October 2015 - 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-26 23:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 22 Sep '17

22 Sep '17

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-26 23:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Possible Russian contact with Kursk Tue 2015-10-27 11:35 UTC Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, direct via K8UTT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #3: Tue 2015-10-27 16:01:59 UTC 57 deg Watch for a live video stream that should start about 15:00 UTC: (***) http://www.dearbornschools.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbhrQiZ62LE Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, direct via K5COW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #4: Thu 2015-10-29 14:12:56 UTC 31 deg **************************************************************************** ** Interested in hosting an ARISS contact? The window is now open from 2015-09-01 to 2015-11-01. These proposals will be for school contacts during the second half of 2016. Go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact or http://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html for full details. To help organizations in preparing their proposals, the ARISS Program Coordinator will offer hour-long online information sessions. These are designed to provide more information regarding US ARISS contacts and the proposal process and offer an opportunity to ask questions. While attending an online information session is not required, it is strongly encouraged. These will be offered Thursday, September 17, at 2000 UTC; Tuesday, September 22, at 2000 UTC, and Wednesday, September 30, at 2300 UTC. Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss(a)arrl.org) to sign up for an information session. **************************************************************************** ** >From 2015-12-20 to 2016-01-04, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Gaston ON4WF with 121 Francesco IKØWGF with 114 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 112 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8061 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2015-10-24 06:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1001. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 966. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 46. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2015-10-24 06:00 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 43/44 on orbit Scott Kelly Mikhail Kornienko RN3BF Exp. 44 on orbit Oleg Kononenko RN3DX Kimiya Yui KG5BPH Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Exp. 45 on orbit Sergey Volkov RU3DIS **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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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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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Net - Colorado
by Clint Bradford 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

Great job, Skyler, on the satellite net this evening. Although just a dozen or so checked in, there were more lurking - and, hopefully, learning and getting interested. Heck - one of your participants even offered a donation to your school's ham club! Clint K6LCS

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Special Membership Offer for Fox-1A launch on October 8, 2015
by Andrew Glasbrenner 16 Dec '15

16 Dec '15

>From http://www.amsat.org/?p=4591 AMSAT’s Fox-1A is set to launch as part of the GRACE (Government Rideshare Advanced Concepts Experiment) auxillary payload on the NROL-55 mission October 8, 2015 from Vandenburg AFB on an Atlas V vehicle. More details will be released when made available from our launch provider. NRO has released this factsheet about the mission: http://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/GRACE_CubeSat_Fac… General information on Fox-1A is available in the downloadable AMSAT Fox Operating Guide http://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FoxOperatingGuide… FoxTelem software for decoding and submitting telemetry has been made available for download at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=4532 . As part of the preparations for the launch and activation of this new satellite, AMSAT is making our “Getting Started With The Amateur Satellites” book available for a limited time as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The 132 page book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store (http://store.amsat.org/catalog/) and selecting any membership option. While there, check out our other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, AMSAT shirts, hats, and other swag. Thank you, and see you soon on Fox-1A! 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations

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6m for Sats ? + ISS + SSETI Express
by M5AKA 01 Nov '15

01 Nov '15

Proposed 50-54 MHz Agenda Item for WRC-19 http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/30/50-54-mhz-agenda-item-wrc-19/ Fort Worth students talk to ISS http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/30/fort-worth-students-talk-to-iss/ Tim Peake KG5BVI and the ISS Astro Pi’s http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/30/tim-peake-kg5bvi-iss-astro-pis/ The Hunt for SSETI Express In October five intrepid radio amateurs ventured into the Arctic in an attempt to detect 400-800 THz radiation from the satellite SSETI Express (XO-53). Tenth Anniversary of SSETI Express (XO-53) Launch http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/27/tenth-anniversary-of-xo-53-launch/ The full SSETI Express Phase E 400-800 THz Downlink Report http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/29/the-hunt-for-xo53/ 73 Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK ----

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AO85: interesting results
by Ed K9EK 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

Note on just copying AO85 on the 1845Z pass (in high speed mode): Normal method of copying telemetry is with FCD+ fed by a 2M splitter that also feeds a TS700 2M transceiver. Works. Tried something different: Instead of having the FCD listening on 2M, I had it listening to the 10.7MHz IF output tap of the TS700. Then I tuned the TS700 strictly for best eye pattern. It worked; the lower right counter added 63 packets in half of a pass (a million trees and a great big hill to the north here). Most packets ever. Now the strange parts. The TS700 was tuned to 145.964. A bit lower than expected. (I normally hear audio at 145.980). And the best eye pattern was obtained (without automatic signal tracking) with the two peaks of the telemetry offset half the passband to the right of FoxTelem's centerline indicator. Seems odd, or am I missing something? BTW FoxTelem is an astounding piece of software. Wow. Ed K9EK EM69xd

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AO-85 in Data Mode over EU
by Jerry Buxton 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

We just commanded AO-85 into Data Mode which is the high speed telemetry and hopefully it will still be in that mode 15 minutes from now when it comes into view over Europe. Please switch your FoxTelem to high speed on the Input tab to capture what you can before she switches back to Transponder Mode. Thanks, from the Fox Team! -- Jerry Buxton, NØJY

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ARR preamp modification
by jeffory broughton 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

For those of u who are using a very hot VHF receiver like the Ic 910, mine specs at .11 uv for 20 db, I found the ARR mast mount to have too much gain. I replaced the 78l05 with a 78l033 and realigned to reduce overall gain and noise figure. I never used the preamp because of this problem.Now when I switch the preamp on and turn the ATT on, I can Dig a noisy signal out of the dirt like never before. Marginal copy way down below 1 degree becomes 59 .amazing. WB8RJY JEFF jeff broughton

