October 2015 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] Fox-1A/AO-85 transponder to remain on to 0000Z 10Oct
by Rick Tejera 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Drew, Quick question regarding the 67.hz tone.. Should I program a channel with the tone at 435.170 or 435.180? It would seem that at AOS the bird will hear it better at .170 vs. .180. Am I over thinking this Rick Tejera (K7TEJ) Saguaro Astronomy Club www.saguaroastro.org Thunderbird Radio Club www.w7tbc.org 623-572-0713 623-203-4121 (cell) SaguaroaAstro(a)cox.net -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Glasbrenner Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 2:11 AM To: 'AMSAT BB' Subject: [amsat-bb] Fox-1A/AO-85 transponder to remain on to 0000Z 10Oct All, We will leave the transponder running until about 0000Z 10Oct. Feel free to try it. A couple of notes: If the downlink isn't on, a few seconds of 67 Hz tone will turn it on. Narrow FM may help with the downlink audio levels if you find it difficult to hear. You may find it takes a little more gain on the uplink than expected. I encourage users to try their handheld yagis, remember to twist for polarity, listening full duplex to peak your uplink. During this time, the low speed data will still be active alongside your voice downlink, so ground stations are encouraged to continue submitting that to the server. 73, Drew KO4MA _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 10, Issue 301
by Burns Fisher 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

One thing that bears repeating, or perhaps has not been said terribly explicitly. The issue with decoding low speed data via the audio out of a "regular radio" is the LOW frequencies not the high. You need to be sure that the 9600 baud output does not have a low pass filter even if it can pass light on the high end. We need down to only a few 10s of Hz. Some radios work one way, some the other. Nearly all will filter out low frequencies on the normal audio output. Check your manual. I have a TS2000, but I don't remember the specs on 9600 baud out. I have used SDR for my testing. And another comment for another person re HDSDR and FoxTLM: I have a very slow CPU in my shack. It can't deal with FoxTLM running its own SDR at all. It *can* deal with HDSDR piping audio via Virtual Audio Cable to FoxTLM running just in audio mode. 73 from LAX, heading back to my QTH after the launch, Burns W2BFJ Proud to say: Member of the Fox-1 Flight Software group ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brad Schumacher <brad.schumacher66(a)gmail.com> To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Cc: Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 22:50:09 -0700 Subject: [amsat-bb] Fox-1A Telemetry Results using TS-2000 I've been reading this list for a while, decided it's about time I posted something. I attempted to decode the Fox-1A telemetry on 2 passes over Arizona today (approx. 0130 and 0300 UTC) using my Kenwood TS-2000 without success. I configured it for 9600 packet operation, monitored the audio out of ACC2 connector and could see over 20 Khz of audio bandwidth using software based audio spectrum analyzer. Audio response looked good from 0 to 20 KHz so I thought I would be good to go. Nope. I fed audio into 2 different sound card devices - one being the RigBlastger Advantage set to 48 KHz sample rate and the other audio device being my Laptop's built in sound card mic input set to 48K and 96K on different attempts. Audio levels were adjusted so as not to be excessive and sounded clean when played back through the speaker. When attempting to decode, I could see a very nice eye pattern in the telemetry decode software but the data square waves were pointy looking as if some high frequency filtering was being applied to them. I' not conclusively saying the TS-2000 won't work but I did everything right and tested as thoroughly as possible prior to the actual satellite passes with no success. I'll try again and see if I missed something and report back. What DID work for me was decoding the signal via SDR. In this case It was an RTL-SDR dongle in direct sampling mode connected to the 10.695 Mhz IF of the TS-2000. HDSDR was used with output bandwidth set to 96 Khz. Audio was piped to Fox telemetry decoder via VB Virtual Audio Cable software. Brad, KG7NXH

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Re: [amsat-bb] AO-85 telemetry hints
by Mark L. Hammond 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Hello Steve, The only hardware/SDR supported natively by Foxtelem 1.0 is FCDP or FCDPplus. For other SDRs, you have to use something like SDR#, HDSDR, SDR-Radio V2, to decode the audio (FM,about 12-15kHz wide,audio filtering OFF); ouput that audio to a virtual audio cable, then set up Foxtelem to use that virtual audio cable as input. It works, both live and with recordings, both slow and high speed. I will copy AMSAT-BB since others will ask, too :) 73, On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 10:08 AM, Greene, Stephan A < stephan.a.greene(a)vencore.com> wrote: > Mark: > > Have you tried other SDR than the FCD Pro? I know the Fox telemetry > software detects the FCD (it appears in the source pull down menu), I > haven't figured out how to get it to similarly "see" my SDRPlay. > With the FCD Pro, did you set the telemetry software to use IQ input or > audio (your post suggests audio), fast or slow settings? > > Any tricks to using the telemetry software with other SDR software? > (I've been trying HDSDR so far, I have an older copy of SDR# that should > still work with my SDRPlay, and SDR-Console works with it, too) Or do > you create an IQ recording and just play it back? > > 73 & Thanks! > > Steve KS1G > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark L. Hammond [mailto:marklhammond@gmail.com] > Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 6:34 AM > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-85 telemetry hints > > Hi All, > > On the 10utc pass this morning, while the transponder was on and in use: > > I learned that reducing the width of the cutoff filter in Foxtelem > program made it so I could copy the subaudible telemetry packets with > the Funcube Dongle Pro. Reducing from the default 200 Hz to about 180 > or 175 seemed to work here. It shows up as a decent eye pattern after > that. > > Another FYI-When playing back an IQ recording via SDR#, it seems a bit > more forgiving, working well around 175-200. > > Suggest folks experiment for best copy! Share hints here, please! > > 73, > > > > Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] > > > > > -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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RES: FOX1-A Transponder FM
by PY5LF 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Sorry friends Here is the correct link; https://youtu.be/0D4MYNOjRd4 Thank you Paulo ! PY5LF Luciano Fabricio Curitiba-PR-BR GG54jm <http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF> http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF De: PY5LF [mailto:py5lf@falautomation.com.br] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 9 de outubro de 2015 13:38 Para: AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org Cc: 'Starcom-bb' Assunto: FOX1-A Transponder FM Hi folks Here is my reception of two FOX1-A passes over South America , transponder ON. I think my uplink doppler correction needs some improvement . https://youtu.be/NjitT8A00U4 73 PY5LF Luciano Fabricio Curitiba-PR-BR GG54jm http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF

