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

TurkSat and CubeBug heard
by Wouter Weggelaar 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

Hi All, Just received The TurkSat CW beacon and some TX that looks like 9k6 from CubeBug-1.My TNC was set to 1200bd, and I did not have recording on the second RX. I did record TurkSat and will be posting the MP3 soon. CW Message as decoded by Wouter Jan PE4WJ: TURKSAT 3U SAT HAAAAAA YM2RTU 0 0 (the last zeroes are ??) Wouter PA3WEG

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Chinese LM-2D TLE
by Wouter Weggelaar 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

Hi All, I have used the following TLEs provided by ISL, the launch broker for the cubes. LM-2D 1 12345U 12345A 13116.18500615 .00000000 00000-0 10000-4 0 6 2 12345 98.0463 191.7751 0017453 249.8818 280.9944 14.76362581 07 These are for the upper stage. The ISIPODS were all successfully deployed. http://www.pa3weg.nl/?id=news 73, Wouter PA3WEG

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CubeSats Successfully Launched from Jiuquan Space Center
by M5AKA 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

TURKSAT-3USAT has a Mode J (145/435 MHz) linear transponder for SSB/CW communications and CubeBug-1 a packet radio digipeater, see http://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/26/ham-radio-cubesats-successfully-launched/ 73 Trevor M5AKA

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1st Pass Turksat Beacon
by Nader Omer 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

At the 1st pass I detect the beacon too at the I&Q audio record file ! RTL-SDR confused me with it low resolution . again congratulation Nader Omer

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Turksat cw beacob
by Nader Omer 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

a week turksat ! beacon copied - low pass elevation Xponder not heard - !!! Cubebug-1 beacon not heard !!! congratulation for all cubesats team for the successful launch .

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TURKSAT-3USAT article + CubeBug-1 April 26 launch
by M5AKA 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

TURKSAT-3USAT should launch Friday 0413 UT, an article has been published by the Turkish TAMSAT / AMSAT-TR group http://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/25/article-on-turksat-3usat-cubesat/ CubeBug-1 with Digipeater also launching Friday http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/cubebug-1/ NEE-01 Pegasus is a CubeSat on the same launch in operates on 910 MHz either HD TV or a FM SSTV/CW/Voice beacon. The 1U CubeSat has an impressive fold-out solar array http://amsat-uk.org/2013/03/14/ecuadorian-tv-cubesats-pass-qualification-te… 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 ----

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Re: PhoneSat Request From NPR
by Daniel Schultz 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

------------ Original Message ------------ >I'm a reporter with NPR who's working on a little story about some cell-phone >satellites that were recently launched into space (Curmudgeon mode on!) 1. I tried to get NPR interested in doing a story about the launch of AMSAT-Phase 3D back in 2000. They did not think that a 600 kilogram satellite with a hypergolic propulsion system, built by volunteer labor from a dozen different countries, financed by a multimillion dollar budget contributed in $50 or $100 increments from hams around the world, was worth doing a story about, but let someone put a cell phone in a cubesat and they think that is a big deal. 2. Cell phones are consumer devices, exquisitely engineered for mass production with reasonably high reliability at minimum per unit cost. Consumer electronics is a highly specialized area of engineering, but so is space flight hardware. Using consumer electronic devices in a space flight environment is a misapplication of engineering principles and is destined to be a technological dead-end. The excuse that the satellite is only intended to last for a short time is rather lame, as is the waste of valuable launch vehicle capacity that could be better used by more serious missions. AMSAT has a dedicated team of highly competent engineers who can supply inexpensive computers and radios that are specifically engineered for space flight, yet we still have cubesat groups buying off the shelf HT's and removing them from the plastic case for installation on their cubesat because they just don't know any better. Apparently neither does NASA. 3. AMSAT-UK had two news items in the last bulletin: "PhoneSat CubeSats with Ham Radio Payloads Launched" and "CubeSats with Ham Radio Payloads Deployed" referring to the BeeSat and SOMP CubeSats. None of these satellites carry a ham radio transponder. None of them support ham radio communications. The mere fact that a satellite transmits telemetry on ham radio frequencies does not make it a "Ham Radio satellite". That term should be reserved for satellites that support the purpose of amateur radio, which is two-way communications between radio amateurs. NASA's own PhoneSat press release says that "These satellites were built by NASA civil servants and contractor employees from USRA and SGT." They weren't built by hams, and they don't serve ham radio. The 435 MHz band does belong to the government as the primary user, and we hams will have access to the band only as long as the government remains as the primary user. If Congress orders the band to be auctioned to commercial interests we will lose the use of it for sure. If NASA needs to use it for telemetry downlink because of the ease of licensing, availability of low cost equipment from the ham radio market, and worldwide availability of hams who may be interested in receiving and forwarding their telemetry, then go ahead and use the amateur satellite band. Just don't call it a "Ham Radio satellite". (/Curmudgeon mode off) Dan Schultz, N8FGV

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Decoding picture packets from PhoneSAT
by Dave WØDHB 26 Apr '13

26 Apr '13

Has anyone been able to view the .webp files created when decoding PhoneSAT picture packets ? The webp viewer and decoder program both report the file to be corrupted. I must be missing something !? Thanks Dave W0DHB

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phonesat status
by John Papay 25 Apr '13

25 Apr '13

I only heard KJ6KRW-1 on this morning's pass 25April over Ohio. Nothing heard from KJ6KRW and KJ6KRW-2. 73, John K8YSE

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APRS/Packet on IC-910H
by Les Rayburn 25 Apr '13

25 Apr '13

I'd also like to add digital capabilities to the IC-910H to allow some digital contacts through ISS, or just to download telemetry on other birds. Never worked packet before, and have only limited experience with APRS. The IC-910H is equipped with a Signa-Link interface for soundcard modes, and I've worked quite a bit of WSJT FSK and JT65A. I know that there is a software "solution" for APRS using AGWPE but I haven't tried it. What would be the recommendations of the group for equipping my station for digital operation on the satellites? AGWPE and the soundcard interface or a TNC? If so, what TNC would be recommended? Did I say "Thanks" yet? Also appreciate the bandwidth on this reflector--I know newbie questions can be annoying. -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light

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