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2E
by jeffory broughton 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

No transponder or beacon this morning from 2E on the 12:06 utc pass. jeff broughton

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2E
by jeffory broughton 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

Now that's kinda scary. I will try to listen later. jeff broughton

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WD9EWK on the next 3 AO-85 passes tonight...
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 31 Oct '15

31 Oct '15

Hi! Now that the weekend is here, I plan on trying the next 3 AO-85 passes from my back yard, and (for the latest pass) possibly the front yard. The middle of the 3 passes is almost directly overhead, and the latest pass - just before 0800 UTC - appears to cover Hawaii and parts of the southwestern USA. If anyone can be on AO-85 from Hawaii for that late pass (around 2200 local time in Hawaii), I will be happy to try working you from here in Arizona. The pass around 0800 UTC is up to 10 degrees maximum elevation on this end, but that should be sufficient if I operate from my west-facing driveway instead of my east-facing back yard. I'll have my SDR setup receiving all 3 passes, but may have the SDRplay on my VHF crossed dipole for the middle of the 3 passes. I plan on trying an HT with my Elk for that pass, and will have the SDRplay on the omnidirectional antenna running to collect telemetry and (hopefully) my signals from the HT through AO-85. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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SatPC32 and M2
by Jim White 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Anyone successfully using SatPC32 to drive M2 rotors, the RC2800PX control boxes? Here both SatPC32 and SuM will move the AZ but not the EL.

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Audio Coverage of Wednesdays ARISS Contact
by John Spasojevich 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Please join us in listening to the ISS contact with participants at the Eleanor Palmer School, London, United Kingdom on Wednesday November 4th. AOS is anticipated at 09:51 UTC The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK6MJ in Western Australia. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Audio from this contact will be fed into the: EchoLink *AMSAT* (101377) IRLP Node 9010 Discovery Reflector Streaming Audio at: https://sites.google.com/site/arissaudio/ Audio on Echolink & web stream is generally started around 20 minutes prior to the contact taking place so that you can hear some of the preparation that occurs. IRLP will begin just prior to the ground station call to the ISS. ** Contact times are approximate. If the ISS executes a reboost or other manoeuvre, the AOS (Acquisition Of Signal) time may alter by a few minutes ** 73, John - AG9D ARISS Audio Distribution Team

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Re: [amsat-bb] No TLM on AO-85 during 20:15 UTC pass.
by Jerry Buxton 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

We will announce when AO-85 is commissioned and turned over to Operations for scheduled use. Meantime due to travel and work, it has been a little hit and miss on testing this week. Nothing has been said yet about any scheduled testing because it has been a matter of whether our people are home to test and if the satellite is in view of enough of us to gather data. I expect that we'll just continue that at least for tonight, so the satellite will be available but might just disappear into Data or Safe Mode during a U.S. pass... :-) If we go into Data Mode all who recognize that and can switch to and gather the high speed telemetry with FoxTelem are appreciated. Jerry Buxton, NØJY On 10/30/2015 16:04, Dave Remnant wrote: > Thanks Jerry > > Also received reply from Kevin > > I know you guys are still commissioning so I guess notice of changes will be > rare, if at all. > > Do you plan on some form of notice when commissioning over? > > Thanks to you and all the team. > > Dave > > -----Original Message----- > From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jerry Buxton > Sent: 30 October 2015 20:52 > To: Dave Remnant > Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] No TLM on AO-85 during 20:15 UTC pass. > > Hi Dave, > > We commanded into Data Mode during that pass, so what you heard was the high > speed telemetry data and when you hear that again you can decode by > switching FoxTelem to high speed on the input tab. > AO-85 will switch back to Transponder Mode automatically after 15 minutes in > Data Mode. > > Jerry > N0JY > > On Oct 30, 2015 3:35 PM, Dave Remnant <dave.remnant(a)ntlworld.com> wrote: >> The TLM was making some strange noises and the "eye" was distorted and >> I received no packets from AO-85 >> >> >> >> I could hear the transponder fine, but switching between the >> transponder audio and the TLM shows the difference. >> >> >> >> I have video of this if any of the team are interested. >> >> >> >> Was this planned or is it something I may have done inadvertently? >> >> >> >> 73 de Dave M0SAT >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> > _______________________________________________ > 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] No TLM on AO-85 during 20:15 UTC pass.
by Jerry Buxton 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Hi Dave, We commanded into Data Mode during that pass, so what you heard was the high speed telemetry data and when you hear that again you can decode by switching FoxTelem to high speed on the input tab. AO-85 will switch back to Transponder Mode automatically after 15 minutes in Data Mode. Jerry N0JY On Oct 30, 2015 3:35 PM, Dave Remnant <dave.remnant(a)ntlworld.com> wrote: > > The TLM was making some strange noises and the "eye" was distorted and I > received no packets from AO-85 > > > > I could hear the transponder fine, but switching between the transponder > audio and the TLM shows the difference. > > > > I have video of this if any of the team are interested. > > > > Was this planned or is it something I may have done inadvertently? > > > > 73 de Dave M0SAT > > _______________________________________________ > 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] No TLM on AO-85 during 20:15 UTC pass.
by Kevin Schuchmann 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

it was switched to high speed mode, if you switched over the eye would have come back and you would have gotten packets Kevin wa6fwf On 10/30/2015 1:35 PM, Dave Remnant wrote: > The TLM was making some strange noises and the "eye" was distorted and I > received no packets from AO-85 > > > > I could hear the transponder fine, but switching between the transponder > audio and the TLM shows the difference. > > > > I have video of this if any of the team are interested. > > > > Was this planned or is it something I may have done inadvertently? > > > > 73 de Dave M0SAT > > _______________________________________________ > 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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No TLM on AO-85 during 20:15 UTC pass.
by Dave Remnant 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

