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

LoTW, trying to get it right
by Bill ACITO, W1PA 03 Oct '15

03 Oct '15

Ok, I admit it. I am really hedging on completing my LoTW set-up and loading QSO's. It just seems like a very unforgiving system -- no ability to correct. I read the N5JB tutorial multiple times; I want to do this right, out of the gate. Again, for the "rovers" and portable ops -- best way to configure myself? Should I have locations for each grid that I work from? If I would like a /M or /QRP endorsement for some of the HF awards, should I have a separate "location" for that, too? W1PA_FN42 (home) W1PA_FN44 W1PA_FN13 etc. W1PA/M? W1PA/QRP? What's the best way to set up locations if I work from many different locations? I see references in the VHF and UHF groups not to do this (deleting the /R) -- how should I do this? Bill W1PA

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Is it XW-2 or XM-2 or both
by Ronald G. Parsons 03 Oct '15

03 Oct '15

In the last “Revisions to AMSAT KEP Distribution” some of the CAS-3 satellites are named XW and some XM. The document that came out from CAMSAT named them all XW. So which is it and why? Ron W5RKN

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AMSAT VP-Engineering on NASA TV + 3 sats deploy Monday
by M5AKA 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

AMSAT-NA VP-Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY will be on the panel at a NASA prelaunch briefing on Wednesday, October 7 at 1800 UT to talk about the Fox mission and science, and answer questions. The briefing will be shown live on NASA TV. http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/02/amsat-na-vp-engineering-on-nasa-tv-wednesday/ LQSat Launch Monday, October 5 http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/02/lqsat-launch/ ISS CubeSats to deploy Monday, October 5 http://amsat-uk.org/2015/10/01/iss-cubesats-set-to-deploy/ Andrew M0NRD @nerdsville has been trying amateur satellite operation for the first time. Read his article "Made my first satellite QSO" at http://nerdsville.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/made-my-first-satellite-qso.html 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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Lilacsat
by PY5LF 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

Hi Very good signal now 21:45UTC on Lilacsat 2 FM transponder , many contacts . 73 PY5LF Luciano Fabricio Curitiba-PR-BR GG54jm http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF

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Re: [amsat-bb] Uni-Track 2000 info
by Edward R Cole 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

Help from two: Dan Cussen and Perry-WB8OTH. One issue looks solved: I have an old Celetron Dell that I upgraded to XP and added memory to max which has a printer port. Dave Lamont, designer of the Univac, email bounces so no info from him but Perry has the Univac-2000 and the manual which I will borrow to scan. Lastly SatPC32 does not show the Unitrac but my copy of Nova does. So thanks to Dan and Perry I might get it going. Probably the big issue will whether it will I/F with my K3 and KX3 for tuning control. Maybe not but looks promising for auto-tracking. Winter is licking our heals in AK already (10-inch snow up north and snow flurries here on Sunday), so race will be on to get antennas and electronic box installed back on the old P3E tracking tower. I will not have a 50w 432 amp but drive from the 20w transverter in the house (10w at M2 436CP26); 144-MHz using the KX3 and 25w amp; preamps and TR relays for both bands at the tower, plus a 2.4G patch antenna (optimistic). Details: http://www.kl7uw.com/sat.htm So I may be back on the sats in a couple months? 73, Ed - KL7UW From: Edward R Cole <kl7uw(a)acsalaska.net> To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Uni-Track 2000 info Message-ID: <201510020928.t929SF3I022915(a)mail40c28.carrierzone.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed I'm back on the amsat-bb. I need help finding info on a UniTrack-2000. I've had it since around 2000 but never installed it. Now there is no info on the internet, so hoping someone here might have a lead or have the manual. There is a link to the Uni-Track 2003: http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/lamontd/ but no help on the Uni-Track 2000. I have the unit and I/F cable for the Yaesu-B5400 az-el rotator. The cable has the proper 8-pin DIN to connect to the Yaesu and three other wires, one of which is power. The other two are two-wire shielded cables, one of which is marked ECP0=red and ECP1=blk. One issue is the Uni-Track uses a printer port I/F to a computer (DB-25), but computers are no longer made with printer ports. I wonder if there is a conversion cable to USB jack, or maybe a printer port card (PCI buss)? I just bought a replacement B5400 controller for the broken one I have, so I will be able to restore my satellite antenna system. B5400 rotator is in good shape. 73, Ed - KL7UW http://www.kl7uw.com "Kits made by KL7UW" Dubus Mag business: dubususa(a)gmail.com 73, Ed - KL7UW http://www.kl7uw.com "Kits made by KL7UW" Dubus Mag business: dubususa(a)gmail.com

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Activation of the remaining CAMSATs?
by W M Willoughby 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

Does anyone have information on when the other CAMSATs may have their transponders activated? Once these birds get more separation among them, there may be a satellite available pretty much throughout the day. Red KC4LE

