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

LilacSat-1 and Codec2
by Tom Schuessler 29 May '17

29 May '17

OK I'm NOT a Linux guy. Let's see if we can do LilacSat-1 for the rest of us. What I have been able to figure out is that Codec2 is a digital voice codec that creates audio speech out of some input data. If I read things right, LilacSat-1's concept here is to take analog FM (PL tone of 67HZ to open it's squelch), input and digitize the audio and then encode what it hears to digital data using the Codec2 process. That data is transmitted on a 9600 data stream BPSK decoded by an application. I think that is a good basic explanation of the system. A unique concept. Now back to not being a Linux person. I see the posts on the BB dealing with folks using GNU radio to decode the data. GNU Radio which is a Linux Digital voice program apparently can be ported to Windows, but the install process is very touchy feely. My looking at pages about Codec2 I get references to the "FreeDV" program. I found they do have a Windows installer for FreeDV. Is that the accepted program for this purpose using CODEC2? After installing the FreeDV program, I see that there are different flavors of the Codec it uses, but only some of them seem to match what is noted as flavors on the Codec2 development page. Which actual flavor is the LilacSat-1 system using? I intend to give this a listen sometime this long weekend to see if I can decode anything. Should be interesting. Does anyone have raw downlink data samples that I could use to test what the FreeDV program can "hear"? Thanks for the insights. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP

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Re: [amsat-bb] Ham Radios on Princess Cruises - Ya Mon!
by Andy 29 May '17

29 May '17

Yes, it's all about the money, but... One ham with a 20M dipole or dangling vertical, an HF rig and a big battery can really mess things up for us folks with long whips or Arrows and slightly oversized "FRS" HTs... WB5RMA and I usually get inside cabins and I operate from very obscure places on the ships with superb views for the pass I am chasing. Be sure that you are licensed for the ship's registered country... They change a lot. Check out the excellent recent article in the Journal by N5AFV for some excellent guidelines on cruising for satellites. Book Carnival whenever possible. I love putting the water grids on the air! Andy W5ACM/C6ACM, etc... Hamsat cruising since 1992 -----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jeff Moore Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2017 10:59 PM To: Jerry Buxton <n0jy(a)amsat.org> Cc: Amsat BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Ham Radios on Princess Cruises Cruise lines, just like every other money-making business. relies on income from it's customers! You (especially as a RETURNING customer) have a certain amount of pull with the company, threaten to go somewhere else and (if they are SMART) they will pay close attention to that! Can't be bothered? Neither can they! It's real simple, you are either a part of the solution or a part of the problem! Getting on a forum and complaining about a problem you are not willing to do something about is a waste of everyone's time and money. A concerted effort by 750,000 licensed hams in the US will likely get the situation corrected, but you have to be willing to make a difference. So why complain if you aren't willing to pursue a change? 7 3 Jeff Moore -- KE7ACY On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 7:33 PM, Jerry Buxton <n0jy(a)amsat.org> wrote: > Yeahhhh, well Jeff, I certainly like ham radio a lot and maybe more > than I should now and then (certain XYLs will probably attest to that) > but a cruise is a cruise and so not quite enough discomfort with the ham radio > thing to warrant giving up a good vacation. :-) > > Jerry Buxton, NØJY > > On 5/28/2017 20:40, Jeff Moore wrote: > > Cancel your cruise and be very specific as to why you are doing so > > and > then > > book on a line that WILL let you bring your radios!! Hams deserve > > better treatment than this! > > > > 7 3 > > Jeff Moore -- KE7ACY > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > _______________________________________________ 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

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Memorial Day EN82 EN83 operation
by Ruth Willet 28 May '17

28 May '17

Reposting this since I'm not sure it went through the first time. Would anyone be interested in a EN82/EN83 grid line operation sometime tomorrow (Memorial Day, May 29th, 2017)? I may be able to do the 18:01Z AO-85 pass from the grid line. 73, Ruth KM4LAO

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Echo Lima Rover Rover
by Gabriel Zeifman 28 May '17

28 May '17

Hello bird people, Short notice roving today. Just departed Austin EM10 heading south. Goal is to activate EL17/18/19, which will complete my second /r transcon line between Mexico and Canada (EL15-EN19), longest I've done so far is EL06-EO01. Secondary goal is EL28/29, not sure if we'll have time to do it today. No plan for passes, I'll get on something when I get there. Hit me up on Twitter if you have a request, no promises on being able to make anything specific. My little brother is behind the wheel today with his learners permit, wish me luck. He intends to listen to video game podcasts or something the whole time, so hopefully I'll retain enough of my sanity to be capable of operating a satellite. Tracking on APRS NJ7H-7 and Iridium share.garmin.com/gz 73, Gabe NJ7H