The TLM was making some strange noises and the "eye" was distorted and I received no packets from AO-85 I could hear the transponder fine, but switching between the transponder audio and the TLM shows the difference. I have video of this if any of the team are interested. Was this planned or is it something I may have done inadvertently? 73 de Dave M0SAT

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AO-85 frequencies
by Tom Worthington 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

I seem to get the best quality echo audio if I transmit on 435170 (at the satellite). The downlink doesn't seem to make much difference either for the audio or the telemetry decode but I use 145978 (at the satellite). I have not had a QSO but there are no others in Hawaii active now so I have only a short window to the western US. 73, Tom, NH6Y (BL10ts)

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Eleanor Palmer School, London, United Kingdom
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Eleanor Palmer School, London, United Kingdom on 04 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09:51 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK6MJ. The contact should be audible over portions of Australia and adjacent areas. Interested participants are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Eleanor Palmer Primary School, a non-selective community school, is located in central London in the United Kingdom. London is an exciting and dynamic capital city and its schools are the best in the country, attributed to the social and ethnic diversity, excellent local leadership and the quality of teaching. Eleanor Palmer is a relatively small school of around 220 pupils with single classes of 30 children per year. Our youngest pupils are 3 years old and our oldest 11 years old. Due to our central London location we are a highly diverse and inclusive school with staff and children from many different backgrounds. Our pupils achieve highly as judged by national benchmarks. One of our core aims as a school is to inspire in all pupils a love of learning and the desire to continue to learn and we therefore seek to provide a rich and broad curriculum opening minds and creating opportunities. We hope that our contact with the ISS will inspire pupils to go on to learn more about space through the study of science, technology, engineering and math. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What have you seen that is more beautiful than earth? 2. Who or what inspired you to choose this job? 3. Does being in space make you feel differently about earth? 4. What can you learn from the ISS that you cannot learn on earth? 5. Will normal people who are not astronauts be able to visit space in the ISS one day? 6. How do you sleep? 7. Is it quiet up there in the ISS? 8. When you get back to earth, do you have to re-train your muscles? 9. Can you call home? 10. Do you all have to be scientists? 11. What do you think is the most important things children should know about space? 12. What time zone do you use? 13. Do you have plants on the ISS? 14. What has been your favourite experiment? 15. How does your brain respond to micro gravity? 16. How do you wash your clothes? 17. If you cry in space, with laughter, what happens to your tears? 18. What do you want to do when you come back to earth? 19. How do you get enough oxygen? 20. Is it more scary taking off from earth or returning to earth? 21. What is your energy source on the ISS? 22. What does it feel like to be in space? 23. Is it always dark in space? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): 1. Dragonskolan, Umeå, Sweden, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Thu Nov. 5, 2015, 10:35 UTC ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the volunteer support and leadership from AMSAT and IARU societies around the world with the ISS space agencies partners: NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/ Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Re: [amsat-bb] InstantTrack on Win10?
by Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

At 01:36 PM 10/30/2015 +0000, Ed K9EK <e.krome(a)comcast.net> wrote: >Here is the odd question of the month: Has anyone found a way to run the >ancient tracking program InstantTrack on a Win10 machine? Win10 gives a >bunch of run compatibility and screen options all the way back to Win95; >none work. The Troubleshooter says it should run on XP. Same old "can't >run on this PC" response. Before I am advised to get out of the stoneage, >I do run SatPc32, HRD and Orbitron. Just that IT has some stuff that I >like. And, on XP, it is fast. > >Thanks! > >Ed K9EK Glad to see there are still a few IT die hards out here. Can't help you on the OS, but I'm just chiming in to say IT is the only tracking program I use. Might try out PcSat32 down the road, but I haven't heard if that works with SASI tracker rotor controller. KB7ADL

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FW: InstantTrack on Win10?
by KERRY LA*DUKE 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

From: kladuke1144(a)msn.com To: apbiddle(a)mailaps.org Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] InstantTrack on Win10? Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 08:14:08 -0600 Ed, VMware player allows you to install an older version on a windows 10 machine. I use it with windows xp to run programs that are no longer compatible with newer versions of windows. http://1download.io/v4/vmware-player-7.1.2/?adid=9919829952&qs=vmware%20pla… 73 WC7V Kerry > From: wa4sca(a)gmail.com > To: e.krome(a)comcast.net; amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:01:40 -0500 > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] InstantTrack on Win10? > > Ed, > > Take a look at DosBox, a program to allow old DOS programs to run on newer version of Windows: > > http://www.dosbox.com/ > > I have used it on WIN7 and WIN8 to run ITrack in full screen mode, not WIN10 which I don't have yet, > but it would be worth a try. If you do, let us know. Like you, I enjoy getting ITrack out, mostly > for nostalgia. > > 73s, > > Alan > WA4SCA > > > <-----Original Message----- > <From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ed K9EK > <Sent: Friday, October 30, 2015 8:36 AM > <To: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > <Subject: [amsat-bb] InstantTrack on Win10? > < > <Here is the odd question of the month: Has anyone found a way to run the ancient tracking program > <InstantTrack on a Win10 machine? Win10 gives a bunch of run compatibility and screen options all the > <way back to Win95; none work. The Troubleshooter says it should run on XP. Same old "can't run on > <this PC" response. Before I am advised to get out of the stoneage, I do run SatPc32, HRD and > Orbitron. > <Just that IT has some stuff that I like. And, on XP, it is fast. > < > <Thanks! > < > <Ed K9EK > <EM69xd > <_______________________________________________ > <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 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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InstantTrack on Win10?
by Ed K9EK 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Here is the odd question of the month: Has anyone found a way to run the ancient tracking program InstantTrack on a Win10 machine? Win10 gives a bunch of run compatibility and screen options all the way back to Win95; none work. The Troubleshooter says it should run on XP. Same old "can't run on this PC" response. Before I am advised to get out of the stoneage, I do run SatPc32, HRD and Orbitron. Just that IT has some stuff that I like. And, on XP, it is fast. Thanks! Ed K9EK EM69xd

