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

AMSAT demo tonight on SO-50 @ 0424 UTC (& possibly other passes)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

Hi! Craig KL4E e-mailed me (and a few others), mentioning that he will give an AMSAT presentation to the Chehalis Valley Amateur Radio Society in Chehalis, Washington, this evening. Chehalis is between Seattle and Portland. More information about the club, and tonight's meeting, is available at: http://www.cvars.org/ Along with the presentation, Craig plans to give a demonstration on SO-50 during the 0424 UTC (9.24pm PDT) pass. Craig mentioned he may be able to work the passes before and after this particular pass, depending on if people show up early or stay late after the meeting. If you hear KL4E on, please give Craig a call and be a part of his demonstration(s). Good luck, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK (You may resume the discussion about band designators and modes, already in progress...)

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Arduino GPS Corrected VFO - update
by Gregory Beat 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

May/June 2016 AMSAT Journal article "An Arduino GPS Corrected VFO" by Gene Marcus, W3PM/GM4YRE The Panasonic 12mm Rotary Encoder (EVE-GA1F1724M; DigiKey P10859-ND) referenced in Figure 4, page 24 http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?keywords=%20P10859-ND has been discontinued by Panasonic in 2015. http://media.digikey.com/pdf/PCNs/Panasonic/PDN.PG13.08.08.2014%20Discontin… Direct Part Substitute (per DigiKey) is the Bourns 12mm rotary encoder (PEC12R-4217F-N0024) DigiKey PEC12R-4217F-N0024-ND http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/bourns-inc/PEC12R-4217F-N0024/PEC1… == greg w9gb Sent from iPad Air

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IN72 GRID
by Antonio Fernandez Sanchez 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

Will activate IN72 Grid next friday, July 8th. Will try to be present at most satellite passes between 0900-100UTC until 18-1900 UTC. Will be present in FO-29, XW series, and SO-50 & AO-85 Even will try AO7 pass for USA stations (just cross fingers for AO7 be active in “B” mode that day ).. 73,s Antonio (EA1IW)

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Activating IN72 locator
by afesan＠gmail.com 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

For those interested ..: Will activate IN72 grid on next friday, July 8th. Will try to be active at most satellite passes as possible. FM&linear sats. Even I will try AO7 (if we are lucky enough it be in “B” mode active that pass) looking only for USA stations. Cross fingers. Will be present in FO-29, XW sats, SO-50,AO-85...Opertaion will begin at 0900-1000 UTC until 1900 UTC 73,s Antonio (EA1IW)

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Re: [amsat-bb] Band designators, Modes
by RSoifer1＠aol.com 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

Professionals in most fields love to use, and perpetuate, jargon instead of plain language. I guess it makes them feel important 73 (er, that's jargon too), Ray W2RS

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XW sats
by D. Craig Fox 06 Jul '16

06 Jul '16

Wow so under used Was on the last passes of XW2C and XW2F Very loud, very quiet - too bad Will be on XW2A in one minute- high pass again for SoCal 73s Craig N6RSX

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Re: [amsat-bb] W5PFG from DM77 today on FO-29 and SO-50
by Clayton Coleman 05 Jul '16

05 Jul '16

Thanks for N8HM for posting my DM77 operation announcement yesterday. It was a very last-minute trip but went over very well. I made 25 contacts on FO-29 and 14 on SO-50. I attribute that number of contacts to it being a U.S. Holiday (Independence Day.) Both satellite passes were very orderly and it was nice to get a few new stations in my log. We had been in very mountainous terrain during the trip to the destination grid. Fortunately DM77ab was just east of Antonito, Colorado in a high valley. My GPS was reading an elevation of 7,864' at my operating location. Using 4 elements on 70cm and 2 elements on 2m, I was able to work both satellites down to the horizon. All of the contacts have been uploaded to Logbook of the World. 73 Clayton W5PFG

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Re: [amsat-bb] Band designators, Modes
by RSoifer1＠aol.com 05 Jul '16

05 Jul '16

We have been using the term "Mode K" to describe 21 MHz uplink/29 MHz downlink because that is what AMSAT called it when it first came into use in 1987. Similarly, the terms "Mode A" and "Mode B" came into use in 1974 because that is what the engineers who designed AMSAT-OSCAR 7 called them. AO-7 actually has four modes: Mode C is a low-power version of Mode B, and Mode D is "transponder off." Then came Fuji-OSCAR 12 with Modes JA (analogue) and JD (digital), where "J" stood for "Japan." FCC even included the definitions of Modes A and B in the written tests of that era. This "ancient history" has probably served its purpose. Art is right: we'd do better to stick with the numbers. 73 Ray W2RS

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Lunar Module Source Code
by Bryan KL7CN 05 Jul '16

05 Jul '16

Thought our community would enjoy this article about the Lunar Module source code: DON EYLES WALKS US THROUGH THE LUNAR MODULE SOURCE CODE http://hackaday.com/2016/07/05/don-eyles-walks-us-through-the-lunar-module-… Interesting video here: https://youtu.be/H0ITFbDuJz0 Source Code here: https://github.com/chrislgarry/Apollo-11 73! -- bag Bryan KL7CN/W6

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Re: [amsat-bb] Mode K (fact and fiction?)
by RSoifer1＠aol.com 05 Jul '16

05 Jul '16

Bob, John wrote up many of his findings in his Space Radio Handbook, published by RSGB in 1991. If you can't locate a copy, let me know and I can send you mine. 73 Ray

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