February 2017 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Nayif-1 + ISS SSTV + Uni CubeSat Opportunity
by M5AKA 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

Nayif-1 CubeSat Launch Announced https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/08/nayif-1-launch-announced/ ISILaunch Services Blog http://blog.isilaunch.com/category/isilaunch17/ MBRSC and AUS Announce launch of Nayif-1 http://m.dubaiprnetwork.com/pr.asp?pr=118386 Receive Pictures from Space – ISS SSTV Feb 13-14 https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/07/receive-pictures-from-space-iss-sstv-feb-13… Tancredo-1 TubeSat Video https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/02/tancredo-1-tubesat-video/ International Space Colloquium Oct 14-15 – First Call for Speakers https://amsat-uk.org/2017/02/03/international-space-colloquium-first-call-f… UK Space Agency tweets "Calling university students: @esa is offering a new opportunity to build and test your own #CubeSats" The Fly Your Satellite! program open to support University #CubeSat teams. Launch opportunities from #ISS envisioned http://www.esa.int/Education/CubeSats_-_Fly_Your_Satellite/Current_call Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK ----

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Nayif-1 launch announcement
by Graham Shirville 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL are delighted to now be able to confirm that the Nayif-1 1U CubeSat, which has a full FUNcube payload, is now scheduled for launch on an Indian PSLV launch vehicle at 03:58 UTC on February 15th 2017. The flight, C-37, will be carry a total of 104 satellites into orbit. Nayif-1 has been developed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and American University of Sharjah (AUS). The UAE's first Nanosatellite was developed by Emirati engineering students from AUS under the supervision of a team of engineers and specialists from MBRSC within the framework of a partnership between the two entities, aiming to provide hands-on experience to engineering students on satellite manufacturing. The spacecraft includes a U/V linear transponder and telemetry transmitter. It employs enhanced oscillator circuitry and includes an active attitude determination and control system. As with previous missions carrying FUNcube payloads, AMSAT-UK would very much like to receive as many reports from stations around the world, especially during the first few minutes and hours after launch. We expect that the first signals may be heard in North America during the mid evening hours (local time) on Feb14th There is a mission specific Telemetry Dashboard for this project and this can be downloaded from http://download.funcube.org.uk/Nayif-1_Dashboard_1038_installer.msi and, in a similar way to the FUNcube-1 Dashboard, this will be capable of uploading the telemetry received to a central Data Warehouse. Guidance Notes for the installation of the Dashboard, integration with a FUNcube Dongle and the Data Warehouse have been prepared for the Nayif-1 mission. These can be downloaded from Nayif-1 Dashboard Notes ver 1.0b.pdf A file to test that the Dashboard and Warehouse configuration are working correctly can be downloaded from http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif1_testfile.funcubebin The operating frequencies for the spacecraft will be: Telemetry 145.940MHz using 1k2 BPSK to the FUNcube standard. Transponder Uplink on 435.045 – 435.015MHz Downlink on 145.960-145.990MHz Initial operations of the spacecraft will be in a low power "safe" mode where only the telemetry transmitter is activated. More details about the launch, exact deployment time and pre-launch TLE's will be made available as soon as they become available; in the meantime we will really appreciate your support! 73 Graham G3VZV

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FLUCTUATIONS ON ROTORS WHILE TRANSMITTING
by jeffory broughton 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

I have been fighting this problem for several months. While I transmitting on ssb, the azmuth and elevation rotors would fluctuate several degrees.I had convinced myself it was an RFI issue.I tried bypass caps,clamp on ferrite chokes without success.I finally ran a ground wire between every piece of eqpt In the shack and it was 100% gone.It was not RF at all,it was a ground loop issue. Jeff , WB8RJY. jeff broughton

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ISS uplink for broadcast TV
by Mvivona 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

