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

DN42 anyone?
by Lee Ernstrom 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

GE grid hunters, Since Tuesday is my day off and the XYL is still out of town I'm toying with the idea of heading to my son's house up in Cove, Utah at the north end of the state so that he an I can cut loose with our hog legs (mine is a 1911 .45 ACP and his is a 9mm model 19 Glock) on some paper targets. After I bounce the grandkids on my knee for awhile I could slip across the border into Idaho and work the 2234 to 2251 UTC pass of FO-29 in DN42. If there is enough interest I might be persuaded. WA7HQD Lee (Doc) Ernstrom Sent from my iPad

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K1N video
by Andrew Glasbrenner 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Here's a short video of the K1N DXpedition. No satellite ops, but some pretty neat views of the island. http://youtu.be/51xqfySAOB8 73, Drew KO4MA

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Special FUNcube-1 Fitter Message + ISS + 47 GHz
by M5AKA 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Listen to FUNcube-1 during Solar Eclipse http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/09/funcube-1-and-solar-eclipse/ Sarah Brightman’s fellow astronaut gets ham license http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/08/sarah-brightmans-co-astronaut/ RSGB respond to Ofcom 5G consultation - 47 GHz Amateur Satellite Allocation http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/06/rsgb-respond-to-ofcom-5g-consultation/ There will be a special FUNcube-1 AO-73 Fitter Message for Science and Astronomy Weekend (SAW) March 21-22. Among the stations active will be GB0SAW in Basildon, Essex. Mike Lynn @Mike_L G1KOT tweets: Great to hear that @AMSAT_UK are sending out our fitter msg for our SAW event.. @e2v @OfficialHPI @wsplc only weeks to go!! @BritSciAssoc The Sunday Times newspaper covered Sarah Brightman's upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS) http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/newsreview/features/article1527951.ece A press conference is slated for March 10. $50SAT/MO-76: 15 month update http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/05/mo-76-15-months/ Good luck to the Warwick University WUSAT CubeSat team flying out to Sweden March 9 for the sub-orbital launch https://www.facebook.com/amsatuk/posts/849607015082349 ---- Trevor M5AKA AMSAT-UK Website http://amsat-uk.org/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amsatuk Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSAT_UK ----

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Solar eclipse March 20th around 0900UTC
by Graham Shirville 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Hi all, Just a heads-up that we have a total solar eclipse coming up on March 20th which tracks across the North Atlantic and eventually covers a lot of the Arctic. It would seem that this will affect most spacecraft that are in a polar orbit to some extent as, at that sort of time, they would expect to be in sunlight at the time and location. This website has a good animation of the eclipse http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2015-march-20 On FUNcube-1 we have a good power budget which means that we should be able to maintain our normal autonomous operation schedule for the day but, of course, if the spacecraft does go fully into darkness it should switch autonomously to transponder and low power telemetry. It will be interesting to see what actually happens and we hope that as many listeners as possible will upload the data they receive between 0740 and 1150 UTC on that morning. Our Whole Orbit Data will show the solar currents, battery voltage and external temps clearly during this period so we should get a clear understanding of the effects on board. If anyone has some super software that can model the satellite’s track and the expected impact of the solar eclipse it would be great to hear about it! 73 Graham G3VZV

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AMSAT-BB
by Paul Stoetzer 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

We sometimes have our disagreements and can get into some heated arguments, but the AMSAT-BB is such a great resource for amateur satellite enthusiasts. Since Friday, we've learned about an antenna special for AMSAT members, a satellite operation on VP2V coming up, an AMSAT partnership with the University of Iowa to fly their experiment on Fox-1D, and a trip to a rare grid. This board is truly a one stop shop for information about all facets of amateur satellites, whether or not your interests lie in operating on the satellites, the technical side of satellite construction, or both! Kudos to all! 73, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

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Re: [amsat-bb] New M2 LEO Antenna System
by Doug - k4gkj 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

