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

Re: Multiple satellite launches (rates?)
by Robert Bruninga 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

> The following link is of Picodragon and 2 other satellites > being released from ISS. There is a picture and short video. > http://amsat-uk.org/tag/picodragon/ Looking at the video, my uncalibrated eyeball counts the deployment rate at about ½ meter per second? Ie, in the first second of video, the 3 cubes move about the same distance as their overall combined length. And in 2 seconds about the same again. Using the still photo at the top of the page, I estimate about 10cm of additional spacing between the 3 cubesats total or about ½ meter for this overall length. Of course there is some parallax difference between the two views, but my guess is about 1/2m per second if the frame-timer in the video is a rough guess. But this is the ISS launcher which might be different from the PPOD launchers on the Dnepr and Minotaur. Just guessing of course.. Bob, Wb4aPR -------------original message --------------------- Doesn’t much matter when they are released, they still are all in the same orbit more or less for quite a while. Even if the springs release them at 1/2 meter per second, they are all going at 7000 meters per second so it takes days for them to separate very much. Let’s see, at ½ meter per second separation, then they are 100’ apart after the first minute, 1 mile after the first hour. And not until they are a few miles apart can NORAD distinguish them enough to start getting good tracks on them. By then it is impossible to know which is which. Hence the guessing game until each owner decides which object best fits his downlink experience. Continuing on, they will be 24 miles apart after the first day where they will be about 5 seconds apart when tracked from the ground. After a week, then maybe 175 miles and ½ minute apart. After a month, maybe 750 miles and 2 minutes apart. After a year, maybe 9000 miles and 30 minutes apart. And finally, after about a year and a half, they will be half an orbit or about 45 minutes apart, beyond which, they start getting closer again… Something like that unless I screwed up… Bob _______________________________________________ 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

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Re: UniSat 5 Update + WREN + ICUBE-1
by Andrew Glasbrenner 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

When placed in that mode, you transmit on FM voice, and listen on SSB (or I suppose AM would work too). We did this with AO-16 after the digital system gave up the ghost. It's a neat trick that has been integrated into some of the commercial cubesat radio systems. You'll see this on the Triton-1 sat in 3 or so months as well. 73, Drew KO4MA -----Original Message----- >From: Douglas Phelps <dphelps1(a)ameritech.net> >Sent: Nov 25, 2013 3:20 PM >To: M5AKA <m5aka(a)yahoo.co.uk>, AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: UniSat 5 Update + WREN + ICUBE-1 > >Sorry for a stupid question. Do you listen to FM-DSB with an FM or SSB receiver? Thanks > > >>________________________________ >> From: M5AKA <m5aka(a)yahoo.co.uk> >>To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >>Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 2:02 PM >>Subject: [amsat-bb] UniSat 5 Update + WREN + ICUBE-1 >> >> >>GAUSS have issued an update on the UniSat-5 mission, see >> >> >>http://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/25/unisat-5-mission-update-november-24/ >> >>They mention that the SSTV PocketQube WREN team have detected what may be its 437.405 MHz downlink. >> >> >>Possible Keps are: >> >> >>WREN >>1 39422U 13066G 13326.48861818 -.00000055 00000-0 00000+0 0 75 >>2 39422 097.8066 039.1177 0023760 211.9046 148.0730 14.86334042 151 >> >>http://amsat-uk.org/2013/10/24/wren-a-ham-radio-sstv-pocketqube/ >> >> >>ICUBE-1 is listed by IARU as having a BPSK beacon that has the capability of being reconfigured to a 435/145 FM-DSB transponder. >>http://amsat-uk.org/2013/11/24/foundation-radio-amateur-first-to-receive-ic… >> >> >>---- >>73 Trevor >>M5AKA >>AMSAT-UK website http://amsat-uk.org/ >>Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/AMSAT-UK/208113275898396 >>Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSAT_UK >>---- >>_______________________________________________ >>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 >> >> >> >_______________________________________________ >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

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Re: Multiple satellite launches
by Howie DeFelice 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Thanks for that explanation Bob. The members of the Eagle-2 ($50sat) team were having this discussion last night and none of us knew the answer. Now we do ! We were trying to determine when using the UNISAT-5 keps would no longer be valid for $50sat. - Howie AB2S

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Re: FUNCUBE Europe Pass Video
by Cor . 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Hello Jef, Thank you verry much for this video recording with the position of Funcube-1 on your tracker software. Nice to hear all the stations! This was my second pass attempt over the new funcube-1 satellite. This shows funcube satellite health is good. I hope it will life long! Good luck for all stations trying this nice bird. 73's Cor PD0RKC I captured a streaming web server from the Netherlands of the afternoon FUNCube pass and recorded the audio. Large file ~ 18 meg. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8254410/FUNCUBE112413.wmv Jeff K2SDR

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Re: Multiple satellite launches
by Robert Bruninga 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Ø When there is a launch of several satellites in a single payload, several cubesats for example, I assume they release each at different locations on the deployer trajectory. Preliminary keps are based on the trajectory when each is released? Ø Otherwise if they were released all at once, how would NORAD know which is which? Doesn’t much matter when they are released, they still are all in the same orbit more or less for quite a while. Even if the springs release them at 1/2 meter per second, they are all going at 7000 meters per second so it takes days for them to separate very much. Let’s see, at ½ meter per second separation, then they are 100’ apart after the first minute, 1 mile after the first hour. And not until they are a few miles apart can NORAD distinguish them enough to start getting good tracks on them. By then it is impossible to know which is which. Hence the guessing game until each owner decides which object best fits his downlink experience. Continuing on, they will be 24 miles apart after the first day where they will be about 5 seconds apart when tracked from the ground. After a week, then maybe 175 miles and ½ minute apart. After a month, maybe 750 miles and 2 minutes apart. After a year, maybe 9000 miles and 30 minutes apart. And finally, after about a year and a half, they will be half an orbit or about 45 minutes apart, beyond which, they start getting closer again… Something like that unless I screwed up… Bob

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keps
by Jerry Ehlers 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Is the keps available in the AMSAT Format not the 2 line for AO-73 ??? Jerry w0sat

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Problem with SatPC32
by Larry Ryan 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

I tried installing SatPC32 Ver 12.3 from a CD on my new PC: 64-bit Win7. This will not work due to this version being 32-bit only. I tried installing from this CD on my HP Mini, 32-bit Win7 and I get this error every second: Fehler bei Fließkommaoperation which I think translates to floating point error. I have to use file manager to stop the popup error messages. I cannot find patches for this problem on the SatPC32 websites. It looks like my HP Mini will not run it. I really want to install it on my new 64-bit laptop. It looks like all the downloads are trial versions of the full software. You must pay for the full version. So, do I have to purchase another copy to get the newer 64-bit version? I can't use the Ver 12.3 CD on my 64-bit Win7 laptop. 73, Larry W7DGP

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FUNcube BBC TV News Video
by M5AKA 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25084547 73 Trevor M5AKA

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AO-73 transponder over Brazil
by Roland Zurmely 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Please see and hear here: http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/fc1.htm#f 73 de Roland PY4ZBZ

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FUNCUBE Europe Pass Video
by Jeff Kelly 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

I captured a streaming web server from the Netherlands of the afternoon FUNCube pass and recorded the audio. Large file ~ 18 meg. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8254410/FUNCUBE112413.wmv Jeff K2SDR

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