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

Coax jumper lenths -- Math help please.
by Tom Schuessler 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

Hello all, I have a question for those of you much more experienced than I. It relates to a satellite antenna installation I am working to accomplish this Spring. I have two cross polarity yagis, one for 145 and the other for 435. Each of these antennas has two separate feeds for the H and V polarities. The two meter antenna has two feeds, both at about 14 inches from the end of the antenna boom. Jumpers from the connectors will be secured to the very end of the boom and trail off to main feed line connectors below the AZ rotor. The mount point of this boom is 5' 2" from the end of the boom with the driven element. The 70CM yagi is an end mount but the two connection points are offset from each other. One is 17 inches from the back end of the boom and the other is 24. Coax jumpers will again be attached to the boom and will trail off to connections below my AZ rotor. I will be using two separate rotors, (A G5400 or G5500 is not in the paycheck right now), an elevation rotor with a 4'2" boom to mount the two antennas and an azimuth rotor which will have a probably 2' maximum mast from there to the EL rotor mount. All this will mount to an only half extended push-up-pole, which is ground mounted but attached to the apex of my single story house. Total height off the ground will probably be 20 feet when all is said and done. I will be running 4 runs of not that flexible 9913 up to just below the AZ rotor and from there want to attach jumpers of more flexible LMR 400 Flex to make the runs out to the antennas mentioned above. My question is for your more math savvy or just plain experienced folks, is how long should the jumpers be in total for each antenna to allow for a 360 degree rotation and 180 degree elevation shift based on the parameters I described above??? I was guessing 10 to 11 foot jumpers from antennas to the barrel connectors just below the AZ rotor but wanted to make sure that that was long enough, or if they could be shorter, say maybe 9 feet. Of course the 70 CM antenna with it's one feed point 7 inches further up the antenna would need to be that much longer I guess. I also understand that the 2 meter swing will be greater because of the more center mount rather than the end mount on the 70 cm antenna. Clear as mud??? This is new territory for me so I am wanting to make sure that all the decisions are right before I need to do things over, and over, and over to get it right. I can take some pictures if someone needs to see what I described. Email me and I will give you my cell if you would rather talk or ask questions verbally. Thank you to the group in advance for your help and thoughts. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP n5hyp(a)arrl.net

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Arcing noise on VHF sat sub band
by jeffory broughton 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

I have been experiencing an arcing noise all over the vhf sat sub band and the 17m band for months.Finally decided to look for it.As soon as I walked out the door with H.T. in hand, it disappeared. Searching the house found it to be both Verizon phone chargers.Unplugged them,problem gone on vhf and 17m. They must be mini switchers. jeff broughton

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rover trips to nevada
by Kevin M 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

Hello all, I've been planning a trip out west for about 6 months now and have plans to go through Nevada and take a whole week to operate from rare grids there. My plans have been firming up and I am looking at being there during the first half of May. Someone just told me that there is another ham, they did not know who, that is ALSO planning a trip to Nevada in May. I would like to find out who and where so that we can coordinate and not cause each other any problems, not to mention any chaos and confusion on the birds. I welcome someone else going... it will take pressure off of me as some of those grids are very rare and I would like a little time to sight see. It would just be nice if we could go at different times so that everyone has maximum chance to work those grids and the two of us not duplicate efforts. - Not to mention it would be nice if they went before or after me, so I'd get a chance to work them and vice versa. =^D If anyone can foreward me any information, i would certainly appreciate it! Also, I will be posting info about my trip so a special QRZ page as well as a special twitter account. https://www.qrz.com/db/N4UFO/P https://twitter.com/UFOrover Thanks & 73! Kevin N4UFO

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ADS-B
by Thomas Doyle 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

Anyone have any experience receiving and decoding ADS-B signals from their ground station. If so please give me a shout. tnx & 73 W9KE Tom Doyle -- Sent from my computer. tom ...

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SAT PC 32 AND YAESU FT-847
by jeffory broughton 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

If I turn the vfo knob on the ft847 too fast , it will change modes from lsb to usb on the radio.if I turn off cat cotrol And turn it on again it cures the problem. I have two ft 847 radios,it have tried both of them with the same results. What am I doing wrong ? Jeff WB8RJY

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Re: [amsat-bb] ADS-B
by Luc Leblanc 20 Mar '16

20 Mar '16

I'm a tracking station for flighttracker24 https://www.flightradar24.com/45.45,-75.25/7 > Anyone have any experience receiving and decoding ADS-B signals from their > ground station. If so please give me a shout. > > tnx & 73 W9KE Tom Doyle > > -- > > Sent from my computer. > > tom ... > _______________________________________________ > 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 Luc Leblanc VE2DWE

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Dayton Youth Forum
by Rich/wa4bue 19 Mar '16

19 Mar '16

Hope KM4IPF will be speaking at the the forum “Having Fun with SATs. Also Hope spoke at a Luncheon for an open house sponsored by the Engineering Department at Old Dominion University to about 200 local middle and high school students from local schools touring the campus. Event coordinated by K4AMG Club, K4AMG.org. God Bless R

