October 2014 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Yaesu FT-847 as a satellite rig?
by Greg D 12 Oct '14

12 Oct '14

Hi folks, My HF transceiver, and ageing Yaesu FT767GX, is slowly dieing. After 22 years in my service (and a few more with the prior owners), the memory battery has failed. The rig still works, but gets a factory reset whenever turned off. Annoying. I have an opportunity to pick up a clean Kenwood TS-870-AT, which I expect would make for a fine replacement, but I've always thought that the Yaesu FT-847 would be a better choice. My current satellite rig is a Yaesu FT-736R, which I really like. As a satellite rig, is the 847 significantly better than the 736R? Does it have any annoying "personallity" traits (e.g. Kenwood TS-2000's 148.800 birdie)? Before I pass up the Kenwood 870 (and while there's a Yaseu 847 on eBay...), should I jump on one or the other, or muddle along with what I have until something better turns up? Thanks, Greg KO6TH

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ANS-285 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 12 Oct '14

12 Oct '14

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-285 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * AMSAT Officer Appointments * Challenge Coin Premium for AMSAT Fox Donations * 6th European CubeSat Symposium * ARISS News * NASA Invites Public to Send Your Name to Mars – Starting on Orion’s 1st Flight SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-285.01 ANS-285 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 285.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. October 12, 2014 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-285.01 AMSAT Officer Appointments The following Officers of AMSAT-NA for 2014-2015 were appointed by the Board of Directors at their annual meeting held in Baltimore, MD. President Barry Baines WD4ASW Executive Vice President Open VP Human Space Flight Frank Bauer KA3HDO VP Engineering Jerry Buxton N0JY VP Operations Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA VP User Services JoAnne Maenpaa K9JKM VP Educational Relations E. Mike McCardel KC8YLD VP Marketing Open Secretary Alan Biddle WA4SCA Treasurer Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF Manager Martha Saragovitz [ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM, for the above information --------------------------------------------------------------------- Challenge Coin Premium for AMSAT Fox Donations AMSAT is excited to announce that a new premium collectable is now available for qualifying donations to the Fox satellite program. AMSAT has commissioned a unique challenge coin for donors who have contributed at the $100 level or higher. This challenge coin is shaped as an isometric view of a Fox-1 CubeSat, complete with details such as the stowed UHF antenna, solar cells, and camera lens viewport. Struck in 3mm thick brass, plated with antique silver, and finished in bright enamel, the coin is scaled to be approximately 1:4 scale, or 1 inch along each of the six sides. The reverse has the AMSAT Fox logo. Coins will also be made available to qualifying donors that have contributed since the Fox-1C announcement on July 18, 2014 upon request. Donations may be made via the AMSAT website, via the FundRazr crowdsourcing app at http://fnd.us/c/6pz92/sh/561Zd, or via the AMSAT office at (888) 322-6728. The Fox program is designed to provide a platform for university experiments in space, as well as provide FM repeater capability for radio amateurs worldwide. Fox-1A and 1C are set to launch in 2015, and Fox-1B (also known as RadFXSat) is awaiting NASA ELANA launch assignment. Further information on the Fox project can be found at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1113. You may donate here via PayPal. Donations will be marked specifically for Fox-1C. Note that PayPal usually allows you to donate with a credit card, even if you do not have a PayPal account. However, PayPal requirements differ depending on your country. We have no control over this issue. [ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6th European CubeSat Symposium The 6th European CubeSat Symposium will take place from October 14-16, 2014 at Estavayer-le-Lac in Switzerland. The Symposium has attracted more than 100 abstracts submitted from 31 different countries. Von Karman Institute and Swiss Space Systems are proud to support the CubeSat community by coorganising this leading CubeSat event in Europe, for the first time in Switzerland. Von Karman Institute continues to act as the coordinator of the World’s most ambitious CubeSat Project QB50, whereas Swiss Space Systems is designing an innovative launcher specifically for small satellites to bring the launch costs to 25% of today’s market value. The symposium abstracts are available at https://www.cubesatsymposium.eu/download/BookOfAbstracts_6th_European_Cubes… posium_2014.pdf 6th European CubeSat Symposium https://www.cubesatsymposium.eu/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News The Winter Gardens Primary School, Canvey Island, United Kingdom and Pilton Bluecoat School, Barnstaple, United Kingdom, telebridge via W6SRJ Contact was successful on Wednesday 2014-10-08 at 10:08:49 UTC. Team Sky and Rocket (NPO Sora-To-Rocket-Dan), Kariya, Aichi, Japan, is scheduled for a direct contact via 8J2YSM,Thursday 2014-10-09 09:00:05 UTC. Indiana Area School District, Indiana, PA, is scheduled for a telebridge contact via IK1SLD on Friday, 2014-10-17 16:41:45 UTC. ARISS is requesting listener reports for the above contacts. Due to issues with the Kenwood radio that are not fully understood at present, the Ericsson radio is going to be used for these contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. ************************************** From 2014-11-10 to 2014-12-07, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Invites Public to Send Your Name to Mars – Starting on Orion’s First Flight by Ken Kremer on October 8, 2014 http://www.universetoday.com/115123/nasa-invites-public-to-send-your-name-t… mars-starting-on-orions-first-flight/ NASA invites you to send your name to Mars via the first Orion test flight in December 2014. Deadline for submissions is Oct 31, 2014. Join over 170,000 others! See link below. Credit: NASA Here’s your chance to participate in NASA’s ‘Journey to Mars’ and the first flight of the new Orion spacecraft that will eventually transport humans to the Red Planet. NASA invites you to send your name to Mars. And the adventure starts via the first Orion test flight dubbed Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) scheduled for blastoff on December 4, 2014 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This week NASA announced that the public can submit their names for inclusion on a dime-sized microchip that will travel on spacecraft voyaging to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including Mars. Join over 170,000 others who have already signed up in just the first few hours! Since the Orion EFT-1 mission is set to launch in less than two months, the deadline to submit your name is soon: Oct 31, 2014. “NASA is pushing the boundaries of exploration and working hard to send people to Mars in the future,” said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager, in a NASA statement. “When we set foot on the Red Planet, we’ll be exploring for all of humanity. Flying these names will enable people to be part of our journey.” How can you sign up to fly on Orion EFT-1? Is there a certificate? NASA has made it easy to sign up and you can also print out an elegant looking ‘Boarding Pass’ Click on this weblink posted online by NASA today: http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/orion-first-flight/ [ANS thanks Universe Today and NASA for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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FUNcube Warehouse SSL Certificate and other changes
by David A B Johnson 11 Oct '14

