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

ERC-M with Orbitron & WispDDE
by Vincenzo Mone 13 May '17

13 May '17

Hi folks, Is there anybody that uses Orbitron with WispDDE and the ERC -M? I have mounted and set ( Thanks to Rene ) it to use with the Yaesu G-5500 Azimuth/Elevation Rotors. I have interfacedi it with the Orbitron and WispDDE softwares but get a couple of issues: - When the satellites reach the LOS, the rotators remains in the last pointing position and does not move to the parking position as set in the WispDDE rotator settings.. - When i click on another satellite, the rotators moves to the Azimuth position even if the satellite is not visible from my Qth. Please anybody can tell me if I am making something wrong? Thanks for any help that will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV ************************************ ****** GSM +39 328 7110193 ****** ***** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** ************************************

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Map Borders for GcmWin
by Martin A Schuette 12 May '17

12 May '17

Dear fellow bird chasers, While digging on the internet, I managed to discover better map border files for use on GcmWin. I initially found them using the Wayback Machine, using the link provided on the GcmWin website. However, I've found a more convenient link on the website for MicroCAM, http://www.csiss.org/map-projections/microcam/ . Select the link mwdbpoly.zip. In this zip file are several different map options you can use - I use PCANPROV, PBORDER, PUSA48, PALASKA, PMEXICO, and PISLAND. You apply these files the same way you select the default map, in by going to Options, then properties, then to the borders tab. You may want to experiment with the line width and alpha settings. Note: these borders are from 1995, and as such, are missing Nunavut, South Sudan, Serbia, Montenegro, and any other border changes since then. 73, Marty Schuette, N9EAT AMSAT #40076

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Polyitan-1
by John Mac 12 May '17

12 May '17

Hi all... Just had a pass of Polyitan-1 and did nor see any transmission, is this Sat operational ?, it has been in recent days. John

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Grid Expedition Update FN29/39 + FO20/30
by Ken Alexander 11 May '17

11 May '17

Plans for the activation of these four never-activated (as far as I can tell) grids are coming together. The expedition takes place next weekend, May 20th and 21st 2017; a long weekend up here in Canada. I will be driving up from my home QTH in FN03 and will arrive in Chibougamau QC on the afternoon of Saturday May 20th. There are several favourable passes on Saturday evening and I hope to spend a few hours handing out FN29 to get warmed up. Sunday the 21st looks like a bonanza of great passes! The trouble will be deciding when to break so I can move to a different location. The plan at this time is to set up on the FN29/39 boundary in the morning and operate there for a few hours. Then I will move to FO20/30 and then FO20/FN29. More information about operating schedules will be posted here as we get closer to departure date. I will also post information on my QRZ page at https://qrz.com/db/VE3HLS Hope to work you on the 21st! 73, Ken VE3HLS

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Outernet Feed APRS at Dayton?
by Robert Bruninga 11 May '17

11 May '17

Does anyone going to Dayton have a Raspberry Pi with the OUTERNET satellite feed on it? Outernet is a satellite downlink receivable anywhere in the world* from 3 GEO sateliltes that carries an APRS and an AMSAT channel on it. I wanted to demo it at Dayton, but I just checked mine and apparently the cover blew off and the electroncs have been sitting in the rain for a few months.. All it is, is a RaspberryPi, an SDR dongle and a patch antenna and that becomes a WiFi hot spot that can serve the live data to anyone in range with any WiFi device. See http://aprs.org/outnet.html I want to talk about it during the APRS Forum on Friday. Need something to demo Bob

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Call for Papers - Digital Communications Conference
by Ford, Steve, WB8IMY 11 May '17

11 May '17

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 36th Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, to be held September 15-17 in St Louis, Missouri at the Holiday Inn Airport West in Earth City. Papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings. Authors do not need to attend the conference to have their papers included in the Proceedings. The submission deadline is July 31, 2017. Submit papers to via e-mail to maty(a)arrl.org<mailto:[email protected]>, or via post to Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Papers will be published exactly as submitted, and authors will retain all rights.