Talked to the crew onboard the ISS today, but not the usual Amateur radio way. I am a broadcast TV engineer and we had a group from the local high school come to our studios where we linked them up with the ISS crew. Not on the expected 2 meter145 frequencies, but up on 14Ghz and down on 12Ghz, Ku band. The link actually went via NASA's Houston comm center and not directly to the ISS. Our uplink dish is 12 meters in diameter and capable of an ERP of about 3.5 million watts. It's been a while since I did an uplink as almost everything coming in and going out of our station is Fiber based these days. Even our Live trucks are moving away from microwaving their video back to the studio in leu of a neat little box called the "Back Pack". It's basically a box with 6 cellular connections all bonded together to allow very high bandwidth. The Photog straps it on his back and plugs his camera directly into it. No more need of an expensive microwave truck. There are also some other pretty cool technologies coming down the pike that I can't event talk about. The future of communications will be changing whether it be watching TV or talking on your iCom Amateur radio to the LEO satellites. Can't wait to see what the future holds. Michael KC4ZVA

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston, SC
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston, SC on 10 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:59 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and K4PSA The contact should be audible over the east coast of the U.S. 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. Palmetto Scholars Academy is a public charter school, providing a gifted curriculum to students in grades 6-12 in North Charleston, South Carolina. 6 years ago PSA opened in a converted day care center and was the lowest funded school in America. It was started by a group of concerned parents who wanted to meet the needs of gifted students. In those early days, board members took out second mortgages to meet teacher payroll, and parents pulled together daily to send in supplies. Despite challenges, PSA rose above the decrepitude and started its tradition of achievement, earning their mascot name of Phoenix. PSA is a student haven for gifted students. "It's okay to be a nerd here" and "It's cool to be smart" illuminate the student culture at PSA. To meet the intellectual needs of gifted students, PSA participates in many challenges such as VEX Robotics, VEX IQ Robotics, FIRST Robotics Competition, Ham Radio, Low country Science Fair, Odyssey of the Mind, and the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). PSA students have designed three experiments through the SSEP. Two experiments reached the ISS and returned to Earth, although the second experiment blew up on the Orb-3 and Falcon 9. The third experiment launches next month. Students also send experiments via PongSats, Cubes in Space, and student-launched high- altitude balloons. PSA has a Ham Radio Club and their own vanity call sign, K4PSA. The club meets every other Friday for 1 ½ hours and after schools on Friday. Since its inception in 2015, the club has gotten 6 students licensed for ham radio. These students will be the student liaisons and leaders for this ham radio contact. PSA has established itself as a distinguished charter school in South Carolina. With a new building, better funding, and culture of achievement, PSA rises from the ashes like the Phoenix and challenges its students to reach the stars. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What is the first thing that you do after you receive the SSEP experiments? 2. Besides Earth, what interesting objects have you seen from the view on the ISS? 3. Are there plans to send a 3D printer to the ISS in order to print food? 4. Do you have to wear a uniform, or can you wear anything you want in your free time? 5. Do you play pranks on each on the ISS? 6. How are you affected by relativity at the current speed you are going, and do you have some sort of atomic clock on board to measure the effect? 7. Is there one person that is trained to fix the spacecraft, or is everyone able to fix it? 8. We sent watermelon seeds in microgravity on a sounding rocket out of Wallops Island. Do you think watermelons would be a good fruit to cultivate on the ISS? 9. Does microgravity affect your ability to talk? 10. Are there laws in space that don't apply on Earth? 11. Do you think re-usability will become a standard for all rockets launched by the United States soon in the future? 12. In your opinion, what is the greatest recent innovation in spaceflight? 13. What games, if any, do you play on the ISS that can only be played in microgravity? 14. How do you feel about civilian space travel, if it ever happens? 15. Can astronauts observe religious services aboard the ISS? 16. Are there any modifications to your 3d printer to allow it to print in space? 17. What do you plan to do once you are finished being an astronaut? 18. If you could choose any animal to accompany you to space, without it affecting them, or harming anyone, what animal would you choose? 19. What is the most interesting item that you have printed with your 3D printer? 20. Have your opinions changed after seeing the world from a perspective no one else has seen? 21. If you were able to test your own experiment aboard the ISS, what would it be and why? 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): 1. Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, direct via F4KJT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-02-13 14:00 UTC 2. 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-02-17 08:58 UTC 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), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and 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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Upcoming ARISS contact with Space Exploration Educators Conference, Houston, Texas
