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

FLATHOLM ISLAND - EU124 - MARCONI EVENT STATION
by GW1FKY＠aol.com 11 Apr '15

11 Apr '15

"GB4MBC" - Special Event Station Members of Barry Amateur Radio Society (BARS) in South Wales - UK, will be operating from historic Flatholm Island, EU -124 from. 24th -27th April 2015. GB4MBC operations on 25th April to celebrate Marconi's birthday. Also operating using personal calls on other days. Mainly HF operation - also anticipate satellite operations using limited portable equipment during the stay. QSL via MW0DHF. Group Name Call Sign and Location : GB4MBC - FLATHOLM ISLAND - EU-124. - SOUTH WALES .UK Ken Eaton GW1FKY Amsat-UK Amsat NA

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Thanks for all the help
by wa7eth＠frontier.com 11 Apr '15

11 Apr '15

I would like to thank all that helped with my SATPC32 to FT-847 interface problem (cable)...I think I may have found the problem and as soon as I locate a null modem cable, I will be able to confirm it. We live in a wonderful age where information can flow so quickly and I am most appreciative of everyone's input and help. 73'..Ed WA7ETH

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Diploma Received from Poland
by Clint Bradford 11 Apr '15

11 Apr '15

Just received in the mail a beautiful "diploma" from Poland's Slawek SQ3OOK - for my submission of an SSTV image from the ISS last month. MANY THANKS to Slawek for this effort. If he offers this type of project in the future, take him up on the offer - it is gorgeous, and already in a frame ... a scanned copy is viewable here ... https://files.secureserver.net/0saIvMeejGxW3G Clint K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com

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Status of EO-79 and EO-80
by Dave Marthouse 11 Apr '15

11 Apr '15

Hello, What is the current status of EO-79 and EO-80? Are they downlinking on 2 meters and what's the frequencies and modulation schemes? -- Dave Marthouse N2AAM dmarthouse(a)gmail.com

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CAT Cable for Yaesu FT847
by ingejack＠cox.net 10 Apr '15

10 Apr '15

Simplest way to set up Satpc32 with the FT847 is to use a 1 port FTDI USB TO RS@#@ SERIAL NULL MODEM ADAPTER CABLE sold by StarTech.com The nomenclature is ICUSB232FTN USB TO NULL MODEM ADAPTER CABLE Comes complete with Cd driver I have been using this cable with no problems for several years on my Acer windows 7 computer.. 73 JACK/KC7MG

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Re: [amsat-bb] CAT cable to FT-847
by Doug - k4GKJ 10 Apr '15

10 Apr '15

I thought the RT system cables were intended for programing and not control...... Is it possible that the control option is absent on your model? Just a thought.... Doug Bennight - K4GKJ 528-5772 -------- Original message -------- From: Mike Seguin <n1jez(a)burlingtontelecom.net> Date: 04/10/2015 7:44 AM (GMT-05:00) To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] CAT cable to FT-847 Hi Ed, I just tried a generic KeySpan USB to serial adapter on my Win 7 Pro 64 bit machine and it worked fine. My default baud rate setting was 9600 from SATPC32. I did have to change the radio CAT speed to 9600 just for the quick test (was 57600). Mike On 4/9/2015 8:06 PM, wa7eth(a)frontier.com wrote: > Has anyone had experience with the RT-Systems CAT USB cable they say works with the Yaesu FT-847? I recently received one, and loaded the drivers per the instructions and I am unable to get SATPC32 to connect with the 847. I am running a laptop with Windows 7. Does anyone currently have another vendor's cable that is working with the FT-847? Thanks, and please contact me off list at wa7eth(a)frontier.com so I don't clutter up the BB with my problems. Thanks..73'..Ed WA7ETH -- 73, Mike, N1JEZ "A closed mouth gathers no feet" _______________________________________________ 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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CAT cable to FT-847
by wa7eth＠frontier.com 10 Apr '15

10 Apr '15

Has anyone had experience with the RT-Systems CAT USB cable they say works with the Yaesu FT-847? I recently received one, and loaded the drivers per the instructions and I am unable to get SATPC32 to connect with the 847. I am running a laptop with Windows 7. Does anyone currently have another vendor's cable that is working with the FT-847? Thanks, and please contact me off list at wa7eth(a)frontier.com so I don't clutter up the BB with my problems. Thanks..73'..Ed WA7ETH

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ISS SSTV THIS WEEKEND - EXTENDED HOURS
by Clint Bradford 10 Apr '15

10 Apr '15

EXTENDED HOURS ANNOUNCED - FROM AMSAT-UK - Continuous operation, using the call sign RS0ISS, is expected to start at 1000 UT on Saturday, April 11 and continue until 2130 UT on Sunday, April 12. Clint K6LCS

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Road trip to DM03/DM15/DM25/DM26/DM35 last weekend - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 08 Apr '15