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Alaskan Arrow sold, thanks all.
by jeffory broughton 19 Mar '16

19 Mar '16

jeff broughton

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Two arrow antennas & tripod for sale
by jeffory broughton 19 Mar '16

19 Mar '16

146/437-10 arrow with duplexer. 146/437 Alaskan arrow ,no duplexer Almost no use, in Excellent condition. $100 ea.$7 ship ea. Also Argus ALL ALUMINUM camera Tripod.No CHINESE junk. $25. $10 SHIP .WB8RJY jeff broughton

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ANS-080 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 19 Mar '16

19 Mar '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-080 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: * AMSAT Forum Speakers at Dayton * Just-Launched ISS Expedition 47/48 Crew Increment Includes Two Radio Amateurs * UK Student Balloon Crosses Pacific SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-080.01 ANS-080 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 080.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. March 20, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-080.01 AMSAT Forum Speakers at Dayton The AMSAT forum will be Saturday morning from 11:15 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. in Forum Room 5. See the commercial vendor layout map in the Hamvention program or the Hamvention website for the location of Forum Room 5 (same as the last few years). The following speakers will be presenting at the AMSAT Forum: Moderator: Mark Hammond, N8MH "AMSAT Status Report" Barry Baines, WD4ASW, AMSAT-NA President, will highlight recent activities within AMSAT and discuss some of our challenges, accomplishments, projects, and any late breaking news. "AMSAT-NA Satellite Program" Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT-NA Engineering Vice President, will review the upcoming launches of four Fox spacecraft and exciting new engineering developments. "AMSAT's HEO and GSO Plans" Bob McGwier, N4HY, AMSAT-NA Director, will discuss AMSAT-NA opportunities for High Earth Orbit and Geo-Synchronous Orbit satellites. "AMSAT Satellite Operations" Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT-NA Operations Vice President, will survey the current operational amateur satellites, as well as those planned for launch in the next year. "ARISS Report 2016" Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight, will discuss ARISS developments & operation on the International Space Station. "Teaching STEM Using the Fox Satellites” Joe Spier, K6WAO, AMSAT-NA Educational Relations Vice President, will explain how the Fox MEMS gyroscopes, radiation experiments, and cameras will be used to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). [ANS thanks Steve, N9IP, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Just-Launched ISS Expedition 47/48 Crew Increment Includes Two Radio Amateurs The Expedition 47/48 crew increment of Astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, and Cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, and Alexey Ovchinin, is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). Their Soyuz TMA-20M launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 18 at 2126 UTC. The trio now is safely in orbit. “During their 6-month mission, the expedition crew members will facilitate approximately 250 research investigations and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth,” NASA said. “Science conducted also will enable future long- duration human and robotic exploration into deep space and on the agency’s journey to Mars.” Williams, Skripochka, and Ovchinin will join Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP. Williams will take command of the station on June 4 for Expedition 48. The three will return to Earth in early September. This mission marks Williams’ fourth spaceflight and will be his third long- duration stay on the orbiting laboratory — a first for an American. It’s also his first time back to the ISS since its completion in 2011. By the time his duty tour ends in September, Williams will become the new American record holder for cumulative days in space — 534 — surpassing Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly, who wrapped up his 1-year mission on March 1. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UK Student Balloon Crosses Pacific On Thursday, March 17 the UBSEDS14 balloon, launched by University of Bristol students, had successfully crossed the Pacific and was above Arizona, having traveled over 24,500 km since launch. By March 19 the balloon had crossed the United States and was headed out across the Atlantic Ocean. The University of Bristol Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UBSEDS) launched their balloon on Monday, March 8. Powered by a single AA Lithium Energiser Battery (LR91) the balloon has been transmitting about 5dBm of Contestia 16/1000 on 434.600 MHz USB at 4 minute intervals as well as APRS during its flight at an altitude of about 11,000m. The balloon uses the error-correcting Contestia 16/1000 mode on 434.6MHz USB. The transmission power on this band was measured to be +5dBm on a similar board, which is well below the +10dBm limit for ISM band operation. Each packet was preceded by 10 seconds of 1Hz pips for manual alignment and a RSID tone for automatic alignment with suitable software (dl-fldigi for example). For many countries the balloon transmits APRS packets on local frequencies. In particular this is 144.8MHz in Europe, 144.66MHz in Japan and 144.39MHz in North America. The balloon has a diameter of 1.5m and the payload weighs just 21.3 grams. Despite the weight constraints the team have managed to employ sophisticated Geofencing technology to prevent the balloon transmitting when over certain countries and also to select different APRS frequencies depending on the territory being overflown. UBSEDS14 information is available at http://www.bristol-seds.co.uk/hab/flight/2016/03/07/ubseds14.html UBSEDS14 balloon launch http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/ubseds14_balloon_launches_today… One of the students involved in the project is Richard Meadows M0SBU. He took the amateur radio courses run by the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) at Danbury in Essex. Further information on the courses is available from the CARS Training Manager Email: training2016 at g0mwt.org.uk Web: http://g0mwt.org.uk/training [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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