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

GEO sats and the future
by Jeff Moore 25 Mar '16

25 Mar '16

I have been in the hobby for over 12 years now and I've played around a bit with working the sats, but I haven't been following the geosynchronous satellite activity very closely since I've seen how difficult it is to get launches of any kind. Now that it appears that we are going to get to launch a satellite into geosynchronous orbit, I'm curious what the future may hold for that particular activity. For example, I think it's fantastic that we will soon have a sat in geo orbit, but I'm curious what if any plans are there to potentially put up 2 or 3 more geo sats with full time linking between them? That has the potential to give the ham radio community global communications via satellite. Any thoughts or news on that front?? Or am I just not informed enough on existing plans? Thanks and 7 3, Jeff Moore -- KE7ACY Bend, Oregon

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Ground Station Customized Softwares/ Software Development Kit
by shakeel -ur-rehman 25 Mar '16

25 Mar '16

We are in process of development of Student Satellite Ground station for amateur satellite. we are using Satpc32 software for receiving satellite passes/telemtry for funcube. Satellite Ground station software are mainly two types 1. Satellite Control related s/w 2. Satellite Mission related s/w 3. Satellite data archiver and ground station operation management We need to know any customized SDK for our Satellite Ground Station which can further tailored for our customized need. I mean is there any Software Development Kit Free in part or whatever which can be used further and further developed or customized to support our specific need. We donot know how to make any integrated IDE which includes drivers of our equipment. Is there any Telemtry software which can be used to archive all the telemtry /satellite passes daily. What professional software available in market specfic to H/W mention below. we have the following main Hard Ware/Equipment. 1. ICOM Transceiver 9100 2. SPID RAS Azimuth/elev Rotor 3. Satpc32 software 4. UHF/VHF antennas and Amplifiers any help to find software tools/SDK for our ground station.I shall be very grateful . Thanks and Kind regards shakeel

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WD9EWK @ DM52/62 line in New Mexico, Saturday (26 March) afternoon
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 25 Mar '16

25 Mar '16

Hi! After Saturday morning's hamfest in Tucson AZ, I plan on making a long drive east to a point along I-10 on the DM52xf/DM62af grid boundary, west of Deming in New Mexico. I hope to work a few passes from there in the mid- to late-afternoon, and possibly into the evening. If I am not at the grid boundary in time for FO-29 and/or AO-7 passes, I may stop to work those passes wherever I might be - probably somewhere in grid DM52, in either Arizona or New Mexico. I definitely plan on being at this grid boundary in time for SO-50 passes starting just after 2200 UTC Saturday afternoon. Weather permitting, and law enforcement permitting (this area is near the USA/Mexico border), I might try to stick around into the early evening before making the 300-mile/500km drive home from that area. While on the road, my location should be visible via APRS. There is good APRS coverage in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. I will use WD9EWK-9 as my call sign for APRS, which should show up online at (among other sites): http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9 I will use my @WD9EWK Twitter feed to post updates during the afternoon and early evening while I am out in New Mexico. For those who don't use Twitter and want to see my updates, please feel free to use the following link in a web browser: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK Once I'm back home, I will upload my log to Logbook of the World, and will ensure QSOs from the grid boundary carry both grids. If you would like a QSL card for a QSO with WD9EWK, please e-mail me directly with the QSO details. If you're in the log, I will be happy to mail you a card, and you won't have to first send me a QSL card or SASE. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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AMSAT at Radio Society of Tucson (AZ) Hamfest, 26 March 2016
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

Hi! I will have an AMSAT table at the Radio Society of Tucson's annual hamfest on Saturday morning, 26 March 2016. The hamfest will be at the Target store on Old Spanish Trail, near the intersection of 22nd Street and Harrison, in Tucson AZ. The hamfest is scheduled to run from 6am to 11am (1300 to 1800 UTC). More information about the hamfest is available at the club's web site at: http://www.k7rst.org/ I will be on various satellite passes during the morning from the hamfest. If you hear WD9EWK, please call and be a part of the demonstrations of amateur satellite operating. Depending on the satellites and how bright it is at the hamfest, I hope to be using my SDRplay SDR receiver and an 8-inch Windows10 tablet to receive the satellite downlinks. If you work WD9EWK during the hamfest and would like a QSL card, please e-mail me directly with the QSO details. If you're in the log, I will be happy to send you a card. No need to first send me a QSL card and SASE. I will also upload my log to Logbook of the World. I will use my @WD9EWK Twitter feed for updates during the hamfest, and I will use that for photos from the hamfest. If you want to see my Twitter activity without signing up for Twitter, please visit this link: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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Colorado Amateur Satellite net Begins in 1 hour
by Skyler F 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

This is a reminder that the Colorado Amateur Satellite net will begin in 1 hour from now (7PM mountain time Thursday). 6PM Pacific 7PM Mountain 8PM Central 9PM Eastern Please visit us on *AMSATNET.INFO <http://amsatnet.info/>* *IRLP* 9870, the Denver Reflector *ALLSTAR LINK* 40764, direct hookup to the repeater here. 41715, KC9ZHV hub at a data center if I am out of bandwidth. More info on AllStar - amsatnet.info/#node *ECHOLINK* *AMSAT* unless there is an ARISS contact, then go direct to KD0WHB-L *LOCAL RF* 449.625 (-) 141.3 ( WØKU Lookout Mountain) 447.225 (-) 141.3 (The STEM school repeater we set up) 447.850 (-) 141.3 (ACØKQ's repeater where he lives on TOP of saddleback mountain) 147.450 SIMPLEX (Aurora, CO) 446.275 (-) 100.0 Galena St. Local repeater at my house, giving a whopping 5 blocks of great coverage *REMOTE RF* Your Repeater here!, Email me if you want to link in or me to link your echolink or allstar repeater in automatically (no automatic IRLP linking supported) Skyler Fennell amsatnet.info KDØWHB electricity440(a)gmail.com

