AMSAT-BB June 2013

122 participants
146 discussions

Volunteering
by k4feg 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

AMSAT VOLUNTEERS? my understanding of a volunteer is someone who "willingly" gives their spare time to promote a subject or issue that they are passionate about. It is obvious that there are issues with how does one "get's involved" in the hobby we all care about. I understand that people have their lives to live and they cannot always give 100% to their volunteer work, but guess what, there are people out here that are retired for what ever reason who have tried to reach out and get involved, but alas; *there is not one clear place to go to find out what projects/jobs/issues are out there and **how to get involved in any of them, that I am aware of!* I propose that AMSAT_NA create a position of a: /*Volunteer Coordinator*///*Director*/, who's sole job would be to identify needs for any and all projects or issues that AMSAT_NA deems of importance to our hobby and they would need to communicate these needs in a timely manner to the AMSAT_NA membership. This position would not be for a person who has limited time but someone who could give the position the time such an important position requires. For all I know such a position may already exist but the task has been given to someone who already has "more than they can do". People wishing to volunteer are out there, but at some point there has to be a leader to help coordinate and direct people into areas where they can best help. It is a shame that someone with Tom's, K8TL, years of experience, is left on the "side-lines" because no one knew where to direct him so he could help. I talk to Tom on the satellites on a regular basis and I know he is passionate about our hobby. I say we need to /"Use them, not lose them!"/, these volunteers with years of experience and a love for our hobby. Just from Tom's post about volunteering, I have learned of projects that I did not even know existed, communications of what is happening within our segment of our hobby is imperative if we hope to grow and maintain our part of this extraordinary hobby. Tom, hang in there, maybe we can put you and your son's talents to use yet! /Any one have any suggestions please feel free to contact me directly on or off the BB, on my BB, on my Skype account (k4feg_em55) or if you want to talk I will forward you my cell # in a private email//. / *I WANT TO SEE OUR HOBBY GROW AND PROSPER!* */"we will work the satellites until the antennas burn off during re-entry!"/**/ /* 73 FRM Frank E. Griffin K4FEG EM55aj84ta

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Video of Fox-1 Dayton Presentation
by M5AKA 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Video of the great Dayton presentation by Tony AA2TX about Fox-1. http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/08/fox-1-status-update-video/ ---- 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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help regarding RCI-SE
by Aayush Yadav 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Hey all, We were using RCISE board from EA4TX as rotor controller interface for our rotor but recently the interface has stopped to respond to any input. It would be grateful if any of you could provide me with the electrical schematic of the borad or any other information. Regards, Aayush Yadav , Pratham - Student Satellite Project, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

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Re: Interest
by Angelo Glorioso 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Due to lack of interest, no Sat ops from EL59. > > A fellow ham and myself will be activating a farely rare grid of EL59 this > weekend for the VHF Contact on 6 meters. I was wondering if there is any > interest in activating this grid for satellite? I would not mind bringing > the gear out if there is an interest for the grid. If I get enough > replies, I will bring the > sat stuff with me. > > > Angelo > >

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Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 8, Issue 191
by Burns Fisher 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Lubbers K8TL" <k8tl(a)earthlink.net> To: "AMSAT BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 15:55 UTC Subject: [amsat-bb] AMSAT needs volunteers ??? > Over the past half century I responded several times to AMSAT?s call for > volunteers and never heard back from them. I was happy to hear from my > son when he volunteered his software talents to AMSAT and told me that > they had asked when would be a good time to contact him. His job title is > Software Engineer with over 30 years experience, a number of published > articles and winner of a number of design contests. He is also > comfortable with hardware and firmware. If I mention a piece of hardware > or software that I wish was a available in my ham shack it is usually > available the next time he visits. > > Oh by the way I see AMSAT is still looking for a software guy, they never > followed up on their request of when they could contact him. They sure > blew an opportunity there. > > Tom K8TL > > That is obviously very frustrating both for you and your son. Do remember that "they" are also volunteers, and for each area (engineering, finance, communications, etc) "they" are likely to be only a single person having a hard time keeping up with volumes of email in his or her spare time, and who has to prioritize what s/he can pay attention to. And as Jaime's experience shows, every volunteer first has to be screened due to ITAR requirements. A pain in the neck but sadly true for the time being. As a volunteer organization with many members who have 'real jobs', AMSAT, as with most such groups, has to deal with the common case of volunteers who do a lot of AMSAT work and suddenly have to drop out for a while to spend more time with job, family, etc. So the need for new people is always there, but the priorities of the moment vary widely. And we do differ from some organizations by often having very hard launch dates. Not that you can predict, but I'm sure it depends on the time within a project cycle too and exactly what you are volunteering for. I suspect that at the moment analog circuit designer volunteers might get a greater mindshare than software people. Please understand and don't give up. It should not work this way, but personal contact is also good. Hamvention (just passed), AMSAT Space Symposium (Houston in early November), etc. Burns, W2BFJ (Not a volunteer screener, but an AMSAT member and volunteer who happened to send email at the right moment)

