May 2018 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] Asking about FM sats frequency
by Roy Dean 07 May '18

07 May '18

https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ --Roy K3RLD > > Hi, I'm programming the channels of a 2m/70cm HT and I need to update the > FM frequency of sats both in 2m and 70 cm. I know there are new birds and > I don't know the freq. Thank's in advance. Carlos A. Santamaria > CO2JC

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FM sats with Baofeng HTs -- tone QC
by Devin L. Ganger 06 May '18

06 May '18

All, I've been working like a dog trying to get to the stage where I can hear myself on the FM sats and I am having no luck. I have an Elk log periodic dual-band antenna, a duplexer, and two Baofeng UV5R radios. I think I've programmed the sat channels with the correct tones, but I've done all of my programming on these radios in CHIRP and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong somehow, since all my previous programming for tones was for repeaters - and CHIRP does that for me via RepeaterBook. Does anyone who uses a Baofeng to transmit to FM sats have a sample line from a CHIRP file they could share so I can double-check my settings? If my settings are right...is there an easy method to determine if my radios are actually sending out the correct tones? Otherwise, I'm starting to think I bought a bum duplexer. I've verified the duplexer works on UHF against a local repeater. Thanks for any ideas, -- Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG) email: devin(a)thecabal.org<mailto:[email protected]> web: Devin on Earth<http://www.devinonearth.com/> cell: +1 425.239.2575

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For Sale: Icom IC-910H 2m/70cm radio
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

FS: Icom IC-910H Hi Power 2m, 440 transceiver, FM/SSB/CW modes. Includes one UT-106 DSP module. Excellent condition, original owner, non-smoke home. Nice big display. Spec at 100W 2m and 75w 440, Satellite modes. Full duplex. Comes with Icom HS-15SB boom microphone, DC power cord, original manual, original box. Works as it should. Sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if local pickup (NNJ 07082). Asking $850, Shipped CONUS, extra elsewhere.

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Kenwood TS-2000 HF/VHF/UHF radio
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

FS: From an estate: Kenwood TS-2000 100W HF/6/2, 50w/440 on SSB/CW/FM. AM also available. Fine working condition and looks good. From smoking home, and has lingering smoke smell. Main and sub receivers, and full duplex and satellite modes available. Great all-around do everything radio. Comes with hand mic, DC power cord, manual, inner and outer original boxes. $700 local pickup (NNJ 07082), or shipping extra. Sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if picked up.

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For Sale: Yaesu FT-847 Earth Station
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

Yaesu FT-847 earth station, with hand mic, matching Yaesu FC-20 auto tuner, and Yaesu MD-100 desk mic. The FT-847 is a HF (10-160m),2m and 70cm SSB/AM/FM/CW radio, 100w SSB/CW/FM on 6-160 plus 50w on 2m and 440. AM mode: Max 25w AM 6-160m, 12.5w on 2m/70cm. Regular and satellite modes. Excellent physical and working condition. FT-847 with hand mic , original manual and power cord, $725. Next, Yaesu FC-20 auto tuner for FT-847 with connecting cable, works from 6m through 160m, $75. Yaesu MD-100 is in good shape and works (mount for the mic had cracked and been glued back together- not bad looking).$75. All items sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if local pickup NNJ 07082 Extra actual cost to ship/insure. Accept USPS money order, bank check or Paypal (with added fee).

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Re: [amsat-bb] 1990 version of ARRL's Satellite Experimenter's Handbook, by K2UBC
by Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL 06 May '18

06 May '18

At 03:03 PM 5/2/2018 -0400, n4hf.philip(a)gmail.com wrote: >I was looking through my ham radio bookshelves (yes, plural!) a few weeks >ago, and I had nearly forgotten that I had this book...so I've been >re-reading it. (No, I'm not interested in selling it.... <grin>) > >The history alone - details about the birds up to and including AO-13 - >makes for fascinating reading, never mind the technical details for >orbital considerations, tracking, and building satellites. Remember that >this when AO-13 was only 2 years old, AO-7 hadn't been heard from in a few >years, and FM birds were only a twinkle in some engineer's eye. > >If you can find this book, I highly recommend that you borrow/buy it - >quite interesting to read what was going on in the satellite world 28 years >ago! (I bought it in late 92/early 93 to read on the plane trip to VP2M >for an AO-13 DXpedition.) > >Philip N4HF I have both first and second additions. Martin is an excellent author and still pops up here in the BB sometimes. and mine aren't for sale either. KB7ADL