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SATPC32 compatibility with the Icon IC-275H
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 10 May '17

10 May '17

I have a school that I'm mentoring that needs to know if SATPC32 can be used to control an Icom IC-275H. Has anyone had experience with doing this and can confirm it will work? Thanks, Dave, AA4KN ARISS mentor --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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SatPC32 on Win7
by KC2TN 10 May '17

10 May '17

I'm trying to get Satpc32 working on Win7. I have ver 12.8c loaded and it works fine for tracking but so far I have not been able to get the rotor interface working. I have an LVB Tracker and it's on Com 5. I can manually move the antennas with the SDX server window but NOT from witing the program. I found and old (from 2010) message from W7IN detailing the exact same problem I'm having and a response from Erich. My problem as defined by Larry: >> I have a Windows 7 Inspiron desktop. I just installed the SatPC32 for >> GS-232. When I start SatPC32, it does not automatically also start SDX >> as on my other computer. I can start SDX manually and can use the >> "manual input" thing on SDX to speak with the GS232, reading current >> position etc. But when I click up R+ SatPC32 has no contol over SDX and >> the rotors do not move when I tell them to--like selecting "park." What >> to do? Other features in SatPC32 seem to be working. >> >> Larry W7IN >From Erich: >From the list in menu "Rotor Setup" choose the item "Yaesu GS-232". >> Save the change with the upper "Save" button and restart SatPC32. > > The program stores path and filename of ServerSDX.Exe in the aux. file > "RotorServer.SQF" in the SatPC32 data folder. The path of the data > folder is > shown in a foot line of menu "Satellites". RotorServer.SQF can be opened > with Notepad. > > It should now contain the following line: > > C:\Program Files\SatPC32\SDX\ServerSDX > > Does the program now start ServerSDX? > > If not, try whether it works better when you start SatPC32 with the > option > "Run as Administrator" (Right click on the file name and choose that > option). > > 73s, Erich, DK1TB I've tried ALL the suggestions, even as Administrator but still no joy. Perhaps over the last 7 years the program has changed the location and format of some of the config/ SQF files??? It seems when I update the Rotor Setup settings the RotorServer.SQF file in the SatPC32 folder is NOT being updated. C:\Users\KC2TN\AppData\Roaming\SatPC32 is the location of the RotorServer.SQF file Any ideas? Anyone? Tnx, Joe - KC2TN

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Packet software
by Bob Cutter 09 May '17

09 May '17

Several years ago I was working packet on ISS but I cannot recall the software I used. Any help? 73, Bob KI0G

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Solar RFI?
by Robert Bruninga 09 May '17

09 May '17

RFI from Solar? With solar now cheaper than coal, solar is exploding in to neighborhoods with favorable progressive policies. But, they can produce lots of RFI with significant impact on Hams operating HF. With 16 kW of solar on my roof, I feel in a good position to be proactive in documenting the overall impact of solar on HF operations. We’ve seen QST articles on the very high RFI levels from solar systems that use microinverters and optimizers located at every single panel on the roof which are a nightmare to filter, while string inverters are easy to filter at the one location on the ground. My thoughts are to come up with a standard test that Hams near solar installations can do to document any RFI. Although none of us will have standard calibrated antennas or receivers, we can at least make comparative measurements to background noise levels. Either with the array on and off or between day and night at a fixed distance from the array. I believe the part 15 limits for unintentional radiators is for 100 uV/m at a distance of 30 meters (100 feet). On a 1 meter portable antenna I calculate that is equivalent to 36uV or within a dB of S9. That’s a lot of noise (if I did that right)… And if it was a full size dipole say on 20m, then the allowable noise would be 20 over S9 (again, if I did that right) Wow. If anyone wants to submit measurements Ill collect them. My suggestion is to take a portable HF rig (FT-817 or TH-F6 or TH-D74) and an approximate 1m whip antenna and report at 100 feet from the array, the S readings with the array on and with it off (or day vs night). I welcome more expertise in this area. Although this is not an AMSAT issue, this is the only email group I’m on that might have people with those easy portable HF radios. Bob, WB4APR

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