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

ANS-135 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - Fox-1 News From Dayton
by JoAnne Maenpaa 15 May '15

15 May '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-135 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: * Fox-1 News From Dayton * AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-135.01 ANS-135 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 135.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 15, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-135.01 Fox-1 News From Dayton During the Dayton Hamvention, AMSAT Vice President Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, provided more information about the Fox-1 satellites under development. Buxton, N0JY, says Fox-1A has passed all environmental testing and is integrated into the P-POD deployment canister. "The 'remove before flight pin' has been pulled, the doors closed on the P-POD, and everything is aboard the shipping container now en route to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for launch", said Buxton. Previously Buxton had announced plans to incorporate an L band receiver in Fox-1C and Fox-1D. The addition will allow ground commanded selection of the U/v (normal Fox-1 bands) or the new L/v 1.2 GHz (23 cm) mode. Both bands will operate as FM single channel. (See: http://www.amsat.org/?p=4000) During the satellite operations segment of the AMSAT Forum Glasbrenner provided the details of the uplink and downlink frequencies for the Fox-1 FM cubesat fleet. Fox-1 Frequencies Uplink FM (67 Hz tone) Downlink FM Fox-1A 435.180 MHz 145.980 MHz RadFxSat/Fox-1B* 435.250 MHz 145.960 MHz Fox-1C* 435.300 MHz 145.920 MHz 1267.300 MHz ** 145.920 MHz Fox-1D* 435.350 MHz 145.880 MHz 1267.350 MHz ** 145.880 MHz * Pending IARU Coordination, If needed, changes will be announced ** U/v and L/v operations switchable by command station, not operational simultaneously According to Buxton, the team is planning to have an affordable L band uplink ground station available to amateurs by the time Fox-1C is on orbit. + Fox-1A will launch on a NASA ELaNa flight scheduled during the third quarter, 2015 from Vandenberg AFB. Fox-1A is a passenger aboard this launch driven by the schedule of the primary payload. When updates are available with firm dates they will be announced via the ANS bulletins and in the AMSAT Journal. + Fox-1B will fly with the Vanderbilt University radiation experiments expected in 2016. + Fox-1C will launch on Spaceflight's maiden mission of the SHERPA multi-cubesat deployer on a SpaceX Falcon 9 flight planned for late 2015. + Fox-1D is a flight spare for Fox-1C. If not needed as a spare it will fly with the University of Iowa HERCI radiation mapping experiment. + Fox-1E "Evolution" will carry a Mode J linear transponder. The transponder is planned to be 30 kHz wide and will also have a 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon. Launch opportunities are being developed, to be announced at a later date. AMSAT has an immediate need to raise funds to cover both the launch contract and additional materials for construction and testing for Fox-1C. Please help us to continue to keep amateur radio in space. Donations may be made via the: + Paypal and credit card payment on the AMSAT website at http://www.amsat.org + Donation link in the AMSAT store: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/ + Call the AMSAT office at (888) 322-6728 [ANS thanks the AMSAT Engineering and AMSAT Operations Teams for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT FieldOps Team Fox-1 Operating Guide is Available AMSAT's Director of Field Operations, Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, invites you to view and download the "Fox-1 Operating Guide" which was released at the 2015 Dayton Hamvention. This color PDF file is designed to print double-sided. Two different resolution versions are available: + Low resolution PDF suitable for on-screen display (~400 KB size) + High resolution, press quality PDF for hard-copy printing (~2 MB size) To access these files visit the AMSAT web and follow the path: http://www.amsat.org --> Satellite Info --> Station and Operating Hints. The direct link is http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144 where you'll find the link to the Guide. [ANS thanks the AMSAT FieldOps Team for the above information] /EX

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Fox-1 September – Geo Sat on 5 and 10 GHz
by M5AKA 15 May '15

15 May '15

ARRL report on Dayton Hamvention - Fox-1 launch September – Geo Sat on 5 and 10 GHz http://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/15/fox-1-launch-sept-geo-5-10-ghz/ Iowa CubeSat students get ham radio licenses http://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/14/iowa-cubesat-students-get-ham-radio-licenses/ 73 Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK Flickr https://flickr.com/groups/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube ----

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Flex 6000 Series Control Surface and Display
by Robert McGwier 15 May '15

15 May '15

This unit, called the Maestro, will eventually enable unprecedented performance in SO2R with other offerings from Flex but also eventually unparalleled full duplex operation.. http://www.flexradio.com/amateur-products/flex-6000-signature-series/maestr… -- Bob McGwier Co-Founder and Technical Director, Federated Wireless, LLC Research Professor Virginia Tech Senior Member IEEE, Facebook: N4HYBob, ARS: N4HY Faculty Advisor Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Assn. (K4KDJ)

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Reminder: Cambi-Hams DXpedition to Mull Island is Active May 15-21
by JoAnne Maenpaa 14 May '15

14 May '15

Good evening, This news item will also run over the weekend in the ANS bulletins. We're leaking it a bit early in case some may be able to take advantage of the DX opportunity before the bulletins come out on Saturday ... Reminder: Cambi-Hams DXpedition to Mull Island is Active May 15-21 The Cambi-Hams group is going to activate Mull, Inner Hebrides (IOSA NH15, SCOTIA CN10, WW Loc. IO76EJ) from May 15 to 21. They plan to be active on 80-10m on SSB, CW, RTTY, and PSK; also on 6m, 4m, and 2m, and on satellites: AO-7 (Mode B), VO-52, FO-29, SO-50, and AO-73. The group also hopes for short trips to Iona (EU-008) and Treshnish Island (EU-108), see their website for updates on that. QSL via ClubLog OQRS or via bureau. http://dx.camb-hams.com/ [ANS thanks the DXNL Newsletter 1936 for May 13, 2015 for the above information] -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org AMSAT VP User Services