Okay boys.... That's enough... Your grounded... No desert tonight. And you can stick your noses in the corner till your ready to come back and play nicely. Be it an economical 'tape measure' design, a telescopic whip, or Acme's super duper 80 foot long gold plated beam with 5 different polarities to choose from, the 100 Watt linear your using is really ruining the fun for the rest of us. Seriously though, this is terrible. The M2 design is something to consider, that is for those that can afford to consider it. And if your serious, it's most likely a viable solution for those in the market.... But I'm sure many starting out will try the economy route. If it's for experimentation or learning, then the whip and tape measure is a great way to go. But if your teaching others, or on a special event - such as an ARISS contact, it only takes the concentration of a couple brain cells to figure out what will serve me best. Either way, the kindness of the folks at M2 is a very nice thing to be thankful for... What I see here is a sad battle of the egos competing against one another. And in the wake of it all, your simply stating obvious facts most already know..... It's obvious yall have issues with each other that goes far beyond 'the ideal antenna'. Get real boys. And take it off line - *please. Doug Bennight K4GKJ -------- Original message -------- From: Andrew Glasbrenner <glasbrenner(a)mindspring.com> Date: To: 'Clint Bradford' <clintbradford(a)mac.com>,'Paul Stoetzer' <n8hm(a)arrl.net> Cc: k6lcs(a)ham-sat.info,'AMSAT BB' <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] New M2 LEO Antenna System I agree Clint, and there is obviously room for both systems in our store. When can I expect you to have the first batch ready to drop ship to the purchasers? 73, Drew KO4MA -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Clint Bradford Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2015 7:02 PM To: Paul Stoetzer Cc: k6lcs(a)ham-sat.info Bradford; AMSAT BB Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] New M2 LEO Antenna System >> ... You contributed to this thread because you wanted to make sure >> that people don't think you need a $500 antenna system to work LEOs - and that is true, but on the same token, a $15 tape measure antenna will produce disappointing results in most cases if someone is trying to make QSOs on SO-50. PRECISELY. I believe that - properly marketed - AMSAT-NA could make more profit selling 500 tape measure beam kits this year at $25 retail to schools, individuals, and clubs - than the profit they will realize selling a handful of $500 antenna systems. ESPECIALLY with the FOX projects coming up. What better way to get MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED in the satellites than to offer them an affordable and educational DIY antenna building project for their new satellites? Clint Bradford _______________________________________________ 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://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://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Re: [amsat-bb] New M2 LEO Antenna System
by Clint Bradford 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

This is what makes this aspect of the hobby so incredibly exciting: SUCCESS can be achieved with antennas ranging from the $30 Pryme AL-800 or $25 Smiley 270A ... to handheld $15 home-made tape measure beams ... to beams made out of barbed wire or old umbrellas ... to the commercial units and elevation rotators. I lost track of how many successful satellite contacts Alan N5AFV has made with "merely" his Icom IC-W32a and AL-800 antenna - last time I checked with him, it was MORE THAN 9,000. SO ... please do not think you need to spend hundreds of dollars to work LEOs! Clint Bradford K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com

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DN30vx
by Lee Ernstrom 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

Today I drove out to Antelope Island and worked the AO-73 satellite with my FT-897 and my new FT-817 so that I could try and get used to the duplex mode. I'm still not sure whether I should tune my transmitter to the receive frequency or tune the receiver. I know this has been discussed here but I guess I wasn't paying attention. Anyway I was able to work AC0RA, K4FEG, VE5SWL and NX9B. Thanks to all of you for the contacts. I'm trying to get good at duplex operation before our Alaskan cruise this August when I plan to take the 897 and the 817 with me so that I can cover some of those coastal grids that are mostly in the water from Seattle to Skagway. I plan to go back to the Island for this afternoons FO-29 pass. If you are interested is seeing my operation location I just posted the new photo on my QRZ page. Hope to work you all on FO-29 this afternoon from DN30vx. WA7HQD, Doc

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Sat Magazine
by Kevin Deane 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

http://www.satnews.com/register_new.php Free...

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ANS-067 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 07 Mar '15