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XW-2E & XW-2F on 30-October ~1400 UTC
by Clayton Coleman 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

I didn't hear XW-2E's CW beacon and was unable to activate the transponder at 13:56 UTC. However, XW-2F's CW beacon was strong and I made contact with several stations at 14:15 UTC. 73 Clayton W5PFG

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-30 05:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-30 05:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, direct via K5COW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact was successful: Thu 2015-10-29 14:12:56 UTC 31 deg Eleanor Palmer School, London, United Kingdom, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1S The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Wed 2015-11-04 09:51:39 UTC 44 deg Dragonskolan, Umeå, Sweden, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Thu 2015-11-05 10:35:17 UTC 28 deg **************************************************************************** ** Interested in hosting an ARISS contact? The window is now open from 2015-09-01 to 2015-11-01. These proposals will be for school contacts during the second half of 2016. Go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact or http://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html for full details. To help organizations in preparing their proposals, the ARISS Program Coordinator will offer hour-long online information sessions. These are designed to provide more information regarding US ARISS contacts and the proposal process and offer an opportunity to ask questions. While attending an online information session is not required, it is strongly encouraged. These will be offered Thursday, September 17, at 2000 UTC; Tuesday, September 22, at 2000 UTC, and Wednesday, September 30, at 2300 UTC. Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss(a)arrl.org) to sign up for an information session. **************************************************************************** ** >From 2015-12-20 to 2016-01-04, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Gaston ON4WF with 121 Francesco IKØWGF with 114 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 112 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8061 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2015-10-30 05:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1005. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 970. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 46. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2015-10-30 05:00 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 43/44 on orbit Scott Kelly Mikhail Kornienko RN3BF Exp. 44 on orbit Oleg Kononenko RN3DX Kimiya Yui KG5BPH Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Exp. 45 on orbit Sergey Volkov RU3DIS **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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AO-85 Uplink Frequencies??
by Tim Crawford 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

Do we have a conscientious yet on the spread of the uplink frequencies for AO-85? Today (29th) at the ~ 2300 UT pass over me on the coast of NW Oregon I could hear two stations WA6DNR (CM87) and WB9AWX (DM04) and it is quite possible, after listing to the recording it sounded like WB9AWX (~23:02) may have come back to my call but no idea at that moment what freq I may have been on (as I was running up and down from 435.165-435.180 at that point) and at that time the bird would have been close to Max EI for myself and probably getting closer to LOS for WB. So, after four tries I am less than certain if I am getting into the bird and before the 5th trip would very much like some input on what the uplink freq's seem to be running for folks that are being successful from AOS to LOS. >From what I am reading, I may be handicapped with my HT-60 (Arrow antenna) but willing to keep trying for awhile as it has been a long wait for this one. Thanks for all suggestions! And, by the way, thanks to the FOX team for all their previous and current hard work.... either way it goes I do appreciate the effort. Tim R CrawfordKE7TAC CN85atArch Cape, OR

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Colorado Amateur Satellite net Begins in 1 hour
by Skyler F 30 Oct '15

30 Oct '15

This is a reminder that the Colorado Amateur Satellite net will begin in 1 hour from now (7PM mountain time Thursday). 6PM Pacific 7PM Mountain 8PM Central 9PM Eastern Please visit us on *AMSATNET.INFO <http://amsatnet.info/>* *IRLP* 9870, the Denver Reflector *ALLSTAR LINK* 40764, direct hookup to the repeater here. 41715, KC9ZHV hub at a data center if I am out of bandwidth. More info on AllStar - amsatnet.info/#node *ECHOLINK* *AMSAT* unless there is an ARISS contact, then go direct to KD0WHB-L *LOCAL RF* 449.875 (-) 103.5 (the Rocky Mountain Radio League repeater on Eldorado Mountain) 447.225 (-) 141.3 (The STEM school repeater we set up) 447.850 (-) 141.3 (ACØKQ's repeater where he lives on TOP of saddleback mountain) 449.625 (-) 141.3 ( WØKU Lookout Mountain) Possibly here, not for sure yet 147.450 SIMPLEX (Aurora, CO) 446.275 (-) 100.0 Galena St. Local repeater at my house, giving a whoppin 5 blocks of great coverage *REMOTE RF* Your Repeater here!, Email me if you want to link in or me to link your echolink or allstar repeater in automatically (no automatic IRLP linking supported) Skyler Fennell amsatnet.info KDØWHB electricity440(a)gmail.com

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Dagget Montessori ARISS reception report
by John Brier 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