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Space Exploration Educators Conference, Houston, Texas on 09 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 20:30 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 NA1SS and K6DUE. The contact should be audible over the east coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. The Manned Space Flight Education Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation offering extensive science education program and a space museum. It is the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and the only Smithsonian Affiliate in the greater Houston area. Educational emphasis is placed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a fun and engaging way. It uses space exploration to inspire wonder and interest in science and math. Space Center Houston offers a rich array of education programming for teachers and students, providing extraordinary learning opportunities. Inspiring young people to choose careers in STEM is one of the outcomes of our program. Education programs are based on data-supported evidence of effective learning and teaching methods. This specific contact will be taking place during the Space Exploration Educator Conference, which engages teachers from around the world for three days of hands-on learning and exceptional keynote speakers. Students from the Science Magnet Program at the Seabrook Intermediate School in Seabrook, Texas will be participating in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Seabrook Intermediate School is the leader in innovative education. Their mission is to ensure that each individual explores and discovers unique talents, passions, and abilities through a dynamic system distinguished by limitless opportunities (including the Science Magnet Program) that foster collaboration, creativity, intrinsic motivation, respect for diversity, and citizenship to develop a productive role in society. The Science Magnet Program at Seabrook Intermediate School is offered to students in grades 6-8. The school provides a unique science curriculum for all students while providing additional science electives and opportunities for students enrolled in the Science Magnet Program. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. How do you keep your fine motor skills in tune aboard the space station so you can conduct your experiments? 2. Do the procedures to conduct experiments in space differ from procedures on earth due to zero gravity? 3. How many sunrises and sunsets do you see in 24 hours and does this affect your sleep? 4. What kinds of workouts or exercise do astronauts do on the space station? 5. How do you handle a reduction in supplies on board the space station? 6. Do you have a time zone in space? 7. What things do you find most difficult about living in space? 8. What is the number one thing you miss most about earth? 9. Since you lose bone density in space, is this change sudden or a timely process? 10. Since hair root cells actively divide in a hair follicle, does zero gravity affect this process? In other words, has your hair growth or color changed or been affected while living in space? 11. What is the most essential part/piece of the space station? 12. Do you sweat when you exercise in space? 13. How did the American astronauts successfully vote in the presidential election while aboard the space station? 14. Are astronauts more prone to getting illnesses or diseases in space? 15. Do you have to train your mind into thinking of when it is day and when it is night? 16. Does your body become more coordinated while on the space station? 17. Do you ever look out and contemplate in wonder what else is out there and if you might discover it for a future generation? 18. How do you deal with space particles hitting the solar panels and possibly damaging them? 19. What do you do with the trash you generate on the space station? 20. Do you ever get bored on the space station or is there always something to do? 21. Do you feel there are many psychological effects of living in space that need to be documented? 22. Is feeling tired in space different than feeling tired on earth? 23. What do you feel is the most important accomplishment performed by the space station that will help science? 24. Do the astronauts have to study and learn the languages of the other astronauts in order to communicate? 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): 1. Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston, SC, direct via K4PSA The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-02-10 17:59 UTC 2. Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, direct via F4KJT The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-02-13 14:00 UTC 3. 3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-02-17 08:58 UTC 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), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and 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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Re: [amsat-bb] Helical Antenna for 2-meters
by Edward R Cole 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