08 Apr '15

Hi! After the presentation and demonstrations in Long Beach last Friday (3 April), I did not take the direct route back home to Arizona. I made a long detour, stopping in different locations to work satellites until I eventually returned home on Sunday (5 April) afternoon. I have done day-trips to hamfests and other locations after those hamfests, but it had been a while since I did a drive like this in the southwestern USA. When I left the Los Angeles area on Saturday (4 April) morning, I was planning to end up in Las Vegas later in the day. A simple drive - get over to the I-15 freeway near San Bernardino, then head north to Las Vegas. I wanted to stop in either grids DM14 or DM15 on the way to Las Vegas, which straddles the line between grids DM25 and DM26. DM15 has less activity than DM14, so I decided to skip DM14 and try to work DM15 in the afternoon. My first stop in DM15 was northeast of Barstow, in the southwestern corner of the grid. I was planning to try an FO-29 pass around 2045 UTC, which was a shallow pass out there. I heard stations, and heard myself, but was not able to make any QSOs from here. Back onto the I-15, and north I went to the small desert town of Baker. This point is in the northeastern corner of DM15, and a better FO-29 pass was coming around 2220 UTC. I had about 35-40 minutes to spare before the pass, which I used to scout a good location to park and work the pass. Once FO-29 came up from my southeast, I had a much easier time to hear myself and other stations. Once I started calling CQ, Dave KG5CCI called me first. After logging him, I went on to work 12 other stations over the next 15 minutes. Several were looking to make a contact with DM15, and the subsequent QSL showing up in Logbook of the World, and I was happy to oblige. I worked stations from coast to coast during that pass. It was pushing 90F/32C out there on Saturday, a warm day on the edge of the Mojave Desert. After that pass, I had about 75 minutes until an SO-50 pass at 0005 UTC. I needed to drive just over 80 miles/130km from Baker to the spot I wanted to operate from in Las Vegas, sitting on the DM25/DM26 grid boundary. The traffic up to Baker was going slowly at times, but north of Baker I-15 was more like a drag strip. I was able to make the drive to Las Vegas in 65 minutes, with 10 minutes to spare before SO-50 appeared. I set up my station, took the obligatory photos to show my location on the DM25/DM26 grid boundary (I tweeted a photo of my GPS receiver from that spot), and then went on to work 14 different stations on the first SO-50 pass. Later, I worked 5 more stations on an SO-50 pass that favored the west coast. I saw an ISS pass was coming up from the southwest just after the sun went behind the mountains at 0225 UTC. Using my TH-D72A HT, I completed one QSO using APRS messages with N7NEV in the Phoenix area - a call I have worked via the ISS a few times in the past few months, either from home or when I have been on the road. After the pass, I looked on the ariss.net web site to see that two others were trying to work me after my LOS on that pass. After the ISS pass, I checked into my motel, then returned to the DM25/DM26 boundary for one AO-73 pass. I worked 3 stations during that pass. Not a bad effort for 4 different passes in a few hours, after the drive up from Los Angeles. On Sunday morning, I left Las Vegas - after a stop at the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and a drive up Las Vegas Boulevard. I drove to Kingman in northwestern Arizona, looking to work an AO-73 pass just after 1700 UTC from the DM25/DM35 grid boundary north of I-40. I had a lot of time to spare before this pass, with the bridge that now crosses the Colorado River south of Hoover Dam cutting down the drive time a bit. I found the spot, one I have used in the past, and set up my station. After taking photos of my station and GPS receiver with my station, I went on to work 3 stations. Before I left Kingman, I made additional stops for lunch and fuel, and then made the 3-hour drive home. In total, I drove 1053 miles (almost 1700km) on this road trip, and operated from 5 locations in 5 different grids. I used to do more of this, and with different operators coming on the satellites in recent times - it may be time to do some of the road trips I did in the past again. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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Arizona Amateur Radio Club "DeVry" hamfest on Saturday (11 April)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 08 Apr '15

08 Apr '15

Hi! I will have an AMSAT table at the Arizona Amateur Radio Club's "April Hamfest at DeVry", located at the DeVry University campus on Dunlap Avenue between 19th Avenue and the I-17 freeway in Phoenix. This is a half-day hamfest, officially starting at 6am (1300 UTC) and running until 12 noon (1900 UTC). More information about the hamfest can be found at: http://www.w7io.org/main/hamfest.html This hamfest is usually the last hamfest in the Phoenix area before the summertime heat comes here. During the hamfest, WD9EWK will be on satellite passes for on-air demonstrations. Please call if you hear me on any passes during the morning, and be a part of the demonstrations. The hamfest site is in grid DM33. After the hamfest, I will upload QSOs to Logbook of the World, and - on request - I would be happy to send a QSL card to confirm QSOs. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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