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

Live webstreaming now of CubeSat Developers' Workshop
by M5AKA 24 Apr '14

24 Apr '14

Live webstreaming of the 2014 Spring CubeSat Developers' Workshop is taking place now, see http://www.cubesat.org/ $50SAT celebrates five months in space http://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/24/50sat-celebrates-five-months-in-space/ The Basement Satellite at Canadian Documentary Film Festival http://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/23/the-basement-satellite-movie/ Book now for International Space Colloquium July 25-27 http://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/22/book-now-for-international-space-colloquium/ ---- Trevor M5AKA AMSAT-UK Website http://amsat-uk.org/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amsatuk Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSAT_UK ----

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W1AW/2 NJ on SO-50
by Chris Del Plato KQ2RP 23 Apr '14

23 Apr '14

Not much activity last night. Worked a couple. I'll give it another go tonight at 0347 (a nice 70 deg. pass) for those interested. And perhaps again on Friday night 0307z (85 deg). 73, Chris KQ2RP

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Anyone hearing Kicksat?
by andy thomas 23 Apr '14

23 Apr '14

I was unable to hear Kicksat on a high elevation pass in the UK las night. I see DK3WN's blog reports similar issues. Has anyone heard Kicksat since the weekend? 73 de andy G0SFJ

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FUNcube, Educators
by Clint Bradford 23 Apr '14

23 Apr '14

I have received a couple messages regarding the 45-second video of reception of SO-73 with just a handheld radio and a meager antenna. First, as written as captioning on that video, THAT IS NOT THE OPTIMAL MANNER TO WORK AO-73 BY ANY MEANS. This was merely an experiment that shows you that you can expand your horizons with a very inexpensive DIY antenna and your handheld radio. Those with AM-receiving equipment and even better antennas are downloading telemetry from several birds, and decoding and/or uploading that information to control operators. Second, the next time you read that working satellites with minimal equipment is a waste of time and effort ... refer the writer to the story of Geoff Perry. And then step outside and listen to a satellite or two ... Geoff Perry took a few students outside in 1966 to demonstrate the Doppler phenomenon with antiquated equipment - and he discovered a Russian military base that the Russians refused to admit existed for another seventeen years ... -------- In October 1966 the eyes of the world became focused briefly on Kettering Grammar School. This was due to the activities of the science teacher, Geoff Perry, who, with the help of antiquated equipment and a team of enthusiastic pupils, managed to unlock the secrets of the Soviet Russian space programme even before the Americans. Extraordinarily, this was not the only time he achieved such a feat. From the early 1960's, Perry had realised that by studying the Doppler Effect - marked by a change in the signal as the spacecraft passed overhead - he could discover the orbit of the Soviet Cosmos satellites. Starved of equipment - at first he was obliged to use the computer at the corset factory in Desborough - he relied on close monitoring and improvisation (his receiver needed "a smart tap with the hand from time to time"). His breakthrough came with the launch of Cosmos 112, in May 1966, which alerted him to something strange about the Soviet space effort. The satellite did not seem to have come from the usual site at Baikonur in Khazakstan. The launch of Cosmos 129 in October of that year from the same unknown site enabled him to pinpoint it. The new site was identified as Plesetsk, south of Archangel. The USSR did not admit to its existence for a further 17 years. That same year he enjoyed another scoop when he became the first scientist to announce the launch of an unmanned Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Perry's life changed as the world's media descended upon him. His name was often in the newspapers as he teased out one secret after another about the Soviet space programme. He realised the significance of the varying signals transmitted by satellites and was able to identify which were on short missions and which were up for longer. He even managed to track the signals monitoring the cosmonauts' vital functions from one of the first manned Soyuz craft. He inspired a growing band of space trackers among his pupils who named themselves the Kettering Satellite Group. In the 1970's, he became space consultant to Independent Television News, commenting on the Apollo moonshots and the Apollo-Soyuz link-up in 1975. He retired from teaching in 1984, and died in 2000. -Courtesy KSG, and others /end/

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FUNcube telemetry performance?
by Phil Karn 23 Apr '14

23 Apr '14

I haven't done anything with AO-73, but I understand it's transmitting the FEC format I originally designed for AO-40. How well is it working? What fraction of the frames are successfully decoded? How bad is the fading? I designed my format specifically for the spin fading on AO-40, and if the fading due to the tumbling of a cubesat is too slow my format won't be able to fix it. Phil

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W5PFG/P EM03 North Texas
by Clayton Coleman 22 Apr '14

22 Apr '14

I will be staying the night in EM03 tomorrow and will operate a few satellite passes for those who want this grid confirmed. 23-Mar SO-50 20:53 UTC 23-Mar VO-52 23:55 UTC 24-Mar FO-29 00:13 UTC I will work this pass upon request only: 24-Mar FO-29 13:10 UTC 73 Clayton W5PFG

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LituanicaSAT-1 FM transponder test
by M5AKA 22 Apr '14

22 Apr '14

See http://amsat-uk.org/2014/04/22/lituanicasat-1-fm-transponder-test/ ---- 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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Sierra Vista AZ hamfest on 3 May
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 22 Apr '14

22 Apr '14

Hi! I will have an AMSAT table at the Cochise Amateur Radio Association's hamfest in Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Saturday, 3 May 2014. This is another half-day hamfest, which starts around 0600 local time (1300 UTC), running until some time around noon. More information about the hamfest can be found at: http://www.k7rdg.org/Hamfest%20Flyer%20-%202014.pdf and a map to find the hamfest site: http://www.k7rdg.org/hamfestmap.pdf During the morning, I will have demonstrations working whatever satellites are available. Please call WD9EWK if you hear us on any of those passes, and be part of the demonstrations. Thehamfest site is in grid DM41. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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quick post-hamfest road trip on 3 May 2014
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 22 Apr '14

22 Apr '14

Hi! After the hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ on 3 May 2014, I plan on taking a longer route back home. Similar to the last hamfest I attended in late March in Tucson, I can either retrace my route back to the DM51/DM52 grid boundary, go up to the DM52/DM53 grid boundary or somewhere in grid DM53, or even head into New Mexico if anyone needs a satellite QSO with that state. Any preferences? I don't mind the drive to any of these spots, even if I end up back where I just was a few weeks ago at the DM51/DM52 grid boundary. I'll add at least 100 to 200 more miles to my trip, going to any of these places. Please e-mail me directly if you have a preference for any of these options. I still need to look at the available passes on that date, but should be able to work at least FO-29 and VO-52 in the late afternoon and early evening timeframe. If AO-7 is in mode B, that would also be a satellite I could work from out there. SO-50 might be available in the afternoon, which would certainly help those not set up to work SSB on the satellites. Thanks in advance, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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W1AW/2 NJ SO-50
by Chris Del Plato KQ2RP 22 Apr '14

22 Apr '14

Weather permitting (portable), I hope to be on the SO-50 FM repeater as W1AW/2 during tonight's (approx) 0320z pass (11:20PM Eastern time) for those interested. I hope to do the same on the following night as well (0347z AOS). 73, Chris KQ2RP

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