In Raleigh, NC I picked up Kjell in the middle of his answer to question 4. Kjell got through answering question 10 but after that there was a longer than normal break and then Kjell said goodbye and signed off. The end of that last transmission was at 10:24:04 Eastern, I believe that's 14:24:04 UTC. I was surprised he lost them that early because I had their pass ending at 10:26:06 Eastern (14:26:06 UTC). I was using keps downloaded last night from Celestrak in Orbitron. Forth Worth: Time Satellite Azm Elv Mag Range S.Azm S.Elv -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015-10-29 10:15:32 ISS 207.1 0.0 2.7 2356 119.0 17.0 2015-10-29 10:20:49 ISS 130.6 33.5 0.2 684 119.9 17.9 2015-10-29 10:26:06 ISS 54.7 0.0 3.0 2363 120.8 18.9 Normally the ARISS passes are below 20 degrees for me and this time it was a 42 degree pass so I picked up the Columbus module stronger than ever before. At least S9 signal at one point and the audio was cleaner than normal with no hiss. Raleigh: Time Satellite Azm Elv Mag Range S.Azm S.Elv -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015-10-29 10:19:01 ISS 241.3 0.0 2.8 2358 135.2 28.0 2015-10-29 10:20:20 ISS 244.7 5.0 2.3 1823 135.5 28.2 2015-10-29 10:24:24 ISS 322.9 42.7 -0.1 574 136.4 28.8 2015-10-29 10:28:27 ISS 40.1 5.1 2.4 1823 137.4 29.3 2015-10-29 10:29:48 ISS 43.7 0.0 3.0 2370 137.7 29.5 I have audio/video of all this and I'll probably make a video out of it for YouTube. John, KG4AKV

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Orbitron and Google Chrome
by W3MAT . 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

It seems I have an issue running Orbitron and Chrome simultaneously. My laptop runs on Windows Vista (I know, there's the first problem, right), I also run a second monitor, and I am running the latest version of Orbitron. If I try and browse the web on the laptop monitor with Orbitron running on my second screen, the computer will inevitably lock up after a few minutes of browsing. Has anyone else ran into a similar problem and what was the solution, if any? For now, I start Orbitron, run TLE updates, then save the predictions to a file, exit Orbitron, then keep open the predictions in Notepad. Thanks Loon W3MAT

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4U70UN confirmations?
by Grant Zehr 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

I saw that 4U70UN logs have been uploaded to Clublog. Has anyone seen their satellite QSO posted there? My contact is not there or in LOTW yet. I suspect that it's just a matter of getting the satellite data formatted correctly. I'm sure there is no need to panic.yet. Grant Zehr AA9LC

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Super Strypi (SPARK) Launch
by Mineo Wakita 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

The following satellites are planned to be launched on 1 or 2, Nov 2015. Argus, EDSN, HawaiiSat-1, ORS-Squared, PrintSat, STACEM, STU-1, Supernova-Beta Site is Pacific Missile Range - Kokole Point, Kauai, Hawaii Satellite Downlink Beacon Mode ---------------------- ----------------- ------- ------------ Argus 2403.000-2403.400 437.290 1200bps AFSK EDSN 2401.200-2431.200 437.100 1200bps AFSK HawaiiSat1 (HiakaSat1) 145.9805 437.2705 9600bps GFSK ORS-Squared 437.325 . 9600bps GMSK PrintSat 437.325 . 9600bps GMSK STACEM . . ? STU-1 2402.000-2445.000 436.360 9600bps GMSK Supernova-Beta 437.570 . 1200bps AFSK ---------------------- ----------------- ------- ------------ HawaiiSat-1 1 99999U 00000 15306.00000000 .00002809 00000-0 69295-4 0 00007 2 99999 094.6040 077.7732 0056131 182.2912 079.1822 15.38919159000464 http://spaceflight101.com/spacerockets/spark-super-strypi/ http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/sparksat.htm JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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PSAT-1 AX25 Packets
by AL Lyday 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Hello,, I received a few Packet AX25 1200bd on aprx 145.825 today , And I cant seem to find this one of the LIST. Can anyone tell me whats this Birds main name is so I can put into my Tracking software.. TNX 1:Fm PSAT-1 To APOFF Via ARISS <UI pid=F0 Len=34 >[09:32:08] T#891,813,347,926,757,823,00011100 1:Fm PSAT-1 To APOFF Via ARISS <UI pid=F0 Len=52 >[09:32:10] s#019657,0z290,HDEjaGdgGFgFIGEdIFiGGifFFgEHEI0IJiIG

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Re: [amsat-bb] 200' RADAR Blimp CANCEL
by Robert Bruninga 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Nevermind, CANCEL… Its back on the grouind in Bloomsburg, PA Bob, WB4APR *From:* Robert Bruninga [mailto:[email protected]] *Sent:* Wednesday, October 28, 2015 4:14 PM *To:* amsat-bb(a)amsat.org *Subject:* 200' RADAR Blimp broke loose fm MD! Just minutes ago, it has been reported that the 200’ radar blimp tethered in Northern Maryland has broken loose. It does NOT have APRS on it, but we need people in MD and PA to look up in the sky for it and user your APRS to send DF bearing lines so we can track it. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aerostat-blimp-owned-army-untether… I have not had time to VERIFY this, but am throwing it out there anyway. This is what APRS is desiged to do. Just enter y our bearing line in a DF packet and we can all see the plot on APRS. Bob, WB4APR

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200' RADAR Blimp broke loose fm MD!
by Robert Bruninga 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Just minutes ago, it has been reported that the 200’ radar blimp tethered in Northern Maryland has broken loose. It does NOT have APRS on it, but we need people in MD and PA to look up in the sky for it and user your APRS to send DF bearing lines so we can track it. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aerostat-blimp-owned-army-untether… I have not had time to VERIFY this, but am throwing it out there anyway. This is what APRS is desiged to do. Just enter y our bearing line in a DF packet and we can all see the plot on APRS. Bob, WB4APR