Just scale the dimensions proportionally (except wire diameter); ratio = 144/435 I built a 14 turn 437 MHz helical back in 1996 to receive the MGS beacon and built a 2.4 GHz 6-turn helical for 33-inch offset dish feed for AO-40. Plenty information in Amsat Archives. Original Kraus-W8JK design is optimistic in gain calculation. http://www.kl7uw.com/Satellite%20feed.jpg W9EK had good construction hints in prior publications. For receive-only do not sweat getting a good SWR. I used a 1/4 wavelength long 1/8 inch wide brass strip, run from connector to beginning turn of the helix for impedance matching. Space the point of connection to the helix about 3/16 inch above the ground plane reflector. Natural impedance of a helix is 140-ohm. On air experience with the 432 helix was that a ten element CP crossed element yagi is better. But if you desire CP the helix is a natural, though not perfect. 73, Ed - KL7UW http://www.kl7uw.com Dubus-NA Business mail: dubususa(a)gmail.com

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recomendation brushless controlier
by Todd Deckard 08 Feb '17

08 Feb '17

Captain Ramius: It reminds me of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin when the world trembled at the sound of our rockets. Now they will tremble again - at the sound of our silence. The order is: engage the silent drive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmOqbiybfzY I suspect the viscous drag would be so large so as to make the energy requirement impractical for a small cubesat. For a spinning gyro you only have to replenish the rotational momentum losses plus the very small amount of bearing friction. Todd >From kd2bd at yahoo.com Tue Feb 7 15:35:48 2017 From: kd2bd at yahoo.com (John Magliacane) Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 15:35:48 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [amsat-bb] recomendation brushless controlier References: <1759231051.3921420.1486481748308.ref(a)mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1759231051.3921420.1486481748308(a)mail.yahoo.com> On Tue, 2/7/17, Nick Pugh <quadpugh at bellsouth.net> wrote: > The sat team is looking recommendations for a brushless motor controller for > their momentum wheel. Does the community have any recommendations for a > controller? How about the "Fluid Momentum Wheel" created by AMSAT for one of the P3 birds? (A circular tube of viscous fluid containing magnetic particles that was forced to flow through the tube by pulsing currents through coils wound around the tube. -- Completely solid state. No moving parts.) 73 de John, KD2BD

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Back from VE8
by Gabriel Zeifman 07 Feb '17

07 Feb '17

Hello fellow bird trackers and sky talkers, I have safely returned to EM15 from the reaches of the sub-Arctic. What a great trip with 1,140 contacts in the log (over 900 already with confirmations in LoTW). The trip started out very well filling in many holes in holes in many people's 488 maps in DN land and a bit of EN land. After crossing the border, many never before heard grids were activated. The real fun began after crossing the 60th Parallel into the Northwest Territories and into DP land, a field that most people had never worked. The conditions were great, temperatures weren't absurd (don't get me wrong, still damn cold). The Winter Roads I did get on were great (lots of fun working from the Detah Winter Road on Great Slave Lake in DP22). Nothing greater than working across the Atlantic while on an ice road under the northern lights... DP00 was definitely the most absurd grid I visited, on the Trout Lake Winter Road. Next time I'll have to go further and get into CP90. Everything seemed to go very well up until around day three in VE8 when all of my coax jumpers began acting up. I still managed to get on some passes with this setup and make some great contacts. It eventually got bad enough where I had one jumper that seemed to work alright and the whip on my car and used that for 2m, basically limiting me to FO-29 (where I was very quiet most of the time). Upon getting into BC, John K8YSE found Tim VE7XIX (former VE5SAT, AC2GK). I met up with Tim in Fort Saint John, BC and he had everything we needed to make a temporary repair on two of my jumpers. Thanks to Tim the portion between BC and Portland, OR was saved (solder and lots of gorilla tape). Upon reaching Oregon and California, thanks to Clayton W5PFG and Steve N9IP I was able to get some new coax jumpers. The drive down the coast and through the desert was great, many rare grids activated. A memorable time was driving through LA and listening to the 147.435 repeater and checking into the "Bong Hit Net" at 4:20PM. It was great to meet many hams throughout the trip, in both the US and Canada. Especially fun was attending the Palm Springs Hamfest and meeting many SoCal sat ops (and a certain displaced 9 lander). My buddy Ethan also passed his tech at at the hamfest and will soon be KE0xxx and hopes to get on the birds soon. Was great to meet John K8YSE in Mesa and get EN91 as a /r grid (easiest /r grid I've ever gotten). All contacts are uploaded to LoTW. If you are missing anything, now would be a good time to start emailing. Big thanks to Dave KG5CCI, Fernando NP4JV, and Paul N8HM for being my QSL managers. Those three received my logs via Iridium messages and uploaded. If you enjoyed receiving instant QSLs from the sub-Arctic out of range of any terrestrial networks, thank those three, it wouldn't have been possible without them. Thanks to all for all the contacts, it was a ton of fun and I look forward to the next one (I'm itching to use V31NJ, hint hint)! 73, Gabe NJ7H

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Wx sats
by keith mcdonnell 07 Feb '17

07 Feb '17

The new GOES satellite, which is now being commissioned, will have high definition WEFAX readout once its operational. All that will be needed is a small dish, LNA, and a soundcard with software. Check the noaa/goes website for further info.

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