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AMSAT magazines
by Clifford Appel 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

I have the following magazines AMSAT members might be interested in. They are FREE. Communications Quarterly - Fall 1990 through Winter 1994 AMSAT Newsletter - June 1975 to December 1979 ORBIT Magazine - 1980 to 1984 If I ship, I only ask postage cost reimbursement. Cliff, W7CGA/5, Amsat #2811, W7CGA(a)arrl.net Alamogordo, NM. 575-434-2699

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Re: [amsat-bb] GEO sats and the future (+ the OUTERNET)
by Robert Bruninga 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

There is one other GEO (possible AMSAT related) project going on. That is the OUTERNET satellites. These are 6 GEO birds covering the entire globe that anyone can build a downlink-only receiver using a Rasberry-PI, a 1m dish, an LNB and a DSP dongle to receive the free content. Their mission is to deliver WEB content (one way) to anyplace on Earth. Their satellites exist and are working... The news is that the content provider is willing to carry ham radio content too.. We are proposing to make the "system" two-way for hams by having the OUTERNET content provider tap into the APRS-Internet system and look for amateur radio related OUTERNET traffic. This way, any ham radio operator on earth can originate traffic into the APRS-IS system marked-for OUTERNET either by any of the existing APRS digipeater birds, or terrestrial IGates, or HF Igates and that traffic will get into the system and into the OUTERNET downlink. Hence, a 2-way system for hams and ham-wannabees. All the pieces are there... we are just trying to see how it could be used... Again, the remote-user can only originate single packet like content due to the extremely small APRS input pipe. But the remote user can Recceive the entire GLOBAL feed of APRS internet traffic... SO how to use that very unbalanced 2-way pipe is the area that is ripe for exploration. Here are the thoughts so far.. http://aprs.org/outnet.html Bob, WB4APR -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Paul Stoetzer Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] GEO sats and the future Just to summarize - right now, there are three serious HEO/GEO projects in progress: 1. Phase 4A is the S/X linear transponder payload on the Qatari Es'HailSat-2 scheduled to launch late this year. AMSAT-DL has done the work on the amateur payload. It will be in a geostationary orbit that is not visible to North America (26 degrees east). 2. Phase 4B is a planned C/X digital payload on a U. S. government satellite launching in the next few years. AMSAT-NA and Virginia Tech are involved with this. It will be in a geosynchronous, but not geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere. 3. Phase 3E in a Molniya HEO orbit. AMSAT-NA and Virginia Tech are involved with this. Transponder payloads TBD. A global network of 3 linked geostationary satellites covering the whole world would be pretty neat, but I think we'll need people to see what we as a community can do with each of the two Phase 4 transponders planned right now before the support (read $$$$$) for such a thing would be available. 73, Paul, N8HM

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FO-29 inteference - help needed @ 1914z
by Kevin M 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

UPDATE: Boy that was quick... just got a call from the fellow I am working with in Houston. He has found the actual signal ON THE AIR on 145.930 MHz in the Houston area and it is currently transmitting with the content coming from the very UHF repeater I identified. Coincidentally he is the person responsible for that very same repeater. SO, the interfering signal has been generally located, now it is a matter of narrowing it down and figuring out where it is coming from. Possibly a ham has his dual band radio set to cross band repeat, etc. Thanks everyone... I guess there is a line on it and hopefully it will be found. 73, Kevin N4UFO

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FO-29 inteference - help needed @ 1914z
by Kevin M 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

Hello all, I just heard the FM interference in the upper part of the FO-29 passband. I wasn't expecting it and did not have a recorder running. If anyone that can record the pass is free, can you please try to capture as much audio as possible. I copied a partial callsign from a CW ID that pegs the possible source as being somehow involved with an internet linked UHF repeater in the Houston area. This next FO-29 pass is going DIRECTLY OVER Houston @ 1914Z If there is any chance of grabbing a for sure identification (CW ID) that would be great. Working also with someone in Houston to figure things out. thanks & 73! kevin n4UFO

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Station decisions re. upcoming Geosync bird
by Peter Klein 24 Mar '16

24 Mar '16

I've been casually following the discussion of the upcoming geosynchronous satellite. I currently have a Mode B , J and A analog setup that I've used on Oscar 10 and 13, and on some LEOs. This includes crossed Yagis on 2m and 70cm, and an all-mode radio for those bands. LEOs and flying mailboxes no longer interest me, so in recent years that setup has only been used for occasional terrestrial VHF SSB/CW, plus local repeater activity. I will need to make some decisions on my general station setup soon. Antenna space is limited, and I want to take the possibility of the geosync bird into consideration. From what I've read and seen on video, the uplinks and downlinks to the satellite will be microwave. The satellite track will make a figure-8 pattern in the sky, but I don't know how large that pattern will be at my location. My 144 and 440 MHz antennas will not be compatible with the new bird. But will the 144/440 radios be useful, perhaps as an IF after the digital gymnastics happen in a converter? So, my questions: - Are any "dummy" Keplarian elements available for the geosynch bird's planned (or likely) orbit? That would let me do some "what-iffing." - If the above are not available, could someone tell me the approximate range of azimuth and elevation I might expect from CN87 (Seattle area)? - What is the physical size of the required dishes? - Will the radio for the new bird be self-contained, or require another radio as an IF? If the latter, what frequency band or bands are being contemplated for the IF? If I've asked things that are too sensitive to discuss right now, let me know and I'll shut up. :-) 73, --Peter, KD7MW

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