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Re: [amsat-bb] New Duplexer and AO-85
by W3MAT . 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Yes, Thanks to Jerry for taking time from your day to type a reply and answer questions. I certainly didn't intend my message from early this morning to sound harsh, and I apologize if I came off that way. Like others, I spent quite a deal of time researching the new Fox-1 satellite and after watching the video posted on AMSATS "Meet The Fox Project", around the 7:53 mark is where it is stated that operators with hand held equipment would be able to work this new satellite. So, I was quite eager and anxious to have something else circling the globe other than just SO-50 for us FM'ers, as I do not have the proper equipment to work the linear birds. I don't have to rehash the issues that came along and I found that working this new bird with hand held equipment was not as easy as it was presented in the video, and yes, I did become a bit frustrated ... kind of like getting that new train for Christmas and finding that you don't have a locomotive to pull the train. So if I stepped on toes, I am truly sorry. I will sit back, be patient, and let this be a learning experience, since from the time I entered into the amateur radio satellite arena, there were already working FM birds in place, two of those which have since "passed away". This is my first experience of having a new FM bird launched into space and I admit, I was expecting it to work as well as what is already up there. This is truly a learning experience for the people who turned the first screw right down to those of us who eagerly watch our tracking data and step outside to wave an antenna at the sky (while getting peculiar looks from our neighbors). My hats off to all those who are involved with the Fox project, and I do look forward to the future Fox satellites. Take care and have a great day. Loon

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Breaking news: JLENS blimp drifting free
by Martin Davidoff 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

At about 1:40 pm EDT it was reported that the JLENS blimp normally tethered at Aberdeen Proving Ground (NE of Baltimore) has broken free and is drifting.. May be of interest for experiments involving radio tracking by nearby radio amateurs. K2ubc

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(no subject)
by jeffory broughton 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Jerry: On behalf of all who read the Amsat BB, Thanks for taking time to answer Loons questions.I am sure many more operators had the same ones.Your reply Sure answered a LOT of questions.Also thanks for all of your countless hours researching and solving problems which will insure the next generation of fox satellites will even better as we learn from this one. On behalf of all of us satellite operators, A big thank you! WB8RJY jeff broughton

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New Duplexer and AO-85
by W3MAT . 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

I received my duplexer through UPS yesterday and just gave it try on the 03:20 UTC pass of AO-85. It seems to be performing well, and I did make contacts with K3NG and AD2KA. I had, and continue to have, extreme difficulty with getting into AO-85 with just the HT's and Arrow antenna, and thought maybe it was because 2 meter receive and 435 up are 90 degrees to each other on the antenna's boom. I have had success working AO-85 with the Elk antenna and the Icom 2800 (transmits wide only), but *only* with the radios maximum 20 watts output on UHF, and even then it can be very difficult. I thought using the duplexer, HT's with *narrow* band, and the Elk antenna may be the ticket. I thought wrong. This was just as bad, or as difficult, as trying to get in with the Arrow antenna. In my opinion, AO-85 is certainly not every hand held radio and Arrow antenna operators easy to work satellite, like posted on a YouTube video prior to its launch. I'm not a big fan of the U/V set up for those of us that work hand held set ups. First it was very difficult to find the correct uplink frequencies in its early stages, and now that they have been posted and corrected in radio programming, its still difficult to know just when to switch for doppler, especially when its almost impossible to get into in the first place. I don't have multi element, circular polarized antennas mounted on an azimuth/elevation rotor connected to computer driven tracking and radio control software constantly adjusting frequency, azimuth, and elevation, nor am I capable of transmitting 50 watts of power on the uplink. I use simple, low power equipment (normally only 5 watts) capable of no more than 20 watts of power (Icom 2800). AO-85's FM performance certainly does not compete with the current SO-50, or the now gone AO-51 and AO-27 birds (rest their souls). Have a good night, W3MAT

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Web suggestion
by Dale Kubichek 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

AMSAT, Does AMSAT HQ/Server location sport Egg-Beater antennas or an auto-tracking SAT setup. Has AMSAT considered streaming FM SAT RX over the web when a SAT flies over AMSAT (priority given to AO's) ? I'm sure it would be interesting to all, assist newbie learning curve, allow verification of tracking program setup, and give first hand training of what that SAT sounds like as well as real-time HAM OPs on that SAT. Web audio streaming would only happens when a SAT is view-able (otherwise teh stream could play an AMSAT voice ad). Just an idea. Best regards, Dale Kubichek, MS-EET, N6JSX 937-726-6677 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HAM-SATs http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RDF-USA

