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

EQUiSat Optical Beacon CubeSat
by Trevor . 17 Oct '18

17 Oct '18

Students at the Ivy League Brown University are developing an amateur radio satellite EQUiSat that will carry a Xenon Flash Tube (XFT) subsystem to act as an Optical Beacon that should be visible to the unaided eye of observers on Earth. See http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=10635 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAK-UK http://www.amsat-uk.org/ ----

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LVB Tracker USB serial port driver for Windows 7 x64?
by Bill Bordy, NJ1H 22 Dec '16

22 Dec '16

Has anyone located a driver for the LVB Tracker internal USB to serial port adapter on Windows 7 x64? If not, has anyone reverted to the serial port connection on LVB Tracker and used an external USB to serial port adapter successfully with SatPC32 on Windows 7 x64? I have an Edgeport multiple USB to serial port that has drivers for Windows 7 x64 that I will use if I have to. I would prefer using the LVB Tracker with its USB to serial adapter if someone has another solution. 73, Bill NJ1H

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AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010
by Mark L. Hammond 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

Hi All, Here is a quick AO-16 update. On Sunday I turned AO-16 long enough to get some telemetry packets. The satellite would remain on for less than one minute after being commanded on. A quick test of the "bent pipe" voice mode repeater was successful. . The "hardware watchdog timer problem" is still evident; as expected, spacecraft temperatures are insufficient to keep the transmitter ON (needs to be above 15 deg C). Orbit projections suggest that satellite illumination conditions will not result in increased temperatures for nearly 10 years. Command stations do periodically turn AO-16 "ON" to check on its condition and see if the hardware timer problem has "automagically" fixed itself (which in not anticipated, but who knows...). AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010 1838 utc PACSAT MBL Telemetry Decoder Ver. 1.3 (c) Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN =============================================================================== (average values) +10V Battery Bus : 0.00 V Battery Charge Reg : 0.55 mA Base Temp : 9.07 °C PSK RF Out : 1.90 W +5V RX Bus : 4.87 V +8.5V RX Bus : 8.49 V +10V RX Bus : 11.24 V Here is another teaser :) Several months ago I commanded the AO-16 S-band transmitter ON; it too remains functional (albeit weak), and was received by me, Drew KO4MA, and Alan WA4SCA. 73, -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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CAPE-2 heard in France
by Jean-Pierre Godet 25 Sep '15

25 Sep '15

Dear friends from University of loisiana in Lafayette, Your bird was heard in the North of France when flying over Oran (Algeria), orbit number 204, especially the CW beacon (on 145.823 MHz +- Doppler) between 12:12:52 and 12:13:06 UTC, content was "EUL CAPE 2 OR UF231". The signal was somewhat chirpy, but it's exactly the sound which the real lover of CW like above all. Really ! :-) http://f5yg.pagesperso-orange.fr/forum/CAPE-2_orb204_03dec2013.mp3 The signal to noise ratio is not too good because I'm using an old AM/FM scanner from the 80s heterodyned by my medium wave homebrew transmitter fitted with a 456.9 Xtal. The antenna was a vertical half-wave inside the attic. The next orbit, number 205, was heard too, with the CW beacon affected at that time by a hoarse voice and suffering from a strong fadding. So I'm not absolutly sure, poor lonesome telegraphist, of my human decoding, "M5UL CAPE 2 ÜR 5045", something like that. It was over the East coast of Spain, between 12:12:52 and 12:13:06 : http://f5yg.pagesperso-orange.fr/forum/CAPE-2_orb205_03dec2013.mp3 Congratulation to the Cajun Advanced Picosat Experiment team from France ! Jean-Pierre F5YG -- Powered by Linux (Slackware 10.0 - kernel 2.4.26)

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FUNcube-1 Launch: Date and time confirmed
by M5AKA 11 Dec '14

11 Dec '14

The latest news about the launch date and time has just been confirmed by Kosmotras. The launch date of RS-20B rocket (Dnepr) with a group of satellites (DubaiSat-2 cluster mission) from Dombarovsky missile area (Yasny Launch Base) has been established for November 21, 2013 at 07:10:11 UT. The back-up launch date is November 22, 2013 at 07:10:11 UT. We will shortly be providing prelaunch TLEs and, in about 7/10 days, the Dashboard software that is needed to demodulate and display the telemetry information. More information about the Dashboard can found here http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/ FUNcube Yahoo Group http://amsat-uk.org/funcube/yahoo-group/ ---- 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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FUNcube/AO-73 Mode change
by Jim Heck 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Hi Folks, FUNcube/AO-73 is now in continuous transponder mode with low power beacon, as at 19:15 UTC. Change back to Auto eclipse mode planned for Sunday PM UTC. Enjoy the transponder 73s Jim G3WGM

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QB50p1 and QB50p2 identified
by Nico Janssen 07 Aug '14

07 Aug '14

All, Using detailed doppler measurements I find that QB50p1 is object 40025, 2014-033R, and QB50p2 is object 40032, 2014-033Y. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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Round-the-world M0XER-4
by Robert Bruninga 02 Aug '14

02 Aug '14

That is why I want so much to continue the 145.825 digipeater on as many satellites as we can*. But we can’t seem to inspire any of the other HUNDREDS of satellite building groups to consider it. I think there were over 100 cubesats launched last year. None with 145.825 APRS… *(and convince the leave-it-on-24/7/365-not-moving user satellite stations to stop beaconing unattended!) Bob, WB4APR *From:* aprsisce(a)yahoogroups.com *Subject:* RE: [aprsisce] North America M0XER-4 Too bad we can't get the balloon to switch to the ISS frequency and use the digi off of it when over the oceans and arctic! -------- Original message -------- On Thu, Jul 31, 2014 at 12:23 PM, 'Steve' wrote: > Seems the balloon enjoyed itself so much it’s going round again. > Congratulations are in order to Leo M0XER > AFAIK this has never been done before. > Be interesting to see if it makes it twice We're a tough crowd to please... First circumnavigation of the globe by an amateur radio carrying balloon, and as it passes the milestone... "So, can you get another lap out of it?" What about poor old M0XER-3? It's still out there! Sure it got waylaid in Nunavut for a while, and let M0XER-4 slip on by... It needs some encouragement too! [ see present track: http://aprs.fi/M0XER* (and click for 7 day tail)] If the winds are playing nice, and the fates allow, it should be coming into range fairly soon. James, VE6SRV

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Dual IC706 MKII-G operation
by Tom Warren 31 Jul '14

31 Jul '14

Hello to the group…….. Does anyone have the specifics on how to setup two IC706 MKII-G’s for satellite ssb/cw operation (duplex). I’ve done a bit of browsing and read the manual but remain confused on the hardware needed when using my Compaq laptop (no serial port), only USB’s. Any advise would be appreciated. 73 Tom W4TMW

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Wouxun KG-UV8D
by Craig Gagner 31 Jul '14

31 Jul '14

Has anyone tried one of these for portable use ? It has cross band repeater and also functions in Full Duplex. I just ordered one but need to get another hand held antenna, when I do I'll post my findings. 73, Craig W1MSG

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