Hi all,
As I reported on the 20m Amsat Net (14.282mhz Sundays 18:00z - 19:00z)
this morning, I noticed that my 2m antenna was listing slightly
down-hill. Suspecting that the boom attachment screws had come loose,
my project for the day was to go up on the roof and align and tighten them.
The screws were a little loose.
That's not why the antenna was drooping down.
I discovered the real reason: Acorns.
Apparently the local squirrels have been preparing for winter, such as
it is around here, and had stuffed about a dozen plump acorns into the
open end of the antenna boom. Besides their weight climbing out to the
end, there was also the remaining weight of the acorns.
So, the antenna ends have been taped over, but that's not going to
prevent the squirrels from climbing out onto the antenna.
Any suggestions on an effective squirrel deterrent?
Greg KO6TH
Go to your local nursery. They will have solutions (there's a pun there) - including
urine of other animals (usually LARGER animals (grin)) or placing a ring of "barbed"
wire on the mast - making it un-climb-able.
Clint K6LCS
A 12 gauge full choke shotgun ?
73 Jeff kb2m
-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Greg D
Sent: Sunday, September 1, 2013 6:52 PM
To: Amsat BB
Subject: [amsat-bb] Winterization project
Hi all,
As I reported on the 20m Amsat Net (14.282mhz Sundays 18:00z - 19:00z) this
morning, I noticed that my 2m antenna was listing slightly down-hill.
Suspecting that the boom attachment screws had come loose, my project for
the day was to go up on the roof and align and tighten them.
The screws were a little loose.
That's not why the antenna was drooping down.
I discovered the real reason: Acorns.
Apparently the local squirrels have been preparing for winter, such as it is
around here, and had stuffed about a dozen plump acorns into the open end of
the antenna boom. Besides their weight climbing out to the end, there was
also the remaining weight of the acorns.
So, the antenna ends have been taped over, but that's not going to prevent
the squirrels from climbing out onto the antenna.
Any suggestions on an effective squirrel deterrent?
Greg KO6TH
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Rob,
See my article in the April/May issue of the AMSAT Journal. While not
motorized, I'm sure it can be easily adapted to be motorized.
The basis is a simple Equatorial telescope mount.
If you need a copy let me know.
Rick Tejera (K7TEJ)
Saguaro Astronomy Club
www.saguaroastro.org
Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club
www.w7tbc.org
-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Rob
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 3:38 PM
To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Polar Tracking LEO Satellites ... ?
I'm looking to put together a quick an easy portable tracking system for LEO
birds .... maybe something for field day use or an ISS school contact ....
Basically looking to do polar tracking with one rotor and a manual set
declination angle ....
Thoughts are:
- rotor that can swing 180 degrees (-90,+90)
- set the rotor to the half way point (0 degrees)
- position the whole apparatus so that it's pointing at the azmith and
elevation of the highest point on the pass
- position the rotor to -90 for a west to east pass or +90 for a east to
west pass
- calculate the length of the pass and time the rotation so it sweeps 180
degrees in that period
I'v been googling this topic till my eyes cross .... saw some data about
folks trying to do polar tracking of Ao-40 a while back ... but that was a
tad different considering Ao-40 is (was) in a high elliptical orbit ...
Does anyone have advice ... or a link to some data .... calculations ...
like how to convert az/el to something like (but not) declination/ra ????
Thanks,
--> Rob, KA2PBT
_______________________________________________
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Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I'm looking to put together a quick an easy portable tracking system for
LEO birds .... maybe something for field day use or an ISS school contact
....
Basically looking to do polar tracking with one rotor and a manual set
declination angle ....
Thoughts are:
- rotor that can swing 180 degrees (-90,+90)
- set the rotor to the half way point (0 degrees)
- position the whole apparatus so that it's pointing at the azmith and
elevation of the highest point on the pass
- position the rotor to -90 for a west to east pass or +90 for a east to
west pass
- calculate the length of the pass and time the rotation so it sweeps 180
degrees in that period
I'v been googling this topic till my eyes cross .... saw some data about
folks trying to do polar tracking of Ao-40 a while back ... but that was a
tad different considering Ao-40 is (was) in a high elliptical orbit ...
Does anyone have advice ... or a link to some data .... calculations ...
like how to convert az/el to something like (but not) declination/ra ????
Thanks,
--> Rob, KA2PBT
Worked Rolf last night on FO-29 operating portable from EN17. Nice
signal from the mobile set-up! Thanks Rolf for a new grid for me. I'll
be uploading the log to LoTW tonight, and putting a card in the mail
soon too.
If you need EN17, you won't do better than trying for this first class
operator.
--
--
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
Hello,
I am having trouble to understand how Orbitron and WispDDE works to get
right Flipped passes of ISS over my QTH.
Some times when ISS come from South América and cross over Europe my rotor
need to work flipped, because my stop is North.
Some times he do, sometimes not, then after cross 360º my rotor need to
make a complete turn while is possible to go till 450º.
Here is an example of one pass where rotor is NOT Flipped.
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/2755/cj0l.jpg
Anyone had the same problem and/or can help me?
Thanks.
Best regards,
Fabiano Moser CT7ABD
Hi,
I think it takes about 2500m/s delta V to get from from LEO to a GTO.
How feasible is it to use some type of an electric thruster (high
specific impulse but low net thrust - eg a hall effect thruster or
similar device) to slowly crawl up to GTO from LEO?
I imagine that such a bird would charge it's batteries from solar power
for most of an orbit, and would power the thruster from battery power
during each perigee to slowly raise the apogee altitude. This would
allow the use of a thruster with an peak electrical demand that is
higher than the peak power generating capacity of the PV cells.
73 ZL2WRW Ross Whenmouth
