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

Enhanced FUNcube-1 Dashboard App now available
by M5AKA 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

See http://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/28/enhanced-funcube-1-dashboard-app/ Also on the AMSAT-UK site : Murray Niman G6JYB Appointed RSGB Spectrum Chair http://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/28/murray-niman-g6jyb-appointed-rsgb-spectrum-c… UK Space Agency: UKube-1 Success http://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/28/uk-space-agency-ukube-1-success/ ARISS contact planned with ESA Space Camp, Fleetwood, UK http://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/24/ariss-contact-planned-with-esa-space-camp-fl… Some pictures from last weekend's Colloquium are now on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.739813039395081.1073741828.208113… ---- 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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AMSAT-UK Colloquium Pictures
by M5AKA 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

I have added some of the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium pictures taken by Mike Rupprecht DK3WN to the AMSAT-UK Facebook page, see https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.739813039395081.1073741828.208113… If anyone else has any pictures of the event which I can use can you email them to me (max 20 meg attachment) or send Dropbox / Flickr / Instagram link. ---- 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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Cape-2 Voice Repeater
by Roland Zurmely 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

Successful voice repeater command: http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/C2vr2807.wav 73 de Roland PY4ZBZ GH70un

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LituanicaSAT-1 (LO-78) Decayed
by Paul Stoetzer 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

According to Space-Track.org, LO-78 decayed early this morning: 39569 LITUANICASAT 1 1998-067EN LTU 2014-07-28 13:29:00 2014-07-28 0:00:00 0.096 decay_msg TLE Historical Congratulations to all who were involved in this successful project and we look forward to any future Lithuanian amateur radio satellite projects. 73, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Washington, DC

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Digital Satellites Question
by Dave Marthouse 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

I have been following the digital satellite discussion with great interest. Both sides have valid points. I would like to pose a strictly engineering question. Keep in mind that I'm not an engineer but consider myself reasonably well read on the amateur satellite world. A digital satellite would imply loads of processing power on the satellite. I would assume that with this additional activity that there will be more hardware on the bird with more complexity as this won't be a bent pipe system. With more physical hardware of much more complexity in orbit what about the radiation hazards to this more complex and physical hardware heavier system? Wouldn't a software based system be prone to radiation induced hardware and software glitches? What about shielding etc? Dave Marthouse N2AAM dmarthouse(a)gmail.com -- Dave Marthouse dmarthouse(a)gmail.com

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Ham Radio Now Announces Kickstarter Campaign for 2014 ARRL/TAPR DCC (Digital Communications Conference) in Austin, TX
by Mark Thompson 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

Ham Radio Now Announces Kickstarter Campaign to Attend & Record Videos of 2014 ARRL/TAPR DCC (Digital Communications Conference) in Austin, TX. Gary, KN4AQ of ARVN & Ham Radio Now produced high quality video of the ARRL/TAPR DCCs (Digital Communications Conference) in 2008 and 2009 (released on DVD), and 2011, 2012 and 2013 (released on high-definition streaming video). The videos covered every talk, including the Saturday banquet "keynote" and the Sunday Seminar, usually a four-hour "deep dive" into a single subject. The videos have been an invaluable resource for hams who weren't able to attend the sessions, and even for hams who were there in person and wanted a review. Gary, KN4AQ is based in North Carolina. Last year, he conducted a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to cover both his expenses to travel to the 2013 ARRL/TAPR DCC (Digital Communications Conference) in Seattle and produce & make available on-line video of the entire DCC including all sessions. The year Gary is conducting another Kickstarter campaign this year to cover his expenses to attend the 2014 DCC in Austin, TX and record & produce the entire DCC again. Please help TAPR & Ham Radio Now by contributing to Gary's Kickstarter campaign at the link below: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/860504337/hamradionow-video-of-the-201… More information about the DCC is at: www.tapr.org/dcc Thanks for contribution to the Ham Radio Now DCC Kickstarter campaign and look forward to seeing many of you at the DCC.

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CN88 on CW today
by wa7eth＠frontier.com 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

I will be on FO-29, Mode CW on the 0048Z (July 28) and 0234Z passes, mode CW. Looking for some cw contacts. . 73'...Ed WA7ETH

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LituanicaSAT-1 status update
by Vytenis Buzas 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

Dear friends, FM transponder is OFF, it's mission is completed, thank you for all the good responses. Based on this there will be more projects in the future making benefit for HAM people of the World. Currently only telemetry packets are to transmit data every 15 seconds. On-board temperature is rising and the altitude is being lost quickly therefore some peculiarities due to changing thermal environment can occur. Would appreciate any of your reports tracking last orbits of LituanicaSAT-1. Thank you for all of your support! Vytenis B.

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I want this. I want that. Here comes another FM LEO sat.
by Clayton Coleman 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

I am pleased that AMSAT-NA is going to move forward with a LEO CubeSat, single channel, analog FM transponder. If successful, it will be immensely popular worldwide. My hope is that it will help usher in a new, improved series of satellites with more advanced payloads. There is great potential in the ranks of AMSAT-NA and groups worldwide to achieve lofty goals. Look at what AMSAT-UK and others have already done in the CubeSat platform. The digital mode capabilities discussed here on the AMSAT-BB are just the tip of the iceberg to where technology can take us. It's very easy to be a pessimist or a cynic. Very little risk is involved. It doesn't take any cojones to sit in a comfy chair and email snarky comments. If you are optimistic about a project and it fails, your peers may see your actions as a fool. Even worse, people may withdraw their financial support for future missions. Even after great success, the optimist may receive very little praise, especially in this field of voluntary amateur radio service. AMSAT-NA is boldly entering the CubeSat world with the planned satellite series FOX-1. If you haven't noticed, there have been full-page advertisements soliciting volunteers in the AMSAT Journal. There is plenty of opportunity to serve and influence the direction of AMSAT-NA. If we all threaten to leave and stop paying our dues when things don't go our way, what will we ever accomplish? Please take a simple step to support amateur radio in space. Donate to the FOX-1C launch effort. http://www.amsat.org/?p=2957 73 Clayton W5PFG

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Re: [amsat-bb] Inclusion (satcoms?)
by Robert Bruninga 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

But if the goal of satellite operation is from the shack-potato position, why not just use the internet and not bother. Don't forget the TOTAL FAILURE of the original SAT-PHONE industry when they ignored cellphones and fiber. No one would bother with a sat-phone when their $9/mo cell phone could do the job almost 99% of the time and call anywhere on the planet. The only thing SAT-PHONEs turned out to be good for are wilderness communications, and there are plenty of places on earth that fit that category. Probably 90% of the earths surface is a wireless desert. But the 99% of the worlds population lives in that wired-10%. I have also heard that these days, " all of the satellite communications carried by all the comm satellites worldwide could fit on a SINGLE fiber. The value of ham radio is providing communications where other systems cannot. And of course, playing with toys just for fun. Bob, Wb4APR -----Original Message----- >> I've heard comments that basically imply anyone >> who wants to go outside with an HT and wave a yagi around is stupid. > Standing outside with a yagi in hand and the monsoon > trickling down my neck isn't for me. It is demonstrably > a valid way to make contacts and an excellent way to > demonstrate how satellite operation can occur with minimalist equipment. > But as far as I'm concerned, it IS NOT the ultimate objective > of a satellite operator....

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