how the satellite section got that way (hidden menu triggered? stray bit flip?) but it happened whenever SatPC32 sent frequency corrections (either automatic Doppler correction from the software or tuning via keyboard commands) while I was transmitting. Solution was a full reset of the radio. Satellite mode works as it should, confirmed by some nice, computer-supported voice QSOs on AO-7 and VO-52 this evening. So, to summarize (and hopefully make it easier for anyone searching amsat-bb in the future if they run into this): Problem: Icom 821 in satellite mode. Sub-band transmitter frequency jumps +600 kHz (2M) or -5 MHz (70cm) while transmitting in CW, SSB, and FM, as soon as software sends a frequency correction to the radio. No jumps or problems when just listening and tuning across transponder. Manual satellite mode (software control off) behaves normally. Manual does not indicate satellite mode has a repeater offset feature. Solution: Full reset of radio, reconfigure radio as needed (interface baud rate and verify address) for software control. Thanks to the folks I contacted direct (searches of amsat-bb archives for SatPC32 and Icom 821 issues) for their suggestions and encouragement. Sometimes a problem that appears to be between the radio & the computer or software is due to the radio, not the computer. 73, hope to work many of you on the birds. Steve KS1G FM18hx ks1g(a)amsat.org

10 years, 3 months

VO-52 beacon heard I think

by Ib Christoffersen

Hi all, I think I had a very small signal from Williams beacon frequency. Pass with AOS here in Copenhagen 1422 UTC - but just 1 degree of elevation in my worst direction. Hope I am right. Should be a good pass over NA in a few minutes. 73 OZ1MY Ib

10 years, 3 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

10 years, 4 months

Re: Original 13 colonies

by Robert Coppock

Peter wb2oqq, '16:34 pass of AO-27' ? is that edt ? i see a pass at appx 1300pdt~2000utc on heavens above. and fo29/jas-2 about 1/2 hr earlier. are your keps current ? i tried so-50 at 0820pdt~1520utc, heard a bunch of stations, but no 13colonies ops. sorry, i would have emailed direct, but qrz is down now.Robert k f zero g cn81 jefferson state seventhree

10 years, 4 months

For Sale - many items

by Peter Sils

Hello all, I have the following for sale: SSB Electronics SP-2000 LNA. 2 Meter Low Noise mast mounted GaAsFET preamp with helical filters. $330+ new, $239 shipped cont. U.S. http://www.ssbusa.com/gaasfet.html Advanced Receiver Research MSP-432VDG-160 LNA. .6 dB NF rf switching 5 watts – 160 watts. With Down East Microwave BTL Power Inserter. Looks a little ugly but works well. $239+ new, $145 shipped cont. U.S. http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page10.html Ampire Model 440 LNA. 430-440 Mhz RF switching .5 watts -100 watts. .75 db NF with helical filter. Looks a little ugly but works. $75 shipped cont. U.S. Comet CF-4160 Duplexer 1.3 – 150 MHz SO-239, 400-540 MHz Female N. Input SO-239. New, never used (but can’t find the packaging – have the data sheet) $30 shipped Cont. U.S. Advanced Receiver Research P28VD 28-30 Mhz receive preamp. http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page5.html $30 shipped Cont. U.S. Arrow 146/437-10 Satellite Antenna, with M/B II Mounting Bracket. Assembled and used a few times, with original documentation. http://arrowantennas.com/arrowii/146-437.html Like new $55 plus shipping. Diamond A144S5 (5 element yagi) http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/a144s5.html Like new, used in attic. $30 plus shipping Diamond A430S10 (10 element yagi) http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/a430s10.html Like new, used in attic. $35 plus shipping N Male jumpers 24" length LMR400 $5 each plus $5 shipping cont. U.S. I have qty 5. 2 are new, 3 are slightly used. Please email me: KD0AA at Yahoo.Com TNX for reading and God Bless. 73 Peter KD0AA

10 years, 5 months

Re: Spray on Battery

by Robert Coppock

the thermal dynamics of space orbit will probably break it down pretty fast. k f 0 g 73

10 years, 5 months

Original 13 colonies

by Peter Portanova

Hello, I will be listening on the 13:42 pass of SO-50, as K2A/WB2OQQ, get in the log for a great looking special event card from me and a certificate from the 13 colonies group, thank you. And be sure to listen to the other 12 colony stations. 73- WB2OQQ

10 years, 5 months

ISS Crew returning to Earth 1st July

by Clive G7SVI

The Expedition 31 crew will be returning to Earth tomorrow after having been in space since last December. NASA TV will be showing it live 2am EDT http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/jun/HQ_M12-113_Soyuz_Coverage.html Andre Kuipers PI9ISS Donald R. Pettit KD5MDT Oleg Kononenko RN3DX They have been great ambassadors for ARISS and I have enjoyed listening to some of their contacts. I wish them a safe return. 73s Clive G7SVI

10 years, 5 months

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AMSAT-BB June 2012