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FOX1-A Transponder FM
by PY5LF 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Hi folks Here is my reception of two FOX1-A passes over South America , transponder ON. I think my uplink doppler correction needs some improvement . https://youtu.be/NjitT8A00U4 73 PY5LF Luciano Fabricio Curitiba-PR-BR GG54jm http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF

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Re: [amsat-bb] Fox-1A decoded after adjustments to 'Filter Length'
by Chris Thompson 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Bob, It seems unlikely that a small movement in the filter length would make such a dramatic difference. It's possible it reduced the load on your CPU, but that also seems unlikely. A slow computer usually misses audio first because it can not keep up with the sound card. That is why we track missed audio at the bottom of the window. So this could have been a coincidence? But maybe not. We left the filter controls on the program for just this sort of experimentation. So keep at it! 73 Chris Chris On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 6:28 AM, Bob KD7YZ <kd7yz(a)denstarfarm.us> wrote: > I'd left this run all night as well as SatPC32 to move the antennas.Now > using FCDP+. > Yet only one decode listed this morning. > So on the 1205Z pass I listened to the audio. If I moved the focus of > the freq indicator, with the mouse, I could see "nearly" an Eye as I'd > seen when running the test-wav yesterday. > > So I adjusted the slider for "Filter Length (sample)" in the upper-right > of the program window. > > Voilla!, I began seeing decodes mount up. Throughout the remainder of > the pas (circa 40% of what it could have been) I tested moving the > "Filter Length" back to 512. This only caused the "EYE" to distort and > decodes to stop. I tried 256 and 320 but always returned to 448 as seen > in the screenshots IF they can make it to the AMSAT-BB. > > Now I need an expert to explain why that worked. > > -- > 73, > Bob KD7YZ > www.qrz.com/db/kd7yz > AmSat LM#901 > -- Chris E. Thompson chrisethompson(a)gmail.com g0kla(a)arrl.net

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Fox-1A Launch Commemorative Issue of the AMSAT Journal Free Download
by JoAnne Maenpaa 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Congratulations to AMSAT's Fox-1A team on their successful launch, orbital deployment, and activation of the Fox-1A satellite. (Now to be known as AO-85.) AMSAT has produced a free, commemorative issue of the AMSAT Journal highlighting the Fox-1A launch success. This full color PDF issue can be downloaded from our current top news story, "Fox-1A launch 5:49 AM PDT on October 8, 2015" at http://www.amsat.org. A direct link to this news item is http://www.amsat.org/?p=4591 If you aren't already a member of AMSAT this issue of our magazine will give you an inside look at the best ham radio club in the world. You'll read and see the dedicated efforts of the Fox-1A team that got us to October 8. Please consider joining AMSAT to support our series of launches coming in 2016 and beyond. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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FM transponder downlink received 11:15UTC
by The 2-Belo 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Hello, new poster to this list. Using a handheld transceiver and a dual-band vertical on an outside mast, I heard the AO-85 downlink starting at 11:15UTC Oct. 9 as it passed over the Sea of Japan. Signals ranged from full quieting to QSB due to what I believe to be the sat's motion in space (rotating at about 10 rpm?). Recording here: https://soundcloud.com/minus2c/fox-1a-ao-85-fm-transponder-test-oct-9-2015 Keep up the excellent work. Can't wait to work the new bird. J. Boyd, JR2TTS/NI3B

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FM transponder downlink received 11:15UTC
by The 2-Belo 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Hello, new poster to this list. Using a handheld transceiver and a dual-band vertical on an outside mast, I heard the AO-85 downlink starting at 11:15UTC Oct. 9 as it passed over the Sea of Japan. Signals ranged from full quieting to QSB due to what I believe to be the sat's motion in space (rotating at about 10 rpm?). Recording here: https://soundcloud.com/minus2c/fox-1a-ao-85-fm-transponder-test-oct-9-2015 Keep up the excellent work. Can't wait to work the new bird. J. Boyd, JR2TTS/NI3B

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FOX-1 XPONDER ACTIVE
by Nader Omer 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Congratulation AMSAT-NA and AllNice and Great Job. I've just test FOX-1 uplink and downlink and its 95 plus......hearing the audio and decoded the Data Under Voice (DUV) 73 de Nader Omer st2nh/hz1nh

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