November 2013 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Launch Time
by DJ Nise 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Hi all. Earlier posts said the launch is scheduled for 18:30 EST. This site says it's schedule for 19:30. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index.html Any clarification is appreciated. Paul KB1QYS

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PicoDragon
by Nader Omer 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

very strong CW beacon heard 2215 UTC. congratulation to PicoDragon team members 73's

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NASA-TV coverage of tonight's launch of multiple student CubeSats begins at 6:30 PM
by Perry Klein 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

The NASA-TV schedule is showing that NASA-TV coverage of tonight's launch of multiple student CubeSats begins at 6:30 PM. The launch should be visible along the East Coast since it's from Wallops Island.

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Re: NASA-TV coverage of tonight's launch of multiple student CubeSats begins at 6:30 PM
by John Becker 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

On 11/19/2013 3:04 PM, Jari Koivurinne wrote: > That's 11:30 UTC... ?? > > -jari oh3uw > There you go no confusion or even guessing daylight savings or not.

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Re: NASA-TV coverage of tonight's launch of multiple student CubeSats begins at 6:30 PM
by Clint Bradford 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

I apologize for being so U.S.-centric ... Clint K6LCS ---------------------------------- Clint Bradford, K6LCS http://www.clintbradford.com

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Re: NASA-TV coverage of tonight's launch of multiple student CubeSats begins at 6:30 PM
by Clint Bradford 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

That's 6:30PM Atlantic ... 3:30PM Pacific ... Clint ---------------------------------- Clint Bradford, K6LCS http://www.clintbradford.com

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Are you ready for the new satellites?
by PA3GUO 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

With a lot of upcoming launches: Are you ready ? Myself, I just installed SDR-Radio.com, from http://www.sdr-radio.com/ Works excellent (so far) with my 'old' FunCube Dongle. SDR-radio.com is free for the FCD. This SDR SW is running here on a 10 year old Windows XP PC (cool: this SDR SW does not hog down the PC!). For simplicity reasons I always use the HO-68 CW beacon (435.790MHz) for validation of my system: antenna tracking, SNR of the downlink signal, doppler correction etc. When either the antenna/pre-amp/receiver/kepler set/computer time/.. is not correct you immediately notice this test to fail. SDR-radio.com provides perfect dopler compensation: the entire pass of HO-68 I did not hear a single shift in frequency (with an extremely narrow software CW filter). The set-up: 435MHz antenna = 16 element DK7ZB, horizontal polarization (only). Plus an SSB pre-amp. For 144MHz I will use a 2x6 element DK7ZB (also with an SSB pre-amp). Antenna tracking is my 18 year old home-build microprocessor system that controls the Kenpro rotators: the KR400 and KR500. Not sure if I will use the SDR set-up (wider rx spectrum, can record and analyze later) or the ('good old trusted') Kenwood TS2000. Trusted as in: less configuration options (compared to SDR), so less errors I can make (read: the trust statement reflects on the operator (me), not the equipment of choice). Anyway: I am very interested to learn about your plans, are you ready for the new sat's: - receiver (hardware of software) ? - antenna (directional or not during the first passes)? - good/bad/funny experiences you want to share? - .. Looking forward to hear from many stations sharing their plans here on the BB! Henk, PA3GUO, The Netherlands

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50 years of humans in space
by andy thomas 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Please see video from ESA re-released today: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Highlights/Humans_in_sp… I used this at the Gagarin 50 day in 2011 73 de andy g0sfj

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Mon AF and Tune Drive Level Control
by Keith O'Brien 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Don't know if you saw this but it's pretty neat... Everyday I learn something new about the Flex and PowerSDR.... Bob (GM4CAQ) wrote : >and no audio level control on the sidetone!. Bob .. the sidetone level (same as Monitor level for SSB .. useful when using a double-sided headset) can be modified in two different ways. If you got to SETUP/Transmit You will see something labelled "Monitor TX AF" that is what you want to change. Playing with it this morning I discovered another way to do this that was previously unknown to me. If you transmit a carrier in CW (or hit the TUNE button) The AF control near the upper left of the PSDR display switches to control the Monitor (i.e. Sidetone) level. So as long as you are transmitting a carrier, varying the AF level changes the sidetone volume level. Also note that the DRIVE control behaves in a similar manner. Normally adjusting DRIVE controls the % of RF Power out, but if you adjust this after clicking on TUNE then you are setting the DRIVE level just for TUNE. This is a neat feature that allows you to reduce your output power while tuning your antenna, without messing with normal DRIVE setting. I hope that this helps. Best of luck with your 1500. Michael VE3WMB

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Triton-1 update #1 19 November 2013 15:00UTC
by Wouter Jan Ubbels 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Hi all, As you may be aware, on the 21st of November, 07:10UTC a DNEPR launch vehicle will lift off from Yasny Launch Base, Russia, carrying a number of payloads. One of them is the Triton-1 satellite, a 3-unit cubesat developed by ISIS - Innovative Solutions In Space from Delft, The Netherlands. Note that the Triton-2 satellite is not on this launch, its launch date is to be determined at this stage. Triton-2 will be similar to Triton-1, the main difference being that it will also carry an S-band downlink and associated mode US transponder. Triton-1 is a satellite which will serve as a test bed for an experimental receiver, designed to receive Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages from ships. During the first three months after launch, the plan is to characterize the AIS receiver in orbit. After approximately three months of experimenting, we intend to activate a single channel FM to DSB mode UV transponder (similar to AO-16's transponder). The exact transponder uplink frequency in the 435-438MHz band will be announced at that time as well. We have created an amateur radio information page which contains all information related to its downlink signals at: http://www.isispace.nl/HAM/ We intend to publish regular status updates on the AMSAT-BB as well as on the aforementioned page. Kind regards on behalf of the Triton-1 team, Wouter Jan Ubbels PE4WJ

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