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

Seeking used FT-857D for mobile sat use
by Clayton Coleman 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

I'm looking for a lightly used Yaesu FT-857D for to work FO-29, VO-52, and AO-7 mobile. I would prefer it come with separation kit. I'm only interested in the "D" model. I've been running an IC-910H in the car but now I'm ready for something SMALLER and more concealable! Please email me directly off the amsat-bb if you have one on your shelf collecting dust. Thank you & 73, Clayton W5PFG

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Article on ShindaiSat microsatellite
by Trevor . 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

A good English language article about ShindaiSat is available on the eoportal site. While the ShindaiSat website implies a 2013 launch the article says mid-2014 on a H2A with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. See http://www.amsat-uk.org/?p=12822 73 Trevor M5AKA

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ARISS contact planned February 19, 2013 with school in Greece
by Alex Deligiannis 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

OR4ISS heard laud and clear calling J41ISS many times but the ground station was absent... I have the wav from the pass for anyone interesting. 73s Alex SV8QG KM39gc

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John Heath G7HIA R.I.P.
by Robert Turlington 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

I was very saddened to hear that John Heath had passed away over the weekend. I had come across him about 20yrs ago whilst calling CQ on 2m ssb, it soon became clear we had the same interest in Amateur Radio Satellites. John was a very private person and after an exchange of emails last year it became apparent that his health was declining rapidly but he never let on about the serious of his condition that's just the sort of man he was. I think Clive Wallis has posted an exelent epitaph for John which I don't to intend to elaborate on much more. I will just like to add that John was a founding member of the National Space Centre A.R.S here in Leicester and participated in a number of Special event stations on Amateur satellites :-GB1MSF,GB1WIS,GB5OSO to name but a few. Although his new QTH in Devon was not very suitable for Satellite operations he still retained a keen interest in Radi right to the end, indeed in the last 6 months of last year he was experimenting with kites and wire antennas and had constructed a QRP kit for HF. John Heath was a Gentleman in the true sense of the word and a good friend always willing to help out in any way he could I will say no more John Heath R.I.P. Robert G8ATE

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Re: Congratulations to Jim Adams, K0BAM
by Jim Adams 18 Feb '13

18 Feb '13

Thank you! I sent that photo in on a dare, what a shock it was to see me in QST! Jim Adams - K0BAM

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Re John Heath G7HIA, SK
by Clive Wallis 18 Feb '13

18 Feb '13

I was very saddened to learn of John's passing. We had exchanged many e-mails during the last few years. I didn't know John very well, although we had met at the ASAT-UK Colloquium on several occasions. Topics we discussed by e-mail included processing Delphi 3C telemetry, OSCAR-11 spin rate, automatic Doppler tracking and ARISSat-1 decay. John was very active in using our satellites and promoting their use to others. For several years he was net controller of the Midlands two metre AMSAT net. He also wrote the Space column for RSGB's RadCom magazine for a number of years. He contributed many articles to OSCAR News, recently in the September 2012 issue about ARISSat-1 orbital decay. His last contribution to OSCAR News was a short item in the December issue, congratulating AMSAT-UK on their 200th issue of the magazine. He included a photograph of himself, Astronaut Ron Parise WA4SIR and Geoff Perry, founder of the Kettering Group of satellite observers. It was taken at the 1998 Colloquium. During the course of our discussions John mentioned that he was having some unpleasant hospital treatment. He also told me about his working career, which I thought may be of interest. As a teenager he was interested in organic chemistry and went to work in industry, eventually in the R&D department at Bakelite in Tyseley, Birmingham. In the 1960's/70's he worked on the phenolic resins used to make copper clad PCB material, and did the first industrial synthesis on nonyl phenol by ion exchange. There were massive world stocks of Nonene at knock down prices so they were looking for a way to use it to make phenol/formaldehyde resins used in PCB manufacture. His YL Pam at that time worked in a small hairdressing supplies business and he sometimes worked with her when they needed extra staff to cover late night opening. After his marriage to Pam, her firm decided to open a branch in Leicester and they were offered the opportunity to re-locate and run the new operation. Together they built up the business, diversifying into related activities with a skin care manufacturing company (where his science background was invaluable), a beauty products wholesale business and a mail order operation. The business expanded from 6 people to a staff of nearly 200 on four sites. John said that Amateur radio helped to keep him sane by giving him a totally different set of things to think about and emptied his head of business concerns for a few hours each week! A few years ago Pam was diagnosed with a serious illness and confined to a wheel chair. This caused them to bring forward their retirement plans and they moved to Devon. My condolences to Pam, family & friends. RIP John, we will miss you. Clive Wallis G3CWV

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iss and me
by Daniel 18 Feb '13

18 Feb '13

Hey every one, I have been having issues with the iss I can hear its packet bursts but have now been able to connect with my loc or talk to others I a using mix w and have not had any issues till now. Anyone with mix w exp or settings please e- mail me off line Thank you Dan in DM09

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Fwd: UPDATE: OSCAR 7 Close Approach Notification
by Andrew Glasbrenner 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

Updated, and a little bigger miss. Sent from my iPhone > Subject: UPDATE: OSCAR 7 Close Approach Notification > > Sir/Ma'am, > > The United States Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) has updated a > predicted conjunction between OSCAR 7 (SCC# 7530) and SCC# 18116. > > Primary Object: OSCAR 7 (SCC# 7530) > Secondary Object: SCC# 18116 > Time of Closest Approach: 18 FEB 2013 22:06 UTC > > Overall miss distance: 81 meters > Radial (dU) miss distance: 32 meters > In-Track (dV) miss distance: -36 meters > Cross-track (dW) miss distance: 66 meters > > Primary Radial Error (U): 10 meters > Primary In-Track Error (U): 39 meters > Primary Cross-track Error (U): 8 meters > > Secondary Radial Error (U): 10 meters > Secondary In-Track Error (U): 43 meters > Secondary Cross-Track Error (U): 10 meters > >

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ShindaiSat to have Optical Morse Code Beacon
by Trevor . 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

A 20 kg spacecraft, I don't know what power the LED's will be running but they may be a lot brighter than the 1 kg FITSAT-1. Their website indicates a 2013 launch. See http://www.amsat-uk.org/ ---- 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAT-UK http://www.amsat-uk.org/ Join or Renew your AMSAT-UK membership at http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/category_7/Membership-of-AMSAT-UK.html ----

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OSCAR 7 close call
by Mike Farkas 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

Thanks for the post about what it was. I was wondering what it could have been with so much activity going on! 73's Mike/N8GBU

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