March 2016 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

EQUiSat Optical Beacon CubeSat
by Trevor . 17 Oct '18

17 Oct '18

Students at the Ivy League Brown University are developing an amateur radio satellite EQUiSat that will carry a Xenon Flash Tube (XFT) subsystem to act as an Optical Beacon that should be visible to the unaided eye of observers on Earth. See http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=10635 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAK-UK http://www.amsat-uk.org/ ----

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-26 23:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 22 Sep '17

22 Sep '17

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-10-26 23:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Possible Russian contact with Kursk Tue 2015-10-27 11:35 UTC Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, direct via K8UTT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #3: Tue 2015-10-27 16:01:59 UTC 57 deg Watch for a live video stream that should start about 15:00 UTC: (***) http://www.dearbornschools.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbhrQiZ62LE Daggett Montessori School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, direct via K5COW The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Contact is a go for Option #4: Thu 2015-10-29 14:12:56 UTC 31 deg **************************************************************************** ** Interested in hosting an ARISS contact? The window is now open from 2015-09-01 to 2015-11-01. These proposals will be for school contacts during the second half of 2016. Go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact or http://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html for full details. To help organizations in preparing their proposals, the ARISS Program Coordinator will offer hour-long online information sessions. These are designed to provide more information regarding US ARISS contacts and the proposal process and offer an opportunity to ask questions. While attending an online information session is not required, it is strongly encouraged. These will be offered Thursday, September 17, at 2000 UTC; Tuesday, September 22, at 2000 UTC, and Wednesday, September 30, at 2300 UTC. Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss(a)arrl.org) to sign up for an information session. **************************************************************************** ** >From 2015-12-20 to 2016-01-04, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. **************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. **************************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Gaston ON4WF with 121 Francesco IKØWGF with 114 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 112 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8061 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2015-10-24 06:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1001. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 966. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 46. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2015-10-24 06:00 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 43/44 on orbit Scott Kelly Mikhail Kornienko RN3BF Exp. 44 on orbit Oleg Kononenko RN3DX Kimiya Yui KG5BPH Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS Exp. 45 on orbit Sergey Volkov RU3DIS **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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LVB Tracker USB serial port driver for Windows 7 x64?
by Bill Bordy, NJ1H 22 Dec '16

22 Dec '16

Has anyone located a driver for the LVB Tracker internal USB to serial port adapter on Windows 7 x64? If not, has anyone reverted to the serial port connection on LVB Tracker and used an external USB to serial port adapter successfully with SatPC32 on Windows 7 x64? I have an Edgeport multiple USB to serial port that has drivers for Windows 7 x64 that I will use if I have to. I would prefer using the LVB Tracker with its USB to serial adapter if someone has another solution. 73, Bill NJ1H

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Re: [amsat-bb] Free content from six satellites via Outernet (APRS?)
by Robert Bruninga 29 Oct '16