07 Mar '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-067 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * AMSAT-NA and M2 Antenna Systems Announce Member-Only Special Pricing * Fox-1A Delivery and P-POD Integration Set For March 25 * AMSAT and University of Iowa Partner on Scientific Payload for Fox-1D * ISS Deploys Cubesats * I0/W5PFG/P Active on Satellites from Italy * Upcoming ARISS Contact 07 March 2015 * Danish Astronaut Earns Technician License * NASA JPL 2115 MHz Moonshine Signals Received in Australia SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-067.01 ANS-067 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 067.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. March 8, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-067.01 AMSAT-NA and M2 Antenna Systems Announce Member-Only Special Pricing M2 Antenna Systems, Inc. of Fresno, CA introduced the new satellite antenna LEO- Pack using their 436CP16 and 2MCP8A yagis during the 2015 HamCation in Orlando, FL. The 436CP16 and 2MCP8A are light weight, circularly polarized antennas optimized for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite communications or other applications where a small circular polarized antenna is required. Optimum match and gain designed for the satellite band. Rear mounted for easy coaxial cable routing. A preamp (not included) can be mounted close to the antenna for almost no coax loss before the preamp, maximizing your receive performance. Computer design techniques help keep spurious side lobes down for optimum signal to noise rations. Both the 436CP16 and 2MCP8A feature the same CNC machined, O- ring and silicone-gel sealed, driven element assemblies common to all M2 Yagi Antennas. This insures years of trouble free performance regardless of weather. M2 designed a custom LEO cross boom to pair these two antennas together for a very manageable amateur satellite ground station. AMSAT-NA and M2 Antenna Systems are pleased to announce that the LEO-Pack system is being offered to members only at $499, shipping included (US only). Non- members can join AMSAT-NA at time of purchase to participate in this special purchase. The M2 list price is $545.99. To place your order, visit the AMSAT store at: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/ M2 Antenna System's LEO-Pack page can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/nyhgmcr [ANS thanks the AMSAT Store and Robert Brown, KR7O, Amateur Marketing and Sales Manager at M2 Antenna Systems for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fox-1A Delivery and P-POD Integration Set For March 25 Following the successful conclusion of vibration and thermal/vacuum testing Fox-1 now is stored in a clean environment waiting for launch. AMSAT Vice- President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY says several required reports are being reviewed by the launch provider. Fox-1 completed its Mission Readiness Review (MRR) at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo CA on February 24 before a review board of Cal Poly and NASA representatives. Jerry sums it all up, "Fox-1A delivery/P-POD integration is now set, for March 25, 2015 at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. From there, we won’t see her again – but certainly look forward to hearing from her again!" Ongoing updates will be posted on the AMSAT web page, on the AMSAT-NA Facebook page, and in the AMSAT Journal. [ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT and University of Iowa Partner on Scientific Payload for Fox-1D AMSAT and the University of Iowa have agreed to include the University’s HERCI (High Energy Radiation CubeSat Instrument) radiation mapping experiment on Fox-1D. According to Don Kirchner, KDØL, Research Engineer at the University of Iowa, “HERCI is intended to provide a mapping of radiation in a low earth orbit. This is of scientific interest for planning CubeSat test flights for low energy X-Ray detectors.” “The instrument consists of a digital processing unit (DPU) derived from processors currently in orbit around Saturn on Cassini and on the way to Jupiter on the Juno spacecraft,” says Kirchner. “The DPU was shrunk to a CubeSat form factor with funding from the Iowa Space Grant Consortium.” The University of Iowa’s history in spaceflight research dates back to the earliest satellites. As Kirchner puts it, “HERCI can be considered a direct descendent of the first University of Iowa spaceflight instrument flown on Explorer I in 1958. The instrument is being constructed as a Senior Design Project by four Electrical Engineering students from the UI College of Engineering, under supervision of Space Physics engineering staff from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.” AMSAT’s VP of Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, noted the win-win benefits of the agreement, stating, “This partnership with the University of Iowa illustrates our strategy of leveraging the new CubeSat design to assist universities that need a way to fly scientific payloads while providing a viable ongoing platform for amateur radio.” [ANS thanks Jerry, N0JY, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- I0/W5PFG/P Active on Satellites from Italy Clayton, W5PFG, will be active as I0/W5PFG/P from Italy between March 7-12th. He will operate the satellites from Rome (WW Loc. JN61et). He states, "Due to my work schedule, I will only be available to work satellite passes in the late evening or early morning hours. If you would like to schedule a contact, please send an E-mail to w5pfg at arrl.net. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1205 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS Deploys Cubesats Lambda-Sat was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on July 13, 2014, in an Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket CRS-2/ORB-2. Deployment from the ISS took place on March 4, 2015 along with the MicroMAS CubeSat. This followed the deployment of two other CubeSats GEARRSAT and TechEdSat-4. The Lambda team encourages amateur radio operators around the world to listen for and report the Lambda-Sat signal. Frequency: 437.462 MHz Downlink: AX.25 Unnumbered Information (UI) packets at 1200 bps AFSK Transmission Power : 1W Call Sign KK6DFZ The Secretary of the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society (CARS) Nestor 5B4AHZ has written an article on Lambda-Sat, he says: The naming of the Lambda-sat satellite came from the Greek letter L, lambda, a reminder of Hellas, Helios, the Greek word Thalassa for sea, the Greek word Lithos which directly translates to stone (meaning “Land of Light”). The Lambda-sat was constructed entirely of Greek volunteers who worked feverishly, selflessly and without any personal gain. Members of Lambda-sat contributed to the construction of the satellite system each with their knowledge in robotics, electronics, software development and telecommunications. The group consists of young people from Greece who traveled to Silicon Valley in California to participate in this project. “I want to motivate the youth in Greece to continue to dream,” says the original initiator of the project, Periklis Papadopoulos, Professor of Aerospace Engineering of the Federal University of California San Jose, which has been awarded from NASA for his contribution with the prize Turning Goals Into Reality (TGIR). As the professor states, “My goal is to demonstrate the capabilities of young people in Greece.” The professor believes that our country could be active in this area and this is not an economic issue, but a question of will alone. Reception reports of Lambda-Sat came be submitted to: http://lambdasat.com/?page_id=181 Additional Lambda-Sat links: Lambda-Sat http://lambdasat.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lambdateam Article on Lambda-Sat by Nestor 5B4AHZ http://www.cyhams.org/index.php/en/news-and-events/359-the-first-greek- microsatellite-is-a-fact [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact 07 March 2015 An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at G. Salvemini - G. La Pira, Montemurlo, Italy, and "Dante Alighieri" 1st Grade Secondary (Middle) School, Casale Monferrato, Italy on 07 Mar. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:51 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between IR0ISS and two other stations IK1SLD and IQ5VR. The contact should be audible over portions of Italy 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/Italian. The school "Salvemini - La Pira" is in Montemurlo, province of Prato, Tuscany region and it is a Secondary Middle School; it has 21 classes with pupils aged between 11 and 14. The name of the school derives from the fusion of the two schools of the commune. This is the only secondary middle school of the area. The schoolhouse hosts around 520 pupils. The "Dante Alighieri" School is situated a bit off the town centre of Casale Monferrato, near the ancient Cittadella, province of Alessandria, Piedmont region. It's a modern construction, developed on two main buildings: one for the school's didactical and administrative activities, one for the sport activities (gym and pool). It's surrounded by a wide playground, with a little plantation of poplars, planted by the pupils of the school. There are 12 classrooms (4 at the main floor and 8 at the first floor) and different labs: Science lab, Informatics lab, Techno lab, Art lab, Maths lab, Languages lab and a coloured and wide library. There is also a lot of afternoon activities, such as Latin courses, Languages courses and sport tournaments (soccer, basket, volley). The Dante Secondary I grade School has a current roll of 230 and a teaching staff of 29. In the last few years the school has been enhanced by the richness of its diverse student population. [ANS thanks Dave, AA4KN, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Danish Astronaut Earns Technician License Danish Astronaut Andreas Mogensen Andreas Mogensen completed his license class on Feb 23 and passed his exam on Feb 25. He has been assined the callsign KG5GCZ. Andreas was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009 and completed the astronaut basic training programme at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany in November 2010. Since completing the astronaut basic training programme, Andreas has been trained and certified as a private pilot by the Lufthansa flight school and is trained and qualified for spacewalks using both the American EMU suit and the Russian Orlan suit. Andreas has been assigned to a 10-day mission to the International Space Station to be launched September 2015 on the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft. He will be the first astronaut of Danish nationality to go to space. [ANS thanks ARISS and ESA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA JPL 2115 MHz Moonshine Signals Received in Australia Last week's NASA JPL EME lunar ranging experiment was received in Australia. On Tuesday March 3 between 0600 to 0900 UTC, the JPL tested its Lunar Ranging Experiment. With JPL using 20 kilowatts into a 34-metre antenna, it was suggested that reception of the reflected signal would be possible on a basic receiving antenna. This inspired Noel Ferguson VK3FI in Mildura, who decided to have a listen. As his three metre dish was out of service, he decided to try an old "grid pack" pay TV antenna to pick up the reflection on 2115 MHz. The initial noise floor was about strength five. The reflected signal first appeared as the moon rose over the tree line at about 0820 UTC, with the moon's distance at that time about four hundred and three thousand kilometers from earth. Signals in Mildura peaked at strength seven using the FT847 as an IF on 164 MHz. Noel VK3FI reports that reception continued through to 0900 UTC, when the JPL test was terminated. Well done on getting that signal. [ANS thanks Vk1wia-news, Australia's WIA News for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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