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Corpus Christi Catholic School, Chambersburg, PA
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Corpus Christi Catholic School, Chambersburg, PA on 06 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:29 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 LU1CGB. The contact should be audible over Argentina 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. Corpus Christi Catholic School is a K - 8 Roman Catholic Elementary School, located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. With an enrollment of 215 students and 17 full-time and 3 part-time faculty members, Corpus Christi School is committed to the pursuit of excellence in Catholic education. The school strives to be on the cutting edge of technology with Smartboards in every classroom, two computer labs, iPads, and Chromebooks. Students in the primary grades participate in weekly swim lessons at the local YMCA. Intermediate grades place a strong emphasis on STEM related concepts and careers. Grades four through eight have background knowledge of NASA starting with Gemini and continuing onto Mars. In 2013, three teachers were selected to be on the Reduced Gravity Flight through NASA Explorer Schools. This experience increased the entire students' awareness of space flight and experiments being conducted in microgravity on the International Space Station. Middle school students are able to expand their curriculum by traveling to major cities such as Pittsburgh, Washington DC, and Williamsburg, VA. Scores on standardized tests are above the national average. School pride runs deep with the students, faculty, staff and parents. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Name one way you are affected by being in space. 2. Name one thing you will miss when you leave space. 3. What has been your scariest moment in space? 4. How do you tell the difference between day and night? 5. What do you do in your free time? 6. How do you take a shower in space? 7. Does food taste the same in space as it does on Earth? 8. What kind of exercise equipment do you use? 9. What are your thoughts on privately owned space companies transporting people into space? 10. Name one experiment that you are currently working on that affects humans on earth. 11. What part of your daily life in space do you like the most? 12. Do you feel being aboard the ISS has improved your knowledge and character because you have explored farther than most people and you aren't distracted by the world? 13. What is your favorite spot on Earth to look at from space? 14. Name one object from earth you wish you had in space. 15. Have you seen an asteroid or other space object pass by the ISS? 16. Do they use robots in space? 17. What made you want to be an astronaut? 18. What is your favorite food to eat in space? 19. Can you see pollution from space? 20. Have you ever experienced something on the ISS that you were not expecting? 21. What is the first thing you think of when you look out the window and see Earth? 22. Are there any lifestyles that you had to give up while living on the ISS? 23. Do you have any fears living on the space station? 24. Does your sleep and wake time get affected 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. Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Dr Ismail (1), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, direct via 9M2RPN.The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for: Fri 09Oct2015, 08:00:04 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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Satellite Antenna Set Ups
by W3MAT . 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

Interested in my antenna set up? Take a look... https://youtu.be/01lbCbEmHDE Loon W3MAT

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Airspy 2 SDR now Available.
by Les Rayburn 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

I own the original Airspy and am a very happy customer. Today brings new's of an improved model. Can't wait to hear some reviews from DX'ers. Not affiliated with the company, just passing along the news. =================== We have sensitive ears! The demand for ever cheaper, higher performance and ruggedized SDR receivers is driving the professional market. Due to the large demand from our professional customers, we upgraded recently our original Airspy One design to Revision 2. This new revision improves the following points: * Better USB noise immunity * Better ESD protection on the RF input * Added ESD protection on the dual High Speed ADC inputs * Better RF Shielding * Better RF Filtering * Replaced the USB connector with a custom designed, more robust, 4 through hole points model * Better thermal stability * Better compatibility with the SpyVerter The old revision is no longer produced, and all new shipments will be based on the R2. We are eager to get your feedback about these improvements! -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF Maylene, AL EM63 Member WTFDA, NRC, IRCA, & Medium Wave DX Circle Former CPC Chairman for NRC/IRCA ============================== FM DX Sony XDR-F1HD, Sangean HDT-1, Elad FDM-S2, AirSpy. Denon TU-1500RD w/Ray Dees RDS Decoder, FM6 Antenna with CM7777 Mast Pre-Amp, RG-11. "Nothing but blues and Elvis and somebody else's favorite song..." AM DX Elad FDM-S2, Wellbrook ALA1530+ Loop, Clifton Labs Active Whip, Superloop. Quantum Phaser, Kiwa Loop, Palstar MW Pre-Selector

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Live OSCAR Satellite Status Page and XW-2 sats
by jarda 02 Oct '15

02 Oct '15

Hi all, On the web http://oscar.dcarr.org/ is sometimes visible row with newly launched Chinese XW-2 sats. But on the "Select satellite" combo box these sats are missing. Why is not possible or maybe how to spot these sats ? In Europe, XW-2E and XW-2F sats are daily used by many oscarmans.. This web page is very useful for us. Thanks for response. I am a new user of AMSAT-BB. 73 Jarda ok2gz ok2gz(a)atlas.cz --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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