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EN82 and EN83 Line
by Ruth 28 May '17

28 May '17

Would anyone be interested in a EN82/EN83 grid line operation sometime tomorrow (Memorial Day, May 29th, 2017)? I may be able to do the 18:01Z AO-85 pass from the grid line. 73, Ruth KM4LAO

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Re: [amsat-bb] LilacSat-1 and Codec2
by W M WILLOUGHBY 28 May '17

28 May '17

Tom, see the Twitter feed for @M6SIG - he is helping @kb1pvh get this running under Windows. It is my understanding that you must run a Virtual Machine to operate Linux and then get the Codec working under Linux. All this is far from trivial and I cannot see this concept getting much use from amateur satellite operators if everyone has to muddle through this without some detailed instructions. It's a good thing you have a long weekend to work on it – you will need it. And that is not meant to be disparaging – I am going to try to get this working at my station in the coming week.

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SatPC32
by Vincenzo Mone 28 May '17

28 May '17

Hello Folks, I am trying to understand how the SaPC32 works before I go to purchase it. I see there al several groups like: Amateur.txt Cubesat.txt Geo.txt Intelsat.txt Nasa.txt OrbsManu.ele Weather.txt If I understood in each group you can put at maximum 12 satellites. I want to know if I am looking the Cubesat.txt group and a satellite from another group like Amateur.txt, will I be advised even if it is in a different group that I am looking? Is there any site that can explain me how it works? Where to buy it with credit card? Any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV ************************************ ****** GSM +39 328 7110193 ****** ***** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** ************************************

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Recent LoTW Upload
by R.T.Liddy 28 May '17

28 May '17

All Qs from my recent trip to FM16/26/27/28/29 have been uploaded to LoTW. Let me know if you don't see one of yours there & include the particulars. My old ears might have botched something during all that rain & wind - HIHI. 73, Bob K8BL

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ANS-148 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 28 May '17