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Digest, V13-153 Solar Power Ham vs rfi (tilt angles)
by Robert Bruninga 06 May '18

06 May '18

Good info on the string inverters, but I have to respectfully disagree on one small item: > mount the panels at the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output > not to match the slope of the roof... I lost like 10% on that. We did a study and the ideal angle here in Maryland is 40 degrees tilt. But we analyzed every other angle from 20 up to 50 and the annual total energy difference from 25 degrees to 50 degrees was only a 1% difference. Yes, the lower angle is worse output in the winter, but is better in the summer when the days are twice as long and so these things average out. Do not go below 15 degree angle or they don't get washed off in the rain and snow wont slide off. Anyone can prove this to themselves by using the PVWATTS on line calculator and just change the angle and see the total annual output change... not so much... Thats why alomst all panels these days are just mounted right on the roof, no matter the angle. The structure to optimize the angle will cost more than the 1% gain.... Bob, WB4aPR On Sat, May 5, 2018 at 10:47 PM, Mr B r a d via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > wrote: > good answers in this digest to FM voice sats frequencies ... perhaps > someone could add to the wiki page ( the wiki was also a great idea :) > regarding the RFI at '1/4mile either side of the I-271 & I-480/Hwy-422 > intersection' perhaps worth noting that tiny transmittersin the tires of > cars sometimes use uhf band to talk to the cars computer , monitoring the > air in the tire... you would think wewould see problems from this RF hash > on busy roads... Also many times our receivers go nuts due to out of band > signals that only appear to be onthe ham channels but are not.... best > check it with more than one type of radio ...( more than one range of > 'I.F.' intermediate frequency chain in the receiver ) pics of the spectrum > from a service monitor or SDR make the complaint more legit.good luck , I > hear only about 36 outside employees at the FCC now that deregulation > afflicts this countryand I think the NAB want them all working the tiny FM > pirate broadcasters ... and with the two major radio station cluster > ownersin bankruptcy are Iheart-radio and cumulus-media unfit to be license > holders?? I think so ! > regarding the solar power , I read the write up in qst ( tony-Brock > Fishers April 2016 QST article "Can Home Solar Power and Amateur Radio > Coexist?? )and used the good info on fair-rite cores and broadband AC line > filters ( great ideas )http://valleymedia.org/satchat/k1kp-416-34-35.JPG > but I disagree withthe information about using inverters on each panel ( > who would want electronics on the hot roof ?) > I would avoid the inverter panels ( should be banned ) , I dont want any > switching power supply near my house.. > > When installing the 7kw system on my house. > 7 companies come out and bid until i found a very local company who was > willing to listen and work with me on the installand use the inverter brand > recommended by the few hams i was able to get feedback from , this was a > 'SunnyBoy' ( from Germany )we put the 7.1 kw inverter INSIDE the garage > with a metal 'raceway 'box to hold the fair-rite cores ( type 31,43 and > lots of cheap 75's ) http://valleymedia.org/satchat/choke-cores-ham-solor- > house-_resized.jpg > , a 100 amp broadband filter ( ebay $200 ) between the inverter output > and the grid ,http://valleymedia.org/satchat/solar-inverter-rfi- > choker-.jpg > cores on all the meter and switch boxes.had them use real metal conduit > for most of the runs...that was maybe a extra $300... this should be a rule > of law..... > one more tip local code required a DC disconnect switch be close to it , > or if its to far ( like 15 feet ) from the meter box you have to use a > remote DC disconnect switch.... http://valleymedia. > org/satchat/sunnyboy-remote-dc-disconnect-.jpg > more electronics on the roof ( more fair rite cores needed ) > and went with two strings of DC ONLY solar panels 13 in each string ( > had to stay below the 600v wire limit and put type-'75' cores all along the > DC lines on the roof to break up the long 'return' wire run. ( directly > under my 115ft wire Vee-beam ) I run 400w on HF and work all bands to 1296 > , no noise from the inverterand no problems from my RF into the inverter > .. ( cant say the same for the hot tub )some pics on my qrz.com page..one > selling point on the sunny boy is a extra AC output you can get 1500 watts > of power from the suneven if the power company grid is down.... its called > the SPP outlet... > so many of the install by ( the big guy ) solar city are very poor , under > tree's and some on the north side of the roof... pick your contractor > carefully and your parts even more so , another tip , mount the panels at > the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output not to match the slope of the > roof... I lost like 10% on that. > can solar power work , heck yea... I have not got a real power bill since > the install , system cost was ~ $3.40 a wattand I got a 30% tax credit this > year from last years INVESTMENT in my home. a 100% refund of my FED tax for > 2017.the power meter plays back and forth but never past the reading on the > date of install...Ko6kL > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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Upcoming ARISS contact with Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 06 May '18

