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

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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Current Launch Costs From Spaceflight
by Bill Ress 02 Aug '14

02 Aug '14

Spaceflight has released it's latest pricing for launching various satellite sizes and orbit. Read it and weep. Pricing continues to rise. http://spaceflightservices.com/pricing-plans/ Regards...Bill - N6GHz

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Re: [amsat-bb] Equatorial Crossing Data (EQX) (easy predictions)
by Robert Bruninga 01 Aug '14

01 Aug '14

Actually, using simple pass-times, it is possible to predict with a simple pencil, all future pass times for several weeks. Every satelite REPEATs their daily ground track every few days or so. AO51 repeated every 5 days, and GO32 every 9. These were sun synchronous and so not only the ground track repeated but the time of the passes repeated as well. See the examples on: http://aprs.org/MobileLEOtracking.html The ISS is not sun synchronous, but these three rules will predict future ISS passes without any stinkin-confusor: 1) If you hear one pass, 5 out of 7 times, the next one is about 90 minutes later. 2) The ISS REPEATS the same ground track every other day but 51 minutes earlier. 3) For a given day, the same pass the next day is 23 minutes later. This makes portable APRS operations in the wilderness easy. All you need is ONE PASS time, and you can infer all the others for weeks using the simple rules, and just keepin notes on pass TIMES when heard. You don't need no-stinkin-computer. Satellites are in "orbit" and completely predictable. Just take your favorite satellite, print out a week of passes, and then look for the "RULE" that will predict future passes. Then all you need to remember, is the RULE. Bob, WB4aPR -----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of EMike McCardel Sent: Friday, August 01, 2014 1:40 PM To: Glen Gardner Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Equatorial Crossing Data (EQX) Glen, Paul and Joseph, Thank you for your replies. I am learning a lot here. My imagination has been captured by learning to use the Satellabe and OscarLocator prepping for my presentation on tracking satellites at the AMSAT Training Day during the ARRL Centennial. I also discovered a construct involving a globe offering a 3D rendition of of a pass. This is an interesting way to demonstrate how the earth moves independent of the orbit. I can't help but think that some of the analogue tools of the day still have relevancy. EMike EMike McCardel, KC8YLD VP for Educational Relations AMSAT-NA Sent from my iPhone > On Aug 1, 2014, at 11:53 AM, Glen Gardner <glen.gardner(a)verizon.net> wrote: > > > > You can easily find the times for equatorial crossing for ascending passes from the element set. > > > Consider Oscar 7 > > > Satellite: AO-07 > Catalog number: 07530 > Epoch time: 14211.80120610 > Element set: 27 > Inclination: 101.4754 deg > RA of node: 192.2023 deg > Eccentricity: 0.0011666 > Arg of perigee: 207.8798 deg > Mean anomaly: 270.9717 deg > Mean motion: 12.53605918 rev/day > Decay rate: -2.2e-07 rev/day^2 > Epoch rev: 81698 > Checksum: 281 > > The epoch time is the reference time for that element set. It also happens to be the time for the ascending node (equatorial crossing North-to-South). > In this case it is "14211.80120610" which comes out to the year 2014, day 211 and the hour comes out to 19.22 hours.. or approximately 19 hours, 13 minutes, 44 seconds. > > Ignoring the decay rate, the next ascending node will be in one orbital period. You can get this by dividing the number of minutes in a day by the mean motion: 1440/12.53605918=114.869 minutes after the epoch time. > > Getting the descending node is more problematic if the orbit is highly eccentric. In the case of Oscar 7, the eccentricity is small, and it is close enough to a circular orbit that it is reasonable to assert that the descending crossing of the equator is very close to 1/2 orbital period after the ascending node (unless your TLE's are more than a few days old). > > Glen > AA8C > > > >> On 08/01/2014 03:07 AM, Paul Stoetzer wrote: >> i8CVS posted the directions to calculate EQX and everything else >> needed to use an OSCARLATOR from Keplerian elements back in 2003. >> >> http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/200203/msg00749.html >> >> I haven't done any programming in forever, but maybe I'll try to >> write a short program to automate those calculations at some point >> (unless someone already has). >> >> 73, >> >> Paul, N8HM >> >>> On Thu, Jul 31, 2014 at 10:51 PM, EMike McCardel <mccardelm(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> Does anyone know of a tracking application or program or some other software or existing source that will still produces or publishes equatorial crossing data for current satellites? >>> >>> EMike >>> >>> EMike McCardel, KC8YLD >>> VP for Educational Relations AMSAT-NA >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >>> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >>> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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SatPC32 with dual radios
by Larry Ryan 01 Aug '14

01 Aug '14

I am trying to set up SatPC32 ver 12.8c "unregistered" with two FT-817s. My problem is that there is no CAT control on radio 1. Radio 2 works perfectly. Here is the setup: Radio 1, com port 2, delay 70 (tried 110 also) Radio 2, com port 5 Checked Atom. RX/TX change only (no other boxes checked but tried the others) As I change from sat to sat, Radio 2 will change freq and be steered but there is no response from Radio 1 If I remove Radio 2 (unplug the USB cable) and configure only a radio 1, there is no CAT control of radio 1. Computer is an HP Mini running Win7 Watching Device Manager, I can unplug either USB cable and see port 2 or port 5 come and go as I plug and unplug. I have switched radios then switched the CAT USB cables (they are FTDI). Still radio 1 does not change. Leaving the radios plugged in to the same computer, I exited SatPC32 and started HRD and tested for CAT operation on each radio one at a time and they both work. My question: Why no CAT for radio 1? Why no error message? Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can take? I have searched just about everywhere on-line and see no one else having this problem. I have found that many have success with the dual non-duplex transceivers configuration. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Larry W7DGP

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Today on DL83 and DK99
by David Maciel (XE3DX) 01 Aug '14

01 Aug '14

July 29th-12th,August 2014 working on my trip the following grids: Only Work on SO-50 SAT (FT-60R 5 watts & Arrow Antenna) ( EL00, DL90,DL91,DL92,DL81,DL82,DL83,DK99 AND DK89 ) All my QSO `s are uploaded to LoTW all notices from my twitter account @ xe3dx David Maciel XE3DX *http://www.qsl.net/xe3dx/ <http://www.qsl.net/xe3dx/>* *xe3dx(a)amsat.org <http://mc/compose?to=xe3dx@amsat.org>*

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Equatorial Crossing Data (EQX)
by EMike McCardel 01 Aug '14

01 Aug '14

Does anyone know of a tracking application or program or some other software or existing source that will still produces or publishes equatorial crossing data for current satellites? EMike EMike McCardel, KC8YLD VP for Educational Relations AMSAT-NA Sent from my iPhone

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More On Rocket Lab's Launcher
by B J 01 Aug '14

01 Aug '14

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/07/30/rocket-lab-funding-sources/ http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/08/01/rocket-labs-history/ I'm reminded of that line from the movie "Jerry Maguire": "show me the money". It would be nice if what was advertised is actually what the company delivers, as it could provide a means by which amateur radio satellites could be easily and cheaply put into orbit. 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL

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