28 May '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-148 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: * 2017 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice * Spring 2017 CubeSat Workshop Presentations and Video Posted * LilacSat-1 Deployed From ISS and Is Operational * February launch for Jordanian CubeSat * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-148.01 ANS-148 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 148.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 28, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-148.01 2017 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Notice It's time to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Four directors' terms expire this year: Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Bob McGwier, N4HY. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee's name and call, and the nominating individual's names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St, #304 Kensington, MD 20895-2526. In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e-mail, fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to martha(a)amsat.org or faxed to (301)822-4371. No matter what means is used, petitions MUST arrive no later than June 15th at the AMSAT-NA office. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If it is other than this, i.e. electronic, a verifying traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA office at the above address within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. [ANS thanks AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring 2017 CubeSat Workshop Presentations and Video Posted This year was the biggest CubeSat Workshop yet, with almost 550 attendees from 19 different countries The 2017 CubeSat Developers Workshop has posted all presentations at: http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~workshop/archive/ (2017 & Spring folders) You can also find all video footage from the workshop on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCENz0fNHsDR8Kz3jM6C_VWw [ANS thanks the CubeSat Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LilacSat-1 Deployed From ISS and Is Operational LilacSat-1 has improved their documentation correcting their links. The satellite was deployed from ISS and is operational. https://amsat-uk.org/2017/05/19/lilacsat-1-cubesat-iss/ http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/?page_id=594 FM to Codec2 digital audio repeater of LilacSat-1 is now switched on. 145.985 PL 67 UP, 436.510 DOWN It seems a few folks keep posting LilacSat-1 information in the Twitter format and toss in a few links. Here is another link if it helps any ... http://destevez.net/2016/10/lilacsat-1-codec-2-downlink/ Built by students at the Harbin Institute of Technology the new LilacSat CubeSat has a 145/436 MHz FM / Codec2-BPSK Digital Voice transponder. It will deploy from the ISS at 0815 GMT Tuesday, May 23. The Lilac 2 satellite multi-mode transponder can work as an APRS digipeater and FM repeater. The science goals of the mission include building flight software development for an on-orbit test platform, which is used to analyze the effect of space single particle effects on FPGA software function and performance. The satellite also includes equipment for global flight ADS-B and monitoring and tracking of large wildlife traces and other tasks. The satellite also carries an industrial infrared camera to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using satellite satellites to monitor the environment. The FM transponder is expected to be a popular mode using amateur radio FM walkie-talkies or mobile radios. The voice filter passband is in the range of 300~3500 Hz. Below 300Hz below the sub-audio in the form of baseband data emplying a CCSDS mode of 300 bps telemetry data transmission. The BJ1SI-1 APRS digipeater will immediately forward the received UI frame in real-time. The BJ1SI-2 APRS digipeater will allow delayed forwarding with a user specified forwarding path and an ASCII coded time delay. Uplink ------- + Frequency 145.985 MHz PL 67 + Antenna 1/4 wavelength monopole, linear polarization + FM repeater Analog voice, no PL + APRS Digi AX.25 UI 1200 bps AFSK Downlink -------- + Frequency 436.510 MHz + Callsign BJ1SI + Antenna Turnstile LHCP (Forward, main lobe) RHCP (Backward) + Telemetry CSP/CSP + AX.25 UI (Cube Satellite Space Protocol) was originally developed by the AAUSAT3 team at the University of Aalborg in Denmark and is an open source, lightweight network layer protocol) + FM repeater Analog voice + CSP + APRS Digi AX.25 UI 1200 bps AFSK + Power 23/27 dBm [ANS thanks the Harbin Institute of Technology for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- February launch for Jordanian CubeSat Fourth year electrical engineering student Aya Jaafari is a member of the JY1-SAT team. She says working on the CubeSat has allowed her to practically implement a lot of what she learns theoretically at university The Jordan Times reports on the country's first CubeSat JY1-SAT which was built under the Masar initiative of the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF), by 16 young Jordanian men and women. The satellite is scheduled to be launched on a mission in February 2018, a date on which the team pins great hopes and ambitions. These young Jordanians were supervised by a group of experts and academics through their weekly meetings held at the Royal Jordanian Radio Amateurs Society (RJRAS). JY1-SAT was chosen as a tribute to His Majesty the Late King Hussein of Jordan whose amateur radio call sign was JY1. The CubeSat will carry an Amateur Radio FUNcube 435/145 MHz SSB/CW transponder and a Slow Scan Digital Video (SSDV) system to transmit stored images reflecting the Jordanian culture and its historical heritage. Read the full story at http://tinyurl.com/ANS148-Jordanian-Nanosat Royal Jordanian Radio Amateurs Society https://www.facebook.com/jy6zz/ JY6JY is a dedicated ground station to be used for communication with JY1-SAT. The call sign JY6JY is registered to the Office of Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II of Jordan https://www.qrz.com/db/JY6JY JY1SAT applies for frequency coordination https://amsat-uk.org/2017/05/16/jy1sat-frequency-coordination/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Saint Joseph School, Ronkonkoma, NY and Astronaut Jack Fisher K2FSH using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-05-22 12:35 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via W6SRJ. ARISS Mentors were Dave AA4KN and Bob WB4SON. Special Congratulations ANS would like to congratulate the Santa Rosa Jr College Amateur Radio Club W6SRJ and trustee Tim Bosma W6MU for their 100th successful ARISS contact during the telebridge with Saint Joseph School, Ronkonkoma, NY on May 22 Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule Australian Air League South Australia Wing, Elizabeth, South Australia, Australia, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go: Wed 2017-05-31 09:35:31 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + CubeSat Workshop presentations available The 2017 CubeSat Developers Workshop, held in San Luis Obispo CA April 26-28, was the biggest event yet, with almost 550 attendees from 19 different countries! All 2017 presentation slides are now available online at http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/%7Eworkshop/archive/ You can also find all video footage from the workshop at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCENz0fNHsDR8Kz3jM6C_VWw Stay tuned for the announcement of the dates for the 15th Annual Developers Workshop next year http://www.cubesat.org/ [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, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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Have Flight? Will travel. APRS Satellite ready-to-go
by Robert Bruninga 27 May '17

27 May '17

If anyone has access to a ride to space on a HOST, remember that we have a fully qualified flight unit DIGIPEATER and DTMF transponder module ready to fly as an attached payload to any HOST spacecraft. Lets call it QIKCOM-3. The mission of the identical QIKCOM-2 is described here: http://aprs.org/qikcom-2.html We delivered the QIKCOM-2 flight Unit#1 back in 2015, and it might finally fly this fall. So, I just realized that the backup FLIGHT unit is also ready to fly (attached to a suitable host). Unfortunately, the Air Force (responsible for all DoD satellite launches) has unilaterally declared that they will not accept any more Amateur Radio student satellites from the Naval Academy for flight on DoD launches*, and so this unit is available to anyone that can get it attached to a payload and get it launched. *this is a two year long battle and we appear to be losing. Don’t ask. I’ll give the sorrid tale when the last and final nail is in the coffin. But in the meantime, this module is available and so I wanted to get it out there for possible alternate rides to space. Since that seems to take several years… Bob, WB4APR

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