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Re: [amsat-bb] Possible ISS School Contact Experiment (Maryland report)
by Robert Bruninga 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Both of my school-contact monitoring tests with the arrow were useless. Both days the 200' tethered JLENS Blimp was aloft radiating megawatts of radar direct Line of Sight to my operating position. Although the radar pings are at 143 and 149 MHz with peaks +70dB above the noise, they do get into all of our Ham VHF radios as a raised noise floor. Just open any radio squelch on any frequency in the 2m band and you will hear it. So even when the astronauts were 7 bars on the radio, the audio had significant noise from the radar superimposed. So my report is a null report. Bob, Wb4APR -----Original Message----- From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 6:06 PM Subject: RE: Possible ISS School Contact Experiment idea? (Thurs) > An ISS school contact… in Michigan on 22 Oct. This is a great time for those skilled portable "arrow" operators to get data on using fixed vertical arrow beam antennas for ISS voice at or near the horizon. The test will show if well placed fixed tripod "arrow class" antennas at AOS and LOS and a central turnstyle could possibly make it easier than a full AZ/EL Oscar class antenna at the school. See the concept paper at http://aprs.org/aos-los-test.html If your QTH is west of a school contact, then you should test your LOS horizon. If your QTH is east of the school, then you should test your AOS horizon. This is because we want to make sure we are getting voice quality data AT the horizon while the ISS crew is actually speaking. The desired data is a minute-by-minute log throughout the pass of ISS signal quality (noting nulls or fades) without moving or adjusting the antenna. Your receiver should be right near the antenna (no coax loss). Just orient the beam vertically with an up tilt of 15 degrees. Then aim it at a fixed Azimuth that is half way between AOS (or LOS) and when the ISS rises above (or drops below) 30 degrees elevation to cover the first (or last) portions of the pass. Leave your antenna fixed throughout the pass. We need to know how well the squelch on your radio eliminates the weak signal when the ISS is outside your particular fixed beam too. In a real scenario of this full technique, above 30 degrees the ISS is 3 times closer and 10 dB stronger and would be heard fine on a central omni antenna. But that is not part of your horizon performance test. So be sure to choose a good low horizon *and* the horizon you share with the School contact so that there is ISS audio during your particular horizon crossing (AOS or LOS). An audio recording would make it easier to prepare the log after the pass or you can just make checks or X's every 5 seconds on a piece of paper and summarize it later. Do NOT run open squelch. Set the squelch for normal ham radio operation to silence the radio when the signal would be unintelligible anyway, since we would not want unintelligible noise from one receiver to distract from good audio from the possible others.. If this concept works, then the idea would be to bring in all three receiver speakers (left-to-right) into the auditorium operating position to give equal weight to each receiver but also give a sense of the passage of the ISS. If this test shows any promise, it could not only eliminate all the complexities of long crossed yagis, AZ/EL rotators, big masts and active tracking, but also completely eliminate the problem of long runs of coax from the school gymnasium to the antennas. The coax is eliminated by placing 50W mobile rigs (capable of cross band repeat) at each of the possible three antennas and operating them remotely via 3 UHF HT's indoors on-stage (coupled into the sound system). So, if you are in range of an ISS school contact, and you have an arrow on a tripod at your QTH, you could collect data on a horizon transition to see if this idea is a possibility. Again, YOU ARE RECEIVE ONLY. Your test is *independent* of the actual school contact, you are just taking your own receive data wherever you are of how well a FIXED arrow on a tripod can hear the ISS at low elevations. Be sure to find a place with a good horizon at AOS(or LOS) to set your antenna. If we learn that there will be any significant fades or loss of signal, then this idea fails... But if it works, then the two arrows, tripods, three crossband-repeating mobile rigs and three UHF HT's could be made into a suitcase GOKIT to standardize some school contacts with a lot less work. Just an idea Bob, WB4APR US Naval Academy

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-28 06:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-28 06:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: About Gagarin From Space. Ham Radio Session With The Members Of Cosmonautics Federation And Students From St Petersburg, Russia, direct via RA1AJN (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Volkov RU3DIS (***) Contact was successful 2015-10-20 14:30 UTC (***) About Gagarin From Space. Ham Radio Session With The Members Of Cosmonautics Federation And Students From St Petersburg, Russia, direct via RA1AJN (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Sergey Volkov RU3DIS (***) Contact was successful 2015-10-27 11:35 UTC (***) Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, direct via K8UTT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact was successful for Option #3: Tue 2015-10-27 16:01:59 UTC 57 deg (***) Watch for a live video stream that should start about 15:00 UTC: http://www.dearbornschools.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbhrQiZ62LE Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, direct via K5COW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Thu 2015-10-29 14:12:56 UTC 31 deg Eleanor Palmer School, London, United Kingdom, telebridge via VK6MJ (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS (***) Contact is a go for: Wed 2015-11-04 09:51:39 UTC 44 deg (***) Dragonskolan, Umeå, Sweden, telebridge via VK6MJ (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Thu 2015-11-05 10:35:17 UTC 28 deg (***) **************************************************************************** ** Interested in hosting an ARISS contact? The window is now open from 2015-09-01 to 2015-11-01. These proposals will be for school contacts during the second half of 2016. Go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact or http://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html for full details. To help organizations in preparing their proposals, the ARISS Program Coordinator will offer hour-long online information sessions. These are designed to provide more information regarding US ARISS contacts and the proposal process and offer an opportunity to ask questions. While attending an online information session is not required, it is strongly encouraged. These will be offered Thursday, September 17, at 2000 UTC; Tuesday, September 22, at 2000 UTC, and Wednesday, September 30, at 2300 UTC. Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss(a)arrl.org) to sign up for an information session. ********************* ********************************************************* >From 2015-12-20 to 2016-01-04, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Gaston ON4WF with 121 Francesco IKØWGF with 114 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 112 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8061 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2015-10-28 06:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1004. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 969. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 46. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2015-10-28 06:00 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 43/44 on orbit Scott Kelly Mikhail Kornienko RN3BF Exp. 44 on orbit Oleg Kononenko RN3DX Kimiya Yui KG5BPH Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Exp. 45 on orbit Sergey Volkov RU3DIS **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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AO-85 Telemetry Upload Tax
by David G0MRF 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

Hi all. Over the past 24 hours I've monitored the telemetry frames received on my PC against the total shown on the server. - http://www.amsat.org/tlm/ It seems I'm being taxed at 35% on my telemetry 'earnings' Server total at 08:00 UTC start of 24hr period 2418 Total received in 24 hrs from FOX-TLM 634 Total displayed on sever at 08:00 UTC today after 24hrs 2827 Correct total should be. 2418 + 634 = 3052 - So 225 frames missing So, is this a feature of the V1.01 Foxtelem or is there an issue with the routing to, or processing at the server as the loading from users increases. Either way, that's a lot of lost data. Many thanks David G0MRF