29 Oct '16

Global Ham channel? We should find someone to work with the OUTERNET folks to add an amateur radio channel to their downlink. Their satellites could provide connectivity to 99% of amateur radio operators on earth. In addition, Ham Radio can bring to OUTERNET an uplink capability that they currently don't have. And the uplink can be from the same remote areas where there is no service... How? Like this. They simply take the APRS packet data stream from the global APRS Internet System (APRS-IS) and stream it in their downlink for hams. Then hams anywhere on earth can transmit traffic via HF back into the system. Since the APRS-IS is one of the world's largest HF receiver-diversity receiver networks in the world, then a packet transmitted from almost anywhere on earth has a reasonable chance of being heard at least once at least somewhere and interjected back into the network, where it gets to the OUTERNET and then in the downlink. The only question, is the atrophy of our HF IGates? Years ago, the HF channel on 10,147.2 MHz had receivers all over the world. I have not listened much recently, but maybe there is still a viable network there. And if not, maybe we could re-invigorate it if it meant global APRS connectivity for ham travelers and hams in remote areas. An HF packet transmitter can be as small as a cigar box and solar powered. Has anyone tuned in the OUTERNET downlink? I have heard anyone with OUTERNET's free ORxPi software and a Raspberry Pi can get the OUTERNET content when plugged into a DVB-S tuner. Then there is of course the arm-chair-lawyers concern of rebroadcast of amateur radio content on a non-ham network? Bob, WB4APR -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Thane Richard Sent: Friday, November 13, 2015 1:22 PM To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Free content from six satellites via Outernet Hello everyone, My name is Thane and I lead content and business development at Outernet. Some of you may be aware of us but I suspect most are not. I am writing this email to introduce Outernet to AMSAT. Outernet broadcasts a DVB-S signal <https://wiki.outernet.is/wiki/Coverage_and_transponder_settings> from six different satellites covering 99% of humans on Earth. We created this information service to reach the 4.3 billion people who do not have Internet access and designed it to overcome the problems the Internet presents, namely download speed and recurring cost. Our datacast is completely free to receive, our bitrate is 90 Kbps (~1 GB/day of content), and you can even build your own receiver with a Raspberry Pi <http://store.outernet.is/>. Right now, the content we send is curated by us and a group of editors but we are working on a Reddit/Wikipedia/YouTube mashup where the contents of our broadcast can be decided publicly. Currently, we broadcast Wikipedia, 30,000+ ebooks, PLOS One journal articles, Khan Academy, CK12 textbooks, music from SoundCloud, and more. I want to invite this community to be involved in Outernet and help us build this project. Our current focus is on developing channels to get devices into schools and generally into countries/areas where Internet penetration is very low. Our forum <http://discuss.outernet.is> is very active with users and Outernet staff. Please stop by! Avidly, Thane -- Thane Richard <https://twitter.com/thanerichard> Content and Business Development Lead Outernet <http://outernet.is/> *Outernet in the press:* WIRED <http://www.wired.com/2015/07/plan-beam-web-3-billion-unconnected-humans/> , Inc.com <http://www.inc.com/dev-aujla/a-library-for-all.html>, TechCrunch <http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/13/outernet-joins-the-space-race-for-intern et-accessibility/> , Gizmodo <http://gizmodo.com/what-is-the-outernet-and-is-it-the-future-of-the-inter n-1659647614> , BBC <http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29593734>, CNN <http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/tech/internet-for-everyone/>, Fast Company <http://www.fastcolabs.com/3027663/all-about-google-loons-low-cost-space-b ased-competitor-outernet> , LA Times <http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-g-outernet-explained-201 40808-htmlstory.html> , Motherboard <http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-the-outernet-plans-to-broadcast-free -internet-from-space> Our receiver, Lighthouse, is now available! To show how revolutionary Lighthouse is, we installed one in a remote school in Uganda. Watch the video here <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlQFoGK1aWQ>. _______________________________________________ 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-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010
by Mark L. Hammond 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

Hi All, Here is a quick AO-16 update. On Sunday I turned AO-16 long enough to get some telemetry packets. The satellite would remain on for less than one minute after being commanded on. A quick test of the "bent pipe" voice mode repeater was successful. . The "hardware watchdog timer problem" is still evident; as expected, spacecraft temperatures are insufficient to keep the transmitter ON (needs to be above 15 deg C). Orbit projections suggest that satellite illumination conditions will not result in increased temperatures for nearly 10 years. Command stations do periodically turn AO-16 "ON" to check on its condition and see if the hardware timer problem has "automagically" fixed itself (which in not anticipated, but who knows...). AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010 1838 utc PACSAT MBL Telemetry Decoder Ver. 1.3 (c) Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN =============================================================================== (average values) +10V Battery Bus : 0.00 V Battery Charge Reg : 0.55 mA Base Temp : 9.07 °C PSK RF Out : 1.90 W +5V RX Bus : 4.87 V +8.5V RX Bus : 8.49 V +10V RX Bus : 11.24 V Here is another teaser :) Several months ago I commanded the AO-16 S-band transmitter ON; it too remains functional (albeit weak), and was received by me, Drew KO4MA, and Alan WA4SCA. 73, -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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Upcoming ARISS contact with National Soaring Museum, Elmira, New York
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 11 Apr '16