06 May '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN on 07 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:54 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and WA4SXM/N4CFB. The contact should be audible over the U.S. State of Tennessee 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. The school is planning to live stream the event at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLIg4Wr1oMykYhCMyBvVNMg . Mooreland Heights Elementary is a K-5, Title I school in Knoxville, TN. Located in the South Knoxville area, the student body is made up of approximately 325 students, 18 classroom teachers, 5 special area teachers, and 6 teaching assistants. All students receive classes in technology, visual art, music, physical education, and library studies. Mooreland Heights' motto is "Every Child Counts, Every Moment Matters." The school is dedicated to meeting the needs of all students and providing them with high quality instruction that focuses on collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication. We strive to provide our students with opportunities that will help them grow both academically and socially. There are many unique, wonderful opportunities available to the students at Mooreland Heights that are essential to our mission and goals. We are a 1:1 school where each child has access to their own iPad. We utilize technology to increase academic rigor, streamline student creations, and set out students up to become successful lifelong learners. In addition to the emphasis on technology, we are also dedicated to being an arts integrated school. We provide our students with extra arts opportunities in a variety of ways to help build creativity and critical thinking skills. Mooreland Heights is a wonderful school with an amazing group of students, teachers, and parents. Together we work hard to provide the best possible education for our students! Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What do you eat on the ISS and how do you eat it? 2. When you are upside down, how do you not feel it? 3. What experiments are you doing in space? 4. How long does it take to get used to and recover from microgravity? 5. What does a person have to do to become an ISS astronaut? 6. How do you physically prepare your body for living in space? 7. Does microgravity affect digestion? 8. How do you avoid space junk? 9. How does it feel to go through Earth?s atmosphere? 10. What do you miss most about Earth? 11. What?s your favorite thing to do in space? 12. Do you ever get to go outside? 13. What are astronaut suits made of? 14. How do you get your fruits and vegetables? 15. What happens if you need a doctor in space? 16. What happens in an emergency, like a fire, on the space station? 17. If a baby grew up in space, how would he/she be different than children on Earth? 18. How many personal items can you bring to the ISS? 19. How many pounds of fuel does it take to get to the ISS? 20. Have you ever lost anything in space? 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): TBD 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] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 13, Issue 153 Solar Power Ham vs rfi
by Mr B r a d 06 May '18

