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

Does one 847 equal two 817's?
by Bill ACITO, W1PA 21 Nov '14

21 Nov '14

I see a lot of current portable transponder ops running two rigs (most likely 817's). Folks seem to be unencumbered by the lack of tracking and Doppler coordination between the two radios. Dare I say it -- old school? Despite the tracking and inverting capabilities, is there any reason I couldn't run my 847 in the same "mode", using the two separate VFO dials like two 817's and nothing else? Am I missing something? Any one, from the various AMSAT portable ops, have a YouTube video showing _in detail_ how you are running two 817's? Anyone else run your 847 this way? Bill W1PA

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Does one 847 equal two 817's?
by Kevin M 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

I learned satellites 'old school' on RS-12/13 with manual tuning and I have been using my 847 for a while now, sans computer. I finally got the cable to even hook the rig up to a PC this week. I plan to try 'computer tuning' for the first time after I figure out the software. As for split VFOs on an 847... it doesn't really operate that way. To operate manually on the 847, you first go into SAT mode which changes the function of a number of buttons, the memories, and several other things. The easiest way to use the rig is to set up the SAT memories... It stores the uplink and downlink bands (in the last position used) along with the tracking direction (inverted or non-inverted) and labels them with the Sat name you enter. One band will be in the main window and the other band in the sub window. Once you find your signal on the downlink, you hit the 'Track' button and the two VFOs then move simultaneously in the appropriate direction (same way if non-inverting, opposite way if inverting). There is a sub tune knob, but it moves at a much slower rate and is really just to keep up with doppler changes. So no, it doesn't really operate the two VFOs separately like having two radios. The closest you could operate like that is to adjust one band, hit the VFO 'A-B' swap button and then adjust the other band. But there is no need to do that since you only need to adjust one to first line up the frequencies, then 'sync them' and move to whatever part of the passband you want to operate. After that, you will only adjust the Sub band as the doppler changes... Because while the Main tuning knob will adjust both VFOs while in 'Track' mode, the Sub band knob only adjusts the VFO in the sub window. Before I got the 847, I had two separate rigs... Not a couple of 817s, rather a Kenwood 751a and an Icom 451a. Trust me... the 847 is MUCH easier! Why didn't these guys get an 847? Easy... it's a hundred watt rig that requires a big power supply and is heavy by comparison to a couple 817s. Kind of hard to hang an 847 around your neck and strap a car battery to your belt. I make jest, but I think I am making a clear point. Even though I have an 847, if I could afford it, a couple 817s along with my Arrow would be fun to take grid hopping, do demos, etc. Sorry, but I'm not dragging my 847 to a hamfest for a demo or even out to my car to just drive up the road. =^) 73, Kevin N4UFO Pictures of my shack and antenna farm: http://www.qrz.com/db/N4UFO The fun of putting up satellite antennas: http://n4ufosat.blogspot.com/

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email test
by wa4hfn＠comcast.net 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

test message only

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FUNcube Warehouse Outage
by David Johnson 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

Hi, At 21:59 on the 19th, the warehouse received an erroneous FC1 packet which caused subsequent packets to be rejected. It's possible that this was actually an FC2 packet that got corrupted just after a reset and issued the FC1 ID in the header. I'm adding another trap in the data processing to cover this eventuality. I'm sure it's not our 1 year old throwing a tantrum :-) The server is now collecting data and I will fix up the min-max values in a couple of hours. If you see any other anomalies, let me know. As always, many thanks for the uploads. 73 - Dave, G4DPZ

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FT-847 tech help
by Ken Swaggart 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

Thought I’d start first with this august group. While attaching a tap to an IF coil for a panadapter, I inadvertantly broke some of the coil windings on T3022 which is on the RF unit. A replacement is no longer available at Yaesu. Does anyone have the coil winding information? If not, any suggestions on who to ask? (The FT-847 still works, but the IF shows strong peaks and valleys on the 200 KHz panadapter display.) Thanks, Ken, W7KKE