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Re: Missing helpful feature request
by David Johnson 07 Jun '13

07 Jun '13

Hi Greg, Yes that is on the wish list for HamSatDroid already. Unfortunately, there is no centralised repository for this information that is available as a web service which could be polled to get updates.. Mike Rupprecht DK3WN and a number of AMSAT sites have a rich set of info as web pages but it is not in a suitable form for off-line use. I was approached last year at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium to see if I would be interested in extending the IARU satellite co-ordinantion database to support such a function. Unfortunately FUNcube work has precluded this. If there is a general interest in this I should be happy to implement it, but it would need management by a team. 73 - Dave On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 4:42 AM, ka8gkt(a)yahoo.com <ka8gkt(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Hi, and thank you for the app ! > > Being in the field, its not practical for me to know the modes nor > associated access frequencies and other details. > > Is there any way this can be built into the app? > > Thanks, > > Gregg. > > Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone > >

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5.8 GHz CubeSat Politech.1
by M5AKA 07 Jun '13

07 Jun '13

A 3U CubeSat with downlink on 5800 MHz aiming for a Vega launch http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/07/5-8-ghz-cubesat-politech-1/ Also on the AMSAT-UK site: 50 years of Women in Space http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/06/50-years-of-women-in-space/ AMSAT Online Ham Radio Satellite Pass Predictions Now Available http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/07/amsat-satellite-pass-predictions/ SO-50 on Baofeng UV5R http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/07/so-50-on-baofeng-uv5r/ Kickstarter project aims to put a TARDIS into Low-Earth-Orbit In just a few days the crowdfunded project has already raised over $22,000 towards their $33,000 goal. http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/05/kickstarter-project-tardis-into-orbit/ ---- 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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Digipeating Through the ISS
by Les Rayburn 07 Jun '13

07 Jun '13

After several frustrating hours of trying to get the software set up properly, I finally managed to get Packet Engine Pro and UISS working in time for a good pass of the ISS over the Southeastern US. It was really something to see the software display stations and plot them on a map as the ISS passed overhead. Even more so to see my own callsign digipeated through the software. Next up is to attempt a full fledged QSO through the ISS in real-time. My special thanks to Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM whose paper on working through the ISS using software was most helpful. I used my Icom IC-910H with a Signalink interface instead of a hardware TNC. Having a blast on the birds, and this just adds a whole other element of fun to the process. -- 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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Best Antennas for Attic (Short Booms)
by Les Rayburn 07 Jun '13

07 Jun '13

I'm in the process of upgrading my satellite array. Hope to add an AZ/EL rotor system, and build a complete stand-alone satellite antenna system. Right now, I'm sharing my weak signal Yagis for satellite duty. I'll be limited in boom length to about six feet maximum due to construction of the attic itself. Anything longer, and I start bumping into things. I'd like maximum performance from the space, so I'm wondering if any short length circular polarization antennas are made commercially? Everything I can find (at least in the States) are long-boom affairs. Feedline will be 3/4" hardline for the 432 antenna, and an SSB Electronics pre-amp. 2 Meters will get 1/2" hardline for feedline, and an SSB Electronics pre-amp. Runs are about 50 feet. -- -- 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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Satellite pass predictions back up on www.amsat.org
by Joe Fitzgerald 06 Jun '13

06 Jun '13

Thanks to some advice from Emileigh N1DID, detective work by Bryce KB1LQC and Brent KB1LQD and a quick update to the site by Rick W2GPS, pass predictions are working again. Please visit: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/index.php -Joe KM1P

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AMSAT-BB June 2013