06 May '18

good answers in this digest to FM voice sats frequencies ... perhaps someone could add to the wiki page ( the wiki was also a great idea :) regarding the RFI at '1/4mile either side of the I-271 & I-480/Hwy-422 intersection' perhaps worth noting that tiny transmittersin the tires of cars sometimes use uhf band to talk to the cars computer , monitoring the air in the tire... you would think wewould see problems from this RF hash on busy roads... Also many times our receivers go nuts due to out of band signals that only appear to be onthe ham channels but are not.... best check it with more than one type of radio ...( more than one range of 'I.F.' intermediate frequency chain in the receiver ) pics of the spectrum from a service monitor or SDR make the complaint more legit.good luck , I hear only about 36 outside employees at the FCC now that deregulation afflicts this countryand I think the NAB want them all working the tiny FM pirate broadcasters ... and with the two major radio station cluster ownersin bankruptcy are Iheart-radio and cumulus-media unfit to be license holders?? I think so ! regarding the solar power , I read the write up in qst ( tony-Brock Fishers April 2016 QST article "Can Home Solar Power and Amateur Radio Coexist?? )and used the good info on fair-rite cores and broadband AC line filters ( great ideas )http://valleymedia.org/satchat/k1kp-416-34-35.JPG but I disagree withthe information about using inverters on each panel ( who would want electronics on the hot roof ?) I would avoid the inverter panels ( should be banned ) , I dont want any switching power supply near my house.. When installing the 7kw system on my house. 7 companies come out and bid until i found a very local company who was willing to listen and work with me on the installand use the inverter brand recommended by the few hams i was able to get feedback from , this was a 'SunnyBoy' ( from Germany )we put the 7.1 kw inverter INSIDE the garage with a metal 'raceway 'box to hold the fair-rite cores ( type 31,43 and lots of cheap 75's ) http://valleymedia.org/satchat/choke-cores-ham-solor-house-_resized.jpg , a 100 amp broadband filter ( ebay $200 ) between the inverter output and the grid ,http://valleymedia.org/satchat/solar-inverter-rfi-choker-.jpg cores on all the meter and switch boxes.had them use real metal conduit for most of the runs...that was maybe a extra $300... this should be a rule of law..... one more tip local code required a DC disconnect switch be close to it , or if its to far ( like 15 feet ) from the meter box you have to use a remote DC disconnect switch.... http://valleymedia.org/satchat/sunnyboy-remote-dc-disconnect-.jpg more electronics on the roof ( more fair rite cores needed ) and went with two strings of DC ONLY solar panels 13 in each string ( had to stay below the 600v wire limit and put type-'75' cores all along the DC lines on the roof to break up the long 'return' wire run. ( directly under my 115ft wire Vee-beam ) I run 400w on HF and work all bands to 1296 , no noise from the inverterand no problems from my RF into the inverter .. ( cant say the same for the hot tub )some pics on my qrz.com page..one selling point on the sunny boy is a extra AC output you can get 1500 watts of power from the suneven if the power company grid is down.... its called the SPP outlet... so many of the install by ( the big guy ) solar city are very poor , under tree's and some on the north side of the roof... pick your contractor carefully and your parts even more so , another tip , mount the panels at the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output not to match the slope of the roof... I lost like 10% on that. can solar power work , heck yea... I have not got a real power bill since the install , system cost was ~ $3.40 a wattand I got a 30% tax credit this year from last years INVESTMENT in my home. a 100% refund of my FED tax for 2017.the power meter plays back and forth but never past the reading on the date of install...Ko6kL

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1990 version of ARRL's Satellite Experimenter's, Handbook, by K2UBC
by Mike Stansberry 06 May '18

06 May '18

re: I was looking through my ham radio bookshelves (yes, plural!) a few weeks ago, and I had nearly forgotten that I had this book...so I've been re-reading it. (No, I'm not interested in selling it.... <grin>) The history alone - details about the birds up to and including AO-13 - makes for fascinating reading, never mind the technical details for orbital considerations, tracking, and building satellites. Remember that this when AO-13 was only 2 years old, AO-7 hadn't been heard from in a few years, and FM birds were only a twinkle in some engineer's eye. If you can find this book, I highly recommend that you borrow/buy it - quite interesting to read what was going on in the satellite world 28 years ago! (I bought it in late 92/early 93 to read on the plane trip to VP2M for an AO-13 DXpedition.) Philip N4HF <My comments> Thanks for the info. I have a 1985 version of that book. I guess I'll re-read it as well, just for the history as you state. Might give me some ideas about a 1.2 GHz circular polarized antenna as well. 73, Mike, K0TER

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