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W7O on SO-50 tomorrow local time
by Bill Acito 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

Yes... we'll give this a try. I will be on as W7O on the 16:22Z and 18:02Z SO-50 east coast passes Wed Nov 19. There is a possibility of working extreme western EU at the end of the earlier pass. I will be using my portable set-up from work; I have great ears (pre-amp) but not a lot of power so you will have to give me space to acknowledge and call. Those of you who have already worked W7O on one of the transponder birds: please give preference to those who haven't or only have FM set-ups. Spread out your calls, listen, and work the passes intelligently... the satellite will be coming out of the NW so coastal stations will have better luck in the 2nd half of the passes out over the ocean. Based on how it goes, I'll work with Patrick and the team to schedule additional passes. Bill W1PA

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test email
by wa4hfn＠comcast.net 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

email test

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Shin-En 2 transponder launch
by Andrew Glasbrenner 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

I think I've gathered enough information about this to get a little excited. Shin-En 2 is going to be launched with Hayabusa-2 from Japan early November 30 UTC on an Earth escape trajectory, Along with Artsat-Despatch. Shin-En 2 carries a 800mw Mode J transponder and 800mw WSJT beacon. It looks like there will be a pass before it gets too far out right after launch, where the range is 20k-30k km for me in Florida. This will be much, much weaker than FO-29, but it might be workable with a AO-13 class station early on the first day or two. I'll be up for the launch and the first window around 2AM EST on the morning of the 1st. It'd be nice to have some stations to work if it's possible! Here are some links: Synopsis http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/satellite/commercial-scientific/shinen-2/ Data Format http://leo.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/KSAT-HP/Shin-en2_Comm_E.html Hideo Kambayashi has been posting links and pictures on the AMSAT North America Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/7828379515/ A diagram indicating the position when Shin-En 2 will be deployed has been copied to http://www.amsat.org/?attachment_id=3564 I hope to put together a post for the AMSAT website front page tonight with more details. We should be able to use the Artsat-Despatch tracker for both satellites, at least in the beginning: http://api.artsat.jp/pass/ Some info on Artsat http://despatch.artsat.jp/en/Main_Page and http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=384 That's all for now, more after work. 73, Drew KO4MA

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ARTSAT2:DESPATCH - Details of the experiment on cooperative data reconstruction
by Akihiro Kubota 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

Dear all, Hello, ARTSAT2: DESPATCH http://despatch.artsat.jp/en/Main_Page is going to launch on November 30, 2014. This is the latest public announcement of call for receivers of cooperative data reconstruction from deep-space. ===== 1. Despatch CW Format is now available! Yesterday, we opened a wiki which explains how to join the "Cooperative data reconstruction," the main mission of Despatch. In this wiki, you can find the CW format as well as how to report the data you received. http://despatch.artsat.jp/en/Cooperative_Data_Reconstruction 2. Despatch Tracking page is opened! Since Despatch is injected into an Earth escape trajectory, TLE is unavailable. Instead, we opened a web-page for the spacecraft tracking (both antenna-pointing and receiver-tuning). http://api.artsat.jp/pass/ Please go to the page and enter your geographic location, and you will get nearby passes and a table with 1 minute steps that gives you AZ, EL, Freaquency, and so on. As the apparent movement and the change of the Doppler shift are slow, manual pointing of the antenna and tuning of the receiver every 10 minutes or so will do. 3. Reception Report page is opened! We opened a web page in which you can report the data you received. http://api.artsat.jp/report/ How to report your data is detailed in the wiki. ===== Thanks in advance and all the best, Akihiro Kubota, ARTSAT project

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W7O on SO-50 - Wednesday, 19 November
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 18 Nov '14

18 Nov '14

Hi! Bill W1PA will be on SO-50 for two passes tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 November) - 1620 and 1800 UTC - as W7O. Please give him a call, and get in the W7O log while this special event continues. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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