11 Apr '16

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at National Soaring Museum, Elmira, New York on 01 Apr. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:34 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 OR4ISS and IK1SLD The contact should be audible over 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. The National Soaring Museum sits atop Harris Hill, overlooking Elmira, New York, the "Soaring Capital of America". The National Soaring Museum was established in 1969, and underwent expansions in 1979 and 1989. The Soaring Museum is home to the Soaring Hall of Fame, and the Soaring Society of America's Archives. By collection, the NSM is the largest museum in the world dedicated to motorless flight. In 1972, the New York State Department of Education chartered the Museum as a non-profit educational institution. Its role as an educational institution provides youth with unique experiences to learn about the science and history of aviation. The Museum offers overnight soaring encampments for youth groups, and two summer camps: the Summer Soaring Academy, and Eileen Collins Aerospace Camp (ECAC). The Summer Soaring Academy is in its fourth year, and offers local students a hands-on look at aviation and engineering, capping off the week with a glider ride for all students. The Eileen Collins Aerospace Camp - named for the Elmira native who would become the first woman to command a space shuttle mission - is a weeklong adventure in aviation and space exploration. The week is filled with hands-on activities, trips, and rides in a sailplane and power plane. ECAC is one of the few in the United States that gives students an opportunity to fly in airplanes. This Harris Hill remains an active gliderport, with a strong Junior and Senior program. Several youth who attended this camp have joined the Harris Hill Juniors to become glider and power pilots themselves. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What made you want to become an astronaut? 2. Have there been any injuries on board? 3. What's a day in space like? 4. How do you stay stationary on space walks if the ISS is moving? 5. How far can you be from Earth and still talk to Mission Control? 6. Have you ever been on a mission that's gone badly? 7. How does microgravity feel? 8. How fast does the ISS go, and can you feel it moving? 9. Has there been any "unearthly" sightings? 10. What are you studying? 11. Were you scared when you went into space? 12. How do you talk to your family? 13. What courses in school do you have to take to be an astronaut? 14. What does it feel like to enter and exit the atmosphere? 15. Are space walks difficult? 16. Is microgravity difficult to deal with? 17. Do you bring something with you to remind you of home? 18. How long does it take to become an astronaut? 19. How do you control the rocket that takes you to the Space Station? 20. What's the most rewarding thing about being an astronaut? 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): TBD ABOUT ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.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 Connection
by Rupert Hamblin 10 Apr '16

10 Apr '16

Hi All, Would be grateful for any advice or your thoughts on the following...! Ok, so I have my station virtually completed now. I have the rotator setup correctly and with the LVB Tracker interface unit and SatPC32 now tracking SATs correctly (it appears). I have a 4 ELE (2M) and 9 ELE (70cm) on the rotator. I can receive very good copy of downlinks from quite low passes on both 2M & 70CM, and I have recently had the FT-847 lab repaired and tested on output - which I know are working ok. The problem I have is - whichever satellite i try to work, low pass / high pass, SSB or FM, high power or low power - I am unable to hear my own signal on the downlink and hence so far have no QSO's ....Any suggestions or clues as to what I may be doing wrong or have setup incorrectly...? Would appreciate any clues / tips here ! :-) Cheers RH / G0TKZ

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Ham Talk Live Webcast Tonight - ARISS with Rosalie White, K1STO
by JoAnne Maenpaa 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Reposting from QRZ.com: Ham Talk Live! Episode #7 - ARISS with Rosalie White, K1STO - Thursday at 9pm ET Coming up this week on Ham Talk Live!, Rosalie White, K1STO will be here to talk about the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program sponsored by ARRL, AMSAT, and NASA! We will have a look back at the start of the program, the 1000th QSO that was just completed, and the future of the program. We will feature some messages from the ISS, and tell you about a way you can help! Join us Thursday night at 9 pm Eastern time on hamtalklive.com, and call in with your questions! If you can't listen live, you can hear the replay on our web site. Or, you can find us on Spreaker, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, YouTube, SoundCloud, or TuneIn. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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Aggiesat keps
by Rick Tejera 01 Apr '16

01 Apr '16

All, In noticed when updating my leps yesterday that Aggisat4 is no longer listed in the Nasabare set. Any ideas where it went? Rick Tejera (K7TEJ) Saguaro Astronomy Club www.saguaroastro.org Thunderbird Radio Club www.w7tbc.org 623-572-0713 623-203-4121 (cell) SaguaroAstro(a)cox.net

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Transceiver with UHF/VHF and S-Band or upto 3GHz support
by shakeel -ur-rehman 31 Mar '16

31 Mar '16

We are in process of development of Student Satellite Ground station for amateur satellite. we need to select rotor and antenna s for amateur satellite ground station. We Currently Have ICOM 9100 but this transceiver doenot support High speed data download e.g 64Kbps or more. Can Any one please advice another module /transciver which can add s-band support to ICOM 9100. or what other transceivers available in market which can provide us up 3 GHz frequency band reception. Thanks and Regards Shakeel

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