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

AO-27 Turned On?
by Nicholas Mahr KE8AKW 03 Aug '15

03 Aug '15

New website update on AO-27, *Aug 1, 2015* Turned on low power during first pass. Had good tone, received a few TLM frames but then lost commanding of it as it came over the US. Seems to have major interference on uplink while over the US. It faded mid pass and was not heard from for the rest of the pass. Sent off commands in the blind. Don't know if the TX turned off or not. The good news is it was at least heard from after last weekend's problems. - Michael, N3UC http://www2.umbrasi.com/ 73's KE8AKW

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cn76 fo29
by Bob- W7LRD 03 Aug '15

03 Aug '15

I plan to be on at 2011z,2153z,2339z my satpc32 crashed (murphy). will someone send me a quickie sat tracker link 73 Bob CN76

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Why too much uplink power is bad/eggbeater antennas on xmit
by Philip Jenkins 03 Aug '15

03 Aug '15

The discussion on uplink power fits right in with a conversation I had last weekend... While I was not wearing my AMSAT badge at a hamfest on July 25, a married couple - both hams, both fairly recently licensed - recognized me from a previous hamfest when I was wearing that badge. Their question for me was to why they could hear (a) satellite(s), but no one could hear them... The satellite in question is SO-50 (and I did take a few minutes explaining the difference between linear birds and FM-only ones). Before the OM joined us, his YL told me that her husband doesn't want to use antennas like the Elk or Arrow, even on a tripod. I then suggested to her that he consider a fixed elevation mount, so as to only have to track the azimuth. Then the OM showed up. He doesn't even want to consider the fixed-elevation, because he'd still have to track . I suggested he leave the tracking to a computer...still not acceptable He then explained that they spend a lot of time in a motorhome. For his antennas now, he is using eggbeaters. On the 440 receive side, he is thankfully using a pre-amp, so he can hear adequately, For the transmit, he is using 50 watts into an eggbeater, and still can't be heard on the satellite. He told me one recommendation he was given was to increase the xmit power to 150 watts (*I visibly shuddered*) so as to overcome the non-directionality of the eggbeater. (And I explained why too much uplink power is bad for both FM and linear sats, in terms of bandwidth and power consumption on the satellite.) On further questioning, he knew about the PL tone to turn-on SO-50, but didn't know about the different PL to actually access the satellite on each transmission. I explained to him that it is like terrestrial repeaters; no matter how much power you run, the repeater won't "hear" you unless you transmit the PL every time. In a follow-up email the next day, I passed on the SO-50 operating guide (PDF) from the AMSAT website, and advised him to try programming his radio with the proper PL and frequencies for adjacent memories BEFORE consdering increasing transmit power. I really think his problem is not using PLs, rather than inadequate power levels on an omni antenna. My question is two-fold (I still need to follow-up with him). 1) For those of you successfully using eggbeaters for the uplink (and he is adamant about not using a yagi, despite my advice that the performance will suffer quite a bit with eggbeaters), what output power do you typically use? I think 50 watts into an eggbeater is probably still too much power, considering 5 watts into an Arrow is usually enough for successful communications. 2) I know that various power levels are suggested for various gain antennas, but I'm wondering what the suggested EIRP is for successful - not ones which would hog the satellite - uplinks. Philip N4HF

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W5PFG/P contacts from NM & CO grids
by Clayton Coleman 03 Aug '15

03 Aug '15

Thanks to all for the contacts we made last week while I was in DM57 (CO), DM66 (NM), DM67 (CO), and DM76 (NM.) It may be up to a week before these contacts are uploaded to Logbook of the World. Paper QSL requests with Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope (SASE) included will be answered within two weeks. 73, Clayton W5PFG

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ARISS APRS MIA?
by Ted 03 Aug '15

03 Aug '15

I do not know, but will keep trying. Maybe someone here knows. 73, Ted K7TRK -----Original Message----- From: Mark Johns [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2015 6:41 AM To: Ted; 'Mark Johns' Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] ARISS APRS Yes, I'm fully aware it's not working, Ted. The question is, "WHY?" There are no scheduled dockings or EVAs, so no one seems to know. -- Mark D. Johns, KØMDJ Decorah, Iowa USA EN43 ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain ----- Original Message ----- From: Ted <k7trkradio(a)charter.net> To: 'Mark Johns' <mjohns(a)luther.edu>; 'Mark Johns' <mjohns166(a)yahoo.com> Cc: Sent: Sunday, August 2, 2015 12:21 AM Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] ARISS APRS Mark...zip on the 05:15 pass 73, K7TRK cn82oh p.s. heavy smoke in our valley. Don't know if that impacts signals...it is really dense -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Johns via AMSAT-BB Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2015 9:06 AM To: AMSAT BB Subject: [amsat-bb] ARISS APRS Does anyone know what's up with APRS on ARISS? Nothing heard last two days. -- Mark D. Johns, KØMDJ Decorah, Iowa USA EN43 ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain _______________________________________________ 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] Why too much uplink power is bad/eggbeater antennas on xmit
by Kevin M 02 Aug '15