11 Oct '14

Hi, Some time ago we removed the https/SSL requirement for access but left a redirect in place 'just in case'. The certificate has now expired and all access should be done through http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk We are doing other work to allow download of larger chunks of csv formatted data for end users. More details later this week. As always, many thanks for your support. 73 Dave, G4DPZ FUNcube Team Member

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free sat ants and memory lane
by Jeff Griffin 10 Oct '14

10 Oct '14

I dismantled my satellite station at FM29PE in Ocean View NJ today. I worked one more AO07 pass to make my last contacts with my Oscar class station at FM29PE. I operated the sats continuously from this location since 1997. It was a great 17 years. I just went through my sat contacts. 16,386 contacts, 82 countries( I should of got up in the middle of the night more often for the rare DX that was on AO40, I'm sure I would of got sat DXCC), I'm not sure how many grids, but it's a lot J , made two way contacts on over 16 different satellites, and space to earth voice contacts on three different orbiting stations, not to mention all the wonderful time I had working all the PACSATS. Well one moves on, I plan on living in Florida near the beach in the winter and Ocean City NJ almost on the beach in the summer, locations that aren't compatible with large high gain antennas on any band. The final disposition of my sat antenna system was to give the large beams away to a good home, and keep some components to build a portable station with the Cushcraft AOP-1 antenna set that I purchased several years ago 'new in the box', that I kept squirreled away. I also saved the rotor, pre-amps, 2.4 gig stuff, a 1.2gig 70 watt amp, IC-9100,and some hardline to hook it up. So I will be back on the birds sort of serious in the near future. The station I'm going to put together will be portable enough to be taken down and moved in my Honda Pilot from NJ to FL while we snowbird it, without upsetting my wife too much J. I want to mention that the last three stations I worked from my FM29PE location today were.. F4EJW, it was good to work just one more DX station. KC9ELU, Good to work you again Mike, we will be back shortly. K3SZH, It was very fitting to work Joe, everyone's favorite AO07 op as the last contact, thanks Joe. We will be on some SO-50 passes, and of course I will keep the ISS digi up that is located at my other home we're keeping in NJ. And I plan on working the AMSAT booth in Orlando, and Dayton this year, see you guys there. 73 Jeff kb2m

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT INDIA - New Web Site
by Clint Bradford 10 Oct '14

10 Oct '14

Great work ... "clean" and easy to maneuver! Clint Bradford K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com

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AMSAT INDIA Website - New Look
by Nitin Muttin 10 Oct '14

10 Oct '14

We have published a new website of AMSAT INDIA. I have been personally working on this for quite some time. This new design permits us to publish updates and carry out changes with ease removing the dependency on an external source. Over a period of time we will add more content and feature's . Suggestions are welcome. Visit - www.amsatindia.org The nameserver change to our new web host takes ~24 hours to propagate to DNS servers worldwide. If you are unable to see the new website please try after some time. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA

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N. Europe on AO-7
by Bob- W7LRD 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

I have been in contact (email) with several European stations. I am always looking for dx opportunities on AO-7. If you see that chance drop me a email for possible QSO. I can usually acquire AO-7 at about 2-3 degrees. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle, Wa. CN87wk

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How you wind it
by Robert Bruninga 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

How you wind a coil makes a BIG difference. Ever wonder why your projects don’t work like the authors? Im winding 42 turns onto a 1 Megohm 1/4W resistor to make a loading coil to make a 5’ whip antenna on a cubesat tune to 28 MHz. I was getting nowhere trying to add and subtract turns. With a bandwidth of only 200 kHz it was inconsistent getting to 28.120 center freq. Then I simply took the same length of wire and tried 3 methods all with the same number of turns. 1, down-and-back-and forward for 3 layers = 24.5 MHz 2, left-to-right but scrambled 3 layers along the way = 30.0 MHz 3, just a little squeezing of turns that had loosend = 28.8 MHz Wow, just changing the winding method moves the 0.2 MHz bandwidth as far as 30-to-1! The difference of course is the stray capacitance between the end turns. So winding method is important! Just thought I’d share the results… Bob, WB4APR

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model 2M -22C manual
by Jerry Ehlers 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

Hi: I want to thank everyone for the quick response for the manual for the Model KLM 2M-22C. Jerry w0sat

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Demo on AO-73 pass tonight
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

Hi! Paul Stoetzer N8HM, an AMSAT Area Coordinator who is currently giving a presentation for the HacDC Amateur Radio Club in Washington DC, will be on the upcoming AO-73 pass at 0130 UTC (2130 EDT) tonight to demonstrate amateur satellite operating for the club. He will be on the air from the rooftop of the building where the meeting is taking place, a church in northwest Washington north of the White House. If you are along the east coast, please get on and give N8HM a call. To (hopefully) ensure N8HM is able to make a QSO on that pass, I will also be on the pass from my very portable station outside the church. Two stations on a satellite pass from Washington DC! :-). Apologies for the short notice of the demo tonight. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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