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas on 29 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 14:12 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and K5COW. The contact should be audible the mid U.S, and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Daggett Montessori, a "School of Choice" within the Fort Worth Independent School District, was created thirty years ago and was one of the first public school Montessori programs in the nation. Based on the highly successful Montessori methodology and philosophy, Daggett Montessori has approximately 500 students, all selected through a blind lottery system. We are a Title I school, with close to 60% of our students economically disadvantaged. As a kindergarten through eighth grade program, we provide a safe, nurturing environment that focuses on long term relationships among staff, students, and parents. Our parents are actively involved in every aspect of school life. Maria Montessori was the first woman to graduate from medical school in Italy so science is an area of particular focus in the Montessori curriculum. She designed many of the lessons to instill a sense of awe about the natural world. Our parents are very involved in every aspect of school at Daggett Montessori. Of particular interest is our greenhouse with an aquaponics system in which we raise various herbs and vegetables. We also have multiple raised beds in which the children grow vegetables. Our parents provide gardening lessons on a weekly basis. Our students were very excited to learn that lettuce is being grown on the ISS! Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows 1. How did you feel when you first looked back at Earth? 2. What is your favorite experiment so far in the mission and what did you learn from it? 3. I saw on Twitter that you grew lettuce in space. At our school, we have an aquaponics system that we grow lettuce in. How did you grow yours and what did it taste like? 4. How does the lack of gravity affect your blood flow? 5. At what age did you decide to become an astronaut and what inspired you to do so? 6. On Earth, we see one sunrise and one sunset a day. How does it change your sleep-wake cycle when you see a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes? 7. Are there any mechanical or electrical changes in your equipment from Earth's gravity to microgravity? For example, results from the SoRGE. 8. When you miss your family, what do you do to feel comforted? 9. If someone has a critical medical emergency, such as appendicitis, what would you do? 10. How does microgravity affect your digestive system? For example, does your food float to the top of your stomach? 11. We read that being in space a long time can have negative effects on your body. How do you feel about this? 12. How does the ISS protect itself from radiation or debris in your orbital path? 13. What do astronauts do when they are not on a space mission? 14. When you go into space, does it change your beliefs about other life forms? Why or why not? 15. We have read that the environment of space smells like hot metal and burnt meat, and that the food is dry. Does the environment affect your sense of smell and taste? 16. Allergies are a huge problem on Earth. Are allergies a problem on the ISS? Why or why not? 17. When a new crew comes in, has there ever been a communicable infection that spread to the crew in space? If not, do you have any concerns about that? 18. Are there any differences in growing your plants in microgravity? For example, do they photosynthesize or grow the same? 19. What does NASA do to protect the astronauts from viruses and diseases? 20. Can you break bones in space? If so, what do you do about it while you're in space? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the volunteer support and leadership from AMSAT and IARU societies around the world with the ISS space agencies partners: NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/ Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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NO-84
by KO6TZ Bob 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

The 10m band was exceptionally quiet ( S-2 noise), this morning during the 15:39u pass. As a result, PSK-31 copy thru NO-84 was "As Advertised". The copy was almost flawless except for a very few errors due to fade from satellite rotation. Too bad no one else was around. KO6TZ BOB

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UKSA announces UKube-1 (FUNcube-2) has completed mission
by M5AKA 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

UKube-1 (FUNcube-2) CubeSat Completes Mission http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/27/ukube-1-completes-mission/ Radiocommunication Assembly opens in Geneva http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/26/radiocommunication-assembly-in-geneva/ University of Southampton CubeSat Program http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/24/university-of-southampton-cubesat-program/ 73 Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK ----

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4U70UN
by Mike Seguin 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

On behalf of the 4U70UN team, I'd like to thank the satellite community for all the contacts we made as we activated the UN on satellite. The operation was challenging due to constraints on operating time, RF interference at times and blockage due the "Urban Jungle" environment we were in. In addition to satellite and VHF/UHF terrestrial operation, there were 4 HF stations operating with full legal limit within our ~ 200' operating radius. Logs are being process now. Some pictures of the operation have been posted online. Google dxworld dot net Again, TNX! from the 4U70UN team. -- 73, Mike, N1JEZ "A closed mouth gathers no feet"

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AO85, 20:01 UC
by Burns Fisher 26 Oct '15

26 Oct '15

Loon, I was the W2, although I'm in 1-land. I also heard you and N0JY. I have 50 watts but it is into a Lindenblad, so a lot of power going out to the horizon, less when it is straight overhead. You sounded reasonably clear to me and N0JY was very clear. Burns W2BFJ From: Loon - W3MAT <w3mat03(a)gmail.com> To: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Cc: Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2015 16:54:25 -0400 Subject: [amsat-bb] AO85, 20:01 UC Over FN10 at 85 degrees. Heard N0JY and a "2" station but couldn't make out the call. For a high pass it was very noisy and I found it difficult to get into, even at 20 watts. I think I'd rather have a 30-45 degree pass. W3MAT

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AO85, 20:01 UC
by Loon - W3MAT 26 Oct '15

26 Oct '15

Over FN10 at 85 degrees. Heard N0JY and a "2" station but couldn't make out the call. For a high pass it was very noisy and I found it difficult to get into, even at 20 watts. I think I'd rather have a 30-45 degree pass. W3MAT

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Ao 73 problems
by mm0kjg 26 Oct '15

26 Oct '15

Hello all. I seem to have a wee problem with working Ao-73. The problem I cant work it at all. I am hearing people talking but when I attempt to find my downlink nothing heard. I have tried sending cw up and tuning downlink and also tuning uplink and nothing. I have set up tuning for 145.950 down and 435.150 up. Am missing something here? I spoke to my good friend and very good Sat operator Derrick Gm0fmw and he also cant access it with a fairly good antenna set-up. We are both in Edinburgh Scotland Is this the problem? Please all help will be appreciated . Thanks Kev MM0KJG

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