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Re: [amsat-bb] FT847 satellite power output problem : solved
by ingejack＠cox.net 13 May '15

13 May '15

Are you using Satpc32 ?? If yes then check your COM PORT in SATPC32... Also Baud rate should be 57600 for the FT847.. restart your SATPC32 and try the FT847 again ... I am using the FT847 and have no problems with my power out even if not using SATPC32.. Is your Microphone plugged in and tightened ?? I once could not get my FT847 to transmit due to a short in the Microphone plug.. That's all I can think of 73 JACK/KC7MG ---- f6htj--- via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: > > > "Hello all; our F6KBR radio-club is almost ready to be active very soon via satellites with Yaesu FT847 rig but > we have a big problem: no power output on SAT position. Everything else is OK, any mode... > We tried full Reset (menu #39) but still same problem. > > Thanks for any help. > 73 de Michel F6HTJ" > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello all; now all is OK. The problem came from ALC mod. > I had to remove the final ALC 2009 mod (cut the wire) and it works on sat position. > > http://www.ok2kkw.com/00000104/ft847_alc_mod/alc_ft847_en_2.htm > > 73 de Michel F6HTJ > Amsat #7409 > Radio club F6KBR (JN12kq) > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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FT847 satellite power output problem : solved
by f6htj＠aol.com 13 May '15

13 May '15

"Hello all; our F6KBR radio-club is almost ready to be active very soon via satellites with Yaesu FT847 rig but we have a big problem: no power output on SAT position. Everything else is OK, any mode... We tried full Reset (menu #39) but still same problem. Thanks for any help. 73 de Michel F6HTJ" Hello all; now all is OK. The problem came from ALC mod. I had to remove the final ALC 2009 mod (cut the wire) and it works on sat position. http://www.ok2kkw.com/00000104/ft847_alc_mod/alc_ft847_en_2.htm 73 de Michel F6HTJ Amsat #7409 Radio club F6KBR (JN12kq) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Office Closed
by Martha 13 May '15

13 May '15

The AMSAT office will be closed until Tuesday, May 19th. I will be in Dayton! -- > 73- Martha (AMSAT's only employee)

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Need someone to call about Thursday AMSAT setup.
by Douglas Phelps 13 May '15

13 May '15

I am at the Brookville KOA. I have equipment related to the display. I need to know what time setup starts. I also need to find transportation. Keith Pugh please call me at 847-514-8566 today. If anyone can give me Keith's cellphone, that will work also.

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Sarah Brightman's ISS Mission Postponed
by M5AKA 13 May '15

13 May '15

Sarah Brightman – Space Flight Postponed http://amsat-uk.org/2015/05/13/sarah-brightman-space-flight-postponed/ 73 Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK Flickr https://flickr.com/groups/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube ----

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Circular or linear polarization for a cubesat - amateur preference?
by Peter Kazakoff 13 May '15

13 May '15

Hi folks, I'm currently working on finalizing the design of an undergraduate 3U cube satellite (ECOSat-II at the University of Victoria in Canada) which will retain some amateur satellite capabilities. The design won the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge (CSDC) in 2013, and the prize is a launch into a 600 km sun synchronous polar orbit, so it in all likelihood will actually fly. Current specifications are: - RX: 70cm amateur space band, < 1 dB noise figure, omnidirectional pattern - TX: 2m amateur space band, 2 watts maximum transmit power, omnidirectional pattern Supported modes: - Narrowband FM repeat - 40 kHz wide non-inverting linear transponder - 9600 baud DQPSK custom digital mode with forward error correction The satellite uses an SDR board with 200 kHz I-Q bandwidth that we've designed ourselves, so all the modes can run concurrently on the single communications system. The digital mode is something that we designed for our telemetry & control link, but we'll publish a specification so amateurs with SDRs can still play with anything that isn't critical for spacecraft operation (for example: amateurs can poll the status of various subsystems and read the telemetry files, but can't change the attitude control setpoint or update firmware). If there's time before launch we'll probably also implement some kind of message board service on this mode so amateurs can send store-and-forward text messages. Anyway, here's a SolidWorks render of the current design: http://on.fb.me/1cRkB4J. You can see that the satellite uses two dipole antennas, one for each band. The problem that I see with this is that amateurs are going to need circular polarized antennas for full-duplex transmission - as the antennas are mounted 90 degrees apart, pointing a linear Yagi at the satellite means that both linear polarizations can't be received at the same time. You can do it with a crossed Yagi (circular polarized) but at the expense of 3 dB of link margin in each direction. (This wasn't my design - it was designed before I joined the team). I'm considering trimming both dipoles down to half-wavelength for 70cm and then using them as a single turnstile antenna. I can then feed the antenna through a diplexer and 90 degree hybrid to give a circular pattern. I think this was unattractive before because the design was hard to model, but Keysight just gave us a copy of some pretty expensive high end RF design software and field simulators so I should be able to get it all working in software before building it. The advantage to this approach is that an amateur station on the ground can use a straightforward linear Yagi and only suffer 3dB of loss regardless of spacecraft orientation about the zenith-nadir axis. Amateur stations with crossed Yagis can get the full signal, provided they match the polarization and the satellite isn't tumbling. Thoughts? -- *Peter Kazakoff* ECOSat <http://csdc.uvic.ca/> Communications Lead 4th Year Electrical Engineering Student University of Victoria *(250) 920 - 6870*

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