02 Aug '15

Philip, when I first got back on the birds in 2013, SO-50 was my first attempt ever on an FM bird. I used a HT for receive with a small directional antenna mounted on it and a mere 10 watts to a 2m Squalo. For all intents and purposes, an eggbeater is likely better than my Squalo on transmit gain and my 10 watts was more than enough. Using 50 watts of transmit power is bordering on obscene... using 150 watts by comparison seems downright criminal. Put it to the OM this way... he's hearing a 1/4 watt transmitter using a 1/4 wave whip from space... some people have talked back to it with 5 watts or less to a rubber duck. Why in the world would it take 50 watts to talk to it, regardless of the antenna?!!! Sometimes it just takes some common sense and the right point of view to get these things, I guess. =^) 73, Kevin N4UFO ----------------------------My question is two-fold (I still need to follow-up with him). 1) For those of you successfully using eggbeaters for the uplink (and he is adamant about not using a yagi, despite my advice that the performance will suffer quite a bit with eggbeaters), what output power do you typically use? I think 50 watts into an eggbeater is probably still too much power, considering 5 watts into an Arrow is usually enough for successful communications. 2) I know that various power levels are suggested for various gain antennas, but I'm wondering what the suggested EIRP is for successful - not ones which would hog the satellite - uplinks. Philip N4HF

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Re: [amsat-bb] Windows-10
by Terence (PD3T) 02 Aug '15

02 Aug '15

Small addition ;) HDSDR FUNcube Dashboard Orbitron + WispDDE com0com Virtual Audio Cable WXtoImg PSTRotator RASCAL (Delfi-C3 Dashboard) Regards PD3T Terence -----Original message----- From:KO6TZ Bob <my.callsign(a)verizon.net> Sent:Sun 02-08-2015 17:24 Subject:[amsat-bb] Windows-10 To:[email protected]; Although further testing will need to be done, based on a "quick test", all of the HAM programs I have that ran on Windows-8.1 are working on Windows-10. MMSSTV CHIRP CAPTURI MMTTY DIGI-PAN MMVARI MIX-W EASYPAL AGWPE DIREWOLF UISS OUTPOST FLDIGI SatPC32 WIN-PSK/SATELLITE This is by no means a full list of programs, just the ones I had installed on the laptop prior to the O/S upgrade. I did not have to reinstall anything so far. Everything moved over. Bob Vislay KO6TZ _______________________________________________ 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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AO-7 at 2000Z
by Paul Stoetzer 02 Aug '15

02 Aug '15

Good afternoon, AO-7 was sounding very healthy in Mode B on the pass that just concluded over North America. The beacon was in CW mode and producing strong clean tones without a hint of FMing. Most signals sounded good in the passband. For much of the pass, I was running 500 mW into my Arrow for about 4 watts ERP and getting return signals of S4-S6. Always nice to have a pass where AO-7 sounds as good as that. There was not much activity, though. I only heard KC4LE, AF5CC, and WI9I. 73, Paul, N8HM

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Windows-10
by KO6TZ Bob 02 Aug '15

02 Aug '15

Although further testing will need to be done, based on a "quick test", all of the HAM programs I have that ran on Windows-8.1 are working on Windows-10. MMSSTV CHIRP CAPTURI MMTTY DIGI-PAN MMVARI MIX-W EASYPAL AGWPE DIREWOLF UISS OUTPOST FLDIGI SatPC32 WIN-PSK/SATELLITE This is by no means a full list of programs, just the ones I had installed on the laptop prior to the O/S upgrade. I did not have to reinstall anything so far. Everything moved over. Bob Vislay KO6TZ

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CN76 Sun/Mon
by Bob- W7LRD 01 Aug '15

01 Aug '15

I will be in CN76 late Sun and most of the day Monday. Tested my IC910 to arrow in the driveway and it works fine. I will not have doppler control so I may be drifting all over the place. If there are many calling spread out +/-. I may give SO-50 a shot though that can be a zoo. If you want a QSL drop me a email and I will get one off later in the week. Wasn't Uri in CN76 earlier this year? 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle

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